After the encounter with the elves and waking up to a fresh, rain-washed grove, I felt rejuvenated. Clearing the oak and the willow had been significant milestones to achieve in one day, and with two out of the five hearts purified, I was nearly halfway done. Yet, the grove still bore heavy traces of corruption. The elves had left more offerings around the base of the oak tree. While their presence was intriguing—and eerie—I decided to limit my interactions with them.
I didn't really want the grove to become a tourist attraction. There was no telling what the elves might do, and if they were the closest inhabitants, it was possible that one of them had caused the corruption. There was also no telling them off, even if I wanted to; I really couldn't communicate verbally after all. So, unless I was planning to chase them off with my bow—which wouldn't be a good idea—I had to co-exist with them for the time being.
Before heading into the forest, I decided to inspect the offerings left by the elves. Whether they were offerings, gifts, or tokens of peace, I couldn't say—I was no expert in elven culture. I moved closer to the base of the oak tree, where the offerings were arranged. They consisted of a mixture of flowers, fruits, and intricately carved wooden tokens, similar to the one I had received last night. Waking up to a crowd of elves in my grove was not the most pleasant experience, but their awkward attempts to communicate and assist seemed genuine, which made me feel somewhat more at ease.
Before returning to the fox and the squirrel to start on today's tasks, I decided to check the grove's status window, purifying two hearts must have made an impact on the overall state of the grove.
Grove of Eternal Blossoms - Status
* Overall Health: 20%
* Tree Vitality: 25%
* Flora Diversity: 12%
* Fauna Health: 15%
* Purity Level: 10% (Highly Corrupted)
* Magic Flow: Severely Disrupted
* Overall Level: 1
Tasks to Restore Grove:
* Purify Corrupted Areas: 2/5
* Heal Fauna: 5/50
* Revitalize Trees: 10/100
* Reintroduce Flora: 2/200
* Stabilize Magic Flow: 0/3
"Wow," I thought to myself, looking at the numbers. "Purifying two hearts only increased the overall health and reduced the corruption by 5%? That’s barely a dent in the grand scale of things"
The progress was way slower than I had hoped. I had imagined that purifying the hearts would trigger a cascading effect, with the hearts cleansing the entire grove on their own. It seemed logical—powerful sources of vitality should naturally spread their influence. But reality was proving different. The hearts were indeed rejuvenating their immediate surroundings, but they weren't automatically restoring the entire grove. It became clear that I would need to take a more hands-on approach, addressing each aspect of the grove’s decay myself.
The numbers highlighted how much more work lay ahead. I couldn’t rely on the hearts alone to do the heavy lifting. Every task, from healing the fauna to revitalizing the trees, demanded my direct intervention. It was a daunting realization, but I was committed now, if this place is to be my new home, it had to look as good -if not better- than my old home.
I looked over the tasks at hand and considered focusing on healing the fauna and reintroducing flora. But as I thought about it, I realized the corruption was still far too severe. Attempting to heal the animals or plant new flora might be futile if the surrounding corruption wasn’t addressed first. It felt disheartening to nurture life only for it to be tainted again, and I sure didn't want to spend a good amount of time working on something useless.
“If I work on the fauna and flora now, they might just end up corrupted again. The corruption is still too intense for any new growth or healing to stick. I need to tackle the root of the problem first” With that thought, I turned my attention to another critical aspect of the grove’s restoration: stabilizing the magic flow. The status window indicated that the grove’s magic was severely disrupted. Addressing this would help stabilize the environment and make future restoration efforts more effective, or that's what I thought at least.
As I walked deeper into the grove, my mind grappled with the concept of the magic flow. The status window had mentioned it, but I had no idea what it truly entailed or how to even start fixing it. I knew I needed to address the disruption, but the how eluded me.
With a sigh, I decided to use my spirit vision. It was a reliable tool for understanding the unseen aspects of the grove. I closed my eyes and focused, letting the energy of the grove envelop me. When I opened my eyes again, the world was transformed into a familiar shape.
Through spirit vision, the grove appeared bathed in a soft, ethereal glow. I noticed faint currents of energy flowing through the air, like streams of shimmering light weaving between the trees and the ground. They pulsed rhythmically, but there were noticeable disruptions. The currents were uneven and fractured, with dark, jagged distortions marring their smooth flow.
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At first, I saw only small, subtle details: patches where the energy flow was weak or disrupted, like small ripples in a pond. In some areas, the energy seemed to spiral chaotically, with dark tendrils of corruption snaking through the currents. The once-smooth paths of light were now twisted and obstructed, creating pockets where the grove’s magic felt stagnant or blocked. As I concentrated more, the patterns began to make sense. I noticed that these disruptions were most pronounced near areas with heavy corruption. The corrupted spots seemed to act like barriers, blocking or distorting the natural flow of magic.
