One Day Ago

  “Interesting… I wonder what I can make with this…” Ki’ida mused to himself.

  In his lap was an oversized blue and white shell, from which he had just finished absorbing the aether. The shell ended up tossed in the pile alongside the hundred other shells just like it in the corner of his workshop.

  Ki’ida no longer managed the jewelry store. Instead, he had sold that business off to the islanders, as suggested by Emperor Caldoon. The emperor wanted more businesses to be managed by people from the island, and Ki’ida couldn’t have cared less about what happened to that place. He was still making money from providing the jewelry, and now he no longer had to deal with bothersome customers, so this situation was an absolute win from his perspective.

  Unfortunately, selling his business had also left him with nothing to do. He had spent a good week aimlessly throwing money around before the scholar from Ocean’s Bounty came to him with some interesting shells. After that, he spent the entire day absorbing aether to try and comprehend the trait and copy it. It wasn’t until now, however, that his efforts finally managed to pay off.

  Traits like [Spatial Compression] weren’t unheard of in the world, but they were rare. If a person managed to absorb that sort of trait from a monster, they could make a decent killing selling storage items. Unfortunately, those rules typically only applied to classes like leatherworkers, weavers, and carpenters who could make bags and chests. Ki’ida was limited by his profession, so he could only imbue the trait into chitin materials.

  Aw well… Beggars can’t be choosers. Now, how do I make this art useful?

  Ki’ida paced around his new workshop. He walked around his workbench, passed the hangar with tools placed along the wall, and looked out the window down at the bustling street below. Villagers had finally begun pouring into the town, partially from Ki’ida’s jewelry venture, but also to see what other new businesses had opened.

  I could make a lot of money if I just knew how to use this new trait.

  Ki’ida looked away from the window, then glanced over at the area where the shells had piled up. They had become a mess, and he would have to start disposing of them sooner or later. With heavy reluctance, he strode over and picked one of the man-sized shells up. On a whim, he decided to use [Insight].

  I wonder…

  Ki’ida placed the shell on his workbench. After that he proceeded to grab his tin bucket and place it right beside him. The chitinshaper then took both hands, grabbed the bucket, and heaved.

  “HUUUUURRRRRK! BLEEEEEH!”

  Sizzling reddish-purple liquid sprayed from his mouth, filling the bucket up. The liquid was, in fact, an acid that came directly from his stomach. Originally, it was used as a defense mechanism among the Formii clans to fend off giant bugs and mammals that wanted to eat them.

  It wasn’t until the rise of the first chitinshaper, the sovereign Kor’enka, that Insectii from all over the world would see that there were better ways of fighting. Instead of using brute strength and primitive tools, Kor’enka discovered a way to carve armor and weapons from the husks of their defeated enemies. His actions eventually started a revolution in advancement, which later led to the other Insectii classes, like Broodqueen and Skystrider.

  So much improvement… Only for the Formii High Queen to keep our clan in the dark ages.

  Ki’ida dipped his carving claw into the acid and began carving along the side of the shell in a horizontal line. As he did so, his thoughts briefly turned to home and everything he had been through. Like so many other Formii men before him, he was raised in luxury by his queen, and just like all those before him, once he came of age, he was sent to the slave markets to be sold to some other queen as part of her harem.

  No… don’t think about that. You have a new life now. No need to think about that place. Sooner or later, someone will make the queens suffer.

  Ki’ida shoved down his spite and began to focus entirely on carving through the massive piece of shell before him, and before he knew it, he was done. The chitinshaper then gingerly removed the top half of the shell and glanced inside. Just like the description given by [Insight], the massive shell had a chambered interior, beginning at the opening and spiraling until it reached the top of the shell.

  Not very good for storage, but if I cut out the inner walls, maybe add some hinges… Yeah, this could work, but I need to act soon. The new sovereign icon will be finished any day now.

  A plan slowly unfolded in Ki’ida’s mind, and he furiously got to work cutting out the insides of the shell until it was one open space. He had a lot of work to do, and soon an opportunity would present itself to reveal his new creation.

  …

  Present Day

  Lukey sat, eyes closed, in front of the tide pool with his rod cast into the water below. Patiently he had been waiting for something to bite, yet the fish below seemed utterly disinterested. He had been waiting here for who knows how long, and the only thing he could manage to get was a few nibbles before the fish got scared off. His bucket was utterly empty, and he couldn’t understand why.

  After spending some more time here, he began to learn a little more about the Mystic Reef. Apparently, its residents were known as Corites, and they only existed here. They had a pretty enjoyable life here too, as they had set up many places that provided enjoyment and relaxation.

