18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 376

Stella spotted him too-no doubt about it, he was a beggar. Dressed in tattered rags, barefoot, and wandering aimlessly. "Another soul driven mad by the apocalypse," she sighed to herself.

Just as she was reflecting, the sound of a car caught the beggar's attention. Surprisingly, he turned and waved frantically to flag it down. "Robbery tactics are getting more and more creative," she thought. "This guy could very well be a decoy for an ambush."

Stella cocked her gun, ready to take him down if he showed any sign of threat.

"Hey, stop the car, stop the car!" the beggar shouted.

Stella scanned the area but saw no sign of an ambush.

Jasper didn't hit the brakes and just drove past.

"Damn it, stop!" the beggar yelled, flipping them the bird.

Stella squinted, recognizing the figure in the rearview mirror.

"Stop the car," she commanded.

Seeing the truck pull over, the beggar's mood swung from irritation to hope. He limped over and asked, "Buddy, could you give me a lift?"

He hurried over but froze in shock when he got a better look.

It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him in the dead of winter.

Without a word, he covered his face and turned to leave.

"Bran," Stella called out.

It was as if his heart had been pierced; his entire body stiffened.

His dignity, once guarded, now trampled into the mud.

But Stella didn't mock him or ask how he'd come to this. "Get in. We're still a good ten miles from the base. If you walk, your feet will be shredded."

a destitute beggar by natural disasters. Fate had a cruel

so Bran had to settle for sitting on

to someone he knew was a nightmare come true. But what could he

of garbage, numb

base and drove up to

trading, and cashing in

clean, and after weighing, they earned 3000

sustain a family for

about where the steel came from, which eased Stella's

straight to the base's store and

pods, these ten packs could last for three

a real-life Robinson Crusoe situation, it was better

half the credits left, Stella spotted coal for sale but decided to save up and buy a whole load at once, for the day when it might come

other supplies, aside from a

road, the family was

a word, probably a

inwardly, not sure what

to their private

over and stuck her head out, "Hey, Bran. You left some meds with me a while back. With things as chaotic as they are, I can't keep them safe anymore. When do you want to pick

the usually covetous Stella to offer the meds

"Uh, later," he mumbled.

"Alright, but try to come by soon. We'll probably head out scavenging

Bran merely nodded, "Mhm."

compound and exchanging goodbyes without

his heart, already battered by the disasters, bleed

dog enjoyed a luxurious

of home-cooked food after days

Rosie, Stella sipped on juice while discussing with Jasper, "Remember when the Porras family's annex got hit by that satellite? Bran gave us a lot of meds as thanks. I think he added extra as a gesture of goodwill. Now that he's hit rock bottom, I'm thinking of returning the surplus.

in a hurry, probably all in Goldbridge except Bran. With all the disasters,

prideful nature, asking him to do hard labor for food was out

he had turned to scavenging,

by beauty and luxury, now reduced to a pitiful state,