The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 88

Chapter 88 The Grasshopper Mercenary Corps

In other words, here’s what he really meant:

‘You’re just a woman. Someone as legendary as the leader of the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps–a figure like her only comes around once in a lifetime, maybe not even in centuries.

‘Don’t try to follow in her footsteps. Maybe take a good look at yourself first.’

But after getting his ass handed to him by Nova just a while ago, Sam didn’t dare mention any of that.

Sam had barely finished his sentence when Nova gave him a sudden, ice–cold glare.

Her eyes flashed with a crimson knife–like intensity, locking straight onto him without warning.

The sheer sharpness in her gaze made Sam swallow nervously–his mouth went dry, and he completely lost his nerve.

“I don’t want to hear another word of defiance,” Nova said, her voice icy.

“If you’ve got a problem with that, show yourselves out right now.

“Anyone who stays, be ready. We’re moving out for Verecula first thing tomorrow.”

With those words, Nova made her final statement.

She stood up abruptly, not bothering to spare them another glance.

She turned and left the Shinjuku apartment with Damien Thorn.

Yellowcat gave them a glance and followed them out.

Once Nova, Damien, and Yellow Cat had left, the rest of the mercenaries in the Shinjuku apartment finally dared to speak up.

“Seriously? That woman from Zoria actually thinks she’s qualified to take us to some mercenary training ground? She trying to get us killed or what?”

“With skills like hers? Any elite corps out there would shred her in seconds!”

“Let’s be real, if there wasn’t good money involved, no way I’d take orders from a woman. What a joke!”

Even so, the next morning, not a single mercenary was missing–they all showed up at the entrance of the Shinjuku apartment.

These guys were the type who’d sell their souls for cash, no matter the danger.

Nova knew their kind all too well.

Damien Thorn wasn’t in any rush to head back to the Shadow Sanctum these days–he was personally accompanying Nova Blake all the way to the international mercenary training ground in Verecula.

This training ground was locked down tight, with every door shut and no one allowed in or out for a full three months.

Since Damien wasn’t part of the Blood Doll Corps, he couldn’t set foot inside. He simply booked a room at a hotel outside the training ground and waited for her there.

The sun blazed fiery red overhead, intense enough to bake the land dry and crack the ground like parched earth.

Nova led all twenty–seven members of the Blood Doll Corps as they arrived at the registration site.

Yellowcat was there, too.

Unlike the other mercenary teams entering the training ground, Nova’s Blood Doll Corps stood out for one

reason.

Looking over the bustling crowd, Nova’s team was the only one in the entire place with a woman at the helm.

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Chapter 188 The Grasshopper Mercenary Corps

That earned Nova and her team a whole mess of side–eye, with plenty of contempt and outright mockery thrown their way.

But for Nova, this was nothing new–she’d dealt with it all before and barely batted an eye.

She couldn’t care less.

“The Grasshopper Mercenary Corps,” Yellowcat murmured, standing right beside Nova.

She eyed the men up ahead–standing under the scorching sun, every one of them built thick and sturdy, their skin bronzed by the relentless heat.

So many years had passed, and the people were different now.

Now it was Yellowcat at Nova’s side, taking the place where Ghost–Hammer, Marlie, Falcony and Snowfang once stood.

She leaned in and spoke quietly to Nova.

“Those guys over there are from the Grasshopper Mercenary Corps,” Yellowcat said.

“They’re a new power on the rise–people everywhere have been hearing about them all over the world.

“Their boss goes by ‘Fierce Python.‘ Trust me, he’s famous in the mercenary scene.”

Yellowcat knew exactly why Nova had brought them here. Sure, part of it was to put the Blood Doll Corps on the map, to make their name known far and wide.

But even more than that, Nova was here to scout out those with real potential–people she could shape into something formidable.

She was determined to build a new force strong enough to take on those who had betrayed her.

As Yellowcat spoke, Nova rested her chin in one hand, raising an eyebrow as she looked off into the distance.

At the center of the Grasshopper Mercenary Corps stood a man with deeply tanned skin–a complexion that was anything but the typical “pretty boy” look.

However, just like his name suggested, he was a brute, built like a tank and clearly no pushover.

He looked to be about twenty–five or twenty–six, with a strong, straight nose and confidently defined, chiseled features that lent him a striking, rugged masculinity.

No mistaking it–even from a distance, you could tell he was the real deal, built for combat and tough as nails. That guy right there? That’s Fierce Python–the one Yellowcat was talking about.

