The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 112

Chapter 112

At that moment, everyone was left absolutely stunned.

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Even though Nova’s character moved with such simple, casual action, they could feel bone–chilling killing intent practically radiating from her gameplay!

Holden, who was totally hooked on this shooter game, was so blown away that his jaw dropped and his tongue nearly flopped out.

“Girl, how is this even possible…” Holden sputtered, eyes wide.

He was so shellshocked he almost bit his own tongue.

“You actually snagged first place!” he cried.

His whole body quivered, and his words bounced out like springs.

“This is literally your first time and you….

“I’ve been grinding Battle for three years just to reach this level…”

‘So that’s the gap between people? Is this what real talent looks like?‘ Holden thought, absolutely floored.

Just a moment ago, he’d played all his little tricks, trying to show off and spook Nova with his so–called elite moves–acting like he’d really impress the young girl.

But when all was said and done, the one who wound up shocked was him! He felt like the punchline to a bad joke–a total clown.

Even Rhys, the department heartthrob who’s usually all cool and serious, looked genuinely shocked.

With Holden and the whole crowd still in shock, Nova casually handed the phone back to him, dropping a line so offhand it left everyone wondering what she really meant.

“Not bad for a game,” Nova said, her tone light.

“But honestly? It’s nothing like the real battlefield.”

Casey stood off to the side, watching it all go down. She figured, ‘If Nova wants to play a shooter game, why not let her have some fun?‘

But she totally didn’t see Nova coming in hot and nabbing first place on her very first round!

But still…

The real battlefield? What does she even mean by that?‘ Casey thought, her mind reeling.

“You’ve definitely got skills,” Rhys said, his tone cool but firm. “But when you talk about the ‘real battlefield‘ like that, it just sounds like you’re overselling it. People can easily get the wrong idea.

IVIDIT, INOV I/

E …

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“I’d really appreciate it if you could be a bit more precise with what you say and do. Avoid saying things that people could misunderstand.

“Like earlier, when you used killing as an example–comments like that really make people uncomfortable.”

Rhys was obsessed with his lab work and experiments–a straight–up genius. He wasn’t really targeting Nova specifically.

It’s just that, in science, everything’s gotta be precise, and that’s exactly the kind of meticulous guy he is.

So it made sense he’d lay out those kinds of comments to Nova.

“Seriously, Rhys, there you go again!” Casey shot back, rolling her eyes.

“Can you maybe keep your mouth shut for once?

“Nova just picked up this shooter game for the first time and totally owned it! Don’t you think she deserves at least a cheer from you or something?

“Seriously, you’ve got the nerve to say that!”

Casey immediately stood up for Nova.

“Sorry, not happening,” Rhys said coolly, glancing off to the side.

That was just how he was. Before walking off, he couldn’t resist taking one last shot at Holden.

“Face the facts,” Rhys said coolly. “You’re absolute trash at this game.

“Even a girl who just touched it for the first time mopped the floor with you.

“Seriously, give it up. This isn’t your scene–go prep for the competition instead.”

With that, Rhys turned and walked away.

Casey hooked her arm around Nova’s and glared at Rhys’s retreating back, so pissed off her jaw nearly hit the floor.

“You are literally the King of Savage Tongues!” she shouted after him.

“Get lost already!”

Then she turned to Nova, flashing her cute snaggletooth. “Isn’t that true, Nova?” she asked.

Nova didn’t say a word.

She didn’t pay Rhys’s words any mind–she could sense he didn’t mean her any harm.

More importantly….

She was facing an opponent even more uncontrollable than before.

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Nova’s sharp gaze swept across the gym, landing directly on Natasha, sprawled out casually on the far side.

Natasha caught Nova’s stare, her own eyes meeting it head–on–open, bold, not bothering to hide a thing.

Natasha was a girl with both a regal air and a dangerously captivating charm–a true mix of queenly elegance and irresistible allure.

