Chapter 38: Water of Life

Ten minutes.

Theo’s words slammed into every chest like a physical blow.

Time itself became a concrete guillotine blade already dropping.

Deathly silence filled the space.

Mitch clenched his teeth so hard his jaw trembled; his eye sockets were red enough to bleed, yet his shoulders still shook uncontrollably. Jack—the two-meter giant—huddled in a corner, burying that usually honest face against his knees while muffled sobs leaked from his throat. Alex leaned against the vehicle door, eyes empty as they stared at the completely deserted street outside, seeing nothing.

May held the man in her arms and felt Ace’s warmth slipping away between her fingers, one degree at a time. The face that always carried a gentle smile was now paper-white. Blood foam had already dried at the corner of his mouth; only the faintest thread of breath still proved he was alive.

No. He can’t die.

That single thought burned through her mind until it nearly scorched her reason to ash.

[System! Save him! I don’t care what it takes—save him!]

Her consciousness roared the demand, the sound sharp enough to rupture her own eardrums.

[Ding. Life signs of Strategy Target No. 3 detected below 5%. Team has entered critical crisis.]

[System grants Newbie Care Package: High-Efficiency Cardiac Restart · Water of Life ×1.]

A soft white light flashed.

A thumb-sized glass vial appeared in May’s palm, filled with liquid as clear as water.

She didn’t even glance at the instructions. She scrambled to Ace’s side.

"Everyone move!"

Theo was still holding surgical forceps, trying to clear bone fragments from Ace’s chest. At her shout, he lifted blood-soaked hands; the eyes behind his glasses settled on the vial she clutched.

"What is that?"

"Medicine that can save him!"

Her voice was raw. She twisted the cap open and prepared to pour the contents into Ace’s mouth.

But his jaws were locked tight. From pain and the brink of death, his muscles had already stiffened; no one could pry them open.

"Fuck!"

Mitch rushed over and forced his fingers between Ace’s teeth. His nails split and bled, yet it still did nothing.

"It’s useless," Theo said, voice dry as sandpaper. "He’s already lost the swallowing reflex."

Those words dropped everyone back into the ice cellar.

They had the medicine—and still couldn’t get it into him.

Nothing could be more hopeless.

The air inside the cabin seemed to solidify. Every second that passed felt like it was draining the last of Ace’s life.

May looked at the vial in her hand, then at Ace’s bloodless lips. Something detonated inside her skull.

A completely insane idea took root.

She dragged in a deep breath and made her decision.

Before anyone could react, she tipped her head back and poured the entire bottle of Water of Life into her own mouth. The liquid was cool and faintly sweet, carrying a weak electric tingle.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Ray was the first to understand. Storms gathered instantly in those deep eyes as he seized her wrist. Everyone else stared, faces full of shock and confusion.

May offered no explanation. She shook off Ray’s hand. Under the five men’s gazes—shock, jealousy, horror, and pure disbelief mixed together—she leaned down.

One hand gripped Ace’s chin and forced his head slightly back.

Then she kissed him.

Cold lips that still tasted of blood met hers.

Time seemed to freeze.

Ray’s hands, locked around a gun stock, went rigid at the joints. Mitch’s mouth opened; the words "You’re crazy" jammed in his throat and refused to come out. Jack’s eyes went perfectly round; he stood as still as if lightning had struck him. Alex narrowed his eyes, studying her with unprecedented intensity. Theo’s hand halted mid-air; for the first time the calm behind his glasses slipped off its track.

May kept her eyes closed, parted those icy lips, and transferred the medicine from her mouth into his, drop by drop.

It was a kiss without a single trace of desire.

A pure, all-or-nothing kiss meant only to keep someone alive.

Only when the last drop left her mouth did she lift her head and gasp for air.

One second.

Two seconds.

Nothing happened.

The tension inside the cabin stretched to the breaking point.

Just as Mitch was about to explode—

Hum!

A soft pink radiance erupted from the center of Ace’s chest and spread outward in waves. Wherever the light passed, the hideous, gaping wound closed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Broken bones knitted back together. Torn muscle regenerated in a frenzy. Even the deathly pale skin rapidly regained color.

"What..." Jack pointed at Ace, words failing him completely.

Everyone’s minds went blank under the weight of the miracle unfolding in front of them.

"Cough... cough cough..."

A violent fit of coughing broke out. Ace’s eyes snapped open. Light returned to those once-scattered peach-blossom eyes.

He was alive!

"Ace!" Alex lunged forward first.

"Fuck! You scared the shit out of me!" Mitch roared, the pure joy in his voice impossible to hide.

May’s legs gave out; she started to topple forward from pure exhaustion. Before she could fall, a hand shot up from below and locked around her waist.

It was the newly awakened Ace.

He must have coughed too hard and pitched forward; pure survival instinct made him grab the only solid thing nearby.

His face landed with perfect accuracy against the soft, full curves of May’s chest—made even more noticeable by the oversized T-shirt.

The man’s cheek was completely enveloped in that softness. The expressions on the other five men’s faces could only be described as legendary.

Ace still seemed half-dazed. He nuzzled deeper into the warm softness and let out a contented sigh.

"What is this..." He blinked. Those newly bright eyes now held a child’s pure confusion. "...so soft."

He buried himself even further, exactly like a cat that had finally found its nest.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Somewhere in the air, several soft cracks of rational defenses collapsing could almost be heard.

"Ace!" Mitch forced the name out between clenched teeth, veins standing out at his temples. "You... you... you scared the hell out of me!"

Jack’s face was so red it looked ready to burst. He wanted to say something but had no idea what, and ended up scratching his head in pure agitation.

Theo adjusted his glasses; a dangerous glint flashed behind the lenses.

Ray said nothing, but his face was dark enough to understand what was going on inside his head.

"Ace, May can barely breathe with you doing that."

The successive shouts finally snapped Ace back to reality. He realized exactly where his face was buried.

His complexion shifted from deathly pale to explosive crimson. He jerked away as if burned, frantically trying to sit up—only to pull at muscles that had not yet fully healed. A sharp hiss of pain escaped him.

The men swarmed in, hauling him upright with rough words and extremely careful hands.

May sat frozen on the floor. The moment she processed what had just happened, her cheeks burned hot enough to fry an egg. She hurriedly tugged at the wrinkled hem of her T-shirt, wishing the ground would open and swallow her whole.

"Ace, I’m so glad you’re alive!"