The woman who had just arrived wore simple clothes and had a neat, short haircut, but her features were so refined they seemed out of place in this post-apocalyptic world.

Though she walked with a casual gait, she possessed a unique aura and was so immaculate she seemed utterly untouched by dust.

But the nonchalant smile playing on her lips sent a chill down one’s spine.

All eyes were on Stella Sterling. Even those who hadn’t been paying attention found their gazes locked onto her the moment they caught sight of her, unable to look away.

"Is that Stella Sterling, the leader of Caeluna Base?"

"Who is that? She’s gorgeous."

"Holy crap. In this post-apocalyptic world, even a woman like me, who used to be obsessed with her looks, has let herself go completely. How on earth does she manage to look so perfect? No, I absolutely have to ask her later."

Stella Sterling’s arrival caused a small stir. It wasn’t just the men; even some of the female leaders found their eyes fixed on her.

Their expressions were a mixture of awe, envy, and simple curiosity.

However, after a moment’s glance, most people slowly looked away.

After all, in this post-apocalyptic world, while stunning beauty was a rarity and could easily attract unwanted attention, it wasn’t what mattered most.

They were far more interested in strength, food, and supplies. Those were the things that truly held their attention. A beautiful woman was merely an accessory.

Of course, if she were just an ordinary pretty woman, a face like that would make her an easy target.

But this woman was different. She was the leader of Caeluna Base.

No one was quite sure just how powerful Caeluna Base really was.

So, while they might marvel at her beauty, they wouldn’t dare entertain any ideas about her.

At that moment, only two people watched Stella Sterling from the shadows, their faces dark with resentment.

They were the two base leaders whose men had been completely wiped out by Stella Sterling’s people.

With all the men they had brought now gone, the two of them were completely alone.

Perhaps it was a case of misery loving company, as the two had stuck together.

The sight of Stella Sterling made their expressions darken.

They had just overheard the others’ conversations.

’This woman is apparently from some Caeluna Base. We’ve never heard of it, but judging by everyone’s reactions, it must be a force to be reckoned with.’

’Once this is over, we have to get someone to find out exactly what this Caeluna Base is all about.’

’We were utterly humiliated. We can’t just let this go.’

’Once we figure out what we’re up against, we’ll find a chance to get our revenge.’

But even as they thought this, they were filled with regret. If only they hadn’t been so reckless before.

They had assumed that since she only had a few people with her, she must be weak, and so they hadn’t taken her seriously.

They had completely underestimated her.

If they had just held back then, they wouldn’t be in this situation now.

’Look at everyone else. They were just as captivated by her beauty, but they all managed to control themselves.’

’Honestly, we were hoping someone else would try something stupid. Then we wouldn’t be the only ones she dealt with, and we wouldn’t be the only ones humiliated.’

’If that happened, she might have angered the entire crowd. We wouldn’t even have to lift a finger; they would have ganged up on her and finished her off themselves.’

Unfortunately for them, things hadn’t gone the way they had hoped.

"Sterling!" Seven Locke and the others came over, standing respectfully behind Stella Sterling.

"What’s the situation? Did you find out the main reason Meridia Base invited so many people to this summit?"

Stella Sterling found a seat and sat down, asking the few people behind her.

But they all shook their heads. Julian Fletcher spoke up, "Sterling, none of them know either. Meridia Base hasn’t revealed a single thing about their plans, so we couldn’t find out anything."

Stella Sterling was neither disappointed nor surprised by this.

’In any case, we’re already on Meridia Base’s turf. It won’t be long before I find out what they’re up to, so there’s no need to get worked up over it.’

’I’m very curious who the true leader of Meridia Base is. I never found out in my past life, and I still don’t know in this one.’

’But it seems I’ll get to see their true face soon enough—’

Before long, a member of Meridia Base walked in.

When Stella Sterling saw him, a flicker of a smile touched her eyes. It was another old acquaintance.

None other than Ethan Young, the captain of Meridia Base’s armed forces.

After entering, Ethan Young swept his gaze across the room before speaking in a loud voice. "Apologies, everyone. We must ask that you have your people move to a separate area. We have accommodations prepared for them. Alternatively, if any of you are interested, your people are welcome to take a tour of Meridia Base."

The message was clear: only the leaders of each base were to remain. Everyone else had to leave.

This wasn’t entirely unexpected. After all, Meridia Base had invited numerous bases, and each leader had brought a sizable entourage.

If everyone stayed, the room would be too crowded. Not only would it be difficult to hear, but there simply weren’t enough seats.

Many of the leaders understood and had their people leave.

A few leaders from smaller bases were unhappy about it, but not daring to offend Meridia Base, they could only do as they were told.

However, not everyone was so compliant. A man dressed in black spoke up directly, "This is your Meridia Base’s territory, and now you’re telling us to send our people away. How do we know you don’t have ulterior motives? If something happens to us, who will we have to answer to?"

The voice sounded familiar. Stella Sterling glanced in its direction and saw an incredibly handsome man in his late twenties. He was seated with one leg crossed over the other, his gaze fixed straight ahead, a hint of defiance in his eyes.

’Quite a few familiar faces here.’

Stella Sterling tilted her head slightly. She had seen this man before. He had been present during the siege against the fake Professor Lawrence in the Kryllian Mountains.

The man, sensing her gaze, glanced her way for a moment before calmly looking away.

’I remember him,’ she thought, ’but I was hidden in the shadows back then, so he wouldn’t remember me.’

Stella Sterling didn’t know who he was, but for him to dare disrespect Meridia Base so openly, he must have a powerful backer and the confidence to match.