CHAPTER 47: 47: THE DROP THAT DEFIED DEATH?

Every bullet managed to pierce through the barrier and strike the snake’s hard, thick-scaled skin, wounding it, but given its massive size, the pain felt no more than an ant bite on a human hand.

All the men fought with their available weapons, hoping to take it down. Their breaths were heavy with effort, and relief washed over them as they realized the massive snake could not come any closer.

"Stop, we should not waste our bullets and strength!" Michael yelled to his men, his voice sharp and furious at the sight of the infected mutant snake monster. Having been ordered by their leader, they obeyed without a second of hesitation.

"Go, quickly help the injured!"

"Hurry, help my brother! His hand was bitten by a mutant monster!" A hurried, desperate scream rang out as the man struggled to lift someone from the back of the car to the ground.

Seeing their brother lying motionless, the men crowded around him, voices overlapping in frantic confusion over what to do.

Michael stepped closer, his gaze hard and unyielding as he looked down at the injured man, knowing he was already beyond saving.

He pulled the pistol from his cargo pants pocket, quickly checked the chamber, and aimed it steadily in the man’s direction, every movement precise and controlled.

Clearly ready to end the man’s suffering and protect everyone, the Leader of Base E moved without hesitation.

As the others could only watch back, disappointment and a moment of sadness flashed across their faces.

It was the exact moment Aria moved closer to them.

The moment she heard the word ’injured,’ her feet had already carried her toward them without a second thought.

Everyone ignored the large snake thrashing against the invisible barrier that the men could not see. Since it could no longer reach them, they no longer dared to worry about it.

The others were slightly worried, glancing over from time to time but not taking any action.

Big Mutant Snake: "...."

The mighty monster loomed for a moment, its eyes tracking the two-legged creatures who didn’t even glance its way. The mutant slithered away before anyone even realized, while Aria stepped boldly into the circle.

"What are you doing? Are you planning to end him?!" Aria boldly demanded, her voice tinged with worry and disbelief as she spoke the obvious to everyone. She stood in front of the unmoving man, who was slowly stirring from unconsciousness.

The golden-haired princess’s sudden appearance clearly unsettled him.

Michael slowly lowered his weapon, letting out a heavy sigh as his gaze dropped to the ground. When he finally lifted his head, a faint, awkward smile twisted on his lips, sharpening into something almost mocking.

"Golden Princess, we agreed on our deal. But this is not your business." His voice was calm, yet each word carried a sharp edge, revealing his frustration at her interference. "We will honor the exchange for your delicious food..."

A pause, accompanied by a cold stare, let the weight of his words hang in the air. He continued. "My men sacrificed themselves to find you the house you wanted. And we found the one you were seeking."

"Really?" A faint smile curved on her lips, but in the next moment, she quickly returned to a stern expression.

Aria asked again, her tone sharper this time. "What are you doing? Are you going to end your men?"

Michael let out a long, exasperated sigh, his patience wearing thin.

The golden-haired woman stood there, unbending, her eyes questioning him like he was the villain in this story.

He had no time for this.

Every second they wasted in talk only dragged them closer to everyone’s disaster. From the corner of his eye, he caught a faint movement among the people on the ground, bodies stirring, eyelids twitching, until their eyes slowly opened as consciousness returned.

"Argh..."

"He is awake now!"

"Boss! Hurry! Kill him!"

"What, what are you saying?" Aria shouted back at the men, urging their leader to act. The man raised his weapon again, aiming at the head of the one lying on the ground.

Seeing that no one among his men was going to stop him, Aria felt her chest tighten. She was not used to seeing people kill so easily, not when the man was helpless and still breathing.

Without thinking, she stepped forward again, blocking the line of fire.

"Stop!"

"Golden Princess! This is not your business! Let my man rest in peace. He is already infected. He is beyond saving."

Those words, so familiar and cruel, brought her back to that moment with Lolo, the same desperate argument she once had with the male lead, the same helplessness she had felt then.

Now, as her eyes fell on the man lying on the ground, she saw the wound on his upper right arm.

The veins around it had turned dark, the color spreading beneath his skin.

It was the same pattern she had seen before, the same thing that had taken Lolo before she could save him from turning into one of the infected.

"I can... I can save him!" Aria’s voice broke the tense silence, trembling but filled with determination.

Everyone turned toward her, their faces a mix of disbelief and confusion. Yet, no one dared to speak, though doubt flickered in their eyes.

Only the leader reacted verbally, his expression twisting into quiet irritation.

"And how?" Michael asked slowly, and dangerously. "How will you do that, Golden Princess?"

Knowing that no one would believe her, panic began to rise inside Aria’s mind.

The moment she blurted out those words about saving someone, a plan flashed through her thoughts, just like what she had done with Lolo.

After a few more seconds of consideration, she quickly dismissed the thought. She could not do the same as she did with Lolo this time, for her own reasons.

First, she did not trust this man or his group completely, especially since the Golden Barrier itself had rejected them.

Second, their first meeting had not gone well at all. That was enough reason for her little hesitation.

So, instead of rushing in recklessly, Aria turned to the only one she could rely on. She called out to her mighty system once again.

To her silent surprise, Fluff Ball floated up and began to drift away.

"Hey, wait, Fluff Ball, why are you leaving?" Aria shouted inside her mind, startled.

No response.

What is wrong with that Fluff Ball? Aria could not help thinking in quiet confusion.

Even so, she did not move to follow the floating fluff. As she believed she could not look like she was running away from what she had just declared.

Not knowing what to think anymore, she let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, placing a hand under her chin as if trying to come up with a better plan.

Infected people... can only be healed by the Heroine’s ability.

However, Aria did not know where the Heroine was, and there was no other way to save the infected unless the powerful antidote was created, which would still take years from now.

Healing... if only she had a medicine.

At that moment, an idea struck her. Aria suddenly remembered that one of her system rewards included a healing bottle stored in her inventory.

This could be the perfect time to test its use.

"Okay, I can save this man. Let me get my medicine. This is a one-time thing, so your friend might just be lucky." Aria made her statement, trying to sound confident as she turned and walked toward the gate of the Heavenly Train Station.

Once she disappeared from the men’s sight, Aria opened her system’s rewards inventory and went straight for the healing bottle.

Just as she was about to take it out, Fluff Ball suddenly floated back.

"Host, a reminder, and a piece of peace for mortal minds." Fluff Ball spoke in a flat, monotone voice.

"Once a human consumes the Healing Bottle, it can cure any illness or infection. However, each bottle is only suitable for up to ten people. The one you’re holding can be used no more than ten times."

"Oh, so it’s that limited then." Aria nodded in understanding.

Placing the healing bottle carefully in her uniform pocket, she returned not long after.

The moment she appeared, everyone stepped aside, making way for her to reach their fallen comrade.

Without waiting for anyone to question her, she took out a small bottle made of clear crystal glass, its surface traced with faint golden lines that glowed softly like breathing light.

The neck of the bottle curved gracefully, engraved with traditional characters from an ancient civilization, and was capped with a smooth golden lid that looked almost too precious to touch.

At the bottom of it, there were the letters W and Z engraved as a signature.

With steady fingers, she opened it.

A single drop of the liquid, gently poured from the bottle, glowed white and shimmered with tiny lights that flickered like stars in the night sky.

It swirled gracefully before landing on the injured man’s lips as he stared weakly up at her face.