Murphy took heavy steps up to the altar.
Before him floated the "Golden Sphere," glowing softly and humming gently like a living machine.
Meanwhile, behind him... Philip's backpack began to vibrate violently.
'The Core' inside shook intensely, not out of fear, but as if it were "receiving a signal." A resonance frequency transmitted directly from the sphere in front of them—a response between two ancient artifacts reconnecting.
"Here goes..."
Murphy took a deep breath and reached out his trembling right hand, still shaking from the battle, to touch the surface of the sphere.
Voom...
The moment his fingertips made contact... the solid object instantly transformed into a "viscous golden liquid."
It didn't explode outward but instead slithered rapidly up Murphy's fingertips like a living serpent.
"Ugh!"
Murphy flinched but couldn't pull his hand away.
The golden fluid seeped through his skin, entered his veins, flowed up his right arm, and surged straight toward the left side of his chest... his heart.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
A warm sensation spread throughout his chest.
Murphy could feel it clearly... the golden liquid was reforming around the base of his heart. It began to spin in a rhythmic circle, perfectly synchronized with his heartbeat.
It didn't feel like a foreign object... It felt like a new "Mana Core."
Its function was instinctively clear to him: Support, Store, and Regulate Energy.
The lingering pain from overusing kinetic energy vanished instantly. His body felt light, yet overflowing with power.
Once the installation was complete...
BOOOOOM!!!
A massive wave of golden energy erupted from Murphy, shooting straight into the sky, piercing through the sanctuary ceiling, and tearing apart the gray smog that had covered the city for centuries!
A ring of golden light expanded from the center at supersonic speed.
It swept past the ruins of the palace, through the old city districts, and rushed straight toward the distant slums.
At the Slums by the Waste River
Villagers living in destitution, washing their clothes in black, foul-smelling water, looked up at the sky in panic.
"What is that light!?"
The golden wave washed over them... A holy aura embraced their emaciated bodies.
The exhaustion, hunger, and sickness that had plagued them for years suddenly subsided, as if they were being filled with pure life force.
And then, the greatest miracle appeared before their eyes...
The river of death, filled with garbage and oil slicks... the moment the golden light passed over it, the putrid water began to clear.
Filth and sediment dissolved into particles of light.
In seconds... the black sludge turned into crystal-clear water, reflecting the brightening sky.
"The water... It's clear!" A child shouted, scooping up a handful to drink. "Mom! It tastes sweet!"
The townspeople wept with joy. Cheers and praise echoed throughout the slums. For the first time in years, they saw clean water... The kingdom was coming back to life.
Back at the altar courtyard.
After the energy wave had spread to cover the entire continent...
Rumble....
The sound of colossal mechanisms echoed from behind the altar.
A gigantic gate, carved with intricate designs and towering toward the heavens, slowly slid open with majestic grace.
It revealed a long corridor leading deep into the true "Central Tower."
The pale boy stood watching the scene, his gaze softening.
He smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth... not a mocking sneer, but a smile of genuine contentment.
"So, this kingdom... is finally waking from its slumber."
He murmured to himself, before turning his expectant gaze toward Murphy's back.