The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 91

Chapter 91 Nightmare Land

Nova could tough it out, but back then, Marlie just didn’t have that kind of stamina.

Back then, Marlie, her face flushed, was sprawled out on the same sofa Nova was sitting on now.

Same house, same living room.

Only five years had gone by.

Just looking at the way the living room was set up, Nova could still picture Marlie–her cheeks so red it looked like she’d been burned, soft as cotton, collapsed on the sofa.

She was at the very edge of her endurance, barely holding it together.

“Boss, are we really gonna die here?” Marlie, who had grown into a beautiful young woman by then, asked.

Her eyes were hazy as she looked at Nova, but that fierce trust shining in her gaze was something Nova would never forget.

“I’m sorry, I got you all into this mess,” Nova said.

Back then, Nova wasn’t the calm, collected leader she is now–she was still finding her footing, trying to reach the top.

She’d made plenty of mistakes and called a lot of shots that turned out wrong.

Like that time, after checking the food for poison, she told her four most trusted teammates to eat the dinner from the training ground.

Ghost–Hammer was lugging a ZB53 heavy machine gun, mowing down mercenaries as they tried to rush through the door, while Snowfang backed him up.

Snowfang, usually so shrewd–looking, had his whole face burning red.

Neither of them had Nova’s kind of grit, so they ended up shooting themselves in the thighs–careful to dodge nerves, arteries, and veins–just to keep themselves together.

“Boss, if this keeps up, Snowfang and I aren’t gonna last much longer,” Ghost–Hammer panted.

He slumped against the door, breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face.

They were under siege, enemies pressing in from both inside and out.

To make matters worse, they’d been hit by the drug too.

Outside, mercenaries had gone feral–eyes wild and reason gone. The moment they spotted the two women inside, they charged like a pack of zombies after fresh meat.

“Our only option now is to get two of us sober and have them guard the door,” Snowfang said.

“That’s our only chance to last until morning.”

That’s what Snowfang said at the time.

But the reality was much harsher.

The only way to break the drug’s effect was for them–people who called each other family–to do what only lovers do.

“I…” Marlie choked out, her voice shaky and desperate.

She clung to Nova’s arm, her tiny body tense–Marlie was the kind of girl who’d throw herself into danger for Nova, no questions asked.

There was no way she’d let her boss go through something so humiliating.

“Boss, I really can’t take it anymore. Please, just let me…” Tears welled up in Marlie’s eyes, her voice barely holding together.

And…

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Chapter 191 Nightmare Land

And a desperate, raw hunger to survive.

Back then, Nova had her head bowed low.

Her family, the ones she loved most, kept getting hit with the cruelest torment this world could throw at them -all because she was too weak to protect them.

“Which one of you… will be with Marlie?” Ghost–Hammer’s voice was low and heavy, barely more than a

murmur.

Ghost–Hammer, always the hammer protecting his family, would never cross that line with Marlie.

His question was for Snowfang and Falcony: which one of them would step up for Marlie…

The air froze over with a silence so thick it could shatter.

For survival, they had no other choice.

Snowfang, ever the wise one, always put the team first.

With that mix of class and wildness about him, when no one else spoke up, he stepped forward.

“There’s no time to hesitate,” he said.

“If you guys can’t make a decision, then I’ll do it…” Snowfang said, his voice heavy with resolve.

But just as Snowfang started toward Marlie, Falcony–who hadn’t said a word this whole time–suddenly stepped in.

He carefully scooped Marlie up from the sofa, his solid, perfectly toned arms making it look effortless. Holding her close, Falcony carried Marlie straight into the room, the tension in the air thick enough to choke

1. on.

Driven by fate’s cruelty and the desperate need to survive, Falcony and Marlie did what no family ever should- they crossed a line that changed everything in the tiny little room.

*****

Nova pulled herself out of those ancient memories, snapping back to reality.

She’d gotten a reply from Yellowcat not long ago.

Yellowcat was holed up in Fierce Python’s room, so Nova didn’t have to worry.

That was the only reason she hadn’t barged straight into Fierce Python’s camp to drag her out.

Sham, Eder, and the rest of the rookie Blood Dolls mercenaries were huddled nearby.

When Nova gave her answer, they were left speechless.

It turns out their boss had already been to the International Mercenary Training Ground! Everyone looked like they’d just been boiled alive–faces lobster–red, totally freaked out. “They’re here,” Nova muttered, eyes cold and sharp.

She sat on the sofa with the kind of swagger that said she owned the place–like a queen on her throne. With her left hand, she hefted the MK–48, staring down the mercs who went full zombie–mode the second they spotted a woman inside.

