Chapter 78: Elia’s Phantom

“Iana, wake up.”

Iana felt someone pushing her, but her eyelids felt as if bound by iron blocks weighing a thousand pounds.

Fatigue and drowsiness surged like a tide, as if her body was issuing a warning: without rest, she would die.

Summoning the last ounce of strength to resist sleep, she opened her eyes.

Her vision was blurred with a crimson haze, reflecting the panicked face of a young girl.

“Don’t, please don’t die, okay?” Lillian’s eyes brimmed with tears.

Her broken voice sounded like the most devout believer praying to her god.

Iana reached out and wiped the tears from Lillian’s cheeks.

Her voice was weak but carried a warmth like a gentle spring breeze:

“Don’t cry… I’m not going to die that easily.”

“Besides, you really don’t look good when you’re crying.”

Iana wanted to raise her hand and stroke Lillian’s head.

Back at the orphanage, because Ian was older, he often took care of younger children.

Those kids would cry at the slightest thing, and Ian would always comfort them by patting their heads.

But now, Iana’s frail body seemed unable to support such a gesture.

The world seemed to fall silent.

Lillian’s voice gradually blurred until only a few scattered words remained.

Her eyelids closed, and the world was shrouded in endless darkness.

The only sensation was a few droplets—uncertain if tears or sweat—falling onto her face.

A strange pain burned in Lillian’s throat, as if a needle were stabbing her repeatedly.

Her tears fell like they had no cost, dripping onto the ground and onto Iana’s face.

This was the first time she had cried since childhood.

The emotions of these past few days had made Lillian realize that Iana, like Ian, was a truly good person.

“Lillian, what are you doing here?” Veronica called out anxiously.

Her earlier composure and calmness had vanished.

Her once pristine face was now smeared with dust.

“Run! Hurry and run! This Bone Dragon isn’t something we can handle!” Veronica grabbed Lillian’s wrist and tried to drag her away forcefully.

“No, I won’t leave.” Lillian was stubborn now, refusing to listen to Veronica.

She only wanted to save Iana, and if possible, avenge her.

Because Lillian had blocked Iana’s body just now, Veronica hadn’t noticed that Iana was “sleeping” on the ground.

A cluster of pink energy gathered on Veronica’s hands, flowing into Iana’s body.

“Thank you.”

Lillian knew that Veronica was using the Saintess Family’s innate Healing Art.

Unlike ordinary healing techniques, the Saintess Family’s Healing Art could save anyone who still had a breath of life, with the power to resurrect the dead and heal shattered flesh and bones.

“You take Iana and run. I’ll cover your retreat.”

Before Lillian could stand, a huge shadow fell over them.

The Bone Dragon had found them.

“Roar!”

The Bone Dragon’s deafening roar echoed through the forest, rage and fury etched across its massive face.

The sword strike Veronica had dealt earlier had inflicted significant damage, and now the dragon sought revenge.

Its tail, as huge as a mountain, swung toward Veronica.

Though she quickly leapt backward, she was still grazed.

Her pale pink clothes were stained with blood.

Without hesitation, she applied Healing Art on herself, and the bleeding wound instantly stopped.

Lillian, however, was not so lucky.

When the Bone Dragon’s tail struck toward Veronica, Lillian was caught within its arc.

With no guard and no special training—having lived sheltered her entire life—Lillian could not react in time.

“Lillian!”

Veronica’s scream tore through the air, but it was too late.

The spiked dragon tail swept toward Lillian, and the aura of death instantly enveloped her delicate figure.

“Is she going to die?”

Lillian did not look back at the incoming tail.

Instead, she stared at Iana’s pale face.

Perhaps this was the best end—after all, she wouldn’t really die.

But just as the tail was about to strike Lillian, she felt a push against her abdomen.

Along with it came the mingled scents of jasmine and camellia, mixed with a faint metallic tang of blood.

Then came the muffled sound of bones breaking and a stifled cry of pain.

“Iana.”

Lillian was thrown several meters onto the grass.

She no longer cared about her own injuries.

Her once vivid crimson eyes had turned empty, trembling uncontrollably at the scene before her.

Iana had been struck again by the Bone Dragon, her body arching gracefully through the air before crashing heavily onto the grass.

Ordinarily, any ordinary person would have died after two such attacks.

But Iana clung stubbornly to life, relying on the Dragon’s formidable physical constitution.

“No… please don’t…” Lillian’s voice quivered, her knees buckling as she crawled toward Iana.

Veronica rushed to Iana’s side.

Her hands glowed pink again, but panic had never shown so clearly in her voice:

“Lillian! Hurry and help me press on her wounds!”

The moment Lillian’s fingers touched Iana’s body, warm blood soaked through.

Iana’s chest sank inward; blood constantly dribbled from the corners of her mouth.

Her breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible.

“Hold on… please…” Lillian’s large tears splattered across Iana’s pale face.

She tried to block the bleeding wounds with her hands but was powerless to stop the life draining away through her fingers.

The Bone Dragon raised its front claw high, casting a shadow over the three of them.

Veronica’s head shot up, her face ashen. “It’s too late.”

At this critical moment, an unprecedented emotion exploded in Lillian’s chest.

It was not fear or sorrow, but pure, blazing fury.

The anger surged from her heart, flowing instantly through every limb and bone, burning away hesitation and cowardice.

Memories of yesterday flickered before her eyes—how Iana taught her to independently kill Demons, how she taught her to wield a sword, how she taught her to win Ethelrina’s favor.

The image of Iana holding her was so vivid.

A golden light appeared around Lillian.

If Iana were awake, she would recognize it at once—that was the Soulstone Elia had activated for Lillian.

But with everything happening lately, Iana had never asked what power this Soulstone possessed.

Now, golden light enveloped Lillian, and behind her, a phantom emerged—a breathtakingly beautiful girl, pink twin tails framing a face forever wearing a refreshing, heartwarming smile.