Chapter 136: Chapter 136: The Blizzard Ends, the Rainstorm Arrives

Staring at the dagger Stella Sterling had knocked out of his hand, Stephen Lawrence broke out in a cold sweat.

’He had no idea what was happening to him. A moment ago, his body had been completely out of his control; it refused to obey him!’

’Even though he knew stabbing himself with that dagger meant certain death, his body had moved to do it anyway!’

’This isn’t right. Something is seriously wrong!’

’It all had to be because of that black pill he’d swallowed just now!’

Stella Sterling watched him, saying nothing. Then, she suddenly issued several more commands.

These were commands for things Stephen Lawrence would never normally dare to do, things he couldn’t even imagine.

But the moment Stella Sterling spoke, Stephen Lawrence’s body would react before his brain could even process it.

It unhesitatingly carried out her words.

At this moment, Stephen Lawrence felt as if his body was no longer his own.

The feeling was terrifying, filling him with an indescribable panic.

’What in the world was that pill!’

Stella Sterling, on the other hand, was very satisfied with the results.

’The Loyal Servant Pill truly lives up to its reputation!’

Through her recent observations, she had confirmed that anyone who took the pill would become absolutely loyal to her, incapable of violating any of her commands.

Before she issued a command, the subject retained their own thoughts and behaviors. But the moment she gave an order, they would obey only her.

And there was another thing: it was impossible for the subject to harm her.

She issued a command for Stephen Lawrence to kill her.

Naturally, Stephen Lawrence was unwilling, but due to her command, his body moved to obey without hesitation.

However, just as he moved to attack her, Stephen Lawrence’s face turned deathly pale in agony, and he collapsed powerlessly to the floor.

After this series of tests, Stella Sterling was very satisfied. She looked down at Stephen Lawrence’s weak and terrified form and, with uncharacteristic kindness, offered a word of comfort: "Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. As long as you remain absolutely loyal to me from now on, good things are in store for you!"

Stephen Lawrence was sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath. He didn’t know why this was happening, but he knew one thing: he would never be able to escape Stella Sterling’s control again.

He had survived this long in Stella Sterling’s clutches by being sensible and highly adaptable.

So, he pushed himself to his knees, his voice filled with sincerity. "I will be forever loyal to you and never betray you!" ’Under the circumstances, he couldn’t betray her even if he wanted to. Besides,’ he thought, ’aside from the strange things Stella Sterling sometimes did to him, staying with her wasn’t so bad for the most part. He no longer had any desire to betray her!’

"Good. You will consider yourself lucky for making this choice."

Stella Sterling smiled and unlocked the chain that bound him. The chain was no longer necessary.

"Get some rest."

’Stephen Lawrence knew the pill was the cause of his condition. Stella Sterling had a medical background; that pill was probably some new invention of hers, something that could control people!’

He pitied himself for a moment, but that sadness was quickly replaced by happiness at his newfound freedom.

...

After that day, Stella Sterling stopped going out to scavenge for supplies. The surrounding area was mostly picked clean, and it would take too long to dig through to anywhere further away.

It wasn’t just Stella Sterling. The forty or so other survivors in the building were also hiding inside, unwilling to venture out again.

After all, the supplies they had already gathered were enough to last them for a while. Furthermore, with so many people in the building having died over a couple of days, they didn’t let the food left in the deceased’s homes go to waste. They found it and the forty-odd survivors split it among themselves.

She’d heard all this from Felix Lawrence. He had come to find her the day she returned to tell her what had happened.

Afterward, many other things happened in the building, but she paid them no mind. She just holed up in her little home, eating and drinking her fill. When she got bored, she would find Stephen Lawrence to talk to and practice her medical skills.

The days trickled by, and in the blink of an eye, more than a year had passed.

People in the building died from time to time. The once-bustling residence now held only ten or twenty survivors, shrouded in a dull, deathly silence.

The survivors had all undergone significant changes; even their entire demeanor was different.

Occasionally, when Stella Sterling grew bored of staying home, she would wander the building to stretch her legs and would run into some acquaintances.

She noted each of their changes.

Those who were a little more familiar with her would strike up a brief conversation when they met.

But that was all. Beyond that, Stella Sterling had no further interactions with them.

That included Felix Lawrence.

Their previous cooperation had been temporary, born of a mutual need to dig the ice tunnels.

Once their collaboration was over, things naturally went back to the way they were.

It had been nearly two years since the apocalypse began, and everyone had changed a great deal.

But no matter how much the people in the building changed, no one dared to mess with Stella Sterling.

All the remaining survivors shared a common understanding: Stella Sterling was not to be trifled with.

Since they were so sensible, she was happy to enjoy the peace and didn’t go out of her way to cause trouble for anyone.

And so, everyone in the building coexisted peacefully for over a year.

Then one day, the hail that had been falling for so long finally stopped. The accumulated snow below the building began to melt.

The underground ice tunnels that many had built began to slowly turn to water due to the rising temperatures and melting snow. No one dared to walk through them anymore.

But before anyone could celebrate for long, a relentless, heavy rain began to pour down. It was as if the sky had sprung a leak; the downpour was endless.

Combined with the meltwater from the snow, large parts of the city were flooded.

Water was everywhere. Some low-rise buildings were completely submerged and then washed away by the flood.

Humanity had just managed to adapt to a world of ice, snow, and endless hail, only to be plunged into another crisis.

Many of their previous preparations came to nothing.

...

On the surface of the murky water, garbage and all sorts of bizarre objects floated everywhere, washed in from who knows where.

An extremely foul odor hung in the air, nauseating enough to make one want to vomit.

Occasionally, a floating corpse could be seen on the water’s surface, emitting a putrid stench.

And yet, on the surface of this very water, quite a few survivors could be seen sitting on strange makeshift rafts, salvaging something from the flood.

"I’ve got something! It feels pretty heavy. I have a feeling this is going to be a big haul!"

Hearing the voice, everyone else on the water looked over.

The voice belonged to a woman in her twenties. She was gaunt, with dark skin, looking much like everyone else—most of the survivors out here did.