Turning the Enchanted Reef’s Frown Upside Down

You would think an enchanted reef would be surrounded by many life forms, but no. The water gets darker and the corals are discolored as I follow the Royal Envoy to our destination.

"Are we lost?"

"That's preposterous. I never get lost."

"The quest clearly states to find the Lost Envoy."

He starts sputtering, nose flaring, with indignation.

"We're not too far."

"Good, because I was getting worried."

As we go through more crags, a cave, and a tunnel, we arrive at a reef.

"Jeez, it looks like a dump. Where is everyone?"

"It no longer gives life, so life forms are no longer attracted to it."

The reef looks like it's crumbling. All withered up, emanating melancholy that makes my eyes water. It's crying.

"How do I restore it though?"

The merman slowly approaches the reef, tsking as he shakes his head.

"I still remember it in its former glory. This place used to thrive with life. Many schools of fish. It was a popular hangout."

I scan the area. It's just there, sitting all alone. There's no sunlight. No current. No life form. The strange thing is, even seeing him approaching the reef, there are no ripples or tiny bubbles. It's as though time stopped. Everything in this area is holding its breath, waiting.

He also freezes mid-swim. Uh oh, there's something seriously wrong with this area, maybe I should check where the boundary is, where things stop.

"You can come back now!"

He doesn't move, he doesn't respond. Yep, he's frozen. I want to spit on him but refrain from the temptation.

I close my eyes, trying to sense if there is any difference in energy. And to my surprise, there is a dome around the Enchanted Reef, where the merman has passed. That's probably the boundary. The dome is a hue of an eerie luminous purple. That's not a color I see often. Something is fishy about this. It's probably better to stay out of its range. Let's test out this theory.

I shoot a water tendril to wrap around and pull him back.

He shakes his head and repeats, "I still remember this place in its former glory..."

He doesn't remember what happened. His only skills are navigating the terrain and being my test subject.

I circle the purple dome, careful not to touch it. Observing the enchanted reef, the hue is consistent all around. Where is its weak point? How do I break this stasis? I swim to the top, close my eyes, and focus again. A faint yellow dot glows at the very top of the dome.

Since we're in the ocean, I'm guessing the water element doesn't affect it. I wonder what would happen if I used air elemental power instead. I focus and channel an air tendril. I can't risk using an air blast; it might destroy everything. So I send an air tendril to poke a hole in the yellow dot. That's it! I drill further, expanding the hole, then guide a water tendril through to fill it with fresh ocean water, breathing life back into the reef.

Slowly, the purple dome cracks, and then it shatters. A humming noise resounds throughout the ocean. The enchanted reef slowly revitalizes, from withered yellow to green. Then a bright light explodes, sending a gust of wind through our hair, as shimmering colors of the rainbow flash before us.

The merman claps his hands in wonder.

"You did it!"

I take a dramatic bow, appreciating his applause.

"Another quest completed by the illustrious Ling Yue."

We stand there, watching in awe as the enchanted reef shimmers, and life forms slowly return. Fish are drawn to it, weaving through gaps. Flowers are dancing. Gentle music hums through the ocean as the Enchanted Reef sways. It looks happy to me now. I've turned its frown upside down.

"Our job here is done. We have restored the flow. Time to return to the palace."

He nods happily.

"I know a shortcut."

***

In the Throne Room, the Envoy bows as he greets His Majesty.

The King holds up his hand.

"We've got company. We'll discuss the matter in a moment."

He shifts his attention to me.

"Ling Yue, did you complete all five quests in one day?"

I nod, beaming with pride.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Just as I said, I can do anything when I put my mind to it. I have a witness here to tell you how I did it."

The Envoy nods before clearing his throat.

"I was there for the whole journey. She saved me from the bandits, tied them up, fed them to the Kraken. The Kraken gave her this gift for the Queen."

He hands the King the gift he was clutching for dear life.

"Lastly, we went to the Enchanted Reef where she restored it to its former glory. There are life forms there now."

The King's eyes widen as he strokes his beard thoughtfully.

"It's good to see you're finally applying your chaotic mind to something productive. You may be a promising guardian after all. I'm curious, how did you restore the Enchanted Reef?"

"When I tried to sense its energy, it had a luminous purple aura around it, like a dome. So I broke through it using my air tendrils."

The King's eyes harden.

"Hmm. I will have to investigate that further, but a job well done."

Then he raises his hand over me and sends ripples through my body as he reads:

"Courage: Level 40

Elemental Power: Level 40

Physical Power: Level 38

Strategy: Level 40

Agility: Level 38

Speed: Level 38"

Yes! I'm almost there. Pretty soon, I'll be evolving again.

The King nods, stroking his beard.

"As expected, solving five quests in one day would max your strategy level, and all your other levels naturally increased along with that. The Elder is with the Queen at the moment. You can find him in her chamber. Please give her this gift. I have matters to discuss with the Envoy."

His Majesty balances the Queen's gift on my head, then winks.

That's my cue to leave and find my master.