Chapter 84: Fear Not Fear

Ailberna is in there. I have to save her…

She’s like this because of me. I have to save her…

That thought refused to leave her mind.

But in her ears, another voice echoed—

“Run!”
“Run, now!!”
“Don’t look back!”
“The faster you run, the better!!”

That voice made her hand instinctively move behind her, every cell in her body urging her to flee.

Bzzzzz—

A violent ringing filled the world. She clutched her ears in pain, but the sound didn’t fade in the slightest.

Too loud… it felt like a giant hand was gripping her heart and squeezing it tight.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, yet she didn’t even notice.

“Run!”

“Run…”

“I can’t run…”

Light elements—

Countless light elements gathered from all directions, condensing into a small, glowing white figure with wings.

It floated quietly in front of Perletti.

Seeing this, she froze.

Before, she had only known that the light elements around her would consciously help her—like healing.

But never like this—never appearing in such a form before her eyes.

As if possessed, she stood up, leaning on her spear, and step by step walked toward the blazing villa.

The light figure remained ahead of her, keeping a steady distance.

There’s nothing to be afraid of…

It’s just… fire…

Right. Don’t be afraid…

The heart-wrenching screams, the deafening ringing, the crackling explosion of flames—all of it tore at Perletti’s fragile nerves.

With my own strength… I can’t save her…

Only now did she truly understand the meaning of those words.

It wasn’t that she lacked ability—

It was that someone was certain she would never dare to face her fear of fire to save Ailberna.

A chill spread through her entire body. Sweat poured down her forehead despite the scorching heat.

“Ailberna…”

The blazing air scorched her chest. Her body felt like it was burning, pain stabbing through every inch of her.

She lowered her head, forcing herself not to look at the flames, but the heat made her dizzy.

Thump…

Something in her chest pounded wildly, as if trying to break free.

I have to run…

Run…

“Run!”

“Tch…”

No time left.

Perletti gasped for breath and lifted her gaze toward the long staircase leading to the second floor.

The smoke was thick—almost impossible to see through—but the structure wasn’t complicated, and the distance wasn’t far.

She thought of Ailberna, whose life hung by a thread.

She thought of Xiao Lü buying her time.

She thought of Josuna holding the line.

She thought of Feiye, who had been used by her to lure away Lierna.

At this moment, it felt like she had returned to a time when she had nothing—

Only herself.

No one by her side.

Alone… completely alone.

“You are afraid…”
“You are fearful…”

The light element in front of her… was it speaking?

“O God, fear not fear.”

Fear not fear…

A massive stone crashed down beside her, sparks grazing her cheek.

The building was about to collapse.

She took a deep breath—and stepped forward.

Flames instantly coiled around her legs, her church robe igniting from below.

She suddenly felt a force behind her, urging her forward.

Faster…

Faster…

Her teeth sank into her lip, drawing blood that sizzled as it hit the ground. Pain surged through her nerves.

It hurts…

She couldn’t even tell whether the pain came from her body or her mouth.

The fire no longer felt as terrifying.

There was only one thought—

Run.

Run no matter what.

Her shoes melted. Her skirt burned down to charred scraps clinging to her body, thin wisps of smoke rising.

“Cough… cough…”

The door ahead collapsed to the ground.

And there—she saw that familiar pink figure lying motionless.

The ground trembled faintly beneath her feet.

No time to think.

She dashed past charred corpses, scooped Ailberna into her arms, smashed through the window, and leapt from the second floor.

The scene mirrored a memory—

The same fire.

The same second floor.

The same act of holding an unconscious girl and jumping.

The two girls rolled across the damp grass before finally coming to a stop.

“Ugh… cough…”

Perletti clutched her body in pain. That fall had nearly shattered her.

Everything hurt.

Everywhere.

And yet—

She burst into laughter.

“Ha… haha… HAHAHA!!”

“I did it…”

She rolled over, placing a hand on Ailberna.

“I did it… sob…”

Something wet slid down her cheek.

She wiped at it, smearing dirt across her pale face.

Then—

She noticed something wrong.

Why… wasn’t Ailberna’s chest rising?

Her blood ran cold.

Perletti scrambled up, pressing her ear to Ailberna’s chest, her hand trembling before her nose—

No breath.

Panic gripped her.

With shaking hands, she cast a detection spell—and only then did she realize—

A thick, sludge-like black substance had accumulated in Ailberna’s lungs, completely blocking her airways.

So this was the “dangerous thing” Xiao Lü mentioned…

Her heart was still beating—

But faint.

Too faint.

Despair crashed over her. She slammed her fist into the grass.

“Why… why even after all this… I still can’t save her…”

“Wait! Healing! Healing magic—this has to work… it has to!”

Grasping at hope, she gathered light elements and slowly infused them into Ailberna’s body.

But—

Nothing happened.

The light vanished into her like a stone sinking into the ocean—without even a ripple.

“Qingcheng… please… help me… I’m begging you…”

Perletti knelt on the ground, her voice lower than it had ever been.

She had no other way.

She truly didn’t know what to do anymore.

“Purification.”

The voice of the light element sounded again in her mind.

She suddenly lifted her head.

At some point, a different kind of light had appeared in her hand—a pale blue glow unlike before.

When… did this appear?

Questions flashed through her mind.

Will this work?

No time to think.

She pressed the pale blue light onto Ailberna’s chest.

Before her eyes, the black sludge inside Ailberna’s body began to dissolve under the light’s effect.

It wasn’t healing—

It was cleansing.

The sludge transformed into black mist and flowed out through her mouth and nose.

“Purification… it actually works?”

She had seen this spell once in a manual Amo had given her—but she hadn’t paid it any attention.

Why would she, a witch, need cleaning magic?

Only now did she understand—

Every spell in that manual had its purpose.

“She’s here! Grab her!”

Shouts rang out behind her.

Perletti turned—

Several Gluttony cultists stood there.

Unarmed.

Among them was someone she recognized—

The street vendor who once sold her grilled fish.

No magic fluctuations.

They… were all ordinary people.

Civilians.