Odyssey Of Survival

Alice stared at Nate, still processing what had just happened. He stood there, arms crossed, looking completely at ease, as if appearing here before her in an instant was the most natural thing in the world.

Her brows furrowed. "How did you get here?"

Nate shrugged. "I ran."

Alice scoffed, folding her arms. "Bullshit. You cheated."

A grin tugged at the corner of Nate's lips as he leaned against a tree. "I even gave you a head start."

Alice rolled her eyes, but deep down, she couldn't shake off the nagging suspicion that he was telling the truth. She had been flying, propelled at an incredible speed, yet somehow, Nate had arrived before her, without so much as a single bead of sweat on his forehead. Had his powers evolved beyond just fire?@@novelbin@@

She shook off the thought. Right now, she had something much more exciting to focus on.

Nate gestured toward the open field. "The stage is yours."

Alice didn't need to be told twice. She stepped forward, rolling her shoulders as a wave of cold mist swirled around her fingertips. A rush of energy surged through her, unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was as if an entire ocean of power had been unlocked within her, and for the first time, she had full control over the tide.

She raised her hands, and the air around her instantly grew colder. The grass beneath her feet crystallized, turning into shimmering frost that crackled under her weight. She took a deep breath and exhaled—a thin stream of ice mist escaping her lips like dragon's breath.

Let's see what I can do.

First, she started with something simple. She flicked her wrist, and from the moisture in the air, a small ice shard formed, hovering inches above her palm. With a mere thought, the shard elongated, twisting and reshaping into a perfectly carved dagger.

She gripped it, testing its weight. "Nice."

With another flick of her wrist, the dagger shattered into a fine powder, disappearing into the wind.

Not stopping there, she focused again, this time summoning multiple ice spears, each as long as her arm. They circled around her like a protective barrier, floating in midair, ready to strike at her command.

She extended her fingers, and in an instant, the spears shot forward, embedding themselves deep into the ground with enough force to crack the earth.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins. This was incredible.

She turned toward Nate, grinning. "Alright, how's that for a warm-up?"

Nate, still leaning against the tree, raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Not bad."

Alice smirked. "Not bad? Watch this."

She raised both hands, palms facing upward. The temperature plummeted as the air itself seemed to crystallize. The frost spread rapidly, covering the entire clearing in a blanket of shimmering ice.

Then, she leaped into the air, and instead of falling back down, the ice responded to her will. It stretched and shifted beneath her, forming stepping stones in midair.

Alice ran across them effortlessly, hopping from one floating ice platform to another, spinning midair, flipping, and landing with perfect balance. She grinned. I can fly, but this? This is even better.

Then, as if to push herself further, she snapped her fingers.

The ice beneath her shattered and reformed in an instant, morphing into an enormous frozen wave. It surged forward like a tidal wave of pure ice, crashing toward the trees at the edge of the clearing. But just before impact, Alice clenched her fist, and the entire wave froze in place, solidifying into a jagged, breathtaking sculpture of frozen water.

She landed gracefully on the ground, admiring her own handiwork.

Nate let out a low whistle. "Alright, that was kinda cool."

Alice turned to him, beaming. "Kinda cool? I literally just created an ice tsunami!"

Nate pushed himself off the tree and stepped forward, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah. You're getting cocky."

Alice folded her arms. "Oh, come on, let me enjoy this. I mean, look at this!" She waved her hand, and the frozen wave shattered into a thousand glittering shards before reforming into countless ice daggers, all suspended in the air like floating blades.

Nate sighed and began rolling up his sleeves.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Nate smirked as he took off his jacket and tossed it to the side. "No abilities. Just pure combat." He took a step toward her, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see how long you'll last."

Alice's grin faded slightly as she narrowed her eyes. "You're joking."

Nate said nothing. He simply raised his fists, his stance calm, steady—dangerous.

Alice swallowed, suddenly realizing that showing off was one thing. But testing her skills against Nate? That was an entirely different challenge.

Alice exhaled sharply, eyeing Nate with a mix of irritation and determination. "This is unfair," she muttered, rolling her shoulders.

Nate smirked, his posture relaxed yet prepared. "Come on, it's just a duel," he said casually, the amusement in his voice unmistakable.

Alice narrowed her eyes. She knew full well that Nate was stronger in hand-to-hand combat. His reflexes were sharper, his movements faster, and his endurance borderline ridiculous. But something about the way he was grinning made her suspicious. Was he toying with her?

She shook off the thought and instead focused, stepping into a proper fighting stance. Her fingers brushed against her hair, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear as she steadied her breathing.

Alright, let's see how long I can keep up.

Nate took the initiative, lunging forward with a quick jab aimed at her shoulder. Alice barely managed to sidestep, her instincts kicking in just in time to avoid the hit. She retaliated instantly, swinging a sharp kick toward his ribs.

Nate pivoted, effortlessly dodging her attack as if he had anticipated it before she even moved.

Alice gritted her teeth. He's reading me.

Determined not to let him control the fight, she pressed forward. She threw a rapid series of punches, aiming for his torso and face, but Nate deflected them with ease, his hands moving with controlled precision. Every strike she attempted was either blocked or dodged with minimal effort.

Frustration burned inside her, but she refused to let it slow her down.

She feinted left before spinning into a high kick, aiming straight for his head. Let's see you dodge this!

But before her foot could connect, Nate ducked, smoothly slipping past her attack. His counter came instantly—a low sweep kick aimed at her legs. Alice barely managed to jump in time, landing a few feet away and resetting her stance.

"You're hesitating," Nate commented, tilting his head.

Alice scowled. "You're annoying."

Nate just chuckled. "I get that a lot."

She lunged again, but this time she didn't hold back. She threw a fierce punch at his chest, followed by a swift knee strike. Nate blocked the punch, caught her knee with his hand, and gently pushed her back before she could reset.

It was infuriating. He wasn't even trying to hurt her.

Alice exhaled sharply and shifted her tactics. Instead of brute force, she relied on speed. She darted around him, circling with quick steps, aiming to throw him off balance. But Nate's eyes tracked her every move.

The second she lunged again, his hands moved before she could even register it—catching her wrist mid-punch and twisting just enough to redirect her force without hurting her.

Alice tried to break free, twisting her body into a spin to deliver a kick. Nate stepped back, avoiding the attack, and before she could regain her footing, he tapped the back of her knee with just enough force to make her stumble.

She hit the ground but immediately rolled back to her feet, cursing under her breath.

Damn it.

Nate was treating this like a game—never striking hard, never truly pushing her past her limits. Whenever he realized she couldn't dodge an attack in time, he'd adjust his strength, barely tapping her instead of landing a solid hit. It was almost insulting.

Her frustration reached its peak.

Gritting her teeth, Alice clenched her fists and packed every ounce of strength she had into a single punch. She twisted her hips, putting her full force behind it as she launched her fist straight toward Nate's chest.

If she was going down, she was going to make him feel it.

Nate's hand shot up in a blur of motion.

Smack.

He caught her fist effortlessly, fingers wrapping around her knuckles with absolute control.

Alice barely had time to react before the momentum pulled her forward—straight into his chest.

Her body pressed against his, her face just inches from his. She could feel the heat radiating from him, the steady rise and fall of his breathing.

Her breath hitched.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

****

Support with Golden tickets and Power Stones.