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 years later. How things had

seven or eight mountains with the

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 sprouting green buds, nourished by the

started working with her tools.

help with the chopping, was sent to keep watch from a high ground with the

storing them in Arcadia under the cover of dusk. The branches were also valuable, tied together and stored to be used as firewood later. It was dark before they finished working. They had originally planned to bring the trailer, but what if someone else was also gathering wood in the forest? Better to be safe, they thought, and set up a two-bedroom tent. Rosie had set up tents before, so

oil lamp and laid out a hearty meal

rabbits were also rewarded with fresh hay and a

sat in the tent watching TV

had set up a tripwire outside the tent, with bells attached

felt cold. Jasper covered her with a thin blanket, and then went to the next room

previous day's work. They didn't clear the entire forest, leaving the

done with one area, they moved to the

eyes were drawn

Jasper asked, "What's up?"

"It's honeysuckle."

herb book, she wouldn't have recognized it. Finding a honeysuckle seedling was a stroke of luck. She carefully dug it

green buds sprouting among the large patches

this, Stella lost interest in chopping wood and started identifying the plants, hoping to find more medicinal

unfamiliar with

found several types of medicinal herbs. They weren't rare or widely used medicinal herbs,

found more than a dozen types of herbs. At noon, she found a cool

hands were covered in dirt, and he was holding a piece of grass with a smile on his usually cold face.