Paid To Care, Destined To Conquer Novel

Chapter 471 You Not Get Far Without Him Stella dropped right into the middle of the group. The crowd was speechless. Everyone's face was a picture of shock. They were the elite squad at the training base, but none of them caught even a whisper before she landed. Stella strode through the group, her face cold and expressionless. Her expression remained completely blank. No one dared to speak.

Compared to the laid-back vibe she had when they first met, Stella now carried a heavy, dangerous aura that practically screamed 'don't mess with me!' With every step she took, everyone's heart thudded faster, almost as if they couldn't control it. Meanwhile, Sebastian showed up with Eliel and Vincent, while the rest of Red Shadow's elite squad had already sealed off the entire back mountain. "Mr. Gray, what's going on?" someone finally asked. Everyone looked stunned. Stella took her time rolling up her hoodie sleeves, showing off her pale, slender forearms.

She glanced at Sebastian, her eyes unreadable and cold. "You wanna talk, or should I?" "I'll handle it," Sebastian said. He looked down, his voice frosty and emotionless. Stella just shrugged. "Today, the International Military Council..." Sebastian started, getting straight to the point. A moment later, all the veterans looked serious, but there was a steely resolve in their eyes. "So, the researchers weren't infected?" A hand shot up from the corner, and everyone instinctively turned. Joey' s face came into view. He was the only rookie among them.

"What are you doing here?" Perry blurted out, surprised. Joey was completely at a loss. 'I've been here the whole damn time!' Joey thought. Sebastian replied coldly, "The secret research facility in the center of the island has its own oxygen system. "As soon as things started getting infected on the island, they cut off all contact with the outside world. They' ve got enough food stored to last more than a month." Joey pressed his lips together. 'Alright then,' he thought. "Mr. Gray, Stella-" Perry faltered, then turned to Stella, "Instructor, this mission is way too risky.

He's just a rookie, and what if he screws up?" 'And more than that. This is the real deal. Once we hit the ground, it's do-or-die. This isn't some video game where people get extra lives, Perry thought. At that, Stella gave Perry a cold glance. "Without him, you won't get far this time," she said, her voice icy and blunt. The crowd was speechless. Even the Red Shadow squad behind Sebastian turned to stare at Joey, too. With all those weird looks coming his way, Joey swallowed hard. 'Oh my god, did they just make me sound way more badass than I actually am?' he taught Successfully unlocked!

1/3 Chapter 471 You Not Get Far Without Him "I know you guys don't buy it," Stella said, glancing up. "1 Fabian stepped forward, passing out the pens and paper she'd had him prep ahead of time. Stella added, Thanks to Monterra's secret research lab, every outside signal on Somepa Island is jammed. No smart tech works here, not even-" Perry cut in, "Wait, don't we still have a compass?" Stella gave him a look. "A compass? Seriously?" Perry was lost for words. Two seconds passed. Noe frowned as he unfolded the paper in his hand. "What's this supposed to mean?" Stella's expression stayed calm.

"Sebastian and I will be waiting for you at the top. Each of you picks a different path up the mountain, and as you go, draw your path on the paper. You'll figure out why when the time comes." Everyone wondered, 'Climb the mountain?' This was the spot the training base had chosen for a reason. It was lush, untouched wilderness, nearly three thousand feet tall. If someone wasn't hauling gear, it'd take maybe two or three hours to reach the summit. For these guys, scaling it was child's play. Mapping out the route was even easier. Right now, their faces were full of scorn.

"You think this is easy?" Stella caught their attitude and just smirked. Noe blurted out, his voice rising, "It's not hard anyway!" Stella nodded, pulled Pebble out of her pocket. Pebble was practically buzzing with excitement. Stella casually tossed it up the mountain. The very next second, a dark gray mist drifted in from nowhere, slowly swallowing the mountain whole. Everyone stared in shock as the mist seemed to come alive, thick and damp, rolling right at them. In no time, everything was swallowed up in a gray haze. They couldn't even make out the person standing right next to them.

The veterans could feel the heat creeping in. The air turned muggy and sticky, clinging to their skin. "You've got five hours. We'll be waiting for you at the top," Stella's cold voice pierced through the gray mist, growing fainter as she moved away. Joey, quick as a flash, snatched a plastic bag, wrapped up his paper and pen, and tucked them safely inside his shirt. No one even noticed. Everyone thought, 'Charge!' ** Five hours later, Stella sat at the mountaintop, cool as ever, sipping her coffee. Meanwhile, Sebastian looked tense and icy, glancing at his watch every few minutes.

Suddenly, as if something crossed her mind, Stella called out, "Sebastian." "Hmm?" Stella replied. Sebastian turned to look at her. "I've got a package coming tomorrow. Can you let the guys at the gate know to send it up? It's really important," Stella said. Just as Stella finished speaking, there was a rustling sound nearby. They both turned to look and saw Blackie slithering over, a leaf stuck on its little head. It curled around Stella's wrist a few times before finally seeming to relax.

212 Chapter 471 You Not Get Far Without Him Stella tapped Blackie's head with her fingertip and asked, "Where are they?" Blackie's tail drummed against the ground. "They're here," Sebastian said, his face grim. The words had barely left his mouth when Noe staggered into view, soaked through, sporting a fresh cut on his face, and his uniform ripped in more than a few places. He looked like he'd just barely survived a disaster. "M-Mr. Gray." Noe croaked. His lips were ghostly pale, and his face was so wet you couldn't tell if it was sweat or just the mountain fog.

"Take a break," Sebastian said. Noe didn't even bother to reply. He just dropped to the ground, totally wiped out. Soon, one after another, they climbed up. By the time Joey finally made it up, almost six hours had gone by. Every single one of them was sporting cuts. Some were deeper than others, and they were all sprawled out on the ground, wiped out and barely able to move. Stella took her sweet time finishing off her coffee, then held out her hand. With a little scuttle, Pebble, dusty as ever, hopped right back into her palm.

Just like that, the thick gray mist that had swallowed the whole mountain vanished, and the place cleared up, looking just like it did before. "Now, hand over those path maps you drew," Stella called out. Stella got to her feet and gave the order. After a quick breather, the veterans dug out the path maps they'd drawn on the way up. But the second they unfolded them, everyone was totally dumbfounded. The paper, which had started out dry and thin, was now soaked by the mist from the climb, all damp and sticky. The writing was a complete mess, smeared and blurred into one big blob.

Not even a god could tell what the hell they'd drawn. The veterans were left speechless. "Where's yours?" Stella asked coolly, glancing down at Joey. Joey sat up in a rush, pulled out his pen and paper, still sealed tight in a plastic bag, from inside his shirt, and, right in front of everyone, started sketching his route for all to see. Everyone was speechless. They thought, 'Is he actually drawing it right now?' Ten minutes later, when Stella held up Joey's map. It was so clear that anyone could see every water source and marked tree, and nobody said a word. It was dead silent.

"Didn't I tell you? Without him, you guys wouldn't have made it a single step," Stella said. Subscribed 1 Likes Editorial Board Editorial Board Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.