Chapter 228: Drawn by the Reputation

The remaining seven people’s faces fell the moment they heard her words.

This wasn’t how they thought things would go.

They had come here with Magnus Sterling.

’He asked to stay, so Sterling must know we want to stay too.’

’So why is she telling us to leave?!’

One of the women stepped forward and said, "Sterling, that’s not what I meant. We regret our decision, too. We want to stay."

"Yes, yes, Sterling! We’re not leaving."

"From now on, we’re Caeluna’s people. We’ve decided to stay with Caeluna."

The others chimed in, one after another, all declaring they had no intention of leaving Caeluna and wished to stay.

"My apologies, everyone. You were already given a chance to choose, and you all chose to leave."

Despite their remorse and their attempts to get on her good side, Stella Sterling gave them an apologetic look, though her words were an unequivocal rejection of their request.

The group’s faces fell.

’The man who just asked to stay had no trouble at all. Everything went so smoothly.’

They thought it would be the same for them and were even secretly relieved, but the outcome was completely different.

The woman who had spoken earlier was perplexed. She asked, "Why was it okay for him? Didn’t he also choose to leave before? Why does he get to stay?"

The others had the same question in their hearts, but they didn’t dare ask, afraid of offending her.

Now that someone had spoken up, they all looked at Stella Sterling with confused expressions.

Stella Sterling’s reply was casual, almost dismissive. "He was the first one to speak up."

’I should give some preferential treatment to the first person brave enough to step forward. Though at the time, I didn’t know we had another connection.’

’If I had known, I wouldn’t have let him stay.’

Their faces paled at her answer, a sudden understanding dawning on them.

’To think it was for such a simple reason.’

It seemed unbelievable, yet perfectly logical at the same time.

The group was silent for a moment, their hearts now filled with deep regret. They regretted making the decision to leave so hastily, and they regretted not being a little braver when they’d already changed their minds.

’If we had been the first to speak up, would we be the ones staying right now?’

But no matter how much they regretted it, they could no longer change the outcome.

Some were still struggling, mentally searching for the right words, for something they could say to make Caeluna’s leader change her mind.

Others were already considering different plans. They had been with Caeluna for a few days and had gotten to know some people. They thought they could find those acquaintances later and ask them to plead their case; maybe there was still a chance to stay.

Two others, however, took two steps forward and bowed to Stella Sterling. "We’re the ones who kept changing our minds, and we’re very sorry. We’re also grateful for Caeluna’s care these past few days. Sterling, please, process our departure as you see fit."

Although they also regretted their decision and wanted to stay,

they were more pragmatic. Since a decision had been made, there was no point in shamelessly begging.

’Might as well be graceful about it and leave a good impression.’

Stella Sterling nodded, not making things difficult for them. She had them searched to ensure they weren’t taking any of Caeluna’s classified property. After they guaranteed they would not reveal anything about what they had seen inside, she told them they were free to go.

She’d used a combination of threats and incentives to secure that promise.

Just now, they had gotten a preliminary glimpse of Caeluna’s strength. If they were smart, they would know not to cross them.

And so they wouldn’t talk about what happened here.

And that was precisely why Stella Sterling had made them wait.

The goal was to let them witness Caeluna’s power and intimidate them.

Clearly, her actions had been effective. After her speech, although some still didn’t want to leave, they all repeatedly promised they would never breathe a word about this place to anyone.

’Are you kidding me? Did you see how many weapons Caeluna has? No ordinary faction can compare. Besides, that female leader looks ruthless. She kills without a second thought.’

’You don’t mess with someone like that. Best to stay on her good side if you can.’

Stella Sterling smiled and said, "It’s not that you can’t say anything at all. I’d actually welcome all of you to help us spread the word about Caeluna."

"Furthermore, we at Caeluna also welcome friends from all corners. If any of you come across valuable intelligence out there, you can bring it to us, and we will offer a suitable reward."

Their eyes lit up at her words, the last of their disappointment vanishing.

They understood her perfectly. Although they couldn’t join Caeluna, they could still cooperate with them in the future.

Moreover, this was a new path to survival for them.

In the conversation that followed, their attitude toward Stella Sterling became increasingly respectful. Even though they were not members of Caeluna, they still addressed her with a fervent "Sterling" at every opportunity.

Before they left, Stella Sterling had someone prepare a day or two’s worth of rations for them and had a person escort them out.

This time, any lingering dissatisfaction they felt completely vanished.

Although they hadn’t been able to stay, they were filled with goodwill towards Caeluna. And every word they spoke about Caeluna’s leader, Stella Sterling, was filled with genuine respect.

Every sentence was full of praise for Stella Sterling.

The seven who left were no simpletons; they had managed to survive on their own in the apocalypse for three years.

They had a wide network of contacts on the outside, for better or for worse.

In the period that followed, thanks to their deliberate and sometimes unintentional promotion, Caeluna’s name began to circulate in the vicinity once more.

The name was already familiar to many; a year ago, it had caused a sensation in Mirefall for a time.

But then, the group had gone silent, and people gradually forgot about Caeluna.

But now, everyone was becoming familiar with the name again.

Drawn by its reputation, many people came to Caeluna on their own initiative, wanting to join.

But nowadays, Caeluna’s recruitment standards had become increasingly strict.

A candidate either had to possess top-tier achievements or talent in a certain field, or they had to have exceptional combat skills. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be qualified to join Caeluna.

But even so, a great number of people still came every day. Caeluna had already set up a post on its periphery specifically to receive and assess these applicants.

Beyond those who wanted to join, the name Caeluna had also reached the ears of many nearby factions.

In just a few short days, Caeluna’s fame skyrocketed!