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.

oil. She took the bigger bottles that took less space

came across something she liked, she even scooped it up from the water. She would not

to move. But this was her last chance to hoard goods. The more she

Arcadia was already filled to the brim, even the toilet was almost stuffed full. Just

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

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

her energy. Only when the feeling of dizziness subsided

half flooded. As she was leaving, Stella took one last look at the Hummer she had her eye on in the parking lot. It was the same model as the one from room

versatile RV instead. She patted the hood of the car, feeling

would all be submerged and

choice but to take out her inflatable raft. There were

the visibility range of her waterproof lamp was 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 probably think it

return to her apartment. Instead, she raced against time

and due to the darkness, it took her half an hour on the inflatable raft. She reached a six-story electronics commercial building, three floors of which had already been flooded. Stella used a window breaker to smash the fourth-floor window and climbed in, heading straight for a solar technology

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 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

remembered where the retail store was. Compared to 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 displayed in the center after prying