18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 238

Stella returned to Apartment 5 early after a day's work, drawn to the verdant landscape that stretched before her.

The folks of Eastwood Eden were hard at work, tilling and sowing the land tirelessly for the past fortnight.

Corn was sprouting. Lush green vegetables promised a bountiful harvest in a week's time, but they were too precious to be consumed. Instead, the seedlings were carefully re-planted, nurtured to grow, and then sun-dried. The dried veggies could be consumed or traded for points.

The strength of the human spirit was evident in their toil. Not only did they cultivate the barren land within the neighbourhood, but they also ventured beyond its borders.

Patrol duties increased, but no one complained.

After two days of rest, Stella decided to gather firewood from the forest. The nearby woods had been stripped bare, forcing her to venture deeper into the wilderness. A round trip was no simple task.

They had to spend the night in the forest, returning only when she had gathered enough wood.

This time, she not only took the dog but also the rabbits.

She took only the first and second generations and the yet-to-grow babies. The fully grown rabbits that had reached a certain weight were slaughtered and stored in Arcadia.

She made sure not to do this in front of Snowy and Smoky. The deed was done in the next room.

Snowy and Smoky couldn't speak, otherwise, they would have protested against Stella. Damn it, they thought. They were always the ones to get the short end of the stick, while the dog was pampered and taken care of. She stored the important stuff in Arcadia, put the rabbits in the trunk, and drove the Hummer to gather wood.

After much consideration, she decided to go to Ivywood Estates at the city's edge. The forests along the way were bare. Ivywood Estates had been destroyed in an earthquake.

came here to gather resources. The fish they stored in Arcadia were still there, almost three

seven or eight mountains with

the vast dead forest in the distance. The outskirts were not safe, forcing her to venture deeper into the forest. After almost a day of trekking, she finally reached the uninhabited depths of the forest. The deeper she went, the more she could feel the miracle of life. Many of the dead trees were

flat forest area and started working with her tools. Stella had an electric saw, while Jasper had

to help with the chopping, was sent to keep watch from

originally planned to bring the trailer, but what if someone else was also gathering wood in the forest? Better to be

they lit oil lamp and laid out

rabbits were also rewarded with fresh hay and a bowl

in the tent watching TV

the sounds outside. Jasper had set up a tripwire outside the tent, with bells attached to it. If someone intruded at night, they would trip the wire and trigger the bells. When it was time for bed,

her with a thin blanket,

early the next day, had breakfast, and continued with the previous day's

were done with one area, they moved

a brook, Stella's eyes were drawn to a green

Jasper asked, "What's up?"

"It's honeysuckle."

height, with its leaves still not fully grown. If she hadn't repeatedly read the medicinal herb book, she wouldn't have recognized it. Finding a honeysuckle seedling was a stroke of luck. She carefully

buds sprouting among the large patches

interest in chopping wood and started identifying the plants, hoping to find more medicinal herbs to plant in

unfamiliar with herbs, continued chopping

They weren't rare or widely

dozen types of herbs. At noon, she found a cool spot and called

and he was holding a piece of grass with a