Apocalypse Rebirth: Crazy from Day One

Chapter 327: Chapter 327: Heading to Sanctyr Base

After spending a few more days at the base,

Stella Sterling, having finished her preparations, planned to head to Sanctyr Base.

She didn’t intend to take many people this time, deciding that twenty or thirty would be enough.

Previously, she had collected several vehicles in her personal storage space.

Later on, most of the other cars she came across had been submerged in water and were completely ruined.

But whenever she saw these scrapped cars while collecting supplies, she would casually toss them into a corner of her storage space.

After returning to the base, they were moved to the base’s material warehouse.

Over the past year or so, the people at the base had salvaged any usable materials and parts, reassembling them into new vehicles.

Before, the constant rain had flooded the world outside, forcing everyone to travel by boat. The cars were useless and had been kept at the base.

But now, in just a few days, the floodwaters that had submerged entire cities had completely evaporated.

The ground now radiated heat. Even with shoes on, you could feel the scorching temperature through the soles of your feet the moment you stepped down.

With the water gone, using boats for transportation was no longer practical.

And so, the cars finally had their use.

Aside from Gus Locke and Black Swan, the group of twenty or thirty people was entirely composed of the base’s newest batch of trainees.

This would also be their first time on a mission with Stella Sterling.

They were all incredibly excited.

However, Stella Sterling didn’t plan to leave with them. Instead, she had Black Swan and Seven Locke lead the others to the vicinity of Sanctyr Base to scout ahead and gather information.

She would travel separately.

The main reason was that Sanctyr Base was so far away. Even driving nonstop, the trip would take at least three or four days.

And that was under normal circumstances.

But now, with so many cities abandoned, the condition of the roads was a complete unknown.

They probably wouldn’t be able to drive fast, and any other adverse road conditions would cause even more delays.

Stella Sterling wasn’t used to spending so much time in a small, enclosed space like a car with other people. She still preferred to travel alone.

Besides, being in such close proximity to others in a vehicle meant she could never fully relax when she slept. Staying constantly on edge would be too exhausting.

It was also inconvenient if she wanted to do certain things.

At first, she considered having someone at the base build a small, portable refrigerator to put in her vehicle.

That way, she could stock it with iced treats for the road and not have to suffer so much in the sweltering summer heat.

But on second thought, even with a portable fridge, it wouldn’t solve the core issue, and it would be a hassle to get anything out.

It would still be inconvenient to eat or drink whatever she wanted.

It was far more convenient for her to travel by herself.

With no one else in the car, she could retrieve anything she wanted directly from her storage space and eat without any reservations.

’Without their leader around, they could be more relaxed, and she could have her freedom. It was a win-win.’

Of course, aside from that, she had other reasons as well.

She could drive and enjoy the scenery along the way.

It would be a good way to relax and also to see the conditions in other areas.

"Remember, once you reach the vicinity of Sanctyr Base, don’t act rashly. Find a place to settle in first and observe the situation."

"Wait for my arrival before you make any moves. For everything else, use your own judgment."

Stella Sterling told them.

Everyone nodded.

"For this operation, Seven Locke and Black Swan will be in charge. Until I arrive, you are to follow their orders."

Hearing Stella Sterling’s words, the new recruits were a little surprised. Seven Locke was understandable—he was one of the early members of the base, powerful, and already managed many affairs.

He often worked directly alongside Sterling, so they had no issue with him leading the team. They were completely convinced.

But Black Swan? On what grounds?

She hadn’t been at the base as long as they had, and unlike them, she hadn’t joined voluntarily.

Rumor had it that this Black Swan had been captured by their own Sterling.

Although she had integrated into the base over this period and they had come to see her as one of their own,

the idea of her leading them just didn’t sit right.

Recently, Black Swan had been consistently going out on missions with others and had even saved a few people at critical moments.

Stephen Lawrence had also gradually started entrusting important matters to Black Swan, and she was slowly taking on management responsibilities at the base.

But not everyone was aware of these developments; some were completely in the dark.

To them, Black Swan was one of them, yes, but for her to suddenly become the leader of the thirty elites... many of them felt it was undeserved.

However, since the order came from Sterling, they obeyed despite their confusion.

Stella Sterling noticed their unease in the crowd, including the resentment in the eyes of some of the thirty new members.

But she didn’t say anything.

’I’ve had Black Swan take a Loyal Servant Pill, so I can trust her with this.’

’I’m willing to grant her a certain degree of authority.’

’But all of this is predicated on her own ability to win these people over.’

’If she lacks that ability, I can’t blame the capable ones for not respecting her.’

’This is my chance for Black Swan. If she can’t command their respect, then in the future, I’ll only be able to use her for tasks I can’t let others know about. She can forget about anything more.’

"Are there any questions? If you have any, speak now,"

Stella Sterling asked.

No one spoke up to object.

Even though they were confused about Sterling appointing Black Swan as a leader,

not a single one of them voiced any dissatisfaction.

In fact, at that moment, they were all telling themselves that Sterling must have her reasons for doing this. All they needed to do was obey.

And so, no one said a word.

"Since there are no more questions, let’s move out. Are the food and weapons ready?"

"They’re ready!"

"Move out. Come back safe. Staying alive is the priority."...

The others departed first. After seeing them off, she remained at the base to give a few more instructions.

Stella Sterling wasn’t in a hurry to leave. She went back and had a long sleep.

By the time she woke up, the sky outside was completely dark.

As night fell, the temperature dropped somewhat compared to the day.

Stella Sterling said her goodbyes to Stephen Lawrence and the others, then drove an SUV away from the vicinity of Mount Caeluna, heading toward the nearest city. A map lay on the seat beside her.

The route from Mount Caeluna to Sanctyr Base’s main encampment was clearly marked.

It detailed all the cities and areas she would pass through along the way.