Both Marc and Terry shook their heads in sync. “Nope.”
Connor furrowed his brows, puzzled. How could they not despise someone who had injured them so severely? Were they masochists?
Terry suddenly burst into a sheepish laugh. “Every time she thrashed us, she’d arrogantly throw down a challenge. If you’re not happy, get stronger and try to take me down. If you can’t manage that, then just deal with it, weaklings! The more she beat us, the more we burned with a desire to beat her. That hatred drove us to train harder, endure the brutal sessions, and eventually, it even earned us a place to study under King. A couple of years later, we faced her, determined to take her down. Instead, she beat us to a pulp again. We spent months recovering.”
Marc chuckled along with Terry. “But after that, we stopped hating her.”
Connor looked even more baffled. “Why is that?”
Connor was never interested in others’ stories, but he found himself growing curious about Black Mallow. Marc and Terry, though skilled, couldn’t match the likes of Black Snake and Lone Wolf in martial arts. Yet, they were still among the top martial artists, and Black Mallow could easily defeat them. Connor realized just how formidable Black Mallow was
He had expected Marc and Terry to offer a convincing explanation. Perhaps they would say their chief instructor had inspired them while defeating them, or that they had become wiser while studying ancient martial arts techniques
However, Terry said, “It’s useless to hate her.”
Marc added, “We realized we were far less skilled than our chief instructor. We’ll never surpass her. Since we couldn’t beat her, we chose to admire her instead.”
“Exactly!” Terry nodded vigorously. “So, we talked it over and decided that since challenging our chief instructor was futile, we should become her super fans. Ultimately, we became her top fans, unrivaled by anyone else.”
Connor listened, his lips twitching. He looked at them with disdain and snorted. “Losers!”
Marc and Terry shrugged, embarrassed
Domenic laughed derisively. “You two really have no backbone. If Black Snake beats you up while trying to kill Mr. Daniels, will you start admiring Black Snake and join their cause?”
“Absolutely not!” Marc and Terry declared together
Marc continued, “In Doomsday Base, the most skilled earn the most respect. We started admiring the chief instructor based on the base’s rules. Black Snake is our enemy. We must risk our lives to fight against our enemy. It’s a matter of life and death. That’s the dignity of a bodyguard.”
Terry chimed in, “In Doomsday Base, we despised traitors the most-those who broke the rules and betrayed us. If the base discovered we had betrayed our employer, they would eliminate us even before Mr. Daniels did.”
“From your descriptions, the chief instructor is tough but principled, right?” Domenic commented
“You could say that,” Marc agreed
“I’m really curious. What kind of person is your chief instructor?” Domenic inquired
“She’s just a little girl,” Terry blurted out
“A little girl?” Domenic expressed his surprise. “She’s such an accomplished martial artist. Usually, it takes decades of practice to reach such a level. How is she just a little girl?”
Marc and Terry, who had previously looked down upon Domenic, now gave him a scornful look. “Domenic, powerhouses often come from the younger generation,” Terry responded
“Domenic, since you don’t practice martial arts, you might not understand how talented a martial artist can be. Don’t be so shocked. You appear ignorant,” Marc remarked. Talents flourished in different fields. Domenic, well-educated with degrees in various scientific disciplines, was often looked down upon by the bodyguards for his lack of prowess in martial arts. Yet, he never felt ashamed
Instead of feeling inferior, Domenic remained curious. “How old is your chief instructor?” he asked
“She was 15 when she first joined the base. Now, she should be 22.”
“I heard King discovered her while traveling around the world. We don’t know much about her background. She wore a black veil over her face every day. No one knew what she looked like.”
“A warrior usually starts studying ancient martial arts from a young age. Our chief instructor didn’t start until she was 15. It was considered too late, and no one expected her to become skilled. Yet, she was an anomaly and defeated everyone in the base within a few months.”
“So, you’re telling me your chief instructor started studying martial arts at 15 and became renowned that same year?” Domenic asked, his eyes wide with astonishment
“Exactly,” Marc confirmed. “In Doomsday Base, we respect only the most skilled, who then become our leaders. Initially, all the men were skeptical about being led by a young girl. Countless men challenged her. Ultimately, she defeated them all.”
The next moment, Terry added, “The worst part was when King appointed her as our chief instructor. She was such a monster; she nearly drove us to death.”
Just then, they noticed Marissa approaching. Marc remarked instinctively, “Hold on! Why do I think Marissa looks like our chief instructor?”
Terry also looked at Marissa, nodding in agreement. Connor tilted his head, following their gazes
Domenic stared out the window, his gaze fixed on Marissa as he shook his head in disbelief. “Impossible! Marissa is Dr. Riss, right? She’s so skilled in medicine. How could she also find the time to master martial arts?”
Marc watched Marissa with a reflective expression. “Ordinarily, it would be impossible. But consider this-our chief instructor is a prodigy. In mere months, she excelled in martial arts and even surpassed her master. Anything’s possible for her, right?”
Terry joined in, his voice thoughtful. “That village girl handles a motorcycle as if it’s a rocket. She’s bold enough to have lunch with Derek in the air and powerful enough to defeat the Clifford family’s guards this evening. She’s as daring as our chief instructor.”
Domenic’s expression turned to one of panic. “If Marissa were your chief instructor… My goodness! I can hardly fathom it.”
Connor had been quietly listening to their exchange, lost in his thoughts about whether Marissa really was the chief instructor at Doomsday Base. As Marissa approached, Domenic, Marc, and Terry stepped out of the car to welcome her
Connor followed suit. Noticing their odd expressions and curious glances, Marissa arched an eyebrow, silently wondering what they might have discussed behind her back
Suddenly, Connor grasped her hand and inquired, “That’s fast. Why didn’t you spend more time with your mom?”
Marissa, concerned for Connor’s safety, responded, “Given that Amiri wants to kill you, he wouldn’t have just posted a job on the Dark Net. It’s likely he sent additional assassins.”
Marissa was skeptical about Marc’s and Terry’s abilities to defend against a formidable adversary like Lone Wolf and ensure Connor’s safety. Though she couldn’t reveal her alias as Black Snake, she felt compelled to alert Connor. She went straight to the point. “I discovered that Amiri issued a task to kill you on the Dark Net. Black Snake has accepted the task. You need to be vigilant.”
“How did you come by such information?” Connor asked, puzzled
“Why not? Does it seem odd?” Marissa countered confidently. “I am Riss, an internationally acclaimed doctor. I’ve healed prominent businessmen like yourself and numerous figures from the criminal underworld. I’ve seen more than you presume.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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