Chapter 222: Making an Appearance

The moment Black Swan opened her eyes, she saw Stella Sterling, who had just vanished, now sitting right beside her. Stella was watching her with that same eerie smile, and she almost fainted again.

But she fought back the urge to pass out and mustered her courage to look at Stella Sterling. "Sterling, you’re back. You scared me when you suddenly disappeared just now."

"What do you think just happened?"

Stella Sterling asked, her gaze calm and unhurried.

At these words, Black Swan’s fear slowly dissipated, and she began to think about it seriously.

’It wasn’t some paranormal event.’

’This was all related to Sterling.’

She mulled it over seriously.

’Did she awaken a spatial ability?’

’But it’s been three years since the apocalypse, and I’ve never heard of anyone else awakening an ability.’

’Could it be that Sterling is the true Chosen One, the protagonist of this world, and that’s why she’s the only one who has awakened an ability?’

At this thought, she grew excited, her body trembling slightly. ’If that’s really the case, then by following Sterling, wouldn’t I become part of the protagonist’s inner circle?’

She spoke again, her voice full of excitement. "Sterling, I’m sticking with you! I’ll follow your lead from now on. I’d go through hell and high water for you. My life is yours!"

’This is a golden opportunity. I have to grab on and never let go!’

Stella Sterling was not swayed by her words. She looked at her and said, "Pretty words are useless. Actions are what matter. I don’t keep useless people around."

"Don’t worry, Sterling. I won’t let you down."

Black Swan declared, thumping her chest. At this, Stella Sterling simply smiled faintly without comment.

Black Swan voiced her suspicion. "Sterling, did you awaken a spatial ability?"

Stella Sterling glanced at her with a smile but didn’t say anything. ’Her interpretation isn’t wrong,’ she thought. ’At least the function is similar, and in some ways, even more convenient.’

Seeing that she was about to continue guessing, Stella Sterling cut her off. "Regarding what happened today, you know what to say to others, right?"

"I know, I know." Black Swan nodded repeatedly.

She knew, of course, that she couldn’t breathe a word of what happened today to anyone.

’The fact that Sterling brought only me here today, and acted this way in front of me... that says a lot.’

’If I dared to leak the slightest detail, or even just think about it, my life would be forfeit.’

’Most importantly, I can feel that my life and death truly rest on Sterling’s whim. That pill is truly sinister.’

’It seems that every time I have a negative thought about Sterling, or make a move that’s detrimental to her, my body gets an electric shock.’

’And the intensity of the shock is determined entirely by the amount of malice I feel toward Sterling.’

’After a few shocks, how could I not understand? My life is completely in her hands now, no longer my own.’

’I have no doubt that if I ever developed true killing intent toward Sterling, I would drop dead on the spot.’

’Sterling’s words might sound like a threat, but in a way, they’re also a reminder.’

’Since this is my new reality, why not just accept it and try to make my life a little easier?’

The two of them went down the mountain. It wasn’t until they were on the boat that Stella Sterling finally placed the items on deck.

But there were too many goods for one boat to hold. Just as Black Swan was wondering what they would do, two fishing boats appeared in the distance, heading their way.

The two boats looked vaguely familiar to Black Swan. The next moment, her eyes widened slightly. Wasn’t one of those the boat she and her former partners had used?

Her expression darkened for a moment, and she glared at the people on the boat. But then she remembered her new place and could only swallow her anger, standing silently beside Stella Sterling.

"Sterling."

"Sterling."

Julian Fletcher and Seven Locke jumped down from their boats. Each of them had two people in tow—unfamiliar faces who had recently joined Caeluna.

Though they were newcomers, their skills were no less impressive than Julian Fletcher’s or Seven Locke’s.

They followed suit and greeted Stella Sterling as well. "Greetings, Sterling."

"Good, you’re here. Move these things onto the boats."

Stella Sterling pointed to the rows of boxes on the ground.

She had covered them all to keep them from getting wet in the rain.

Receiving their orders, Julian Fletcher and Seven Locke didn’t ask any questions. They simply directed the men they’d brought to start loading the items onto the boats one by one.

The items were incredibly heavy and numerous. They had to make trip after trip. Even with Black Swan helping, it took them a long time to get everything loaded onto the other two boats.

Julian Fletcher and Seven Locke didn’t ask what was inside the boxes, nor did they try to look. The others wouldn’t even dare to guess.

Although Julian Fletcher and Seven Locke were curious, they remained composed. Over the past year, they had grown accustomed to Sterling returning from her trips with large hauls of supplies.

By the time they returned to Caeluna Base, night had fallen. The rain was coming down harder, and the sky was filled with lightning and thunder.

At night, however, the base activated a protective shield that blocked out the heavy rain and lightning, leaving everything within calm and peaceful.

When they returned, Stephen Lawrence and Shane Lawrence had already assembled everyone in the base.

Caeluna Base now had a population of about two hundred people.

Half of them were from the first batch of recruits, along with the families they had brought with them.

Although these family members had come as dependents, they had contributed a great deal to Caeluna over the past year.

With the exception of a few of the elderly, everyone worked to the best of their ability; no one slacked off.

The younger children were being secretly trained for important roles they would one day fill.

So, even though they had arrived as dependents, they had long since integrated into Caeluna and become official members.

The other half were newcomers who had joined Caeluna more recently. These people were either experts from various fields or possessed first-rate combat skills; each had their own unique talents.

Aside from them, there were a dozen or so people recruited for logistical support. Compared to the others, they stood at the very back.

Everyone was now waiting in silence. Not a single person dared to speak.

After some time, a teenage boy ran up to Stephen Lawrence and whispered something in his ear.

Stephen Lawrence nodded, scanned the crowd, and picked out several tall, burly-looking individuals. "You lot, come with me," he said.

The remaining crowd watched Stephen Lawrence suddenly lead the group away, exchanging curious glances. They had no idea what was happening.

Before long, the group that had just left returned, carrying large boxes one by one. They placed them in the plaza, drawing curious stares from the crowd.

Then, a woman, flanked by several people, appeared before them all.