Zombie Survival System

Gathering the last of his strength, Drak violently spread his arms. A powerful bluish energy suddenly surged from his trembling body, instantly forming a blazing circle of swirling flames around him. This infernal wall of fire furiously rushed towards Alexandre, violently igniting the icy surface and raising thick waves of scalding steam that engulfed the entire ice arena.

Alexandre immediately felt the deadly heat of the approaching spell. However, this time he made no attempt to dodge. Instead, in an unpredictable surge of mad determination, he charged headlong toward Drak without slowing, plunging recklessly through the ring of flames. The crushing heat hit him full force, lightly charring his skin, blackening his hair, and marking his naked body with new, deep burns. Yet Alexandre, indifferent to pain, continued his charge, completely ignoring the damage inflicted on his body.

Drak, breathless and exhausted from intensive use of his magic, widened his eyes in shock as Alexandre emerged from the flames. Caught off-guard, he instinctively attempted to protect himself, clumsily raising his hands to block the impending assault. But Alexandre, with a precise and violent gesture, delivered a devastating punch directly into Drak's hands. The impact resonated sharply, accompanied by a horrific cracking sound. Both the mage's hands shattered instantly under the force of Alexandre's reinforced gauntlets.

Drak let out a piercing scream of agony, his face contorted by pain and terror, as he collapsed heavily onto the already fractured ice. Alexandre, consumed by irrepressible rage, leaped on him, arm raised, ready to deliver a fatal blow to his opponent's chest.

But before his fist could strike, a shadowy figure appeared with supernatural speed. Jack Blade intervened, firmly catching Alexandre's wrist, instantly halting his murderous intent. The collision between the two Hunters was so powerful that a slight shockwave swept across the ice, causing dangerous new cracks to form around them.

Jack Blade stared directly into Alexandre's eyes, his voice cold but remarkably calm:

— "That's enough. You've won, Hautville. Take the ring and end this trial."

Alexandre, muscles tensed and eyes blazing with adrenaline and anger, turned defiantly toward the instructor:

— "Release my arm!" he commanded in a dry, menacing tone.

Jack Blade slightly raised an eyebrow but slowly loosened his grip. His face remained impassive, but a certain tension lingered palpably in the freezing air around them.

Without lowering his gaze, Alexandre then added in a contemptuous voice, loud enough for everyone to hear:

— "Mages truly are a pathetic class... Now I understand better why a Rank S teaches in this academy of weaklings."

A heavy silence fell upon the spectators. This statement was a deliberate provocation, a direct insult not only to Drak, lying defeated on the ground, but indirectly to Jack Blade and the entire academy. The instructor, however, did not react to this insolence, merely calmly crossing his arms and observing Alexandre with an unreadable gaze.

Drak, despite the agony of his broken hands, stood up and shouted:

"Why did you intervene?! I could have beaten him and reached the top of the podium!"

Jack Blade turned to him and responded calmly:

— "No, at the moment your hands were shattered, you were already dead."

Enraged despite his severe injuries, Drak retorted furiously:

"How could you possibly know that?! The fight wasn't over! I still had enough stamina to launch another fire attack!"

Jack Blade replied sternly:

— "In a duel, there's no magic or luck involved, especially in your position. There are only his statistics against yours, and once you engaged in close combat, your advantage vanished."

Drak screamed in frustration:

— "Damn it! Fuck this!"

Alexandre said nothing. He simply turned away as if his adversary wasn't worth another glance, and without awaiting any response, slowly walked toward the ring still lying on the ice. He picked it up with satisfaction, fatigue and combat pain now beginning to return in insidious waves. Immediately, the drone loudspeakers solemnly announced the final result:

— "Alexandre Hautville, final victor of the trial! 120 points awarded!"

The announcement was met with an almost surreal silence from the students, too stunned by the violence of the battle they had just witnessed. Alexandre himself paid no attention to the announcement, entirely absorbed by his reward. With these additional points, he now had 230 points, placing him far ahead of the rest of his class.

Without further delay, Alexandre raised the ring to eye level, attempting to uncover its secrets using the Aurora Nexus system:

╔═══════Aurora Nexus: Inspection Mode ═══════╕╟─╼[Ring][Hunter][Epic][Dropped]╟─╼[Name] Supreme Magical Ring╟─╼[Price] ?╠══════════════╡╟─[STATISTICS] ?╠══════════════╡╟─[EFFECT] ?╚════════════════════════════════════╛

But the inspection revealed nothing precise. Frustrated by the mystery, and without further hesitation, Alexandre decided to risk it and directly slipped the ring onto his finger. As soon as the artifact touched his skin, a strange sensation immediately invaded his body. A crushing fatigue, almost paralyzing, began to weigh heavily on his shoulders, making his limbs feel as if he were suddenly bearing the weight of an entire mountain. A dark veil threatened to envelop him, his consciousness teetering dangerously on the brink of unconsciousness.

Instinctively, he quickly ripped the ring from his finger to avoid collapsing in front of everyone. The effect gradually faded, leaving him breathless, disoriented, and profoundly intrigued. What exactly was this object? Why would such a precious artifact, supposed to enhance his power, nearly cause him to faint?