18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 78

Katie was getting on in years, and her heart couldn't handle the stress. Moreover, that guy wasn't the only one going mad in the apartment building. So, she made a decisive move to the 17th floor. Although there had been killings on the 18th floor, they were committed in

self-defense and were far more reasonable than others.

Not only did the two families move their belongings up, but they also removed their stainless steel doors, wanting to create a safe fortress like the 18th floor had, complete with three doors in the staircase. But, they lacked the necessary tools, so they knocked on the 18th floor for help.

Stella didn't hurry to answer but looked towards Jasper, Cody, and the rest. Arcadia had tools, but Stella couldn't lend them out.

Jasper had a handheld impact drill, and apartment 1803 had an acetylene torch for spot welding. However, people could be wicked, and moving to the 17th floor showed they were seeking asylum. Throwing out a free olive branch would only foster a dependency. The residents of the 18th floor weren't saviors, protecting themselves was hard enough, let alone others. Still, having three more doors in the staircase would benefit the 18th floor, providing a buffer in case of an attack.

They just needed to maintain a balance in their interactions with the 17th floor.

A silent exchange of glances between the 18th floor residents and a consensus was quickly reached.

"The impact drill is almost out of power, and we don't have much acetylene left. You can borrow them, but when will you return them?" Stella asked, choking the other two families into silence.

Katie sensed what Stella meant. "Young lady, we have to look out for each other, seeing as we are living so close to each other. These items are indeed special, and we can't return them immediately. How about we offer other items to hold as collateral?" "Alright, discuss it amongst yourselves."

In the end, Katie offered a bracelet, the Palmer family, who had a child, offered a jade statue, and the family in 1703 presented a gold necklace.

Stella, on behalf of the 18th floor, accepted the items and handed over the impact drill and acetylene torch to the 17th floor residents. She also sent Lukas and Cody to provide technical guidance, insisting the doors be sturdy and secure.

In addition, the 17th floor residents requested access to the rooftop to collect snow for water. The rooftop was communal, and the two floors had established a cooperative relationship, so refusing them access seemed unreasonable. However, each visit would require opening the door and could pose a risk to the 18th floor.

only one person can come up. Decide amongst yourselves who

Only one person?

floor residents weren't happy about this, but they were in a weaker position than the 18th

were installed, Lukas returned with three keys. "Going out and coming back won't be easy anymore; we'll have to

and in exchange, Lukas decided to give them his

meantime, the Moore family decided to go chop

indoors without firewood. Despite having collected quite a

furniture and firewood within the city, compelled them to journey into the mountains in pursuit of firewood. Ivywood Estates was surrounded by mountains, but they were too far away. Even a day's walk wouldn't be enough to go there and back. The nearest was

danger and felt the need to stockpile. "Stella, are you

shrugged. "I don't feel like moving. We'll

also decided to stay in, not inclined to go out to

to make his mark. Cooper wanted

Stella watched from the balcony as the 1803 residents, fully armed,

up so tightly that it was hard to tell who was who. Suddenly, several figures dashed out from Building

roaring in rage, "Come on, if

laugh. Lukas was the weakest on the 18th floor, but after months of

he couldn't fight when he went out. Look at

today, having run

they finally ran in fear. "Run, it's the devils from the 18th floor!" Damn, they must have picked an unlucky day to go out. Why did they have

harsh conditions of the apocalypse could make anyone sick. Lukas managed to knock down a few of them, feeling a significant release from his

Stella returned to the living room

worried he would get fat and become clumsy, but surprisingly, he only gained muscle, not fat, and his fur was thick and smooth. Stella patted her own stomach, feeling like she was one step closer

idea to sit still in the freezing cold, so Jasper halted Rosie's lessons. Stella had