Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Arrival at Meridia Base

Due to the sudden turn of events, Meridia Base hastily handed out waterlogged steamed buns for everyone to make do for the night.

Fortunately, many people had grown accustomed to hunger over the past two years. As long as there was something to eat, anything would do, so no one was picky.

Besides, a steamed bun, even one contaminated by water, was precious food.

Everyone was still grateful to Meridia Base.

After eating, everyone began to rest.

The earlier ordeal had drained a great deal of their energy. After the frantic activity and the grief that followed, everyone was overcome by a profound exhaustion. Many people were sprawled on the ground, fast asleep and snoring loudly, their clothes still soaking wet.

But no one had the energy to care about that; they were all in the same boat.

After a two-hour break, the ship set off for Meridia Base once more. The sound of thunder outside had already diminished significantly.

In contrast, the sound of snoring rose and fell in waves throughout the hold.

Late that night, after making sure no one would disturb her, Stella Sterling slipped into her personal space. She heated some water for a quick bath, dried her hair, and changed into a set of clean clothes.

While she was at it, she prepared a late-night snack for herself, enjoying a delicious, steaming hotpot to warm herself up.

Once she had taken care of everything, she exited her space and hung her damp clothes to dry in the small cabin.

By the time she was done, it was completely silent outside. She pulled out her phone and saw that it was a little past 1:00 AM.

She quickly got into bed. It was much more comfortable sleeping in clean clothes, and she soon drifted off to sleep, careful not to fall too deeply into it.

The next morning, she changed back into the clothes that had been air-drying overnight.

COUGH COUGH.

The sound of many people coughing came from outside.

After the previous night’s ordeal, many people had succumbed to the elements and caught a cold.

Although there were medical personnel on board, they only handled emergencies. They paid no mind to minor ailments like the common cold, and besides, there wasn’t enough medicine for everyone.

Faced with this situation, Ethan Young was helpless. He could only hope that those who were sick had the constitution to pull through on their own.

If they couldn’t, there was nothing to be done. A person with such a weak constitution would have a hard time surviving for long in these harsh conditions anyway.

Thus, he paid the situation no mind and simply ordered the captain to increase their speed toward Meridia Base.

The rest of the journey passed without incident.

The rain outside never ceased, but the downpour lessened. At night, the sky was still filled with lightning and thunder, but since everyone stayed inside, no accidents occurred.

However, a few people on the ship had become seriously ill.

After traveling for two more days, the ship finally came to a halt.

Before them rose one towering platform after another, upon which massive, fully constructed buildings stood majestically.

Around their periphery were sophisticated drainage and lightning protection systems. It was precisely because of these features that the location remained unaffected by the current weather.

Stella Sterling was awestruck by the sight.

’So this is the power a major base possesses?’

Many others saw the scene before them as well.

In that moment, everyone began to cheer, unable to contain their joy.

"We’re finally at Meridia Base! Finally!"

"This is wonderful! We won’t have to wander from place to place anymore!"

Because of what had happened before, a heavy, lifeless mood had settled over everyone. For the past two days, very few people on the ship had spoken; they simply sat quietly in their spots with little interaction.

Their faces were filled with despair for the future.

But in that moment, seeing Meridia Base reignited their will to live.

Meridia Base was a completely different world from the outside.

Listening to the cheers around her, Stella Sterling, though awestruck, did not share their optimism.

’Joining a powerful base only provides a certain level of security. You don’t have to face danger at every moment, but that doesn’t mean it’s absolutely safe.’

’No one can escape the current state of the world, not even Meridia Base.’

’Nowhere is truly safe.’

’Still, having the support of a powerful faction is certainly much better than what most others have.’

The transport ship docked beside one of the platforms. After its identity was confirmed, someone lowered a ladder. Under the direction of Meridia Base personnel, everyone lined up and climbed up one by one.

At the entrance above, two people stood guard, searching every person who entered.

Seeing this, Stella Sterling raised an eyebrow.

Just then, Ethan Young walked over to her. "Miss Sterling," he said, "you’ll be coming with us through a separate entrance."

He pointed to another passageway, and Stella Sterling nodded, falling in behind him.

Accompanying Ethan Young, besides her, were Louis Grant and Basil Xavier.

The medical personnel who had been on the ship followed closely behind as well.

With Ethan Young leading the way, they didn’t have to line up like the others and were exempt from being searched.

This saved Stella Sterling a good deal of trouble.

She had just seen that when people entering Meridia Base were found to be carrying dangerous items, those items were confiscated.

The Meridia Base personnel didn’t touch other personal belongings, focusing only on dangerous items.

If Ethan Young hadn’t led her through this entrance, it would have been yet another problem to deal with.

And it was precisely because Ethan Young knew this that he had made a point of coming to get her.

"Why does she get special treatment? We all got on the boat together."

A long line was forming over there, and a few people who had boarded the ship on the same day as Stella Sterling saw her following a Meridia Base official without having to wait. A sense of unfairness immediately welled up inside them.

The other people from the ship also glanced over, looking at Stella’s group with envy.

"What can you do? It’s all about who you know."

"Yeah, besides, her not being in line doesn’t affect us. We should just say less. You can tell she has a different relationship with those officials just by looking. It’s better to find a way to get on her good side later than to say something and offend her now. We might even get some benefits out of it."

Although the other people on the ship were envious, most were pragmatic about it; only a small minority were truly dissatisfied.

Lydia Magnus watched Stella Sterling emerge in a different area, her gaze complicated. She had no idea how Stella had managed to get on good terms with Captain Young, the official in charge on the ship.

’Could it be because of that slightly chubby guy she’s with?’

She looked at Stella Sterling with anticipation, hoping that Stella would call her and Claire Xavier over. If she did, their lives inside Meridia Base would be much easier.

But the result left her deeply disappointed; Stella Sterling walked into the base without so much as a glance in her direction.