Chapter 56: The Miracle No One Believed In
Silence followed Zodac's words.
Not the peaceful kind—but the heavy, uncertain silence that settled when hope had been stretched too thin and trust had long since eroded.
Zodac slowly drew his arm from beneath his cloak. In his hand rested a small glass vial—ordinary at first glance, its surface faintly clouded from frequent handling. The green liquid inside sloshed gently as he moved, catching the dim lantern light of the sickroom.
The man in white and the young nurse both stiffened at the sight.
"That won't work," the man said immediately, his voice edged with exhaustion rather than anger this time. "We've been giving them those same potions for over a week now. At first they helped… but their effects have grown weaker by the day. Now they barely do anything at all."
"Ineffective?" Zodac echoed quietly.
He lifted the vial closer to his face, his eyes narrowing as he studied the contents through the thin glass. The green liquid looked dull—lifeless almost—nothing like the vibrant potions he remembered from before.
"Ineffective…" he repeated, slower this time.
Something clicked.
A realization sparked behind his eyes.
"Maybe…" he murmured under his breath.
The world around him seemed to dim as his focus sharpened.
The system panel flickers before his eyes,
**Name:** Healing Potion (Low Common)
**Type:** Consumable
**Composition:**
• Lolicon Plant
• Spritz
• Medosa
• Blue Lily
• Crushed Barkroot
• Diluted Mana Essence....
**Efficiency:** 2
**Effect:** Restores 3% health
**Boost:** 0.1
**Detoxification:** 0.3
Zodac's eyes hardened.
"This is… pathetic," he muttered aloud.
"This is weak"
The man and the nurse exchanged uneasy glances. To them, Zodac looked like a madman—staring into a bottle, whispering numbers that meant nothing.
"No wonder they're dying," Zodac said coldly.
He lowered the vial slightly, his grip tightening.
"If I can boost it…" he thought.
His fingers curled around the glass.
"Boost Gear."
For a brief instant, the vial pulsed with a dim blue light—soft but unmistakable. The glow flickered like a heartbeat, then vanished just as quickly.
Zodac glanced back down.
The stats of the potion changed.
**Name:** Healing Potion (High Rarity)
**Type:** Consumable
**Composition:**
• Lolicon Plant
• Spritz
• Medosa
• Blue Lily
• Crushed Barkroot
• Refined Mana Essence
**Efficiency:** 15
**Effect:** Restores 30% health
**Boost:** 12
**Detoxification:** 13
A faint, satisfied smile tugged at Zodac's lips.
"This should work."
The man in white finally lost patience.
"That's enough!" he barked, stepping forward and placing a hand on Zodac's shoulder. "You've had your moment. Stop wasting time—"
Big mistake.
Zodac moved faster than the eye could track.
His fist snapped upward and struck the man square in the face. The impact echoed through the room with a sickening crack as the man was thrown backward, crashing hard against the floor.
The nurse screamed.
The old woman on the bed began gasping violently, her breathing growing frantic and shallow.
"She doesn't have much time left," Zodac said calmly, as if he hadn't just knocked someone unconscious.
He stepped forward without waiting for permission.
"Now or never."
Zodac gently lifted the woman's frail head with one hand. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, her lips dry and cracked. Life clung to her by a thread.
He tilted the vial.
The green liquid flowed into her mouth slowly, carefully. Zodac made sure she swallowed every drop before lowering her back onto the bed, his movements surprisingly gentle for someone so feared.
The nurse watched, frozen, as Zodac treated the dying woman with a tenderness she hadn't expected.
Seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
The man in white staggered back to his feet, blood dripping from his nose, rage burning in his eyes.
"You see?" he shouted. "You did nothing! Absolutely nothing!"
The nurse's shoulders slumped.
Her hope shattered.
Zodac didn't even look at him.
"Quiet," he said flatly. "Your barking is deafening."
"This isn't some miracle it takes time to act"
The man stepped forward again—but stopped short.
The old woman's body began to glow.
A dim yellow light spread from her chest, pulsing outward like gentle waves. The air in the room shifted, warm and comforting, pushing back the stench of sickness.
The nurse gasped.
"What… what is that?"
The glow intensified.
The old woman's breathing steadied. Her chest rose and fell evenly now. Color slowly returned to her skin, and the deep lines of pain etched into her face softened.
Then—
Her eyes opened.
For the first time in days.
She blinked, confusion crossing her features as she looked around the room, her gaze settling on the stunned faces staring back at her.
The man in white froze.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
Zodac turned to him, his expression unreadable.
"Ughh" before the man could apologize for his earlier disrespect,
"Can I see the next patient"
The man swallowed hard, his pride crumbling in the face of undeniable reality.
Without another word, he turned and led Zodac to the next person who also laid at death door just like the woman from before..
And so it began.
One by one, Zodac treated them.
Children burning with fever. Elders coughing up blood. Men and women too weak to lift their heads.
Each potion—boosted.
Each life—pulled back from the brink.
By sunset, the cries of agony had faded. Where there was once despair, there were now murmurs of relief, quiet laughter, and fragile smiles.
By nightfall, the village lived again.
### **Later That Night**
In a private room lit by a single lantern, the man in white stood before Zodac, his head bowed low.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "For saving them. And… I apologize for my earlier disrespect."
Zodac said nothing.
His gaze remained fixed on the vial in his hand, his fingers tracing the glass thoughtfully.
"We would have lost so many more without you," the man continued. "You are a miracle."
The door opened.
The young nurse stepped inside, her face glowing with relief.
"They're all stable," she said happily. "Recovering faster than we imagined possible."
"Good," the man said, exhaling deeply.
The nurse turned toward Zodac, studying him with newfound reverence.
"Thank you…" she began, then paused.
Her eyes sharpened.
"…Wood Elemental Hero."
Zodac stiffened.
His eyes widened as he snapped his head toward her.
The room fell silent.
And in that silence, the weight of his past finally caught up to him.