Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Things Don’t Go as Planned

’Isn’t this the perfect opportunity for Caeluna to eliminate these troublemakers and show everyone how strong they are?’

Of course, there was another possibility: that Caeluna simply wasn’t strong enough. If that were the case, they obviously wouldn’t join.

They never expected this would be the result.

’We have to show our loyalty?’

’We don’t even know where Caeluna’s base is, and we already have to swear our loyalty?’

’But we already registered our information, which means we’ve sort of joined the faction...’

The members of the Sea Gang were stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

’Is the leader of Caeluna an idiot? Making a bunch of people who just signed up charge to the front lines.’

’Are those people idiots? Would they really risk their lives just like that?’

They laughed heartily but said nothing. They didn’t even rush to make a move, simply waiting for the new recruits to react so they could watch Caeluna make a fool of itself.

Shane Lawrence pulled Stephen Lawrence aside and whispered, "Finn, let’s play it by ear. If things get really bad, we protect Sterling and run!" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Shane Lawrence had already prepared for the worst. He didn’t expect the new recruits to fight to the death for them at all. When the time came, they would be the ones fighting.

There were so many enemies, and with Sterling, they only had three people. How could they possibly be a match for them?

’If you can’t win, you run.’ He already had experience with this and didn’t think it was shameful. Staying alive was what mattered most.

"Don’t worry. It’ll be fine."

Simon Lawrence shook his head, standing firmly behind Stella Sterling. He didn’t understand his mistress’s actions either.

But he was very clear on one point: his mistress was not the type to let herself be bullied.

’Anyone who dares to piss her off, she’ll beat into submission.’

The first time he met her, it had been a bloody affair. He himself had nearly lost his life at her hands.

It was just that in the past two years, his mistress had toned it down quite a bit. That was mainly because back in their building, everyone knew how ruthless she was, and no one dared to cause trouble in her presence.

But he had never forgotten her methods or just how ruthless she could be.

’These guys?’

’Hmph. A mere ten or twenty people. Aren’t they just running to their deaths in front of my mistress?!’

He stood behind Stella Sterling without a hint of fear and didn’t utter a single word. With the posture of one waiting wholeheartedly for a command, he simply awaited Stella Sterling’s order.

Standing to the side, Shane Lawrence didn’t know where Simon Lawrence got such confidence. After all, Shane had known Ivy Sterling longer and had joined Caeluna earlier than him.

’Maybe Caeluna has some trump card I don’t know about.’

So after hearing Simon Lawrence’s words, he calmed down as well. No longer afraid, he stood to the side, keeping a close watch on the situation.

He couldn’t do much, and he certainly couldn’t beat those men, but if danger arose, at least he could be the first to spot it and shield Sterling from harm.

Stella Sterling, however, paid no attention to the others’ reactions. Her gaze was fixed on the twenty-odd new recruits, and she watched them calmly without another word.

After their initial confusion, the twenty-odd people understood. The leader of Caeluna was testing them!

This was actually their chance to prove themselves. If they performed well, they might leave a strong impression and be entrusted with important responsibilities later on.

But in their eyes, all of this was predicated on Caeluna having the strength to be worthy of such a risk.

For a moment, many of them hesitated, unsure of what to do.

The short man from the Sea Gang began to taunt them. "Haha, does Caeluna have no one left? Trying to make a bunch of new recruits fight to the death for you? Everyone, can’t you see? This Caeluna has nothing! Instead of choosing to die for them, I say you should turn on them. Just take care of these few, and the Sea Gang will welcome you with open arms."

But none of the recruits answered the man from the Sea Gang. They didn’t know if Caeluna was strong, but they had certainly heard of the Sea Gang’s reputation. And while the gang did have some power...

...joining them required paying more in food than anywhere else. They were also known for heavily exploiting newcomers. Once you were in, you had little chance of rising through the ranks. You’d almost certainly be stuck at the bottom doing hard labor, constantly getting bullied and oppressed.

If they really did betray Caeluna, no other faction would ever trust them with real responsibility!

So, while they hesitated, none of them were swayed by the Sea Gang’s offer.

Just then, a woman named Seven Locke glanced at Stella Sterling and became the first to step forward. She faced the Sea Gang and declared, "I’ve already joined Caeluna, which makes me one of them. If someone is picking a fight with Caeluna, I will defend it to the end!"

As she spoke, she pulled a club from her back. A dagger was strapped to the end, forming what looked like a homemade self-defense weapon.

Seven Locke’s action was the spark. After a few seconds of thought, the others did the same. They drew their own weapons and stood with Stephen Lawrence and Shane Lawrence.

They may have been disorganized and lacked any formal training, but they quickly fell into a combat stance.

After two years of apocalyptic chaos, most of them had blood on their hands. They weren’t clueless rookies.

A total of 27 people had signed up earlier. Now, 25 of them had made their decision, leaving only two who were still hesitating.

But seeing that everyone else had made a choice, they gritted their teeth and joined Stella Sterling’s side as well.

This turn of events was a pleasant surprise for Shane Lawrence.

He immediately gave an impassioned speech: "Excellent! You are worthy of being members of Caeluna! When Caeluna stands united, we fear no one! And we will not fail to reward anyone who supports us!"

After hearing this, some of the tension among the 27 recruits dissipated. Someone even started a chant: "Caeluna, united as one!"

The expressions on the faces of the Sea Gang members turned ugly. The only reason they hadn’t attacked yet was to watch Caeluna make a fool of itself.

They also hoped to quietly break the morale of Caeluna’s new recruits. As long as the newcomers didn’t interfere, Caeluna would only have three people, who could be dealt with easily.

Then, they could conveniently absorb everyone else into their own ranks.

But things weren’t going according to their plan at all!

With just a few words, Caeluna’s female leader had actually gotten these people to foolishly throw their lives on the line for her.

Her move had actually helped unite the recruits and strengthen their solidarity.

’Have they all lost their minds? Did they leave their brains out in the rain or something?’

Their faces darkened. Several of the smaller factions that had been part of the encirclement thought it over and decided to back out, not wanting to get involved in this mess.

Now, besides the Sea Gang, only two other recruiting factions remained.