  As Blustag himself had told him, the Mystic Reef exists to provide a respite from the real world, if only a temporary one.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Lukey had been spending time lazing around in different parts of the Mystic Reef. He still hadn’t managed to properly surf yet, but he was getting better at staying on the board. There are also other attractions, including restaurants, diving, boating, and, of course, fishing.

  “The fish sense your anxiety. Relax. Let them come to you.”

  Blustag was next to him, and he seemed to have infinitely more luck with finishing, because his bucket was nearly filled to the brim. A rainbow of fish, squirming eels, and even the silver glint of a few stingrays could be seen within his bucket. It became clear to Lukey that Blustag had a lifetime of experience in catching fish, perhaps even two.

  “I’m relaxed.” Lukey growled.

  In truth, Lukey was frustrated by the fact that he had spent so much time within the Mystic Reef without making any progress with his class. All he was doing was playing around, waiting for his real body to recover. Meanwhile, the world outside kept moving, and it wasn't going to wait for him to join it.

  Blustag didn’t comment on that but instead let the silence drag on as he pulled up another sunfish, practically glowing as spines stuck out from every point of exposed flesh along its puffed-up body. Instead of placing it in the bucket, he threw the sunfish back, then proceeded to grab the bucket and dump the myriads of aquatic lifeforms back into the pool.

  “Lukey, tell me what’s wrong?” Blustag asked.

  “None of your business. Besides, why do you care?” Lukey asked. “You seem pretty interested in someone you just met two days ago.”

  “Is it wrong to care about other people’s problems?” Blustag shrugged. “This place exists as a retreat from the stresses of real life. If someone isn’t at ease, I exist to help.”

  Lukey responded with silence; he was irritated enough as is and didn’t want to encourage the strange being any further by discussing his personal business. Blustag, however, didn’t relent and instead posed a different question as he stared out into the tranquil pool.

  “Do you have any plans once you wake up?” he said.

  Lukey was slightly taken aback.

  What kind of question is that? Plans? What kind of plans? Should I have any yet?

  It was so absurd that Lukey just had to try and answer.

  “Well… I’m probably going to meet up with everyone else, throw a party, then go back to the guild and rest until I can take a new mission.”

  Blustag nodded, but the lights on his face indicated no feeling.

  “That’s nice, but I wasn’t referring to that… Instead, I was referring to the future. What are your plans for the future?”

  It was at this point that Lukey removed his line from the tide pool. He then wrapped the line around his rod and placed it beside him near the empty bucket. Finally, he turned to face Blustag.

  “Well… I don’t know?” Lukey answered hesitantly. “I have a decent job now working for the guild. I guess I’ll probably keep doing missions, maybe save some money, and buy a home in Tranquil Waters. Of course, I’ll keep focusing on leveling up and improving my equipment… Wait, why are you asking these questions all of a sudden?”

  Blustag didn’t seem flustered by the question. Instead, he responded in a simple, almost consoling tone.

  “No particular reason.” He answered. “It’s just… sometimes we want things out of life, but despite our best-laid plans, we often get thrown for a loop. You must have seen that happen at least once or twice, right?”

  Does he know something I don’t? Well, I suppose he must, considering that he can read the aether in my body.

  Lukey’s narrowed suspiciously at Blustag, but he relented as he began to think of times in the recent past where life didn’t turn out as planned.

  “Well… Recently a group of barbarians tried to enslave the island. They had with them three ships that were full of people from various parts of the world. I doubt any of those people ever planned on being captured… or having to fight off barbarians.”

  Blustag nodded, then replied.

  “And the barbarians, I bet they never expected to be bested so easily, right?”

  Lukey’s head fell to the side, and he stared up in thought.

  That’s true. From what I heard, plenty of those barbarians were roughly only at the second stage of their classes. They planned the trip to be an easy raid on some backwater villages, so I bet many of them never expected to lose their lives.

  “Do you see what I’m getting at? Sometimes we make plans, and Eterna throws it back in our faces and laughs.” Blustag explained.

  Lukey stayed silent as he began to remember his ordeal with the Aquaclaw Stalker and Norman, the Cannoneer. He never expected to be fighting either of those entities; instead, he was forced to confront both for the sake of protecting the island and those around him. He hoped he would never have to face something like that again, but at this point, that would just be lying to himself.

  “So, what do I do? Just give up? If I can’t change what happens to my life, then what’s the point of even trying to strive for anything?” Lukey asked in defeat.