Up to now, she was the only one who could be considered Nova’s real opponent.

“Nova! Nova! C’mon, Nova, can you show me how you play Battle? Seriously, I’m begging you–spill your

secrets!

“How the heck did you get so insane at this? I mean, you crushed it out there!

“I’ve been grinding this game for years, and I still suck compared to you…” Holden sputtered, half in awe, half in desperate disbelief.

After that, Holden and a couple of other guys crowded around Nova, all humbly asking for tips and eager to learn her tricks.

An hour flew by in the blink of an eye.

By a quarter past nine, the atmosphere in the gym buzzed with anticipation.

At that moment, the judges and referees finally made their entrance, stepping onto the gym floor.

During the competition, the whole event was totally open–the crowd could come and go as they pleased to catch the action live.

That meant anyone–whether from Rena University or another school miles away–could simply stroll in and grab a spot in the gym’s bleachers to watch the showdown.

The bleachers weren’t crowded, but a fair number of students had come to watch.

Every student came to compete for one reason: to win honor for their school.

Nova was representing Saint Laurel Royal Academy, while Casey and her crew were flying the flag for the host university.

So during the competition, they wouldn’t be competing together; they’d be on different sides of the field.

“Technically, we’re opponents here.

“But come on, Nova, you got this!

“You’re the one chasing that prize money, after all!”

Casey said and gave Nova a big thumbs–up and a bright smile, then jogged back to her team.

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She really is a genuinely kind girl, Nova thought to herself.

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Too bad–Casey just wasn’t the kind of friend she could ever get close to. Nova’s hands were already stained with the blood of thousands; her past carved in corpses.

All she could do now was keep heading further down this road, and there was no way out.

There was no turning back for her now.

Nova turned on her heel and made her way toward the squad representing Saint Laurel Royal Academy.

Zane was, of course, part of the group.

The other three were total strangers to Nova.

When Zane spotted Nova, he almost said something–his lips parted, but in the end, he swallowed his words and stayed silent.

‘I’ll prove myself with my research skills. I won’t stop until she knows I’m good enough for her,‘ Zane vowed to himself.

“We’re up against all sorts of challenges in this competition,” Zane said plainly.

“Stuff like computer science, scientific research, advanced math face–offs, self–defense… and the list goes on.”

Zane started acting all leader–like, trying to play the role the way Maxwell always did.

But deep down, his reasons weren’t the same–he just wanted Nova to notice how impressive he really was.

“For every event, the five of us will compete together, but everyone’s got their own thing they’re good at,” Zane said.

“The academy already figured out our roles before we even got here.

“Nova’s leading the self–defense event, and I’ll be there to back her up.

“And if it’s the science experiment round, just leave it to me.”

As he spoke, Zane shot Nova a look.

That look of his practically bragged, ‘See? Aren’t you glad to have me around? I can back you up in self- defense, and when it comes to research, I’m basically unstoppable.

Nova had already said her piece–Zane wasn’t even worth a second glance in her eyes.

Whether he lived or died, it had nothing to do with her.

But if…

If Zane ever crossed her, Nova would kill him without a second thought.

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Nova always did what she said.

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“All students, please head to the center of the gym as soon as you hear this announcement,” the referee called out, his voice ringing across the court.

“There are eleven tables laid out here, each one set up with a sheet of paper and a pen.

“Each table is designated for a team from one school.

“Today’s showdown only features two events: scientific research and self–defense.”

The referee stood dead–center on what used to be the basketball court, his tone solemn and commanding.

As soon as the announcement came through, all the contestants made their way over to their respective tables.

The five from Saint Laurel Royal Academy were settled at a table tucked away in the very far corner of the

venue.

Across the venue, Nova caught sight of Casey behind her team’s table, waving enthusiastically in her direction alongside her teammates.

Casey’s infectious excitement earned a slight nod from Nova–her way of acknowledging the support.

As Nova scanned the room, she spotted Natasha leaning against her table, fixing her with a smoldering, challenging stare.

