18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 481

Ganging up to take on Russia?

Stella thought for a moment and figured out which nations' survivors might be involved. There were old grudges, regional and deep-seated hatreds, and the eternal struggle over who's in charge. Knowing this was one thing, but she couldn't afford to be careless. The world outside was a whiteout, and anyone could hide in the snowdrifts, invisible if they stayed still. Defending against that was no easy task. Fortunately, Cooper was with them, and now Snowflake had joined the team. Snowflake, having survived in the wild for so long, had senses far sharper than any human's. This gave Stella some peace of mind.

After ensuring the surroundings were clear, the trio and their two furry companions headed back to the cabin. Stella inspected the perimeter of their shipping container hideout. The ice layer was thick and solid, and inside the door, they had welded an extra layer of bulletproof steel plates for safety. They patrolled every two hours during the day, and at night, someone stood guard.

Cooper might have been having the time of his life these past couple of months, but that was because he'd fallen in love. Now, with danger rearing its ugly head again, his survival instincts and combat drive were back in full swing. Jasper took the night shift, letting Stella and Rosie get some rest. With a wolf and a dog in the house, they didn't need to spend the night out in the cold. Jasper would step out every three hours, always with the animals by his side.

Even though Snowflake was visibly pregnant, it stayed vigilant on patrol. It didn't slack off just because it had found a long-term meal ticket and shelter with some two-legged creatures. In fact, it seemed even more excited at night, almost unable to resist howling at the moon. If it weren't for Cooper's timely intervention, Snowflake might have given in to its urges.

The night passed without incident. Jasper took a hot shower and went to sleep, and it was Stella and Rosie's turn to patrol. Around noon, as Stella and Cooper were climbing a snow dune, she noticed something moving at the edge of the snowfield. She quickly grabbed her binoculars and was surprised to see it was the same group of Russians from the day before. They had returned.

Their movements were slow, as if they were dragging something heavy. Armed and ready, they soon spotted Stella and even waved in greeting. Not just one, but all of them, waving together to show their friendliness. Stella's gaze turned icy as she raised her sniper rifle. Cooper rushed back to alert Jasper, who hurried over with his sister.

Six people had arrived, dragging two stretchers with what looked like bodies on them. Seeing Stella with her rifle at the ready, they didn't advance further but instead sent one man waving his way over, apparently seeking to negotiate. Jasper recognized him as the one from yesterday who could speak Chinese. The man was unarmed, waving as he trudged through the snow. A thousand meters in knee-deep snow was a struggle.

Stella considered whether to shoot, but after some thought, she decided against it. With land sinking, more people would inevitably reach the Arctic, and conflicts would become more frequent. Since they had arrived before her group, it was worth sizing them up to avoid being kept in the dark.

meters away, Stella raised her rifle again, signaling that he was not to come closer. "Hello," he greeted, trying to use his rudimentary Chinese to convey goodwill. "My name is Ivans. I studied and worked in your capital for years before returning home. I admire your culture and cuisine, and your people are incredibly united and

on his head. From a distance too far for clear hearing, he took out a mini megaphone. "Some of our friends are injured and close to death. Do you have any medicine?" Stella responded through her own

can use your traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture or something, to help save our people." Eager to prevent her refusal, he quickly added, "We won't ask for

for a moment. "With

vodka and

bushy beard and a red, bulbous nose. A weathered face, not exactly thin,

"What kind of injury?"

out the bullets by hand yesterday, but they've

opportunity to ask, "Who shot

but Stella drilled down for details. Ivans was forced to give a brief account. "For years

the regional

naturally resistant

With a vast land and sparse

decisively controlled fo disaster,

years before

a big issue. During extreme heat, they migrated to colder regions. Their fertile black soil was perfect for growing potatoes, corn, and wheat - enough to feed

worsened, teams of thousands got separated in the storms. Ivans' group, once part of a larger fleet, had dwindled to just over five hundred by the time