Chapter 132: The Water Trial (6)
Marlon jolted violently, as if he'd just been struck by lightning. His gaze, previously vacant, began blinking frantically. Then suddenly, he took a deep, shuddering breath, followed by a violent coughing fit, expelling nearly a liter of salty water from his lungs. Each cough tore painfully at his throat, yet gradually brought him back to consciousness.
"Dammit... What was that?" he muttered between gasps. "That second panic attack was way worse than the first one. But seawater is surprisingly effective..."
Alexandre immediately replied in a calm yet tense voice:
"By drinking large amounts of saltwater, your body rapidly loses its internal water due to the salt. This temporarily prevents your infected blood cells from regenerating, reducing the hold the Z Virus has on your system."
Marlon stared at Alexandre, eyes wide with disbelief, and hesitantly asked:
"I'm not a doctor, but causing severe dehydration by consuming that much salt... isn't that risking death?"
Alexandre replied bluntly:
"Theoretically, yes. But with our modified Hunter physiology, we should be able to survive long enough. At least, that's what I hope."
Marlon gritted his teeth, his body still trembling from the shock, pain, and cold. He now fully understood why so many participants had been quickly eliminated. Alexandre's revelations did little to reassure him; his entire body was gripped by a searing, agonizing pain unlike anything he'd ever felt before.
Behind them, the scene had descended into chaos. Dozens of students remained trapped by their own fears, flailing wildly and uncontrollably. The drones and rescue boats were busy retrieving those who had lost all control. However, Alexandre noticed something else: several students had stopped panicking and were now observing Alexandre and Marlon with unexpected calmness. It appeared they, too, had instinctively figured out how to handle this bizarre collective panic. Alexandre briefly locked eyes with a few of them, exchanging silent looks of mutual respect.
At that moment, he noticed Claire swimming gracefully nearby, seemingly unaffected by the ordeal. She flashed a slight mocking smile and murmured loud enough for him to hear clearly: