18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 246

Scrambling to escape was a luxury they couldn't afford. The place was exploding, like the Fourth of July fireworks.

The group behind the car witnessed the entire scene, their jaws dropping, before dispersing like a flock of startled birds.

The Hummer didn't stop. It drove straight ahead, stopping right before the spike strip. Ensuring that no one was watching, the two of them put on their bulletproof vests and helmets before stepping out of the car.

The spike strip, sturdy as it was, could make a decent trap back home. Not wanting to waste it, Stella and her companion hoisted it onto the roof of their car and secured it.

They continued to drive.

They encountered two more roadblocks, but the people were few and unarmed. Upon seeing the intimidating Hummer, they hesitated and didn't dare to surround them.

Mount Murray was about 30 kilometers away from Lincoln. They left the highway behind and slowly drove into the forest.

Along the way, they passed by ruins of old farmhouses, now devoid of any human presence.

The high and steep Mount Murray came into sight. They managed to drive the car to a flat and safe area at the foot of the mountain.

Not in any rush to get out, the group first had a meal in the car. After airing out the smell of food, they reclined their seats and went to sleep. They hadn't had a proper rest in the past few days, and they needed to recharge before climbing the mountain. Despite the seemingly deserted mountain and their bulletproof car, Stella left a small gap in the window.

If there was any rustling, Cooper could detect it immediately.

They slept soundly for seven to eight hours. Upon waking, they stretched their limbs, recharged with some food, and then geared up for the climb.

Securing the car, the three of them, along with Cooper, set off for the mountain.

Cooper had a habit of taking the lead, but with Stella's stern warning, he stayed obediently by their side, strictly following the rule of not straying more than five steps away.

The same applied to Jasper. He would not allow Rosie to leave his sight.

geological structure here was unlike that of Mount Greenwood, composed of countless rocks and soil. After the mega-earthquake, the safety index had

was taken aback by the sight in front of

to the mountain had been

"Be careful," Jasper warned.

five years later. This was also why he didn't want Stella and the others to be here. In their quest for

She didn't want to risk bringing Cooper and Rosie along,

a few, but what if

worries of

the choice to them, "The mountain is very dangerous. Do you want to find a safe place to hide and wait for us to

"I want to follow you

ultimately deciding to bring them along into

debris, leaving a trail of footprints behind. The mountain path was destroyed in

at the mountainous terrain and vegetation, Jasper's memory became increasingly clear. He led the way to where they had found the Dragonlily in

securing the other end around the dog's neck. If they encountered danger, she could pull everyone into the Arcadia in an

valley. Compared to five years later, the valley was barren and lacked greenery. Jasper was worried. Just because they found the medicine five years later, didn't mean they could find it now. It was very likely that it

found no sign of

him, "Don't worry, we've got

aside the dead leaves and weeds, looking out for unnoticeable green

of searching, Stella noticed a very

I was Dragonlily, a young shoot that had just sprouted. Stella took out a shovel and carefully dug it

one," Rosie

dog joined in the excitement, barking at the

Dragonlily plants in total. Unfortunately, there

came to Mount Murray. Back then, Jasper's group had also found the Dragonlily without much trouble. But

type of medicine grew at the peak of the

sea level, and the climb was especially steep. It took eight hours to reach the peak along the mountain path. This was the speed of physically fit people before the apocalypse. Now, after the earthquake, things were only

Jasper's group two whole days to climb