Zombie Survival System-Chapter 138: Fire & Ice

Alexandre didn't waste a second and rushed toward Drak at full speed, determined to seize the ring before his opponent could. On this unstable ice field, each breath tore through his lungs as if he were inhaling blades of frozen air. With every step, he felt his bare feet dangerously slipping on the icy surface, already covered by a thin layer of frost. Alexandre knew almost nothing about Drak's true abilities, so he preferred to rely on his superior physical strength and endurance to quickly gain the upper hand.

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Both combatants were soaked and partially frozen from their previous ordeal. Alexandre's skin was painfully stiffening, covered with delicate ice crystals that faintly shimmered in the fading daylight. He clenched his teeth and pushed his body beyond its limits, charging relentlessly toward Drak, ready to neutralize him as swiftly as possible.

As the distance between them rapidly diminished, Drak's expression suddenly shifted: his eyes ignited with an intense fluorescent blue glow, clearly signaling that he was finally unleashing his Hunter's power.

Drak quickly clasped his frozen hands together. Instantly, the layer of ice and frost covering his fingers evaporated dramatically in a flash of condensation, revealing a threatening glow between his palms. Then, with a sharp gesture, he unleashed a powerful stream of blue and orange flames directly at Alexandre. The speed of the attack was so astonishing that even Alexandre, despite his sharpened reflexes, could not entirely evade it. Part of the searing flames hit him squarely in the chest, drawing out a muffled growl of pain. A fierce, brutal agony raced through his flesh as the nauseating smell of burning skin filled the air around him.

Marlon, observing the scene from the edge of the arena, felt his heart tighten. Within mere seconds, he watched in horror as a portion of Alexandre's torso turned bright red, then blackened from third-degree burns. Anxiety twisted in Marlon's stomach as he saw his friend endure such a devastating blow. Yet Alexandre did not stop. On the contrary, he used the momentum to pivot swiftly, deliberately ignoring the agonizing pain ravaging his chest. With a rapid movement, he invoked his personal pentagram, immediately summoning his precious artifact: the "Powerful Black Steel Gauntlets," reinforced black-steel gloves. With a smooth and precise motion, he swiftly slipped on the metallic gloves, instantly feeling a renewed sense of power and stability.

An incredulous silence fell upon the spectators, everyone holding their breath at the astonishing display of determination and resilience. Alexandre was well acquainted with combat basics from advice he'd gathered from the academy's forums: Hunter mages possessed devastating abilities capable of turning the tide of battle within mere seconds. However, he also knew that this magical power drew directly from energy within cells contaminated by Virus Z. In other words, this energy was not unlimited: magical attacks from Rank E Hunters like Drak and himself were exceedingly taxing on stamina. Drak had already expended a massive amount of energy launching his jet of flames; it was unlikely he could repeat such an intense attack more than once before exhausting himself entirely.

Aware of this limitation, Alexandre adopted an opportunistic combat stance, legs slightly bent for stability on the slippery ice, prepared to charge forward at the slightest sign of weakness from Drak. He fixed his opponent with an intense stare, attempting to predict Drak's next move and anticipate his intentions.

Facing him, Drak had closely observed every reaction from Alexandre. He had clearly noted his opponent's partial dodge of the initial assault, demonstrating impressive agility and reflexes. Another straightforward, linear attack would be too easy to evade. Therefore, Drak needed to change tactics, widening the impact area to ensure Alexandre would have no way to escape. This time, Drak dug deeply into his already depleted reserves. The blue glow in his eyes intensified further as he felt the virus energy pulsing violently through his weakened body. A scorching aura of heat began radiating from him, gradually melting the ice beneath his feet into a perfect circle around him, a clear indication of an imminent and far more dangerous attack than before.