Survival Queen of the Frozen Wastes novel Chapter 103

When that report came in, the bald man’s trembling intensified. He was practically flattened against the floor.

“S–sir… the last two teams were successful, but… but the squad assigned to the top–ranked target, Pineapple Beer… we lost contact. Their last transmission said they set up an ambush near a dungeon entrance. The target redirected a monster wave toward them and… wiped the whole team out.”

Nightshade’s expression darkened immediately.

“That Pineapple Beer is slippery–knows our playbook too well,” the bald man added, voice unsteady.

Nightshade muttered something under his breath, then let out a low, humorless chuckle. “Interesting. What about the other one? That SpicyBurger?”

The bald man swallowed hard, his words barely audible.

“That… also failed.

“We deployed an elite Berserker unit, plus our best scout, Rat. They used a directed respawn item to set up their camp close to the target’s location.”

“And?” Nightshade’s fingers tapped slowly on the arm of his throne.

“Then… nothing.”

The bald man looked up, eyes wide with dread. “Total radio silence. Like they just… vanished off the grid.

“I checked the friend list. The squad leader’s status was gray. Rat’s too. All five of them… dead.

“And their camp disappeared completely at dawn. Which means someone looted all their supplies clean.”

The room fell into a heavy, cold silence.

Nightshade didn’t speak.

But the pressure radiating from him made the bald man feel like he was trapped in a freezer.

A five–player elite squad.

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Chapter 103 Preparing for the Merge

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All equipped with “Crimson Oath Pauldrons“. The leader even carried a rare blue–grade greatsword and a valuable “Weakness Potion“.

And they were wiped out completely?

Without even managing to send a distress call?

“Good… very good.”

Nightshade suddenly laughed–a sharp, icy sound.

“Seems we underestimated the situation.”

He rose slowly. His black cloak stirred as though touched by an unfelt wind.

“If conventional methods won’t work, we’ll wait for the server merge. Looks like we’ll have to handle these problems personally.

“How are the preparations coming along?”

The bald man nodded quickly. “All set! The Rage Potions… we’ve brewed over two hundred. We can move as soon as the merge begins.”

“Good. Dismissed.”

“Yes, sir.” The bald man’s figure flickered and dissolved into static.

It had been a holographic call all along.

Nightshade walked to the window and gazed out at the ash–gray sky. A faint smile touched his lips.

*****

Outside, the night was pitch black. Snow pellets whipped through the air, driven by gusting winds that howled across the frozen plain.

“Whoosh–whoosh-”

Weather brutal enough to freeze an ordinary person solid within minutes was nothing more than background noise to Riley, who stood watch atop the stone lookout tower.

She’d made some simple modifications to the platform–added a slanted wooden roof to break the wind and hung thick hides around the sides as curtains, leaving one section open for a clear line of fire.

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Chapter 103 Preparing for the Merge

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By the soft glow of a lantern, Riley sat comfortably on a folding stool, a steaming mug of milk in hand.

In front of her rested a tablet.

On the screen, a classic action movie was playing–gunfire and explosions blending oddly smoothly with the roaring wind and snow outside.

“Crunch.”

Neeko sat cross–legged on a thick woven rug nearby, digging into a bucket of caramel popcorn that TartKing had freshly made and sent over. She stuffed a big handful into her mouth, eyes glued to the scene where the hero leapt from a plane.

“Riley… fly! He’s flying!”

Neeko pointed excitedly at the screen, scattering popcorn crumbs across the floor.

“Those are special effects. Not real.”

Riley replied calmly, then set her mug down, her gaze sharpening.

Then again, with her current stats, some of those wild movie stunts might actually be within reach now.

“They’re here.”

She turned and looked down toward the torch–lit perimeter she’d set up across the snowy field.

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