John manipulated the air surrounding him, with his wind spirit magic, turning the air itself into sharp razor blades, in which he sent flying at the horde of infected zombies.
Once the horde of infected zombies receded back, they quickly recovered and regained their forward's momentum.
As Alex charges into the horde of infected zombie, repeating the same process as he did previously. Slicing and shredding infected zombies to bit with his Heaven's Piercer, whilst racking in a load of experience points.
*Ding!*
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[Your base level has increased by 1! ]
....
Once the horde of infected zombies has reached within a couple of feet always from the duo. John would unleash a wind crescent blade to push the horde of infected zombies backwards, whilst killing some in the process.
Rinse and repeat. The first round was seemingly easy, with few mutated infected zombies.
As time passes, mutated zombies began to appear a bit more frequent, and in greater numbers as well. However, Alex and John always managed to make it through, with bottomless determination and endurance.
John keeps continuously casting 'Wind Enhancement' on Alex, every time the effect duration runs out, Increasing his agility and attack speed in the process.
*Ding!*
[Your skill proficiency has reached a designated point. The Wind Spirit Magic skill [Wind Enhancement Lv1] has become [Wind Enhancement Lv2]! ]
[Your skill proficiency has reached a designated point. The skill [Inferior Mana Manipulation Lv1] has become [Inferior Mana Manipulation Lv2]! ]
Slowly, over time, John began to gain a much deeper understanding of his wind spirit magic, as his control over his mana improved significantly.
John instinctively follows the instruction of Rosa, his little wind sylph spirit, as she aided him in learning how to circulate mana around his body.
Bit by bit, minuscule amounts of mana began to enter his body, through his open pores. As they slowly enter his bloodstream, where the blood veins carry the mana to the rest of the body, similar to oxygen.
However, after completing a few cycles of mana circulating around his body. An unbelievable change began to occur within side his body, invisible to the naked eye, as John somewhat has a faint understanding of it.
The circulated mana began to defused into the surrounding cells and muscle tissues. Therefore strengthening it, making it healthy muscle, cells, and tissues.
A small portion of the circulated mana diverted from it's the original course, as new pathways were created. These are called mana channels, where the host would normally use to circulate mana with, as the player's mana pool increases, so do the length and size of their mana channels.
John's method of utilizing his blood veins as a base to construct his mana channels is extremely creative.
For an ordinary person, this simply easy feat would seem almost impossible, as they would need a deeper comprehension and understanding of mana. Unless they can borrow the help and aid of an external source, like how John has.
Spiritualist is a completely different class from ordinary individuals, as they are extremely attuned to the mana in their surroundings.
The stronger and closer the bond between the contracted spirit, and their master, the more assimilated they would become, gaining the physical traits and abilities of the spirits they are contracted.
The higher the assimilation rate, the player will eventually become a half-human half spirit hybrid. With all of the benefits of a spirit, and no drawbacks.
The player won't need to consume actual organic foods for sustenance, but rather passively absorbs the abundance of mana in their surroundings, and convert it into nutrients to sustain the user's body.
....
*Ding!*
Numerous blue screens began to pop up in front of his retina, with each consecutive kill.
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[Your base level has increased by 1! ]
....
On the other hand, Alex's body is extremely tired and exhausted, as he is the one that did most of the work and manual hard labour.
He was constantly running around on foot, evading, and escaping from the clutches from the horde of infected zombies. Whilst, relentlessly swinging his bronze Jian sword around, with extreme vigour and power. Cutting down all infected zombies in his path.
A burning painful sensation began to unravel from his legs, spreading upwards to the rest of his body. His knees are shaking uncomfortably. He is starting to feel a loss of strength in his legs.
As body sweat starts to pour out from his body, soaking his white collared shirt. He is completely drenched in his own sweat, with his drenched shirt sticking to his skin.
His wrist is aching, and is in considerable pain, from the constant twist and turns, manoeuvring the bronze Jian sword with his right hand. Much like a gamer getting hand cramps after an overnight gaming session.
Alex was breathing heavily, panting ever so often, as he tightly gripped the handle of Heaven's Piercers.
Sweat droplets dribbling down the side of his face, accumulating at the bottom of his chin. Once the droplet accumulated big enough, it then falls down, hitting the floor with a light splash.
His vision then begun to become a bit darker, as he saw black dots covers his whole entire vision.
John sighs. "Alex, that is enough! You've pretty much over-exerted yourself to near exhaustion!" John said to Alex, as his face is brimming with worry, for his friend's wellbeing.
Alex didn't move his eyes off of from the horde of zombies in front of him.
*Pant* *Pant*
"I know I'm exhausted. I've gone way past my limit. My body couldn't handle it anymore... So let's retreat now while we still can." He said, whilst panting heavily, nearly out of breath.
"Got it!" John nodded his head in compliance, as he said. "We need a distraction to buy us some time!" John said with enthusiasm, as he looks towards Alex expectedly.
Alex immediately comes up with an idea on the spot. "I know. We can combine your 'Wind Slash' attack, with my 'Fireball' magic spell to maximize the damage. It may be possible to cause a small controlled explosion to slow the horde of infected zombies down." Alex intelligently came up with the plan.
"That idea may work, but our timing needs to be perfected." John cautiously said to Alex.
"Alright! I go first and cast the fireball spell, then later, you will send out a crescent wind blade at the intended fireball. Hitting the smouldering fireball dead centre, and causing it to explode on itself." Alex said to John, as he jumps back with breakneck speed.
John nods his head at Alex. "Alright then, ready when you are."
As Alex jumps backwards, he reached his left hand outwards, pointing in the direction of the incoming horde of infected zombies.
"Ignis Pila!" Alex chanted the magic incantation for the lower level fire magic spell 'Fireball.'
A smouldering red hot fireball, the size of a tennis ball then materialise. However, what Alex didn't know was, that the size of the fireball spell, has been increasing slowly proportionately to his intelligence and wisdom stat. Added with the level and proficiency of the skill.
Alex then flings the smouldering red hot fireball at the incoming large horde of infected zombies.
"Wind Slash!" John said the skill name out loud.
Not shortly afterwards, John listens to his precise instructions, following to the very last step, as he then manipulates the air around him, and forms a crescent wind and made of air.
John then sends the neon green crescent wind blade flying forwards, as it struck the fireball in mid-air.
Oxygen does not burn. It is not flammable, but it is an oxidizer. The oxygen in the air and in the wind crescent blade then feeds the fire in the fireball, causing a massive chemical reaction. As the fireball rapidly grows in size, then implode in itself, it's a spherical round sphere shape became destabilised.
As intense heat radiation is given off, engulfing almost the entirety of the narrow corridors in flames. The whole school building is weakened from the controlled explosion.
*Ding!*
Numerous blue screen notification began to pop up, showcasing their kill streak, between the two.
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
[Your base level has increased by 1! ]
[You have killed an Infected Host {Normal}! ]
....
Before Alex and John exit the narrow corridor, Alex then picks up his sword scabbard and quickly stored it with inside his Inventory space.
"Also John, did you pick any good monster drop loot up, from the slain infected zombies I've killed." Alex then asked John rather curiously.
He noticed, whilst Alex was busy cutting down zombies. John was busy collecting the monster drop loot and storing it withinside his inventory.
"Well..." John said to Alex, prolonging the tension.