NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 326: Bonds Forged In Fear
The act of sacrificing a fairy's wings — this was something unique to fairy kind.
Not even the fae, who prided themselves as being superior to fairies, could do so.
It was something a fairy could only do once in their lifetime: the act of giving away their wings in exchange for one miracle.
It was an act of ultimate selflessness and sacrifice, where the fairy, of their own free will, would grant that miracle to someone.
The price was dire.
They would lose their wings forever, never again able to soar through the skies.
They would become like any ground-bound creature... they would lose the blessing that defined them.
Fairy kind would naturally recoil from them.
They would be outcasts among their own people.
And for a fairy who gave up their wings, there was one added downside — they would suffer one ill fate.
It could be anything… though many deemed it mere superstition.
Even so, Matia's miracle was real.
She had sacrificed her wings... for Damon.
She had given him her miracle.
Her wings shattered like glass, the fragments rising up into the air.
The others, who had been pretending to sleep, all turned their heads to witness the sight.
Like voiceless snowflakes, the fragments danced around Damon, touching his body, seeping through every pore.
Where his arm had once been ripped off, a new arm was growing, covered in frost.
His wounds began to vanish, carried away by a chilling wind and swirling flakes.
He felt the pain fade away.
The lightheadedness disappeared.
Matia smiled weakly and collapsed to the side.
Damon, moving on instinct, reached out with his new arm, catching her before she could touch the ground — his arm strong, whole, and free from the curse.
A soft chime rang out.
[You have received the Blessing of the Fairy.]
[All depleted stats have been restored.]
[You have gained Mastery: Disintegration Resistance.]
Matia smiled faintly in his arms.
The others rushed to his side.
He looked at Matia…
He didn't ask why.
He simply looked at her — and whispered something he hadn't said in a very long time:
"Thank you."
In his heart, he had every reason to feel grateful for Matia's sacrifice.
He had doubted his choice.
But even in death, Carmen Vale had been right:
If you see the worst in people, that's all you'll ever see.
Kindness was reciprocal.
He had risked it all — and in return, he had not only been freed from Alazard's cursed blade, which would have eventually taken his arm — he had been given something more.
A second chance.
Evangeline looked at him — he expected her to say something... but she didn't.
She simply spread her arms and pulled him into a hug.
Sylvia followed, and soon, he and Matia were covered in a group hug.
The party of teenagers smiled and laughed, having survived yet another ordeal.
The world outside had gone silent.
The battles had come to a stop.
Dawn was still far off.
Evangeline looked at Matia.
"Thank you," she said softly.
The wingless fairy blinked, looking at her with a confused expression.
"Why are you thanking me…?"
Evangeline hesitated, then looked down.
"Right... I should be apologizing. My incompetence is the reason—"
Matia raised her hand sharply.
"Stop. Don't say it."
She shook her head firmly.
"I made my choice. We're a party. We're meant to support each other… covering for each other when we fail."
Matia's eyes drifted toward Damon, who was flexing his new arm a short distance away.
"Damon's been carrying us all as party leader. He's shown just how noble he can be... even if he doesn't think so.
He might not be the best person around... but I still have faith in him.
I choose to have faith in him.
Even if he isn't the most righteous, I will follow him.
One day, I'm sure he will change this world... forever."
Evangeline stared at her.
This was the highest praise she had ever heard for Damon.
"How can you be so sure?" she asked quietly.
Matia shrugged, a small, almost mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
"I'm not."
Evangeline turned her gaze toward Damon.
He was someone who had won the position of party leader despite being a commoner — even Xander, who had once been his rival, had acknowledged him.
She walked up to Damon, a small smile creeping onto her face.
"I suppose it took a miracle to heal that curse," she said.
Damon nodded.
"Not surprised your power didn't work… considering it wasn't a curse," he replied coolly.
He lifted the sword — Alazard's sword, the cause of his suffering — into view.
"This sword doesn't curse.
Its ability is disintegration.
That's why you couldn't purify my wound."
He looked at her, his voice steady.
"Purification is a form of destruction. So is disintegration — breaking things down.
You can't fight destruction with destruction."
Evangeline smiled faintly at his explanation.
He was back to normal.
But her smile dimmed when she looked at the cathedral doors.
"What do we do next?" she asked.
Honestly... he didn't know.
He felt restored, thanks to Matia's miracle.
Even so, the others were all exhausted.
He looked around at the cold, broken cathedral.
Dawn was still a long way off.
"We take the day off," he said finally.
"Plan our route.
The more eager we are for success, the more damned we'll be.
The city nights are cold — and we can't make a fire."
He clenched his fist tightly.
"We can't afford to sleep at night.
So we won't.
We sleep during the day… and move when we can.
It might take months… but we'll leave Lysithara.
And we'll return home."
He placed his sword in front of him, driving it lightly into the ground.
Evangeline smiled and placed her sword next to his.
Xander scoffed but stepped forward, resting his spear next.
"This is childish," he muttered under his breath.
Leona grinned and raised her greatsword, adding it to the pile.
Sylvia hopped closer, holding her bow, and did the same.
They all looked at Matia.
The wingless fairy smiled gently, forming a sword from pure ice — and placed it with them.
Together, they spoke the party's motto:
"In the absence of the desirable, let the available be the desirable."