Hugo woke to the sound of the system chiming in his mind, louder and more insistent than usual. He sat up in his small hut, blinking away the remnants of sleep.
The morning light filtered through the woven palm fronds, casting soft patterns across the sandy floor. Outside, he could hear the gentle rhythm of the waves and Nerelle humming something melodic from the tide pool.
The glowing text appeared before him, sharp and clear.
[New Quest Available: Retrieve the Lost Pearl of Tides.]
[Difficulty: Moderate | Recommended Level: 10 | Current Level: 3]
[Description: An ancient artifact sacred to the Oceanborn has been stolen by a creature of great malice. Retrieve the Pearl and return it to its rightful place.]
[Reward: 500 EXP, Rare Item: Tidebreaker's Charm, Affinity Boost with Oceanborn Species.]
[Accept Quest? Yes / No]
Hugo stared at the notification, his mind still catching up with what he was reading. A quest. An actual quest, like something out of the stories his son used to beg him to tell before bed.
But this wasn't a story. This was real, and apparently, the system expected him to go after some kind of sacred artifact.
He stood and walked out of the hut, the cool morning air brushing against his skin. Nerelle was still in the tide pool, her blue hair floating around her like silk in water. She looked up when she saw him, her expression bright and welcoming.
"Good morning," she said. "You look troubled. Did something happen?"
Hugo nodded, gesturing to the air where the notification still hovered in his vision. "The system just gave me a quest. Something about retrieving a pearl."
Nerelle's expression changed instantly. The warmth drained from her face, replaced by shock and something that looked almost like hope. She swam closer to the edge of the tide pool, her eyes wide.
"Did it say the Lost Pearl of Tides?" she asked urgently.
Hugo blinked. "Yes. How did you know?"
Nerelle's hands gripped the edge of the pool, her knuckles white. "Because that pearl is one of the most sacred relics of my people. It's been missing for over a decade."
"The elders searched everywhere, but they could never find it. They thought it was lost forever."
Hugo sat down on the sand near the pool, processing this new information. "What does it do? Why is it so important?"
Nerelle took a breath, her voice trembling slightly. "The Pearl of Tides is more than just a relic. It's a source of protection for our colonies."
"It keeps the deep waters safe from predators and helps maintain balance in the currents. Without it, many of the smaller colonies have been destroyed. My own home was one of them."
Her voice cracked on the last word, and Hugo felt a pang of sympathy. He'd lost his home too, in a way. He understood what it meant to have something precious torn away.
"The quest says it was stolen by something," Hugo said carefully. "Do you know what took it?"
Nerelle nodded, her expression darkening. "Kragnar, the Coral Serpent. He's a monster that's been terrorizing the southern waters for years."
"No one has been able to get close to him without being killed. He's massive, vicious, and he hoards anything that glows or shines. The Pearl would have been irresistible to him."
Hugo looked at the quest notification again, noting the difficulty rating. Moderate. That could mean anything, but judging by the way Nerelle spoke about this creature, it wasn't going to be an easy task.
Still, the idea of helping her, of doing something that mattered, stirred something in him. He'd spent so much of his life just surviving. Maybe it was time to do more than that.
"I'm going to accept the quest," Hugo said.
Nerelle's eyes widened. "You can't."
"Kragnar is too dangerous. You've only been here a few days. You don't even know how to fight underwater."
Hugo met her gaze, steady and calm. "Then you'll teach me. And we'll do this together."
Nerelle stared at him for a long moment, her expression a mix of disbelief and something that looked like gratitude. "You'd really do that? Risk your life for something that doesn't even belong to you?"
"It belongs to your people," Hugo said simply. "And you're part of those people. That's reason enough for me."
Nerelle's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away quickly, nodding. "Alright. If you're serious about this, then I'll help you. But you need to be prepared."
"The ocean is different from the surface. It's not just about strength. It's about understanding the currents, the pressure, and the creatures that live below."
Hugo stood, brushing the sand from his hands. "Then let's start now."
He reached out mentally and accepted the quest. The notification flashed green, and a new message appeared.
[Quest Accepted: Retrieve the Lost Pearl of Tides.]
[Objective: Locate and defeat Kragnar, the Coral Serpent. Retrieve the Pearl and return it to the Oceanborn.]
[New Skill Available: Would you like to unlock Aqua Vision?]
Hugo selected yes without hesitation. A warm sensation spread through his eyes, like sunlight filtering through water. When it faded, he blinked and looked at the ocean.
Everything seemed sharper, clearer. He could see deeper into the water than before, past the surface reflections and into the layers below. Schools of fish swam in the distance, and he could make out the shapes of coral formations far beneath the waves.
[Skill Unlocked: Aqua Vision — See through ocean layers up to 50 meters deep.]
[Effect: Enhances underwater perception and tracking. Useful for locating creatures and hidden objects.]
Nerelle watched him with curiosity. "What just happened?"
"The system gave me a new skill," Hugo explained. "I can see deeper into the water now. A lot deeper."
Nerelle's expression brightened. "That will help."
"Kragnar lives in a cavern system about two miles from here, near the edge of the southern reefs. The water is deep there, and the currents are strong. We'll need to be careful."
Hugo nodded, already planning their approach. "Before we go after this serpent, I need to know what I'm up against. You said he's massive. How big are we talking?"
Nerelle hesitated, then gestured with her hands. "From what I've heard, he's at least thirty feet long, maybe more. His body is covered in jagged coral that acts like armor."
"He's fast in the water, and his bite can crush stone. Most who've tried to fight him never made it back."
Hugo absorbed this information, his mind working through the problem. He'd dealt with dangerous creatures before, though nothing quite on this scale.
But fishing had taught him patience, strategy, and the importance of knowing your opponent. A serpent was still a predator, and predators had patterns.
"We'll need a plan," Hugo said. "Charging in without one is a good way to get killed."
Nerelle nodded. "Agreed. And you'll need to be able to move underwater."
"On land, you're strong, but in the ocean, you'll tire quickly if you don't know how to conserve your energy."
...
...
Over the next few hours, Nerelle taught Hugo the basics of underwater movement. She showed him how to let the currents carry him instead of fighting against them, how to control his breathing to stay submerged longer, and how to use his body weight to dive and surface efficiently. It was strange at first, his instincts screaming at him to kick harder, to push faster, but Nerelle was patient, guiding him through each motion until it started to feel natural.
By midday, Hugo was exhausted but improving. He surfaced near the tide pool, gasping for air but grinning. "I think I'm getting the hang of it."
Nerelle smiled. "You're a quick learner. But there's still one more thing you need to know."
"Kragnar isn't just strong. He's cunning. He'll use the terrain to his advantage, hide in the coral, strike when you least expect it. You can't just rely on brute force."
Hugo nodded, his mind already turning over strategies. "Then we use the same tactics. We lure him out, make him come to us on our terms. If he's territorial, he won't be able to resist."
Nerelle's eyes gleamed with approval. "That could work. But we'll need bait. Something that will draw him out of his lair."
Hugo glanced at his fishing rod, leaning against the side of the hut. "Leave that to me. I'm good at catching things."
Nerelle laughed, the sound light and full of hope. "I'm starting to believe that."
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Hugo felt a sense of purpose settle over him. This wasn't just about completing a quest or earning rewards from the system.
This was about helping someone who had been hurt by the world, about fighting for something that mattered. It reminded him of why he'd risked his life in the storm to save that young fisherman. Some things were worth the danger.
He looked out at the ocean, vast and shimmering under the sunlight, and felt a spark of anticipation. Somewhere out there, a monster was waiting. And Hugo Barley, the fisherman who had died and been reborn, was going to face it head on.