Apocalypse Rebirth: Crazy from Day One

Ah, home sweet home.

Stella Sterling closed the door. She looked at the familiar furnishings inside, turned on the heat, and sighed comfortably as the chill that had seeped into her bones over the past several days slowly faded away.

She hadn’t been sitting for long when a sharp sound came from the medical room.

It sounded like something had been knocked over, catching Stella Sterling’s attention.

’I’d almost forgotten about him. He’s still alive? He’s really lucky to be alive!’

She raised an eyebrow in surprise, then stood up and walked toward the medical room.

When she’d left, she hadn’t expected her supply run to take so long.

The power to the house had gone out, and she hadn’t left any food for her little guinea pig.

On the way back, she had even wondered if the guinea pig she’d worked so hard to find might have died.

She had even felt a pang of regret, vexed by the headache of having to find another guinea pig who was both pain-resistant and sensible.

But now, it seemed he was truly lucky to be alive. She wouldn’t have to find a new guinea pig after all.

Amidst Stephen Lawrence’s glare of impotent rage, Stella Sterling gave him some food, adding an extra portion as compensation.

After getting some rest, she quickly entered her space and tossed the palm-sized piece of jade she had found into the exchange area.

The space hadn’t changed in a long time; she wondered if this would make a difference.

When she entered the space the next day, the storage area had grown much larger, and the mystical mist above was thicker than before.

The entire space looked like a wonderland.

Besides that, she discovered a small hut had appeared next to the exchange area. After a moment’s thought, she opened the door and went inside.

The room was empty except for a single table, and on that table sat two items.

She walked over for a closer look. One of the items was a book-like object with the words "Human Potential Development Technique" written on it.

Stella Sterling grew excited at the sight of the name and gripped it tightly in her hand before turning her gaze to the other item.

It was a jade vial with a white label that read: Loyal Servant Pill.

’What an interesting name,’ she thought. ’Simple and direct. It’s obvious what this is for.’

She opened the vial and saw it was filled to the brim with tiny pills. There was no telling how many there were.

’I don’t know the exact effects, but that’s okay. I still have my guinea pig, don’t I? I’ll know once I test it on him.’

So, Stella Sterling left her space and walked back to the medical room. Meeting Stephen Lawrence’s puzzled gaze, she smiled and said, "You said you’d be willing to do anything for me, that your life is mine. Right?"

Stephen Lawrence didn’t know why Stella Sterling was suddenly asking this, but he knew it was the perfect opportunity to show his loyalty.

He had completely resigned himself to his fate. He even felt that things weren’t so bad here with Stella Sterling; he wouldn’t want to leave even if someone tried to chase him away.

He nodded. "Of course!"

Stephen Lawrence was always trying to get on Stella Sterling’s good side, constantly proving his loyalty. He wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this.

’This way, my life might get a lot easier in the future!’

"Very good."

She chuckled, then opened the vial, poured out a pill, and handed it to Stephen Lawrence. "Eat it."

Stephen Lawrence stared at the unknown object, his heart filled with doubt and suspicion.

’This pill doesn’t look like anything good. And what Stella Sterling just said was so bizarre. I have a bad feeling about this!’

’Can I not eat it?’

The words reached his lips, but he never found the courage to say them out loud.

Even though his relationship with Stella Sterling seemed to have improved lately, and her attitude toward him had softened considerably, that was only because he hadn’t provoked her.

When she was in a bad mood and he made even a small mistake, the woman would beat him without mercy. He knew he’d be dead already if he weren’t still useful to her.

He wasn’t arrogant enough to think that just because their relationship had eased, he could defy her.

So, despite the million reasons he didn’t want to, under Stella Sterling’s watchful gaze, he obediently swallowed the black pill.

’Whatever it is, this pill probably won’t kill me, right?’

’If Stella Sterling wanted him dead, it would be easy. She wouldn’t need to go to the trouble of using something like this.’

With this mindset, he felt much more at ease.

Stella Sterling watched him and asked casually, "Feel anything?"

Stephen Lawrence shook his head. "It’s a little sweet, actually. Tastes pretty good. I don’t feel anything else. Maybe the effects haven’t kicked in yet."

Having been a guinea pig for a while, he had become quite diligent, reporting every single physical reaction to Stella Sterling in full detail, without hiding a thing.

Stella Sterling nodded, then kicked a dagger over to Stephen Lawrence. There was still a smile on her face, but her words made him freeze. "Stab yourself in the heart."

She wanted to test just how effective this Loyal Servant Pill really was.

’If she ordered the person who took the pill to die, would they obey?’

Only a life-or-death command like this could truly test the pill’s effectiveness.

Otherwise, given how afraid Stephen Lawrence had become of her, he would obey her anyway, but that wouldn’t be a result of the pill.

If it were a matter of life and death, however, he wouldn’t follow her orders, no matter how much he feared her.

This was the moment the pill’s usefulness would be revealed. If he did as she commanded, it meant the effect was excellent; the person who took it could not disobey her orders and would see her as their master, doing anything she asked.

If he didn’t obey, it would prove the pill wasn’t that useful, and she would still have to be on her guard around him.

Stephen Lawrence’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Stab himself in the heart? How could he possibly survive that?

’What’s the difference between that and just killing me outright?!’

He immediately wanted to plead with Stella Sterling for his life, but he found that his body seemed to be moving on its own. After taking the dagger, he moved to stab himself in the heart without a moment’s hesitation.

Fear and resistance filled his eyes, and panic flooded his heart. Yet his hand was no longer under his control; it went about the business of killing him without the slightest hesitation.

Stella Sterling took in his every action, expression, and the look in his eyes, not missing a single detail. She already had her answer.

The pill’s effects were even better than she had imagined.

Just as the dagger was about to pierce Stephen Lawrence’s heart, Stella Sterling moved swiftly and saved his life. The blade never actually stabbed into his heart.