18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 232

Facing his younger sister's confusion, Jasper explained, "The sun is hidden behind the clouds."

In this post-apocalyptic world, lightning was an uncanny phenomenon. For safety's sake, Stella decided not to use the solar lamp and instead lit up an old kerosene lantern she'd kept from Arcadia. The light was dim and yellow, but it was a beacon in the darkness.

Rosie was curious, "Stella, what's this?"

This was an antique from a bygone era. Stella started to tell her about the hardship of the old days.

Rosie nestled in Stella's arms, while Cooper, frightened by the thunderstorm, sought refuge in the arms of his trainer, whimpering.

Rosie had claimed his owner!

The thunderstorm lasted half an hour, eventually subsiding along with the heavy dark clouds. Bright light returned quickly, but the heavy rain continued relentlessly. The temperature of the rainwater began to drop. It was no longer scalding hot, but rather carried a refreshing chill.

Rainwater collecting continued. The siblings were responsible for gathering water, while the dog joyfully ran in the rain, making Stella almost want to abandon him.

In the refugee camp, not many people had belongings left. Driven by thirst, they rushed into the rain, drinking water from the sky and washing their bodies, "It's raining. Finally it's raining."

There were those who laughed, those who cried, and those who spun in the rain, seeming almost mad.

Rosie crouched in front of the plant pots, her face full of worry, "Stella, will the sweet potatoes survive?" "They should. We'll know by tomorrow."

The initial rain was indeed scorching hot, but they were shielded by a tent. The plants likely wouldn't be scorched to death.

What was disturbing was that once the rain stopped, the heat from the ground started to rise again, turning the environment into a sauna. The sticky humidity was incredibly uncomfortable.

Back in their room, they turned on the air conditioning. Just as they were about to rest after turning off the lights, Jasper moved closer, "Did you get burned?"

"No,

class, and Cooper took himself for a walk. He ran around Eastwood Eden twenty-odd times before coming back, even climbing a tree to help catch a runaway mouse, nearly getting bitten in the process. At

the meal, "Stella, it doesn't

was in her temperature-controlled clothes enjoying the air conditioning and

either, but Cooper's reaction was more

the balcony. It was 58 degrees.

heavy rain, it was normal for

evening, after being cooped up inside all day, Stella came down

underground water level had risen significantly after the deluge. Water was now bubbling up from the ground, available in

a collection of pots

they could still

degrees for a long time were much more comfortable. Human life truly was resilient. They miraculously survived, and with several

from nearby collapsed buildings or villages, bringing back clothing

temperature persisted, but the water level wasn't dropping as noticeably as before. Government officials started to organize manpower to dig wells again. The large-scale

efforts ended, city planners began to plan anew and announced to all citizens - the city would be rebuilt. After surveying and exploring,

Swan Hill, about forty kilometers from

"Is Hope

heard about the reconstruction plans, but she was brutally murdered before the project had

it's only about one-fifth the size of the old city

That was actually

survived, and many of them had gone to the base. But even so, not everyone was eligible to settle

collect building materials in exchange for points. These points could be exchanged for food, and if they accumulated enough, they could exchange them for a housing slot. However, the needed materials and

same time, the Agricultural Science Institute was hiring again,

and outdoor farming efforts had accumulated a lot of food, especially dried vegetables. The

not only solved the employment issue but also remedied potential security risks. If they weren't given something to do, they

also made a plea. With the global environment in continuous chaos and

all required humans to store as much food as