18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 87

Stella had a worried expression, and Jasper comforted her, "Don't worry. Cooper is extremely intelligent and is man's most loyal companion. I trust he'll be fine."

Stella wasn't convinced, after all, the harsh winter lasted a year, and Cooper had only managed to save her from a deadly attack for three months of it. Back then, all he wanted to do was to protect her. He was so determined that he'd have rather died than let go of her. The scene was too gruesome for Stella to recall. All she could do was hold Cooper tightly. This time, it was her turn to protect Cooper.

Sensing her tense emotions, Cooper nestled into her arms, thinking, "What's wrong with you, human?"

"Don't worry, I'll train him well."

Train him? Cooper grumbled. Hadn't he graduated already?

Jasper petted him. "Training is a lifelong practice. As long as we're alive, we need to keep learning."

Cooper snorted, whatever!

Back home, Stella measured Cooper's height and weight and recorded all his data. Not just him, but Smoky and Snowy too. After checking them over a few times, she couldn't shake off the feeling that they'd somehow changed and were becoming braver. Over the next few days, Stella made over two thousand arrows, and her crossbow skills were improving. Unsatisfied with the distance in the corridor, they all went to the rooftop to push their limits. In the freezing -40 degrees weather, they bundled up like bears in hibernation.

Everyone wanted to rest, but no one dared, fearing that they might never get the opportunity to stand up again. But it was really too cold, and their hands were shaking like they had Parkinson's.

Cody saw how steady Stella was and couldn't believe it. "Stella, how do you do it?"

She was less bundled up than him, but she seemed unaffected by the cold. This was beyond his understanding!

Stella shot him a glance. "I'm not frail, nor weak, and I have a heart full of passion."

post-apocalyptic world, you don't forget to throw shade. What did I

Even Angela said he was

and Cody gave up resisting, especially since Stella had Jasper as her private trainer. Her

Not only were her skills constantly improving, but her

into their

look at Stella,

far less than them. They envied the

to be

rest, Jasper challenged Stella to spar. Stella

can manage with one hand. As long as you don't

Ah, he meant his shoulder, or did he mean his private parts?" Okay, Stella admitted she was being a bit naughty. She still retained some integrity and honestly didn't attack his weak points, even

the same time, his independence was

opportunity to ask her for help or give some tips to Rosie. It was her fault after all, and if Jasper

resolved everything himself. This made Stella sigh

asked, she would have helped, but she intended to keep her distance from

had an ulterior motive, and it was probably not just

she had to do it all over again, she wouldn't help but be suspicious of everyone's intentions. Moreover, she was privy to Arcadia's secrets, and she couldn't afford to gamble. In short, Jasper's actions made Stella see

knocked on her door again, and her mood a mix

got jobs without a hitch, with a monthly salary of fifteen pounds of

successfully applied for the lowest-tier job of corpse collector. It may have sounded like a grim job with

day. The meal wasn't enough to fill them up completely, but it was enough for

high, and the chances of Amber getting hired were slim. Katie was a cunning old woman. She had her daughter-in-law secretly give two pounds of wild kudzu flour to the

wouldn't accept the idea of using connections or giving gifts. But jobs were essential for survival,