Approximately five hours later, the miracle finally began. By then, the sun was almost set, and King Rendi von Andel Avenue, the road that led to the fountain was completely empty. And hanging against the fountain's stone wall lay the body of a boy. It didn't move at all, yet something deeply strange was happening inside it.
His poisoned stomach, slowly cleansed by the fountain water three hours earlier, had begun to function again. It had already sent the purified water to the kidneys. The kidneys, fully cleaned an hour ago, passed the processed liquid into the rest of the body.
A body without blood created new blood under the "great" influence of that water, and circulated it through every limb. After that, the reactions sped up. The newly formed blood mixed with the sacred water, washed the heart, lungs, liver… every organ, freeing them entirely from poison.
The solid blood in his brain mixed with the fresh one and thinned out. The faint spark of hope in the boy's heart had quietly helped keep him alive.
Right before sunset, Unwan drew his first new breath. Two minutes later, he slowly shifted, pushed himself up, and leaned against the fountain again.
He let out a small, tired laugh.
– Hah… faith and hope cost no money. Seems five hours were enough for me to understand those words. What an unexpected turn.
Indeed, the water had kept Unwan alive even though his heart had stopped.
For five whole hours he hadn't moved at all, yet his consciousness had remained active.
And during those five hours he had thought about many things. He even figured out the hidden meaning behind the First King's secret words. But he still had no idea how exactly the water had healed him.
When he looked around, the Mechanical guard was gone. Unwan couldn't see it, but its metallic creaking sound earlier had helped him understand its approximate location.
Now, for the first time, he wasn't thirsty at all.
Perhaps seven or eight handfuls of water had been enough.
He looked down at himself.
His pale, snow–white skin glowed beautifully in the dimming sunset. Though the dirt on his body and his torn clothes ruined the view.
Unwan smiled faintly and muttered:
– So… what now? The orphanage is about one city away from here, I have no money, no food. Wait… food.
He remembered clearly that he had last eaten the previous evening. Torin kidnapped him after that, and everything had happened so fast. Yet he didn't feel hungry. In fact, he felt unnaturally full, as if he had devoured an entire chicken by himself before dying.
– My stomach is full, I'm not thirsty… is this the effect of that 'Great' water?
It was an intriguing thought. Who would've guessed that the water from the First King's fountain could be so beneficial?
But Unwan also knew this: the water worked only because of that spark of hope in his heart. But what did the First King have to do with any of this?
"Maybe… he is connected to the water?"
– Interesting theory, but the Shining Kingdom was founded more than 500 years ago. If the water had some effect, it should've appeared before. Wait…
He stopped himself. He was answering his own questions again. An old habit from spending too much time alone in the orphanage. But this time, the matter was different.
"…could it really be possible?"
Unwan quickly turned toward the statue of the First King. Something about the grimoire in the king's hand was bothering him.
The sun had almost disappeared, but its last rays still let him see which grimoire it was.
"Interesting…"
In the orphanage, Unwan had learned about types of grimoires and basic everyday knowledge. But when it came to general history lessons, he had always run away to study whatever interested him more.
Because of that, he never learned what kind of person the First King was, nor what his grimoire or spells had been.
Yet now he recognized exactly which grimoire the king held. At its center was a pentagon, with five lines stretching outward and joining again at the center.
Unwan wasn't sure whether he should be surprised or confused.
It was a fifth–tier grimoire's younger sibling: a Tier–4 Elemental Grimoire.
Unlike its five first–tier counterparts, this one allowed the user to wield fire, water, earth, lightning, and ice spells. Such high–tier grimoires were extremely rare, let alone a tier–five.
It was impressive… yet perfectly fitting for the First King. After all, he founded the Shining Kingdom, and his descendants had ruled it for more than 500 years.
"So King Rendi's water magic is what kept me alive, huh? Thank you, Sir Rendi. May you rest peacefully in your grave."
Unwan knew the king couldn't hear him.
Even the Mechanical guardian standing by the fountain couldn't hear him, so King Rendi certainly wouldn't.
But a sense of respect and guilt pushed Unwan to say those words. Even five centuries after his death, the king had saved another life.
***
Three hours had passed since Unwan woke up. The King Rendi Avenue was still completely empty, except for him. There were no lanterns or magical lights. Only the half–moon in the sky faintly illuminated the night.
Its glow wasn't bright, but it was enough to make out shapes around him.
Some houses along the road had lights on, some didn't. It was around eight or nine in the evening.
The Mechanical guardian stood stiffly in its original position, not even glancing at Unwan once since he breathed again.
Unwan sat by the fountain, lost in thought until a strange noise echoed from the direction he and Torin had first entered.
Something was coming. Strange sounds, as if someone or something was approaching.
There was a raspy, angry growl as well, like a creature filled with rage.
Unwan instantly realized what it was.
– Great… the night creatures are coming out. Why didn't I think of this earlier? Just because it's the capital doesn't mean Night creatures don't roam here.
A flicker of fear rose in him. Was he really going to lose the second chance he gained today?
– No. There has to be a way.
Could the water protect him again?
"No… I can't gamble on something that risky twice. Think. Think."
The Night creature wasn't visible yet, but it was roughly two to three hundred meters away, behind the line of houses.