Apocalypse Rebirth: Crazy from Day One

"Who the hell are you talking to?"

The dozen or so men couldn’t take that sitting down. Knives in hand, they surged forward, closing in on Stella Sterling.

"I’m talking to you, of course. Was I not clear enough?"

Stella Sterling’s tone was incredibly blunt. As she spoke, she glanced over at the bound captives.

Their eyes lit up, full of anticipation.

But after a single glance, Stella Sterling looked away.

Her expression was cold, and her eyes held no trace of sympathy for them.

When the captives saw her expression, their hearts sank.

When she had first made her move, they had hoped she could take care of these thugs and rescue them.

These newcomers had their own boat and clearly came from a powerful background. It seemed very likely they could be saved. They might even be allowed to join their rescuers’ group.

But her expression was so cold, her gaze so devoid of pity, that their burgeoning hope evaporated.

These people didn’t look like saviors. They might not rescue them at all.

Even if she defeated the thugs, it didn’t guarantee their safety. They might just be trading one prison for another—out of the frying pan and into the fire.

"Who are you people? I suggest you mind your own business. It’d be a shame if this became a one-way trip for you."

"That’s right. Do you have any idea who we work for? We’re from Sanctyr Base. You must have heard of us."

"Cross us, and you’ll live to regret it."

They shouted warnings but didn’t attack right away. The woman had a gun, which made her a difficult target.

So they stuck to verbal threats, hoping the name of their powerful backer would be enough to intimidate the newcomers.

"Mind my own business? Who said I was here to meddle in yours?"

Stella Sterling feigned confusion and shrugged.

Professor Lawrence, who had remained on the boat, was stunned when he heard her. ’That girl... isn’t she here to rescue those people?’

The hearts of the bound captives plummeted once more, and their eyes filled with despair.

’Just as we feared. These people aren’t here to save us.’

The dozen thugs opposite her were also taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter. "So, it was all a misunderstanding! I suppose the young lady didn’t mean to hurt our brother. We’re not unreasonable. If it’s a misunderstanding, we can just talk it out."

"But you did injure one of our brothers. You’ll have to compensate us for that, at least."

The thugs’ attitude had softened considerably. They assumed the woman had changed her tune because she was afraid of Sanctyr Base.

They were inwardly smug.

These people had guns, so it wasn’t wise to push them too far, but they had to get something out of this.

Otherwise, how could they face their injured brother? Their demand wasn’t unreasonable. Since these people were wary of Sanctyr Base, they surely wanted to avoid a conflict.

So they were confident their targets would agree.

Just by looking at their faces, Stella Sterling could guess exactly what they were thinking.

She burst out laughing, finding the whole situation amusing.

The thugs stared at her, completely baffled.

"Sorry," Stella Sterling said with mock apology after her laughter died down, "there’s no misunderstanding."

The dozen thugs stared at her, unable to grasp her intentions.

But Stella Sterling gave them no time to react. She waved a hand at Shane Lawrence and Nathan Cheney. "Finish them."

At her command, the two men behind her charged forward without a word, guns blazing.

In an instant, most of the thugs were down.

One of the men stared at Stella Sterling in disbelief.

’I can’t believe she actually dared to do this!’

Stella Sterling laughed with wild abandon. "This isn’t me meddling. I just don’t like the look of you."

’Just because she doesn’t like the look of us, she came all this way just to kill us?’

The few survivors found it hard to believe. ’Isn’t she afraid of Sanctyr Base?’

Stella Sterling had left one man alive. He seemed to be the leader of the group; the others had been subconsciously protecting him, which suggested he held a high rank.

Now, with the other thugs dead, only this man in his forties remained. Stella Sterling had him bound and looked down on him imperiously.

"Is your Sanctyr Base really all that impressive?"

she asked with genuine curiosity. ’Any group that throws its name around to intimidate people must be a major power, right?’

She was very curious.

If their subordinates were out here doing things like this, she couldn’t help but wonder if the entire base operated the same way.

The man had been in despair, certain he was about to die, but he never expected her to ask such a question.

A flicker of hope ignited in his despairing heart, and he grew animated. "Of course Sanctyr Base is powerful! We control the entire northern region! All the smaller bases have already submitted to our rule. You’ve really never heard of us?"

Speaking of his home base, the man’s pride swelled, and for a moment, he even forgot his fear.

SLAP! Stella Sterling stepped forward and struck him across the face. Her voice was sharp. "Don’t forget, you’re nothing but my captive. Watch your tone when you speak to me."

The slap shocked the man back to his senses.

His eyes went blank for a second as the reality of his situation crashed down on him. A cold sweat broke out on his brow, and he hung his head low.

Once he was properly cowed, Stella’s demeanor became pleasant again. "I really haven’t heard of it," she said.

Just then, Nathan Cheney approached her side. "Sterling, the group that was harassing us earlier... I heard them mention the name ’Sanctyr Base’ as well. It’s likely these men are part of the same crew."

Hearing this, Stella Sterling arched an eyebrow. "What a coincidence. I guess we can collect a little interest today. We’ll settle the full debt with Sanctyr Base later."

The man in his forties overheard their exchange, and his body began to tremble even more violently.

’From the sound of it, they have a grudge against Sanctyr Base. Is there any chance I’ll get out of this alive?’

"Don’t worry. You still have a chance to live," Stella Sterling said, her voice calm and soothing as she looked at the terrified, trembling man. "Just tell me everything you know, and I promise I won’t kill you."