Apocalypse Rebirth: Crazy from Day One

This was one of the two men who had banged most furiously on her door just moments ago, and who had tried to subdue her.

A look of terror was still frozen on his face, and deep in his eyes was a hint of regret.

Yes, he’d regretted it in his final moments. He knew then that he should never have messed with Stella Sterling.

Then, at least, he wouldn’t have died.

In truth, even though life had been tough lately, it wasn’t as if he had no food at home. In fact, he had a considerable amount stored away.

If he was frugal, it would be enough to last him for several months.

But he wasn’t content with just getting by, living so miserably day after day. He hated that he couldn’t eat his fill even when he had food, that he always had to ration for the future.

Besides, no matter how much he scrimped, his food supply dwindled day by day. Remembering the recent activities of others in the building, he decided he couldn’t just sit back and wait for his supplies to run out. That’s when he came up with a plan.

He organized a few people to go door-to-door begging for food as a group. He figured they were bound to run into someone soft-hearted.

While begging, if they ran into someone tough, they would just stick to begging. But if they found someone weak and alone, they would wait for an opportunity to overpower them. Then, everything in that person’s home would become theirs.

He’d gotten a taste of success. Figuring the young woman on the 28th floor must have plenty of food, he set his sights on her.

But he truly never planned to use force on her!

But now, it was too late for any of that!

Stella Sterling kicked the body aside. She watched the others scramble downstairs but didn’t pursue them.

Of the two men who had been the most belligerent, she had now killed one. The other, his arm severed, was trying to crawl down the stairs.

Despite the huge commotion, no one in the building came out to investigate. Everyone had grown accustomed to it over the past few days. Screams were a common occurrence, and they’d all heard more than their share. Other than worrying about their own safety, no one would say or do a thing.

Stella Sterling turned and walked toward the man on the floor, the one trying to crawl downstairs.

Hearing the footsteps, the man looked back. When he saw Stella Sterling approaching, his eyes widened in terror. He scrambled backward, shouting, "No, don’t come any closer!"

Seeing that she paid him no mind and only drew nearer, his terror intensified. No matter how desperately he tried to back away, the distance between them kept shrinking.

"Please, don’t kill me! I’ll do anything, just spare me this once! From now on, I’ll be your slave, I’ll do anything you ask!" His voice trembled, his eyes filled with despair.

He said it as a desperate, last-ditch plea, not daring to hold out much hope.

’This woman is so ruthless. How could a few words from me possibly make her spare my life?’

Stella Sterling walked up and stopped in front of him but didn’t finish him off right away.

She stared at him for a long moment before swinging her knife.

The man squeezed his eyes shut in despair. ’I’m dead,’ he thought.

The next moment, excruciating pain shot through his body, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. "AHHHH—"

The unending screams echoed throughout the hallway. Many residents in the building heard them, but no one came out to help. It only made those who were already terrified huddle in their homes and tremble even more.

’What on earth is that woman on the 28th floor doing to make someone scream like that? It’s terrifying.’

’And just now, people were screaming about a murder. Did she really kill someone?’

At this thought, even those who had remained locked away in their apartments fell silent. Though it had nothing to do with them, a shadow of dread fell over their hearts, refusing to lift.

"So noisy. Shut up!" Stella Sterling glared at the man, who was screaming with his eyes shut, and snapped in a low, annoyed voice.

’I just severed the tendons in his wrists and ankles. I didn’t kill him!’

The man with the severed arm was obviously in excruciating pain, but upon hearing Stella Sterling’s words, he was so frightened that he immediately fell silent.

He was still enduring the agony, of course—his body was drenched in a cold sweat and his face was utterly pale.

Yet, a faint smile played on his lips, creating a bizarre expression.

"I’m... not dead?" he murmured. A moment ago, he was sure he was a dead man, certain that her last strike was meant to finish him.

But now, he was still conscious. He could feel the pain coursing through him—a clear sign that he was still alive.

He then looked at Stella Sterling, confused. What did she want? Was she going to let him go, or did she plan to torture him to death?

His lips trembled. "Miss, we may have our differences, but it’s nothing personal. You’re not going to torture me before you kill me, are you?"

Stella Sterling looked at him. "You want my food? Well, it’s not entirely out of the question."

"No, no, no! I don’t want it anymore, Miss! I really know I was wrong! Please, just let me go. If you can’t do that, then at least give me a quick death!"

Hearing her words, the man shook his head in terror. How could he dare think about her food now? ’Am I not going to die a horrible enough death as it is?’

"Relax, I’m serious. I really can give you something to eat," Stella Sterling said, shooting him an impatient glance.

The man didn’t dare say another word. She didn’t look like she was joking, but he couldn’t be sure if this was some kind of test.

’Food isn’t the most important thing right now. Surviving this encounter, that’s the only thing that matters.’

"You said just now that if I spared you, you’d do anything for me, right?" Stella Sterling asked.

This time, the man didn’t dare hesitate. "Yes, yes! What do you need me to do?"

He rejoiced inwardly. ’I can’t believe it. What I said when I was begging for my life actually worked.’

Stella Sterling smiled. "Excellent. Your life is saved. And not only that, I’ll do my best to help you reattach your severed arm."

At her words, the man’s eyes lit up. He found it unbelievable. ’She’s not only sparing me, but she’s going to reattach my arm?’

’But what if I’m actually about to die, and this is all just a pre-death hallucination?’

He wanted to pinch himself to see if this was real, but his other hand was useless. He couldn’t even perform such a simple action.

"Are you serious?" he asked, uncertain.

Stella Sterling beamed. "Of course. I always keep my word."

The man’s heart leaped with joy. But just as he was about to speak, Stella Sterling hauled him up.

He cried out in terror, "What are you doing? You said you’d spare me! You—"

"Shut up!" The man’s shrill voice grated on Stella Sterling’s ears. "Make another sound and I’ll make sure you can never speak again," she snapped, her tone icy.