The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 87

Chapter 87

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Of the three foreign men standing next to Harvey, the one who stood out was a towering guy with piercing blue eyes–the very Mr. Dorken already mentioned.

Harvey’s confidence wasn’t just for show.

His son, Arthur Blake, was just twenty–four and had already made it onto the international rankings as mercenary number 2,099. With credentials like that, Harvey had every right to look down his nose at the world.

If Arthur kept pushing himself, he might even have a shot at breaking into the top 2,000.

But top 500? Top 200? Top 100? Those were heights Harvey wouldn’t even dare to imagine.

But that’s the beauty of being able to hire people–he could just pay someone to do the impossible.

He honestly had no idea what kind of absolute powerhouse was on the other end of that phone.

All he knew was, this person had managed to bring in the 39th–ranked mercenary in the world for him.

Number 39!

When Harvey first heard Mr. Dorken’s global ranking, he nearly keeled over from shock.

‘And look at me now.

‘I’ve gotten so used to rubbing shoulders with absolute legends like Mr. Dorken–like it’s just another day for

1. me.

‘If this isn’t a game–changing move, what is?

‘One day, I’ll be someone the whole world has to respect. That’s not a dream—it’s my destiny.

‘All I need to do is take care of Nova and keep everything rolling, and then nothing can stop me,’ he thought.

The rough, threatening voice on the other end pressed in close, “If you still fail this time, even with Mr. Dorken backing you up…

“Don’t even bother coming back alive!”

That brutal voice, followed by a dull thud on the line, made Harvey shudder right where he stood–his heart racing.

Beep, beep, beep.

By the time Harvey scrambled to grab the phone, the call had already been cut off.

Harvey gasped, his nerves stretched thin.

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Chapter 87

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Before he could recover, Mr. Dorken, right beside him, suddenly spoke in flawless, unaccented Zoriaien, catching Harvey completely off guard.

“They’re coming,” Mr. Dorken announced.

‘They’re coming?‘ Harvey’s mind raced.

‘Coming? Who’s coming?‘ Harvey couldn’t help but wonder, his anxiety spiking.

‘Did those two low–level mercenaries really succeed in finishing off Nova and make it back?‘ Harvey thought, his heart hammering with anticipation.

Harvey’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he peered through the flap of the tent, looking out into the distance.

Thunk, thunk, thunk…

For a moment, it looked like those two low–level mercenaries really did return-

But, what came rolling toward them were two heads.

And those heads were none other than the two mercenaries sent to kill Nova.

Their eyes bulged in terror, twisted in a final moment of panic–like whatever they saw before dying had scared them to death.

“Ah!” Harvey couldn’t help but scream, panic taking over.

The shock knocked Harvey flat on his butt, and the binoculars slipped from his hands, clattering onto the ground.

At the same instant, he caught sight of a girl standing just outside the tent, not too far away.

“Nova!” Harvey bellowed, rage rippling through his voice.

He yelled her name like it was a curse, every syllable dripping with fury.

‘Nova–the useless daughter of that loser Charles!‘ Harvey seethed inside.

If it weren’t for her, he’d be the head of the Blake family by now–or at least his son would.

By now, he would’ve cashed out Blake Security Group, burst onto the international scene, and become a major player worldwide.

“Mr. Dorken, that’s her!” Harvey barked, barely holding himself together.

“Kill her! Do it now!”

He jabbed a finger furiously at Nova, roaring as if he could tear her apart himself.

From the moment Nova showed up, Mr. Dorken felt an utterly unique, overwhelming aura coming from her

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Chapter 87

-and it was all coming from a teenage girl!

For a split second, his mind refused to believe it.

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That sudden realization sent a stab of danger right through Dorken’s gut. His instincts roared at him: something was off.

But the feeling barely lasted a heartbeat.

Real powerhouses don’t waste time talking–when they move, they move fast.

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

Dorken stomped through the fallen leaves, two men flanking him as they surged toward Nova.

The moment Dorken sprang into action, Nova was right there with him.

She didn’t hesitate–her speed was electrifying, leaving the crowd stunned.

