"Coward!"
"Weakling!"
"If not for you, my son wouldn’t have died!"
"What are you even here for? What use is your ability if you can’t save anyone? You don’t deserve to stay in this place!"
So noisy, so noisy... Where are you? Wait—who am I waiting for?
Alice felt her mind grow hazy, her thoughts sluggish, yet the crushing weight of disappointnt was painfully clear.
That’s right—she had failed to save her comrade. A cheerful young man, always lending her a hand in everything.
Why couldn’t she save him? She should have saved him. It should have been her who died, not him...
That woman was right. She could save lives. She honestly didn’t deserve to remain here if she couldn’t even do that.
What was the aning of her existence, then?
She wanted to save the entire continent but was so small and powerless. She would grow exhausted, and she would feel pain.
But... everyone else was still fighting. Blood dyed the sky crimson. They had left her behind, they had protected her. Surely their pain was far greater than hers. She had to do sothing—anything—she must do sothing!
Why, why, why... She hated her weakness. If only—if only she had strength like Cocona, like Bella. Then maybe she could charge onto the battlefield, bathe in blood, and fight, instead of always standing in the rear, smiling to reassure everyone, only to fail helplessly when it mattered most.
At tis, she even felt her gentleness was nothing but a lie. She could no longer rember what kind of person she had been before she gained this ability.
"You’re as gentle as your power."
Alice froze. Her eyes widened slightly as she lifted her head in surprise.
Before her was a tall man—so tall that his imposing size couldn’t be hidden even slumped over.
After speaking, he lowered his head again. His face was expressionless, cold as stone, yet the tips of his ears, peeking out from beneath black hair, flushed red. Even his honey-colored skin couldn’t hide that glow.
Alice pressed her lips together, then tilted her head slightly and smiled softly.
Austin happened to catch that smile, and his entire face burned as if scalded. He dared not steal another glance.
His fingers twitched slightly, restless, though he had no idea what to do. The girl before him was so beautiful, so gentle. She didn’t think him stupid or treat him like a lump of stone.
He was massive, towering—yet when she treated his wounds, she was so delicate, so tender. She was wonderful.
"You must be exhausted... Next ti, wait until I’m about to die before you heal . Wouldn’t that be better?"
Austin’s words startled Alice, but she only shook her head. "I don’t want anyone to suffer."
"But you can’t save everyone."
"You’ve already saved so many people. Look at the number of lives you’ve saved, not the ones you couldn’t. So of those who died... they didn’t even die in front of you."
Alice didn’t understand—why was it that Austin, a man so dull and silent like a lump of earth, always seed to speak endlessly whenever he was with her, speaking until she had no words left to refute him?
.
"It’s your fault, it’s all your fault! Give back my son!"
The woman shrieked shrilly before suddenly lunging forward, as though to strangle Alice.
Alice froze in place, stunned. She couldn’t move, couldn’t react. It was suffocating—where was this place, and why was she even here?
Just then, a strong force yanked her back. A broad back blocked her vision. This man would stand before it all, whether light or darkness, beauty or ugliness, storm or rain.
"You have no right to scream at her." Austin’s cold voice cut through the chaos. The woman’s clawing hands were little more than an itch against him.
"Many people here are alive because of Alice. Your son’s death wasn’t her doing. He died bravely for the continent. Don’t turn his sacrifice into a joke."
With that, Austin pulled Alice away.
His hand was so large. He stood nearly two ters tall. His back seed even larger from where she followed behind.
The corridor was long, yet she wished it were even longer.
Her cheeks burned hot and wet. Was she... crying? Impossible. She had faced this countless tis. There was no reason to cry.
But then Austin stopped. His massive hand, surprisingly gentle, brushed against her cheek, wiping the corner of her eye. "You’re stronger than anyone, Alice. You’ll save many more lives—so many more."
"Alice!"
"Wake up..."
"Alice!"
Alice’s eyes flew open. Heat seared into her thigh, making her wince in pain, and she nearly collapsed.
The pen was glowing hot, urging her on.
Green light enveloped her entire body, pulling her mind into sharp focus. Captain Silas and Captain Cocona were wavering, on the verge of collapse. Leonard and Captain Drake stood before them but couldn’t land a blow on Lilith.
"Alice, you’ll save many more lives."
That voice echoed in her mind.
Alice lifted her head, gazing upward into space, as though she could et his eyes across all distance.
Austin, you’re right. I will save more lives. I definitely can!
Alice’s blue eyes suddenly shone with a wondrous green light, as if sothing deep within her had been awakened.
A whirlwind of energy surged outward, enveloping them all with Alice as the center!
At that very mont, sothing shattered—collapsed.
Where the energy swept past, the ground transford, it was no longer bare earth, but ancient, dust-covered stone tiles.
Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.
No, it wasn’t Alice’s power reshaping the dungeon—it was changing their perception!
She was clearing their minds, waking them up!
"Impossible! Sleep, sleep, SLEEP!"
Lilith’s roar shook the air, her voice shrill, frenzied.
Alice wanted to sleep too, but the pen strapped to her waist burned so hot it felt like it was searing her flesh, urging her on, urging her to hurry.
Yes—that’s right. She couldn’t fall asleep. She mustn’t fall asleep.
"I will escape this place!"
Alice scread, and at that instant, her energy erupted, sweeping across the entire dungeon.
Lilith’s eyes went wide. She lunged forward, aiming to tear the throat of the human who had driven her into such a frenzy.
"But we still have an appointnt, have you forgotten?"
Suddenly, Lilith’s hand was seized. Lilith turned her head and saw Silvanus staring at her. His words were calm, solemn—spoken as though they were nothing but the truth.
This one. This one needs to die, too!
Lilith’s thoughts twisted with malice. But before Alice’s power could awaken everyone, light swallowed her and Silvanus, and both vanished.
Thud!
A dull sound echoed as Alice collapsed to her knees upon the cold stone floor. Pain wracked her body, leaving her unable to move an inch.
She was utterly spent—as though even her very last drop of blood had been drained away.
Soone caught her before her face could hit the ground.
Alice gasped for air, sweat pouring down like rain. Through her blurred vision, she caught only the shadowed face of Leonard, hidden beneath thick hair, before she fell into unconsciousness.
"Is she alright?"
Silas rushed over, quickly checking Alice’s breathing. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. "She’s only exhausted."
But their condition was far from good.
Silas himself bore nurous burns across his body. They weren’t superficial—his very marrow and organs had been scorched. Standing there, he seed as if he were trapped inside a blazing furnace.
Cocona was in even worse shape. Lilith’s curse had struck her harder than anyone else.
Her arms were burnt black, shriveled into ghastly sticks of charcoal like skeletal remains. Half her head was scorched as well. Though her brain hadn’t been damaged, her current appearance was so terrifying it defied description. She barely looked human at all.
Drake fared little better—his legs had turned into grotesque, useless vines, leaving him unable to stand. Among them all, Leonard had perhaps suffered the least. His skin had only sprouted a scattering of ragged sunflower petals across its surface.
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