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.

the ruined villas. During the initial flood period, her team from the 18th floor often came here

seven or eight mountains with

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

working with her tools. Stella had an electric saw, while Jasper

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

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

they lit oil lamp and laid out a hearty meal to reward themselves for

fresh hay and a bowl

they sat in the

on the tablet while his ears stayed alert to 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

covered her with a thin blanket, and then went to

had breakfast, and continued with the previous day's work. They

they were done with one area,

eyes were

Jasper asked, "What's up?"

"It's honeysuckle."

grown. If she hadn't repeatedly read the medicinal herb book, she wouldn't have recognized it.

was quite damp, with green buds sprouting among

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

with herbs,

weren't rare or widely used medicinal herbs, but to Stella, they were a

she had found more than a dozen types of herbs. At noon, she found a cool spot and called Jasper, Rosie,

covered in dirt, and he was holding a piece of