18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 410

They had grand plans, but before they could even act, the staccato of gunfire shattered the silence...

Bullets sprayed back and forth, relentless.

Blind in the darkness, they stood no chance against Stella and her crew, who were armed with night vision goggles, taking them down with deadly precision. They didn't even have time to draw their weapons before they fell, one by one.

Stella pushed open the electronic gate, her samurai sword gleaming as she stepped out.

Several lay writhing, begging in horror, "Lady, I ain't ready to die, please spare me!"

Under the cloak of night, Stella stood amidst the swirling dust, her cold laughter echoing like a harvester of souls.

No loose ends; she made sure of that with her blade, leaving no room for future threats.

She didn't return to the RV; instead, she headed for the camp a mile away.

Jasper walked alongside her in the dark.

They weren't far off, and even with the howling wind, the sound of gunfire had reached them.

Panic ensued at the camp, voices of men and women frantically blaming each other, "What do we do now? What the hell do we do?"

Stella had given them a chance, considering the survivors who'd made it through the Plate Tectonic Collision and the efforts of the official bases over the years. But they hadn't cherished it.

Strike once and be done; there would be no third chances.

From behind a tent, Stella opened fire, then lobbed an incendiary grenade...

The gasoline burned long into the night before it finally died down.

Stella counted heads, making sure no one was missing before she left.

bodies outside, she headed back to wash off the

already cleared

day and night temperatures varied wildly, and the fierce winds meant there was no worry of plagues.

each filled with hope at the sight of the RV, only to be met by

for a spot to settle, but at the sight of the wind-dried skeletons, they'd hastily decide to move

the highland was harsh; the sun's ultraviolet rays were intense, the air dry and thick with dust, necessitating the constant use of humidifiers and air purifiers. The land was sinking, wooden stakes drove easily into the ground, sometimes

its sinking land unmistakable. Sometimes, a jolt would awaken them in the night, a sensation like

it, patrolling daily on her electric bike over the stony, arid terrain. Initially, the rough ride

stopped, her gaze landing on a green sprout among the withered

this dry season, yet there was new

the sprout and brought it back to her

survival experience, examined the plant gravely, "Stella, this place

"We need to

landscaping grass, combat desertification and conserve

sprout in the highland basin at the

they were, sprouting

rain had fallen, but the soil was damp enough

beneath, releasing a

into the earth, finding the soil wet just thirty

later, Stella noticed a faint stench in

a chill tinged with

knew that smell from her time living by the ocean in Swan Hill; it was

basin reeked of the

down to inspect the RV, noting how its weight had slightly indented

pointed to one thing:

into Arcadia and pulled out the escape pod, along with four life jackets that they wore at all times, never to be removed. Cooper's unique physique meant his life jacket needed custom adjustments,

and their dog set up a tent, taking turns keeping

days later, Cooper's restlessness couldn't be soothed, even by his favorite treat. He was