Zombie Survival System-Chapter 131: The Water Trial (5)

It was bad. Very bad.

Alexandre suddenly felt his entire body violently contract. An oppressive sensation seized him, as if a dark, invisible force were trying to drag him down into the unfathomable depths of the ocean. Breathing became nearly impossible, each inhalation turning into a desperate battle against his own lungs. This second wave of panic was much stronger, much more terrifying than the first. His vision blurred, shadows darkened his sight, and the shapes around him twisted into menacing apparitions. His mind wavered dangerously. He knew he had very little time left.

If he didn't find a solution immediately, he would fall unconscious and it would all be over.

An icy shiver tore through his body. His heart hammered violently against his chest, each pulse echoing deafeningly in his skull. He tried to control his breathing, to regain mastery of his frantic mind, but his primal instincts—triggered by this visceral fear—were screaming at him to flee, to escape the freezing water, to abandon the race and grasp desperately at anything that might prevent him from sinking.

In a brief moment of clarity, Alexandre swept his gaze across his surroundings, frantically seeking an anchor point, a lifeline to cling to. He saw Marlon, paralyzed by the same uncontrollable fear. His friend's face was deathly pale, his eyes wide and staring in horror into the abyss below. His arms flailed weakly in the icy water as if vainly fighting off an unseen force.

No! He couldn't let himself be overwhelmed by this collective panic.

Alexandre briefly closed his eyes, trying to reapply the mental technique that had worked earlier: detaching his mind from his body, viewing himself as merely an instrument controlled by his will rather than his emotions. But this time, it was different. This fear ran deeper, more profound. He realized it wasn't merely psychological. Something else—something external—was influencing their minds.

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed nearby. A student, completely submerged by terror, began diving frantically underwater before resurfacing, gasping desperately, eyes bulging in terrified madness. A bit further away, another swimmer grabbed frantically at a companion, awkwardly trying to stay afloat, inadvertently dragging his panicked friend beneath the surface.

Chaos reigned supreme, tearing the group of students apart in a storm of panic and confusion. Above, drones hovered with cold indifference, identifying struggling candidates, regularly announcing the elimination of those too weak or overwhelmed by fear. Behind them, several rescue rafts were fishing out students incapable of continuing, their faces etched with exhaustion, humiliation, and disappointment.

Despite the anxiety crushing his chest, Alexandre tried desperately to rouse his friend:

"Marlon! Stay with me!" he shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the wind and waves.

But Marlon did not respond. His dilated pupils stared blankly into the void, lost in an unfathomable terror. His breathing became irregular, panicked. He seemed trapped within the depths of his own psyche.

Suddenly, Alexandre felt a black, impenetrable veil descend upon his mind. An indescribable pressure bore down on him, as though an invisible hand were trying to crush his consciousness. His thoughts blurred, his body grew numb, and his breath quickened involuntarily.

No... Not now...

He recognized this sensation, this horrifying loss of control heralding the inevitable: soon, his body would no longer obey him, his most primal instincts would take over, reducing him to an impotent observer, trapped in his own madness.

But this time, Alexandre categorically refused to succumb. He had no right to give in.

Gathering his last remaining strength, he plunged deep into his chaotic and tormented mind. Within this internal ocean of darkness and fear, he desperately searched for an anchor, something to grasp onto.

Then suddenly, clarity struck him: this phobia, this uncontrollable terror, wasn't natural. It wasn't ordinary fear. It was induced, artificial, triggered by something within him—something connected to the Z Virus.

He abruptly recalled Claire's words, her warning during the previous crisis. He vividly remembered the moment when she'd explained that blood could shatter this collective hysteria. But why blood? Why did this vital fluid interrupt the strange phobia?

Alexandre's mind raced. Despite the urgency, he found his thoughts now clearer, more lucid. The Z Virus utilized its host's bloodstream to propagate itself and maintain control. If blood had calmed Marlon previously, perhaps seawater had a harmful—possibly toxic—effect on the Z Virus. Saltwater might act as poison, triggering an instinctive panic and defense reaction from virus carriers.

Immediately, Alexandre devised two ways to neutralize this internal threat. Given the critical gravity of the situation, he chose to use both methods simultaneously.

Without a second's hesitation, Alexandre opened his mouth wide and violently bit down on the inside of his cheek. He felt flesh give way beneath his teeth immediately. A metallic, acrid, hot taste instantly filled his mouth as fresh blood began pouring freely. Two deep wounds had now opened inside his cheeks.

Salt from the seawater mercilessly infiltrated the fresh wounds, burning his raw flesh as if pressed by a red-hot iron. Alexandre felt his muscles tense brutally from this self-inflicted agony. Yet he forced himself to keep swallowing the freezing seawater, deliberately ignoring every distress signal from his tormented body.

The metallic tang of blood mixed nauseatingly with the bitter salt of the water, forming a revolting concoction that forced him to fight the instinctive urge to retch. Yet quickly, a strange transformation occurred within him. The omnipresent, uncontrollable fear seemed to recede slightly in the face of this brutal shock. His mind, mired in this violent struggle, regained a semblance of clarity.

Around him, chaos continued unabated. The despairing cries of other students echoed across the water, while the drones kept coldly announcing the steady elimination of swimmers succumbing to panic or exhaustion. Alexandre, however, gradually felt calmness returning, his breathing becoming stable and controlled once more.

He opened his eyes, lifting his head from the freezing water with renewed determination. His gaze swept the chaotic surface, searching for Marlon. His friend was still nearby, fighting fiercely against his own fear. But his movements had become erratic and clumsy, his arms flailing without coordination, eyes staring blankly in poignant distress.

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Without losing another second, Alexandre swam swiftly toward him, reaching Marlon with renewed energy. Firmly grasping his friend's arm, Alexandre looked deep into his eyes, desperately trying to grab his attention:

"Marlon, listen to me! You must snap out of it right now!"

Marlon continued to stare past Alexandre, unseeing, still struggling with the overwhelming panic threatening to consume him. With brutal determination, Alexandre gripped Marlon's jaw and forcefully pried it open. In one decisive motion, he violently pierced the inside of Marlon's cheek with his fingers.

The effect was almost immediate. Marlon blinked repeatedly, like someone violently pulled from a nightmare. The terror in his eyes diminished slightly, replaced by profound confusion:

"Wha... what's happening...?" Marlon murmured.

He then touched his bloodied cheek and exclaimed in shock:

"What the hell is this?!"

Alexandre quickly answered:

"I'll explain later! But you must stay focused, Marlon!" He urgently added, "The fear comes from the Z Virus in our blood! If we reduce its concentration in our veins, the hysteria will fade!"

Still shaken, Marlon nodded slowly, determination gradually filling his eyes. Bit by bit, he regained control.

Alexandre spoke firmly:

"Come on, Marlon! We can't afford to be distracted right now!"

Marlon nodded painfully but resolutely resumed a steady stroke alongside Alexandre.