That look…

Nova’s gaze grew darker and more dangerous.

“No lab gear for the research round, huh? Looks like this part is all about flexing our science smarts- everything comes down to calculations.

“Listen up, just let me take the reins,” Zane declared, totally taking charge.

Sure, Zane could be pretty full of himself, but no question–his brains and skills put most people to shame.

Honestly? When it came to Maxwell, Zane was the one guy who could actually go toe–to–toe with him. Those two were both top dogs, each just as sharp as the other.

And he was spot on.

The referee stood at the center of the circle formed by the eleven tables, his voice carrying to every corner of the room.

“For this round, we’re skipping the hands–on experiments–it’s all about solving written problems.

“Take a look: There’s a blank sheet of paper and a pen at each spot. That’s all you’ve got to work with.

“I’ll announce each question out loud. Pay close attention and make sure to write everything down.

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“Show all your reasoning and calculations clearly on the paper.

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“The team that reports the correct answer and complete solution the fastest will claim victory for their school”

Zane, along with Rhys from Casey’s team, were both absolute prodigies when it came to research competitions.

They sat up straight, tuning out everything else as the referee began to announce the question.

Everything hung in suspense until that moment.

The referee stepped up and hit everyone with a seriously tough chemistry question.

“0.112 grams of an oxide of some metal, let’s call it R, is dissolved in water and reacts to produce 100 grams of an alkaline solution.

“The mass fraction of the solute ends up at 0.148%. R is from the first four periods of the periodic table, and its nucleus contains 20 protons.

“Figure it out–what element is R?”

The referee spoke up, his voice booming across the gym as he drew out every syllable, making sure not a single contestant missed a beat.

Since he was reading the question out loud, he actually repeated it three full times–no excuses for missing anything.

By the end, everyone had more than enough time to scribble down all the details.

Zane and Rhys totally stood out from everyone else.

Their pens flew across the page as they were the first to jump into solving the problem.

“Nova, could you do these multiplications out loud for me?” Zane asked.

He scribbled several multiplication questions on the blank sheet, not even bothering to hide his eagerness.

Deep down, he was totally playing out a fantasy–him as the CEO and Nova as the meticulous secretary, both working side by side, close enough for sparks to fly.

In his mind, this would be the perfect scene: the two of them solving problems together, practically radiating chemistry. If anything, it’d crank the heat up on his hopeless crush into a real firestorm.

‘C’mon, even if Nova’s clueless about research, basic multiplication can’t stump her, right? There’s no way she’d refuse me on something this easy, Zane thought, riding high on his own confidence.

Swish, swish, swish–the synchronized sound of pens flying across paper filled the air.

Other than that hurried scribbling, the whole gym was wrapped in focused silence.

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For a long moment, silence hung heavy in the air.

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But when Nova didn’t come over with that close, teasing vibe he’d been hoping for, Zane frowned, his patience thinning.

“Nova, we’re in the middle of a competition–just hold off on any complaints till it’s all over,” Zane said, trying to keep it light.

“Afterwards, yell at me, slap me, whatever–I’m game.”

Zane was even totally down to let her boss him around if that’s what she wanted.

He said it with all the confidence in the world, acting like he already had everything planned out.

Right then-

Not even thirty seconds had passed since the referee tossed out the question.

A crisp, confident female voice sliced through the silence of the gym, her words brimming with pride as she broke down the chemistry problem.

“With 20 nucleons in the core–I’m thinking either calcium or potassium here.

“The oxide weighs 0.112 grams, and if we’re treating the solute as a hydroxide, that’s 0.148 grams.

“So the mass increases by 0.036 grams, which means 0.002 moles of water reacted.

“Assuming a one–to–one reaction between the metal oxide, ROX, and water, that gives us a molar mass of 56 for the oxide.

“That points straight to CaO.

“Meaning, the metal R must be calcium.

“Referee, did I get it right?”