“Rumor has it, among the fresh blood on the scene, nobody can touch him.

“Boss, let me go test him out and see what he’s really made of!”

Yellowcat was all in, eager to help Nova hunt for new recruits.

She tossed her long hair back, her pale porcelain–like face almost too perfect to be real–and in her eyes, you could see a flicker of excitement, like she couldn’t wait to jump into the fray.

With Nova’s silent approval, she marched right up to Fierce Python and his crew.

“What does she think she’s doing? Those guys over there are the Grasshopper Mercenary Corps!

“Out of all the rising merc teams, they’re the top dogs–nobody messes with them!

“Boss, you ain’t gonna stop your crew? Someone’s seriously gonna get hurt!”

Sham was tall and built like some jungle predator, but when he opened his mouth, he was all bark and no bite. Nova didn’t even spare him a single glance.

“Excuse me…”

Suddenly, a quiet voice piped up from the side.

“Nova Blake, right?”

Nova raised an eyebrow, glancing over. The guy looked bookish, kind of proper on the outside, but you could

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Chapter 188 The Grasshopper Mercenary Corps

tell he was Zoriaien the second he opened his mouth.

Still, to Nova, he was just another stranger.

Besides, out here in the international circles, everyone called her by her new codename–Blood Reaper.

‘Nova Blake…‘

That name was something she’d left behind in Zoria three months ago.

“And you are?” Nova asked, with a faint, interested smile playing on her lips.

The guy awkwardly scratched the back of his head, looking a little shy.

“I’m from Suntry Academy. This might sound a bit weird, but I actually know who you are–Nova. Mind if we step aside and talk for a minute?”

*****

Meanwhile, Yellowcat was itching to size up Fierce Python herself, wanting to see just what kind of skills the leader of the Grasshopper Mercenary Corps was packing.

She looked like she could shatter if you touched her wrong–pale as porcelain, with a sweet, fragile doll–like

vibe.

Guess spending so much time around Nova had made her gutsier by the day.

The Grasshopper Mercenary Corps? Not a single woman among them–the whole crew was nothing but men.

She strode right up to that musclebound all–male mercenary crew, looking every bit like a kitten crashing a den of lions–it was downright jarring.

“Hey!” Yellowcat called out, her voice ringing with confidence.

“You’re Fierce Python, the boss here, right?”

She stepped forward, woman alone among a bunch of hard–nosed mercs–never flinching, not a hint of fear showing.

The entire Grasshopper Mercenary Corps turned, sizing her up with sharp, appraising eyes.

Yellowcat curled her pinky at Fierce Python in a cocky, taunting gesture.

“I came looking for you–so what do you say, tough guy? Wanna throw down with me?”

**

Nova moved away from the other mercenary teams, finding a spot on her own.

She stood across from the Zoriaien youth.

She cut right to the chase.

“How do you know me?” Nova asked, her voice steady.

The young guy said, “You’re actually kind of a legend around here, you know!”

He hesitated, a little awkward, then went ahead and introduced himself.

“My name’s Kevin, same deal as you–Special Ops, G11 Sector. I’m not from Suntry Academy, though.”

“I’ve seen your pics before. You pulled off a solo 5S–level mission. That’s insane! You’re seriously on another level!

“Word’s spread throughout our Special Ops team about what you’ve done. I’m here to level up–brought a couple teammates along with me.

“By the way… I heard you disappeared for three months. How’d you end up showing up here, out of all places?” The mercenary training arena in Verecula was hands down the fastest place on earth to crank up your combat power.

Nova always knew: special ops and elite squads from every nation would risk it all, signing ruthless life–and- death contracts just for a shot to slip inside this brutal battlefield and forge themselves stronger.

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Chapter 188 The Grasshopper Mercenary Corps

“Same as you,” Nova said with a calm, unfazed tone.

No way she was telling him the true story.

After saying those words, she didn’t look back.

“Gotta go–got some business to deal with,” Nova called back over her shoulder.

“So you weren’t really missing–your sector sent you here on a mission, right?” Kevin guessed.

Nova didn’t respond, just letting his suspicion hang in the air.

She simply let him believe whatever he wanted.

But then-

Kevin’s next words stopped Nova in her tracks, touching on something she cared about.

“I heard that after you disappeared, your dad went nuts trying to find you. He was searching everywhere, asking everyone.

“And then, for some reason, he ticked off people from the black market–or maybe just got unlucky–and got himself beaten so bad he landed in the hospital…”

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