Nova shot forward like lightning itself, streaking straight at Dorken and his crew.

Dusk had faded–the night was all moonlight now,.

Dorken snapped both arms back, ripped out two oversized blades from his sides, then lunged straight at Nova, slashing for her like he meant business.

Towering at almost 6.5 feet, he loomed over Nova, making her look so delicate you’d think a breeze could knock her down.

“Yes! Yes!” Harvey practically lost it, laughing out loud, his voice wild in the dark.

He clapped like a maniac, craning his neck for a better look, desperate not to miss a second of the action.

It was like fame and fortune were right there, swirling just out of reach in front of his eyes.

Harvey shouted anxiously, “Kill her! Kill her!

“She’s just the useless daughter of that loser Charles! Twenty years ago, her dad couldn’t beat me, and twenty years later, she’s still no match for me!”

“You’re the one who doesn’t know your place–die!

“Go ahead and die!” Harvey continued.

Harvey’s screaming was nothing but background noise; neither Nova nor Dorken paid him any mind.

Dorken’s massive blades were already swinging down, ready to slice Nova in half.

‘She’s got no chance-‘ Harvey thought, sure she was finished.

But Nova moved like she’d seen the attack coming from a mile away–her delicate body twisted aside with

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Chapter 87

lightning speed, dodging the strike before Dorken even knew what happened.

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Two seconds might sound trivial, but in a battle between top–tier elites, that was more than enough to settle the score–three times over.

Dorken’s eyes flew open in shock as he realized Nova had dodged his attack before he’d even finished swinging.

Just like that, he’d lost all control over the fight.

She moved as if she could predict exactly where his blades would land…

It was like she could read his mind.

Bang!

In a split second, Nova snapped a swift kick, her foot connecting hard with Dorken’s waist.

It looked like nothing–just an ordinary girl’s kick. But that one casual move sent the towering Dorken flying nine feet through the air.

Whoosh-

Only someone ranked 39th in the International Mercenary Ranking could pull that off–Dorken, slammed through the air by the kick, slashed his blade into the ground at the last second and barely managed to stop himself from face–planting.

Right after that, he just gawked at the girl ahead, utterly dumbfounded.

Nova just stood there, her face blank, eyes lifting coolly.

Nova said, her voice icy, “Hmm? Yellowcat’s lackey, are you?”

Yellowcat was one of the big shots in the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps, on the same level as Ghost–Hammer and Snowfang.

As a member of Bloodblade Mercenary Corps, Dorken was actually working under Yellowcat.

“How… how do you know that?” Dorken almost lost it, his voice shaking.

‘How the hell does she know I’m Yellowcat’s lackey?‘ Dorken froze, panic drumming in his chest.

Having his secret called out so bluntly, Dorken completely lost his cool–his eyes popped wide as he blurted out in shock.

Nova advanced on him, her icy voice slicing through the air, carrying an aura that made every step suffocating.

“That sword style? I taught it to Yellowcat myself.

“So, care to guess what you think stands a chance against me?”

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Chapter 87

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That’s why his blade moves might as well be an open book to her–she sees through every slash, every trick.

As she spoke, Nova tilted her head ever so slightly.

That ice–cold, drop–dead gorgeous face plus that little tilt of her head–it left Dorken looking like he’d seen a ghost.

His sword moves? Yeah, he’d learned them straight from his superior, Yellowcat.

Everybody knew: the top dogs in the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps were absolute beasts–each one deadlier than the last, masters of a million ways to fight and kill, the best one could find anywhere.

But every trick they knew? All taught to them by boss of Bloodblade.

The boss of Bloodblade was pure mystery–Dorken had been in the Corps for years and never even caught a glimpse. Nobody had.

‘Wait a second… does that mean this girl in front of me is actually…‘ Dorken’s mind spun, panic rising.

Dorken’s face went ghostly pale. He shouted at Nova, his voice trembling so much everyone–Harvey, stunned out of his mind, and the other two mercenaries–could hear it loud and clear.

“You! You’re…

“You’re the boss of the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps? Bloodforge!”