Gravity pulled Elena and Ai’er violently toward the surface of the sea.
The fall lasted only a few seconds.
The moment she hit the water, a piercing cold immediately surged through Elena’s entire body.
However, Elena soon adapted to the chill.
While suppressing her own mana, she often felt the icy frigidity that came from her water-attribute mana.
But that kind of cold was merely painful; it didn’t come with the sensation of suffocation—
“Mmph—glub—glub!”
The moment her body craved oxygen and she opened her mouth involuntarily, seawater surged into her.
Amidst the countless churning bubbles, she could feel a presence beside her. She desperately grabbed onto the object next to her, feeling something soft.
Her consciousness gradually began to blur. Within those churning bubbles, Elena seemed to see her mother’s smile…
‘Am I going to die?’
The death Elena had sought was now right beside her like a phantom, its arms already open to embrace her—
But… the death she pursued was supposed to be a form of release, not this kind of agony!
Strength gradually left her body.
Trapped between the pain of cramping and the dizziness of suffocation, the images Elena saw in the bubbles shifted constantly.
She saw her mother’s smile and the fear people felt toward her. She saw her mother’s bloodless face lying in the coffin, and she saw the mansion becoming empty and silent as the servants gradually left…
‘I’m not satisfied.’
‘I’m not satisfied!’
‘I clearly didn’t do anything, so how did I become a witch?!’
‘I spent every night suppressing that massive mana the heavens gave me, enduring that bone-chilling cold as if I had fallen into an ice cellar for night after night! Why does everyone have to fear me, to loathe me?!’
‘I never once actively tried to hurt anyone! Anyone!’
‘I’m not a witch… I’m not a witch! I’m not… I’m not a witch…’
…
Ah…
‘Is this… how I truly feel?’
In the freezing seawater, Elena gradually stopped struggling.
The bubbles in the sea slowly disappeared, and her vision grew hazy.
Elena understood: her consciousness was about to fade away.
Before she closed her eyes, she saw long, silver hair drifting in the water.
In that instant, a sudden force appeared, pushing her toward the surface…
—
“Cold, cold, cold!!”
Ai’er struggled to carry Elena out of the water and toward a hollow at the base of the sea cliff.
“If I—I—I had known the seawater was this c-c-cold, I—I—I wouldn’t have jumped!”
Her upper and lower teeth were chattering like engine pistons. Her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her body like the tentacles of a tentacle monster!
A beautiful girl being toyed with by tentacles might be considered fan service, but it was a different story when it was happening to her.
After all, not too long ago, she had been a cool, real man!
…Well, actually, it had been quite a while.
Becoming a girl wasn’t something that had happened for the first time.
But those past events weren’t important right now.
A gust of wind blew, and stimulated by the cold, Ai’er, who was covered in seawater, trembled even more violently.
This wouldn’t do… she had to find a way to start a fire. At this rate, she was going to c-c-c-cold herself to death!
**[Due to the first successful Transmigration, items related to Beginner Magic are now available for exchange; the Host may use System Points to exchange for related items.]**
“S-s-system! Spend System Points to start a fire!”
**[Consuming 3 System Points to acquire Beginner Fire Magic.]**
**[Automatically cast.]**
**[Current Remaining Points: 9]**
The moment the words “automatically cast” appeared, a ball of fire manifested out of thin air, and the surroundings immediately became warm.
Ai’er originally intended to gently place Elena on a relatively flat, large rock, but after some thought, she sat on the rock herself and let Elena’s head rest on her lap.
The chill of the stone slab spread up Ai’er’s spine in a straight line. She couldn’t help but shudder, nearly jumping up, but seeing Elena lying on her lap, she forced herself to stay still.
‘Wait… did I forget something?’
Looking at Elena’s face, which seemed far too pale in the firelight, Ai’er suddenly had an ominous feeling. At that moment, the System’s warning suddenly rang in her ear:
**[Elena White is about to die from oxygen deprivation.]**
She was doomed! This girl had choked on a lot of water in the sea earlier!
Ai’er immediately panicked. She looked at Elena’s seawater-soaked clothes, at the somewhat translucent fabric, and at the beautifully shaped curves belonging to a young girl…
Then, Ai’er gave herself a slap.
‘Don’t think about that stuff! Saving her is more important! How did CPR go again?!’
Ai’er hurriedly tore away the obstructing clothing. On Elena’s porcelain-white skin, there was very little color.
“I remember now, this is how you do it!”
“Sorry, beautiful lady, please excuse me!”
Ai’er folded her hands, pressing down on Elena’s chest—one, two. In the firelight, Ai’er’s cheeks were crimson. Was it the color of the fire, or perhaps the mark from the slap she had given herself?
As her chest rose and fell, Elena suddenly spat out a mouthful of seawater and began to cough violently.
‘What’s the next step? Artificial respiration, right? It’s definitely artificial respiration, right??’
She had to help her resume independent breathing!
Ai’er stared at Elena’s lips, unable to look away, and inexplicably swallowed her saliva.
‘Saving her is what matters!’
‘This is to save her, not to take advantage of her! Definitely not!’
Perhaps because she leaned closer to the fire as she bent down, the flush on Ai’er’s cheeks felt like it was burning.
Such a soft sensation.
Though somewhat cold, that softness was incredibly distinct amidst the warm breath.
Ai’er focused on breathing warm air into Elena’s body, wanting the warmth of life to dispel the cold within her—and then, as focused as she was, Ai’er suddenly felt a warm breath gently brush against her cheek.
With her lips still pressed against Elena’s soft ones, Ai’er slowly shifted her gaze and saw Elena’s wide-open eyes.
Ai’er blinked.
*Slap!*
“Meow!”
After being swatted away by Elena, Ai’er sat on the ground, looking somewhat aggrieved like a pitiful kitten.
Elena covered her chest, her previously pale cheeks now completely stained with the red of shame and indignation.
Elena’s lips trembled as the word “You” repeatedly leaked from her newly reddened lips.
She knew the girl in front of her had saved her, but still!
“Who performs artificial respiration right after someone starts coughing?!”
“I—I didn’t know… I’m sorry.”
Seeing the silver-haired girl looking so aggrieved, Elena slowly withdrew the hand she had raised mid-air.
Regardless, this silver-haired girl was her savior. Furthermore, she was a girl too, so even if she were kissed… it probably didn’t count as being taken advantage of.
Elena looked at the silver-haired girl again and then noticed something: the other person’s gaze didn’t seem to be on her face.
The silver-haired girl’s gaze was directed below Elena’s face, toward the area Elena was covering with her hands—
‘Is she… really a girl?’