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.

immediately hoarded the essentials, oilive oil, corn oil, canola oil, 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

scooped it up from the water. She would not waste

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 food later.

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 to scoop up some snacks floating on the surface, a beam of light swept across

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

was only one person. Stella let out a sigh of relief, exerted a great

replenish her energy. Only when the feeling of dizziness subsided did she

her eye on in the parking lot. It was the same model as the one from room 1801. Not only was it high and powerful, but it also had a domineering appearance that could easily knock over a regular SUV. It was a true post-apocalyptic

instead. She patted the hood of the

these cars would all be submerged and then swept away

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

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 probably think it was the

apartment. Instead, she raced against time to

a six-story electronics commercial building, three floors of which

had caught her attention. It had high-efficiency solar panels, off-grid power generation, flexible frequency inverters... you could either use it for efficient, concentrated power generation or use city electricity for fast charging. Most

it, other 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 for the new generator