The status window had mentioned the magic flow, but it hadn't been clear to me what that entailed until now. It became apparent that the magic flow represented the grove’s ability to channel and distribute the energy from the purified hearts into the corrupted areas. The flow was meant to enable the purified hearts to push their restorative energy outward, gradually cleansing the corruption on their own, but with the current disruptions, that natural process was severely impeded. The corrupted areas were like barriers that prevented the smooth spread of the grove’s healing energy. To restore the grove’s magic flow, I needed to address these corrupted zones and clear the blockages. Only then would the purified hearts be able to effectively extend their influence and begin restoring balance to the entire grove.
I decided to tackle one of the most visibly corrupted areas first. As I approached, the air felt heavier, almost sticky. The ground beneath my feet was dark and soggy, covered in a thick layer of decaying leaves and rotting underbrush. The area was suffused with dark, swirling energy. It seemed to pulsate with an almost malevolent rhythm, disrupting the natural flow of magic. I could see the jagged distortions cutting through the otherwise steady currents of light that should have been flowing gracefully through the grove.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself before starting the purification process. With the brush in hand, I dipped it into a small, glowing pool of energy I’d collected. As I began to paint, the first strokes were cautious. I chose a spot in the center of the corrupted area, where the darkness was thickest. I dipped the brush into the luminescent paint, its glow intensifying with each movement. I started with broad, sweeping motions, laying down a foundation of light over the darkened earth.
The brush’s bristles danced across the ground, leaving behind trails of radiant color that cut through the oppressive darkness. With each stroke, the light seemed to push back against the corruption, the dark miasma hissing and recoiling as if burned by the touch of the divine energy. The air around me grew warmer, and I could feel a subtle shift in the atmosphere, a faint stirring of something hopeful.
As I painted, I used different colors, blending hues of gold, green, and white. The gold symbolized vitality and renewal, the green represented the natural growth I aimed to restore, and the white was for purity and cleansing. Each hue intermingled with the next, creating a swirling pattern of light that spread across the ground. As I stepped back from my work, I took a moment to observe the transformation I had wrought. The area, once a tangled mess of corruption, was now beginning to show signs of recovery. The dark miasma had receded, and the earth beneath was gradually returning to its natural, vibrant state.
My initial doubts about whether the purification process would be effective were slowly dissipating. I had feared that the corruption would simply return, same as with the pond, but seeing the positive changes, I felt a renewed sense of hope. Maybe this is how it works. The grove’s magic needs to be nurtured and guided. It’s not just about removing the corruption but also about stabilizing and enhancing the magic flow, helping the grove, or rather nudging it into the right direction, and letting it do the work.
The way the corruption reacted to the light also intrigued me. It wasn’t just a passive change; the miasma seemed to resist at first, almost as if it were alive and fighting back. The hiss and writhing of the corrupted vines were like a last-ditch effort to hold their ground. The corruption isn’t just a static force. It’s dynamic, almost sentient in its own way. It resists, but it also has weaknesses. If I can keep pushing forward, I might be able to fully restore the grove in a short amount of time.
As I continued to assess the area, I noticed that the sections I had purified had a different feel to them, much like the willow and the oak. The air was lighter, the colors more vivid, and the sense of life more palpable. The grove responds to the magic flow. “The more I purify, the stronger the flow becomes, and the stronger it fights back. It’s like feeding a fire—stoke it enough, and it burns brighter” I thought to myself.
Surveying the newly purified area with a sense of quiet satisfaction, the grove's status window had updated, showing a slight improvement. My work was making a difference, however incremental it might seem. I decided to check the status window to gauge the effect of the purification effort.
Grove of Eternal Blossoms - Status
* Overall Health: 22%
* Tree Vitality: 28%
* Flora Diversity: 14%
* Fauna Health: 18%
* Purity Level: 12% (Highly Corrupted)
* Magic Flow: Highly Disrupted
* Overall Level: 1
Tasks to Restore Grove:
* Purify Corrupted Areas: 3/5
* Heal Fauna: 7/50
* Revitalize Trees: 15/100
* Reintroduce Flora: 4/200
* Stabilize Magic Flow: 1/3
The numbers showed modest progress. I had managed to purify another area, reducing the corruption slightly. It was reassuring, but I knew there was still a lot to be done. I mentally reviewed my strategy for the day. I’d purify the next heavily corrupted area and then check on the progress of the magic flow, as it seemed to be improving, albeit slowly.
I made my way to the next target area, a section of the grove where the corruption was particularly thick. The air here was stifling, and the usual vibrant colors were muted, replaced by a sickly gray-green hue. I set up my easel and palette, preparing to paint.
It’s amazing how such a simple process can have such a profound impact. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this, but seeing the corruption literally retreating from the paint is incredibly satisfying. It’s almost like the grove is mobilizing its little magic troops and fight back. with a little help from my brush of course.