18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 17

If Arcadia were to grow by a hundredfold, Stella would not waste a single second scouring the expanse of this city. This was better than helplessly watching precious survival resources go under, and people resorting to brutal fights over a moldy loaf of bread.

The reality was harsh, and Stella had to look out for herself.

She gathered her thoughts and continued her race against the flooding waters.

Milk, yogurt, powdered milk, goat milk, soy milk powder, cereal, sugar in all its forms...

The water had reached her thighs, and she didn't have time to read labels or be picky. Her hands swiftly swept the shelves, grabbing whatever she could. Even if it wasn't her favorite, it was better than letting it go to waste.

Canned goods, dried fruits, chocolates, energy bars, biscuits, cheese, chicken legs, wings, beef jerky, lamb bites... Arcadia filled up at an alarming pace.

After grabbing a heap of pasta, Stella headed to the instant food section. Instant noodles, condensed soup, instant mashed potatoes, oatmeal, instant pudding - you name it, they had it. But due to the storm, the stock had dwindled.

In her past life, she had to gnaw on tree bark and consume clay to survive. Towards the end, she even had to use a stick to dig a pit for a makeshift toilet.

and tea oil. She took the bigger bottles that took less space when it came to mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, and vinegar. There were dozens of brands lined up on the shelves. She had swept

she even scooped it up from the water. She would

read the labels as she swept them into her cart. The water had risen to her waist, and despite wearing a waterproof suit, she felt the chill seeping in, making it difficult to move. But this was her last chance to hoard goods. The more she could gather now, the less chance she would have to fight people for

reached her chest, she felt herself starting to float, and most of the goods were either sinking or floating on the surface. Collecting supplies had become more difficult, but luckily, Arcadia was already filled to the brim, even the toilet was almost stuffed full. Just as she was about

on, and she quickly hid behind a shelf, on high alert. She had no idea how many people were there, and it would be difficult to fight in the water. Plus, she had already cleared the second floor of its valuable goods. If Arcadia was discovered... Stella couldn't take that risk. She took out a portable diving mask from Arcadia, put it on, and quietly swam towards the fire exit. The floodwater seeped into her waterproof suit, making her body feel extremely heavy. She held her breath as she swam and stripped, only surfacing when she couldn't hold her

seemed like there was only one person. Stella let out a sigh of relief, exerted a great deal of effort to push open the fire exit

on her flashlight. Panting, she took a break and ate some chocolate to replenish her energy. Only when the feeling of dizziness subsided did she continue her barefoot journey to

eye on in the parking lot. It was the same model as the one from room 1801. Not only was

comfortable and versatile RV instead. She

and then swept away by the flood.

level was rising rapidly, and the currents were getting strong. Her rubber raft could easily be swept away. Stella had no choice but to take out her inflatable raft. There were many obstacles underwater, and she was afraid of puncturing the

limited. She could only move slowly through the water. The inflatable raft was easy to operate, but the noise from the motor could easily alert others. Luckily, the storm had just subsided, and the government was actively carrying out rescue operations. Even if people nearby heard the noise, they would

return to her apartment. Instead, she raced against time to another

on the inflatable raft. She reached a six-story electronics commercial building, three floors of which

either use it for efficient, concentrated power generation or use city electricity for fast charging. Most importantly, it had a storage battery box with a capacity of up to 100 degrees. A whopping 100 degrees, enough to power several air conditioners or heaters at the same time! Of course, the price was also stunning

generators were mere trash. After making sure there was no one in the mall, she took out a crowbar and started prying at the roller shutter door. The store wasn't big, so she headed straight