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.

with the bodies outside, she headed back to wash off the day's grit and fall into a

next day, she found Jasper had already cleared the bodies, unceremoniously dumping them back

fierce winds meant there was no worry of plagues. To any future survivors, this would stand

sight of the RV, only to be met by Stella's

spot to settle, but at the

and thick with dust, necessitating the constant use of humidifiers and air purifiers. The land was sinking,

a relentless dance of wind and sand, the basin stretching endlessly, its sinking land unmistakable. Sometimes, a jolt would awaken them in the night, a sensation like twitching

Rosie sensed it, patrolling daily on her electric bike over the stony, arid terrain. Initially, the rough ride left her sore, but now, the bike

her gaze landing on a

dry season, yet

and brought it back

survival experience, examined the plant gravely, "Stella, this place is going to

"We

combat desertification and

the highland basin at the end of spring,

here they were, sprouting

rain had fallen, but the soil was damp

forming beneath, releasing a steady stream of

finding the soil wet just thirty

later, Stella noticed a

a chill

by the ocean in Swan Hill; it was unmistakable. Today, the

of

noting how its weight had

one thing: they

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

trio and their dog set up a tent, taking turns keeping watch by day and sheltering in the escape pod by

later, Cooper's restlessness couldn't be soothed, even by his favorite treat. He was nudging the ground with