Leon looked down at the small fox resting against him.
"You've been unconscious for a week," he said quietly.
Joon-Woo's ears twitched in shock.
Seven days?
"During that fight," Leon continued, his voice steady but firm, "you nearly destroyed your mana pathways. You forced far more power through your body than it was capable of handling. The royal healers worked day and night to stabilize you. If you had woken any later…"
His jaw tightened slightly, leaving the rest unspoken.
Before he could continue, a firm knock echoed through the chamber.
A royal knight entered and immediately knelt.
"Your Highness. His Majesty is requesting your presence."
Leon's expression shifted instantly—no longer a gentle caretaker, but the Crown Prince.
Calm.
Controlled.
Authoritative.
"I understand."
The knight bowed and withdrew.
Leon carefully placed Joon-Woo back against the silk pillows, adjusting the blankets around his small fox form.
"I need to meet the King," he said quietly.
His hand lingered briefly over Joon-Woo's head.
"Rest. And do not attempt to use your mana."
There was quiet warning beneath his composed tone.
"I'll return soon."
For a moment, Leon hesitated—then gently brushed his fingers through Joon-Woo's soft fur before rising and leaving the chamber.
The door closed softly behind him.
Silence settled over the room.
After a few seconds, Joon-Woo exhaled slowly and opened the System interface.
A translucent blue window materialized before his eyes.
Mission Status: Completed.
Primary Objective: Protect the Phoenix Vessel — Success.
Secondary Objective: Prevent Extraction of Dormant Core — Success.
Historical Divergence Prevented.
Joon-Woo blinked.
Completed.
Reward Distribution:
+100 System Points
+900 Bonus Points
+Fire Element
Skill Acquired: Water Dragon Manifestation (Advanced)
His eyes widened slightly.
Water Dragon Manifestation.
He opened the skill description.
Water Dragon Manifestation — Advanced Tier
Allows the user to condense high-density water mana into a semi-sentient dragon construct.
Scales with mana capacity.
Can operate independently for a limited duration.
High destructive capability.
High mana consumption.
Effective for both combat and defense. Grants partial dominance within water-based environments.
Joon-Woo stared at the glowing letters.
A dragon…
A faint smile curved his lips.
But it quickly faded.
Leon and Lyra knew his secret now.
And yet—
Leon still treated him the same.
No.
Even gentler than before.
More careful.
More protective.
Something unfamiliar stirred inside his chest.
Why does that make my heart feel strange…?
He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
What will happen in the future?
After a brief hesitation, Joon-Woo opened the System Shop.
He scrolled until he found what he needed.
High-Grade Regeneration Elixir — 500 Points
Fully restores physical body.
Stabilizes mana core.
Accelerates recovery of damaged channels.
Temporary internal heat expected during restoration.
He did not hesitate.
Purchase Confirmed.
Points Remaining: 500
A small crystal bottle materialized beside him on the bed. Inside, glowing blue liquid shimmered like captured moonlight.
Joon-Woo remained in his fox form.
Without transforming, he carefully drinks the elixir.
The elixir flowed down his throat.
The effect was immediate.
A surge of intense warmth spread from his chest outward through his tiny body. His silver fur trembled as mana flared beneath his skin like glowing rivers of light.
Not painful—
But overwhelming.
His paws pressed into the mattress as energy pulsed through him. The fractured mana pathways inside him began to mend, sealing like cracks disappearing from shattered glass.
The instability within his core dissolved completely.
His breathing steadied.
The lingering weakness in his limbs vanished.
For a brief moment, water-like energy shimmered faintly around him, almost forming the outline of a translucent dragon before fading into nothingness.
The healing was complete.
But restoration demanded energy.
His body relaxed.
His tail slowly curled around him.
His eyelids grew heavy—
And Joon-Woo drifted into deep, peaceful sleep, still in his fox form.
When he awoke again, darkness filled the chamber.
Night had fallen.
Moonlight streamed through the tall windows, painting silver patterns across the floor and walls.
He felt different.
Stronger.
His body no longer fragile.
His mana flowed smoothly, stable and powerful.
He stretched in his fox form—
And his tail began swishing unconsciously from side to side.
Moments later, the chamber door opened.
Leon entered.
He paused when he saw Joon-Woo awake, tail moving gently behind him.
"You're up."
His gaze sharpened subtly as he observed the fox.
"You look better."
Joon-Woo's tail wagged again, almost proudly.
Leon studied him for another moment but chose not to question further.
"Good."
He removed his gloves and sword belt before walking toward the adjoining washroom.
"I'll freshen up. We'll have dinner."
A short while later, Leon returned dressed in lighter evening attire.
A maid entered, bowing deeply.
"Prepare dinner."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Within minutes, a proper royal dinner was arranged—warm soup releasing fragrant steam, roasted meat glazed to perfection, fresh bread, honeyed vegetables, and herbal tea infused with mana-restoring leaves.
Once everything was set, the maid bowed again and quietly left the chamber.
Leon sat at the table.
Meanwhile, Joon-Woo hopped lightly onto the edge of the bed, stretching his paws experimentally. His movements were smoother now—balanced, strong, steady.
He swished his tail playfully, testing his restored agility.
Leon noticed from the corner of his eye.
"You seem energetic."
Joon-Woo gave a soft huff and leapt gracefully down from the bed, landing without a sound.
A faint smile appeared on Leon's lips.
Dinner was calm.
Peaceful.
Leon occasionally placed small, carefully cut portions suitable for a fox onto a separate plate.
Joon-Woo ate beside him.