“Kill them!” Nova’s voice dropped to a deadly growl–no one dared question her.

Her tone was pure dominance, the kind that made everyone freeze.

Sham, Eder, and the rest of the crew stood by Nova’s side, waiting for her command.

They were all tense, but at the same time, it was like they’d just been fired up–full of fighting spirit and ready for action.

They hefted their guns and opened fire, sweeping the room with bullets.

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Chapter 191 Nightmare Land

It was a blood–soaked night.

The next morning.

The training ground was littered with corpses–just because someone spiked the food.

Some guys got mowed down by machine gun fire.

And there were women, too–naked, sprawled lifeless on the ground, taken one after another by men until death finally claimed them.

Nova walked through the carnage, her gaze tinged with a cold, crimson glow.

Corpses littered the ground around her–her world was painted in nothing but darkness and blood.

Inevitably, she found herself back here.

The very ground where every nightmare first took root.

*****

“Regrettably, I have to inform you all that last night’s dinner was laced with a little something special–some happy stimulants,” a cold male voice echoed over the speakers.

“I’m sure you all enjoyed yourselves and shared a truly unforgettable night together.

“Now, the mercenary training will officially begin.”

A sharp male voice blared from the loudspeakers outside every building.

It hadn’t changed at all in five years.

It’s Lionel–the legendary head instructor of the International Mercenary Training Ground.

No one ever saw him in the flesh, just heard his voice echoing over the speakers–a man wrapped in mystery.

Nova had only ever seen him once–back when she snagged first place in the 74th round of rankings at the training ground.

Five years had gone by.

Listening to that broadcast again, Nova felt something stirring inside her–maybe a bit of nostalgia.

Maybe, deep down, she still missed those days…

After all, back then, Marlie and Falcony were still alive.

Nova’s eyes darkened, a cold shadow flickering across her gaze.

Some might say she was just a ghost, stuck in the past, forever circling the same old nightmares, and she’d never escape those memories.

But the truth was, Nova knew she’d never be able to let go of Marlie and Falcony’s deaths–not for the rest of her life.

Back at the training ground, it was her bad call that forced Marlie and Falcony to cross a line no family ever should.

And in the Battle of Millinger, because she wasn’t strong enough, both Marlie and Falcony died brutally right there on the field.

By that time, Marlie was already carrying Falcony’s child–all because of that night at the training ground… “This year, we’re kicking off the 79th round of mercenary training at the grounds,” Lionel’s voice crackled over the speakers.

“Before we get started, I’ve rounded up a few folks who are eager to join the underworld.

“They’re from all over the world–some from Machie, some from Eria, Zoria, Yoria…

“Whether they end up being your allies or just dead weight, that’s all on you!”

Lionel let out a sinister cackle over the speakers.

From this point forward, the 79th round of training at the grounds was now different from the 74th round five

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Chapter 191 Nightmare Land

years ago.

Nova remained silent throughout.

She waited quietly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nova spotted Yellowcat, who’d been missing all night, chasing after a tall figure, running after him like she was on a mission.

Yellowcat was so mad she could spit fire.

Last night, Fierce Python had actually shot himself in the thigh and stomach a bunch of times, gritting his teeth and toughing out the drug’s effects–just so he wouldn’t have to touch her.

‘Is he really that desperate to avoid joining my boss’s crew?‘ Yellowcat fumed.

“Hey! Wait!” Yellowcat yelled, her voice full of frustration.

“Hold up! I need to talk to you, hey!”

Yellowcat put her hands on her hips and ran after him.

The sun was a blazing inferno overhead, setting everyone’s nerves on fire.

Time seemed to drag on forever.

Finally, the so–called “new recruits” for the underworld Lionel had mentioned showed up ahead.

Wide–eyed and lost, you could tell at a glance they were fresh meat in the underworld.

Most of them probably didn’t even know the rules of the game yet.

Nova narrowed her eyes, sizing up the newcomers with a sharp, thoughtful look.

It was like seeing herself back in the day–just another clueless rookie trying to survive.

But then.

When she spotted a familiar face in the crowd, her eyes flashed with sudden recognition.

An icy, strikingly handsome guy with razor–sharp features stood out among the rest.

He was the founder of the taekwondo club at Saint Laurel Royal Academy, who’d left to study overseas.

One of the academy’s top three heartthrobs, always searching for someone who could match his ideals–Zane Morgan, the guy she hadn’t seen in ages, was actually here, in the ruthless underworld she’d fought to survive

in!