  “If everyone were satisfied with their lot in life, we wouldn’t have sovereigns.” Blustag answered. “The question isn’t what happens to you, but how you can make the best of it and come out on top.”

  Lukey nodded as he listened intently to the sagely advice. Unfortunately, that advice was currently wasted on Lukey, due to the fact that he was currently stuck inside the Mystic Reef.

  “I think I get it, but it’s not like I can change anything right now.” Lukey relented. “I’m stuck in here until my body is healed on Leviathan’s Rest. That means I’ll have to wait for who knows how long before I can learn to modify arts.”

  This seemed to pique Blustag’s interest, and the coral man stopped staring into space for a moment to look at Lukey directly.

  “Modifying arts? Well, that’s easy! If you’d like, I can teach you.” He exclaimed.

  Lukey felt a fire of hope ignite within him before flickering out shortly after.

  “Thanks, but I haven’t learned a script yet. I won’t be able to read the aether without one.” Lukey stated. “Besides, I’m willing to bet Roman has already started putting lessons together about modifying arts; in fact, he probably already has a list of scripts I can use.”

  Blustag tilted his head.

  “A script? Ah, you mean the language you apply aether to understand it better. Yes, I suppose a human like you would need one. Hmmm…”

  Blustag seemed to contemplate something, which prompted Lukey to prod him for information.

  “C’mon, don’t tell me that you just have a functional script lying around… unless?”

  The silence stretched on for a while before Blustag answered.

  “Well…”

  …

  Blustag led Lukey through several caverns, passing by trees and boulders that came in all forms and colors of coral. Based on his sense of direction, Lukey could tell that they were moving in a spiral, and with each caver being set slightly above the last, he could tell that they were moving up. All around he could see other coral people lazing around, along with other people like himself, in their strange new forms, enjoying the various tide pools.

  They continued up, making various loops around the Mystic Reef in a spiral fashion. With each level they climbed, the further up they ascended. Eventually the pathway they were on changed, eventually becoming a solitary path that rose through the air. The pathway they were on was paved with green beach glass tiles, whereas thick branches of bright red coral made up the railing.

  Where is he taking me?

  The path continued up, higher, until it finally ended at a ledge that overlooked the largest tide pool in the Mystic reef. Lukey pulled himself up along the railing until he finally reached the ledge, stopping right beside Blustag. Lukey kneeled down and took a few deep breaths, but the second he looked up, his breath was stolen from him once more.

  Before them was a massive set of double doors, dark blue with a white trim, that stretched far into the sky. The doorway was guarded by two massive coral titans; their faces, each composed of seven lights contained within a hexagonal formation. The one on the left had a coral formation like Blustag, with the coral growing in short stalks that extended out from its pitch-black body. Meanwhile, the one on the right was dark blue and seemed to have a smoother formation, with massive, rounded grooves etched across its rocky skin.

  While Lukey was busy gawking, Blustag spoke up.

  “Patharian, Brain, may we see Neptune’s Vault?”

  The two titans looked at each other, then looked down at Blustag.

  “Why have you brought a human here?” The black titan’s deep voice echoed. “This place is sacred. It must remain undisturbed!”

  Blustag quickly began waving his hands.

  “We don’t intend to touch anything! I simply wish to show him Neptune's Legacy! Please, I can vouch for him!”

  An audible grumble echoed out from the two titans, sharing what Lukey could only surmise was a look of worry.

  “Very well. Neptune’s legacy must be shared. You may go inside.” Said the dark blue titan.

  Once it was agreed, the two titans heaved themselves off their posts, and each one took hold of the door as they began pulling it open. There was an audible groan as the massive doors slowly parted in the middle, letting light through and blinding Lukey momentarily before opening completely and separating.

  “Um, Blustag?” Lukey whispered with a look of worry on his face. “What exactly are you trying to show me, and where exactly are you taking me?”

  “I’ll explain once we get inside; for now, just follow me.”

  Lukey followed closely behind Blustag as they walked the long distance through what felt like a mile-long entranceway. He felt like an ant as he walked between the two titans, and he hoped and prayed to whatever sovereigns could hear him that they didn’t suddenly change their minds and end them right then and there.

  After a long, quiet walk, the duo finally reached the entrance to the room properly, allowing Lukey to take in his surroundings as he looked in wonder at the sights surrounding him.

  “What… what is this place?” Lukey asked.

  “Hmmm, I suppose you could call it a shrine?” Blustag commented. “A legacy left behind by the creator of the Mystic Reef. Neptune, the Tranquil Voyager.”