At dusk, Ruan Ning finished her training for the day. She returned to where she had hidden her vehicle, climbed inside, and once the engine started, she quickly left the pursuing zombies far behind.
Just as Ruan Ning was about to cross the street, a loud, arrogant roar of an engine came from behind, mixed with the laughter of men and women!
Through the rearview mirror, she saw a modified jeep painted with exaggerated flame patterns speeding toward her, recklessly knocking aside the scattered zombies on the road.
More strikingly, in the front passenger seat, a young man wearing a black leather jacket with fiery red dyed hair leaned halfway out the window, waving his hands wildly as dozens of fist-sized, bright orange fireballs whooshed out, smashing into roadside zombies and abandoned vehicles!
“Hahaha! Burn to death, you monsters!” the fire-element user laughed wildly, reveling in the thrill of controlling his power.
Boom! Boom!
The fireballs ignited the zombies’ tattered clothes and dried flesh, releasing a burnt, foul smell. When hitting abandoned vehicles, small bursts of flame erupted, igniting the interiors.
But his aim was terrible!
One fireball missed its target completely, nearly grazing the roof of Ruan Ning’s off-road vehicle. The heat wave raised the temperature inside the car noticeably!
Ruan Ning’s eyes grew cold as she slammed on the steering wheel, trying to dodge the mad jeep.
However, the fire user seemed to interpret her evasion as weakness.
Noticing the “insolent” vehicle ahead, perhaps annoyed that Ruan Ning disturbed his “zombie clearing” fun or just wanting to show off his power, he twisted into a malicious grin and suddenly turned the jeep around, aiming the next fireball directly at the rear trunk of Ruan Ning’s vehicle!
Whoosh—
The orange fireball trailed flaming tails, hurtling straight at her!
“Looking for death!” Ruan Ning’s heart flared with rage! She stomped the brake hard while her right hand shot out the window like lightning!
Her water elemental energy surged and compressed inside her at an unprecedented speed! Water vapor in the air instantly condensed and gathered before her palm!
No longer a water arrow, but a circular water shield about half a meter in diameter, thin as cicada wings yet extraordinarily solid, its edges faintly shimmering with pale blue light!
Plop—!
The fireball smashed against the water shield!
No earth-shattering explosion, only a dull sound like a heated iron pressing into water! The orange flames wildly licked the pale blue water shield, steaming up a large cloud of white vapor, hissing sharply!
Water and fire collided; energies fiercely counteracted and neutralized each other!
The fire user’s cruel smile froze instantly, a flicker of shock flashing in his eyes! He hadn’t expected his opponent to also be an elemental user with such quick reflexes—and to use a water defense that perfectly countered his fire!
However, what shocked him and the others in the jeep even more came next!
At the moment the fireball’s energy was about to be fully neutralized by the water shield, Ruan Ning’s eyes turned icy as she focused her mind!
The water shield, now thinner after absorbing the attack, suddenly deformed! Its center sharply protruded, transforming into three high-speed, sharper water arrows with spiraling force, reflecting off the still-dissipating flames and steam, shooting back toward the jeep with lightning speed!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One water arrow flew toward the fire user in the front passenger seat, aiming at his face!
One struck the driver’s arm!
The last one hit precisely the jeep’s exposed right front tire!
“Damn it!” The fire user panicked, ducking his head hurriedly as the water arrow skimmed his scalp, ripping away some red hair, chillingly cold!
The driver was startled by the sudden counterattack, frantically turning the wheel to dodge. The water arrow aimed at his arm struck the door, leaving a deep dent and a water stain.
The water arrow hitting the tire succeeded!
Shhh—
The energy-infused water arrow punctured the tire, causing it to deflate instantly! The speeding jeep lost control, sharply veering to one side with screeching tires, crashing headlong into a nearby utility pole!
Bang!!
With a loud crash, the jeep’s front was crushed, smoke billowing, the hood popped open. Shouts and curses came from inside.
Ruan Ning gave the smoking jeep and the disheveled people inside a cold glance, made no pause, pressed the accelerator, and her off-road vehicle growled as it sped away from the chaotic scene, leaving behind the mess and the furious shouts of those elemental users.
Through the rearview mirror, she watched the shrinking chaos without a flicker of emotion.
In the apocalypse, power is law. Since the other party initiated the provocation, they must be prepared for a harsh retaliation!
This time, it was water shield defense plus instant counterattack. Next time, her water might be even more deadly.
Back at the apartment, the reinforced door shut behind her as Ruan Ning finally exhaled.
The continuous battles and the sudden burst of energy with precise control left her feeling a bit tired.
But more than that was a growing confidence in controlling her power.
She sat cross-legged, beginning to absorb the crystal cores she had collected today. Energy flowed into her body, nourishing her meridians and deepening her understanding of water elemental abilities.
Water can be soft or hard, defensive or offensive. Today’s combat gave her a deeper appreciation of this truth.
She needed to become stronger to survive better in this perilous apocalypse—and to make those who owed her pay the price.