Chapter 28
The other instructors exploded as they watched the scene unfold.
“Damn, Damon, are you sleepwalking?”
“What the hell? Taken down in one second? Damon, don’t ever claim you’re part of this unit again!”
“No way! Tell me that didn’t really happen!”
They had all been planning to give Nina and Captain Brown a lesson in humility, but Damon–of all people–had been knocked out before he even had a chance to strike.
So embarrassing.
“Alright!” Captain Brown shouted, cutting through the noise. “One last warning! No solo missions! You need to work as a team, got it?”
“Wait! Captain Brown, let me give it a try!”
Another soldier stepped forward, still unconvinced. Even though Damon had been easily taken out, he figured it was just because Damon had underestimated her, not because Nina was actually that skilled.
Captain Brown, seeing they weren’t getting the message, gave a cold laugh. “Fine, if you don’t believe it, try again. Anyone else want a shot?”
The moment the words left his mouth, seven or eight soldiers surged forward, eager to take her on.
Captain Brown turned to Nina. “Nina, don’t hold back. Take them out as fast as you can.”
“Captain, you’re really pushing it,” the soldiers grumbled. “We’re not that weak!”
Nina grinned. “Alright then,” she replied sharply, and in the blink of an eye, she was charging at them.
Her speed was so fast, it was almost a blur. In seconds, she was right in front of them.
“What the…”
Before they could even think about defending themselves, Nina was already on them.
Her movements were swift, clean, and precise–effortless and merciless.
Even though they had tried to brace for the attack, she easily shattered their defenses, striking at their most vulnerable spots.
“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”
In the blink of an eye, the soldiers who had been so eager to fight were now lying on the ground, unable to get up.
The others watched in stunned silence, unable to suppress their gasps.
They could have written off Damon’s defeat as a fluke, maybe he’d let his guard down. But now, watching Nina take out eight soldiers in the same amount of time, they realized it wasn’t a fluke at all.
“Unbelievable! This girl’s speed is insane!”
“Not just her speed–did you see how strong she is? Even when the others tried to counter, she dodged everything and sent it right back at them!”
“And notice how she’s always hitting the weak points–every strike was deadly. Those guys still can’t get up!”
“Heh… anyone else want to give it a try?” Nina asked, hands on her hips, looking at the remaining soldiers.
A heavy silence fell. No one dared to move.
Captain Brown, seeing how deflated they were, smiled with satisfaction. “What’s wrong? No words now? If there are no more questions, start working out your tactics. And remember, if you can restrain Nina for five seconds, you win.”
“Five seconds?” The soldiers gasped, exchanging nervous glances.
Not long ago, they thought Captain Brown was underestimating them by making them face just one girl.
But after seeing Nina in action, they couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Is Captain Brown overestimating us? With her speed and strength, there’s no way
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Chapter 28
any of us can hold her for five seconds.
“Enough chatter!” Captain Brown barked. “If you don’t get it done, next week’s training will be doubled, and everyone will have to write a ten- thousand–word report.”
A collective groan spread through the group.
“Hey, Captain Brown, what about me?” Nina asked. “If they can’t catch me, am I just gonna be stuck playing this stupid game forever?”
Captain Brown gave Nina a sly grin. “Nina, I need you to put these guys through their paces. Once they’re completely exhausted, we’ll be done.”
Nina’s eyes narrowed. “So, as long as they can’t get up, it’s over? You said that! Don’t back out!”
Captain Brown’s smile faltered. “Uh, well…”
The special forces soldiers exchanged worried glances.
‘Something is off. Damn, what’s she thinking?‘ they wondered.
Meanwhile, Jessica sneaked into the main building. Completely unfamiliar with the place and unsure where to find Clifford, she wandered aimlessly, like a headless chicken.
*****
As expected, she was quickly spotted by one of the soldiers.
build coldiers und winst your
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
leading
“Ah!” Startled, Jessica froze. Feeling guilty, she quickly turned around, fluttered her eyes, and put on a pleading look. “Hello, sir! I’m a student from Lyceum. I’m looking for a friend, but I got lost.”
“Looking for someone? Sorry, the main building is off–limits to visitors. Your instructor should have told you.”
The soldier stepped closer, his face darkening. “Which squad are you
with? What’s your name?”
“I…I…”
Jessica stammered, panic rising in her chest.
She’d totally screwed up. Sneaking into the main building was a terrible idea.
Just as Jessica was about to implode with embarrassment, a cold, sharp voice interrupted from behind her.
“She’s my friend. She’s here to see me.”
Jessica spun around. It was Oliver.
“Oliver, she’s your friend?” The soldier hesitated, eyeing both Oliver and Jessica, then gave a knowing smile. “Ah, got it. Well, since she’s with you, I’ll let it slide this time. But no more outsiders in here.”
Oliver smiled in return. “Thanks.”
Once the soldier left, Oliver turned his attention back to Jessica. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you know the main building is off–limits?”
Jessica sniffed and looked at Oliver with a pout. “It’s all your fault! You wouldn’t come find me, so I had to sneak in.”
“Oh, so you came all the way in here just for me?” Oliver raised an eyebrow.
“Well…” Jessica hesitated, her cheeks turning red.
Oliver smirked. “Don’t try to deny it, I know you were looking for Clifford.”
Jessica was caught off guard. She quickly changed the subject, “Hey, where’s Nina? She was with you, right?”
Jessica thought, “That sneaky girl. She probably went to find Clifford.’
Oliver shrugged. “She was called away for something.”
Although Oliver felt a little down, he admitted that he and Nina were in different leagues. That girl was definitely no ordinary person.
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Chapter 28
“Oh, Jessica said, trying to sound casual. “Is she doing well?”
Oliver replied, “She’s doing amazing.”
Those words struck a nerve with Jessica. She glanced at Oliver and said, “You seem to think very highly of her. Is she even better than you?”
Oliver laughed. “Compare me to Nina? Ha, we’re worlds apart.”
He thought to himself, ‘She’s way better than me.’
But Jessica misunderstood. She thought Oliver was saying he didn’t think Nina was good enough to be compared to him.
She scoffed and said, “Nina’s nothing special. I just don’t like getting all sweaty. If I wanted to, I could easily beat her. We could have a competition sometime.”
