Having just cashed his 108-hour (109x) Track 3 reserve, Kaelen had compressed 545 baseline hours into five minutes and used glacial materials purchased for three hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones. Now he held the nine steaming, 100-percent-pure Cloud-Veined Supreme Frost-Lotus Pills in his palm.
He swept six of the glowing azure spheres into a celadon bottle at his belt and rolled the remaining three into Mina’s ice-crusted hands.
The warmth of the cloud-veined medicine sank immediately into her numb flesh, melting the black frost along her knuckles.
A fragrant mist of crushed mint and winter orchids rose from the smooth spheres, filling the freezing air between them.
Mina looked up at her brother through heavy, misted eyes.
“Swallow them,” Kaelen said, his voice quiet, steady, and devoid of hurry. “Do not fight the cold. Let the lotus essence drink it.”
Mina nodded once, her teeth clicking together.
She parted her bloodless lips and tossed all three Cloud-Veined Supreme Frost-Lotus Pills into her mouth at the same time.
