The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 31

Chapter 31

This time, the survival training took place deep within an untouched wilderness area in Wodisen.

Thanks to its distinctive geography, Wodisen still boasted vast expanses of pristine, uninhabited forest. Only a handful of small villages dotted the outskirts of this dense woodland.

The school bus rumbled along the winding road, carrying Nova and her classmates toward Dawton Town, the gateway to their survival zone.

As the bus came to a halt, the students filed out one by one, stretching their legs and taking in the fresh, earthy air.

“That,” the teacher announced, pointing toward a narrow dirt trail disappearing into the trees, “marks the entrance to your survival area. You may choose when to begin your training from here.”

She paused, her tone firm but gentle. “In other words, our responsibility as your instructors ends now.”

From this point forward, the students were on their own.

“Thank you, madam,” Maxwell said politely, bowing his head slightly.

The teacher’s face softened into a pleased smile. Feeling unusually generous, she decided to share a little secret the students weren’t meant to know.

“Once you step inside the forest,” she whispered, “your phones will lose all signal. So, be sure to keep your walkie-talkies safe.”

She glanced around conspiratorially. “If you happen to lose them or find yourselves in danger, don’t panic.”

“The school has secretly hired a few people to blend in with you—just to make sure everyone stays safe. You’ll be fine.”

Suddenly realizing she’d revealed too much, she quickly excused herself. “Well, I’ll be off then.”

After the teacher left, Maxwell gathered his group for a quick briefing. “We’ll be out here for seven days. We need enough food and water to last the whole time. I see everyone brought backpacks.”

“Let’s take inventory and see what we have,” he suggested.

Nova stood slightly apart from the others, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

From the teacher’s slip, she had learned the school had hired covert operatives posing as students for protection.

That explained why Damien Thorn and Aiden were here.

The Shadow Sanctum—the world’s deadliest assassin organization—was not limited to contract killings.

For the right price, they took on protection and rescue missions as well.

If that was the case, the school clearly had no worries about student safety during this survival trip.

Because the Shadow Sanctum operatives were already among them, hidden in plain sight.

Nova’s mind raced. Damien Thorn held a high rank within the Sanctum, so why would he suddenly appear at a small school like Saint Laurel Royal Academy?

The last time she had outwitted him, she had barely escaped his pursuit by sheer luck. Could it be that he accepted this mission on purpose—to finish the job and kill her?

Her eyes turned icy with resolve.

Even so, after all her years as a mercenary, Nova had never once been afraid of anyone.

“Nova, your turn,” a voice called out. “Show us what you brought in your backpack.”

Each student carried a large, identical pack that the school had issued the night before, fully stocked with survival essentials like food, water, tents, and sleeping bags.

Despite the generous size of the packs, space was still tight.

Everyone except Nova had already laid out their supplies for Maxwell to inspect.

Only her backpack remained closed.

Maxwell approached her, and nineteen pairs of eyes fixed on Nova, watching her every move.

She reached up, grasped the zipper on her shoulder, and in one swift motion, unzipped the bag and dumped everything onto the ground.

The moment everyone saw the contents, their expressions shifted to disbelief.

Unlike the others, whose packs overflowed with food, water, sleeping bags, and survival tools, Nova’s gear was shockingly sparse—just two military knives and a medical kit.

“Are you out of your mind?” Hannah blurted, staring at the meager items in disbelief. “You didn’t bring anything? Just two stupid knives and a med kit?”

Her voice rose with frustration. “We’re going to be out here for seven days. How do you expect to survive without food? Are you crazy?”

“I don’t care if you starve,” Hannah continued, trembling with anger, “but don’t even think about touching our supplies. Not a single bite, got it? You don’t deserve any of it.”

The rest of the group glared at Nova as if she were a fool, hurriedly packing their food and water back into their bags, clearly afraid she might steal from them.

Sophia, too, was shocked that Nova had brought no food or water—only those seemingly useless items.

Still, she forced a gentle smile. “It’s okay, Nova. I brought plenty of snacks. We can share later.”

“No need,” Nova replied flatly, refusing the offer without hesitation.

Then, as if deliberately responding to Hannah’s earlier outburst, she added coolly, “Only the weak bring extra food to feel safe in the wild. I won’t need a single bite or drop of water from any of you.”

With that, she shoved the two knives and the medical kit back into her pack, turned on her heel, and strode purposefully toward the forest.

Her words were harsh, but none of the students dared to challenge her.

Because, in truth, she wasn’t wrong.

Those who truly intended to survive in the wild wouldn’t rely on excess supplies.

As Nova’s figure disappeared among the trees, Maxwell didn’t react like the others.

Instead, he frowned deeply, lost in thought.

Finally, he spoke. “Everyone, pack up. We’re moving out.”

The group gathered their belongings and followed behind Nova and Maxwell, venturing deeper into the woods.

The forest was dense and lush. Even with the sun blazing overhead, the thick canopy filtered the light into faint, scattered beams.

The air hung heavy with the damp scent of soil and moss, making it hard to relax.

They pressed further into the wilderness.

Making the most of the remaining daylight, the group pushed onward through the thick woods.

Ten minutes later—

“Ah!” Sophia, who had been trailing at the back, suddenly cried out.

“My hand’s bleeding. I think something cut me,” she stammered, voice trembling with alarm.

Out here, in such untouched wilderness, even a small cut could be dangerous.

Countless plants and insects carried toxins—some even deadly.

Maxwell’s expression shifted immediately. “Let me see the wound,” he said sharply.

But before he could react, a blur of movement dashed past him—Nova.

In an instant, she was by Sophia’s side.

Nova carefully lifted Sophia’s injured hand and examined it closely.

The cut was jagged and fairly deep, with blood slowly trickling down her palm.

One glance was enough.

Nova didn’t bother to search for the plant responsible; the wound’s shape told her everything she needed to know.

“It’s from an agave leaf,” she said calmly. “Non-toxic. Nothing to worry about.”

Without hesitation, she pulled out her medical kit and began treating the injury.

Her movements were precise and swift—disinfecting the cut, then wrapping a small bandage securely around it, sealing the edges to keep out dirt and bacteria.

The dozen or so students nearby watched in stunned silence.

Even Maxwell, Hannah, and Claire—each with real survival training—were caught off guard.

They had met skilled survivalists before and knew how experts handled themselves in the wild.

But this was different.

Surviving out here could be risky, but it wasn’t the same as being a commando who patched up wounds daily.

Even the most seasoned survival experts couldn’t match Nova’s effortless skill.

It seemed instinctive, as if she had done this countless times before.

That realization sent a chill down Maxwell’s spine—and through everyone else’s as well.

A single unsettling thought flickered through their minds: Could this not be Nova’s first survival training?

Had she spent those missing years out here, tending wounds over and over until it became second nature?