18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 526

No matter what's inside the Kindle Chest, brute force ain't gonna crack it open. Crafted from some kind of special material, crowbars, power saws, and drills are useless. Only the military brass has the remote control and the codes.

If you're lucky enough to never come across one, great. But if you do, there's no ignoring it.

Stella tucked 1037 into Arcadia. She probably never guessed it, but the arrival of 1037 had everyone, including the dogs, in high spirits, leading to a celebratory seafood feast that night.

That night, Stella had a dream. She was leaving Griffith for the Kindle Society when a military vehicle blocked her path, and a guard motioned for her to stop. Daniel stood beside the vehicle, looking all serious and stern, but his eyes widened in surprise when he saw her step out. In that moment, he knew exactly who she was.

Stella woke up in the middle of the night to the soft sound of rain tapping against the window. Jasper stirred beside her. "What's up?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Had a dream."

"What about?"

"Something from a long time ago."

Sensing her mood, Jasper pulled her closer. "Good or bad?"

Stella thought for a moment. "I guess... it was good."

They slept in until they woke naturally, only to hear Rosie yelling from outside, "Cooper, where did this dead snake come from?"

Stella's sleepiness evaporated, and she hurried out of bed. Their dogs had been out

species, but it didn't have venomous fangs. It must've been a sea snake that

making their way onto land. Stella felt an unprecedented premonition: maybe the natural disasters were over, and the ecosystem was slowly recovering. This realization made

journey and soon stumbled upon an abandoned fishing boat. The inside was surprisingly clean, free of silt. Stella found fish bones nearby, figuring survivors had landed there but couldn't

cake loaded with fruits for New Year's Eve. They planned to celebrate, but instead found themselves facing an endless desert. But hey, a

from later times; it looked more like a high plateau basin formed from severe drought, with dried mud crusts

on the road, Stella didn't bother cooking a New Year's feast; they just ate what was available in Arcadia. After watching the evening's entertainment and winding down, they slept

the sands. Stella

sun and pelting rain. With no end

and tanned a bit. Passing a ravine, their dogs suddenly perked up, alerting them to danger. Cautiously, they approached until Jasper found a spot to hide and

brown skin was babbling incoherently, clutching sticks, looking like the living dead. After

whether to engage. Stella remembered a harsh saying: refugees are no longer human. Having seen darkness, she felt no need to challenge the hungry for their humanity. Jasper suggested, "Shall

and wielding their sticks. The dogs prepared to defend, but their owners

hour. After a long time without running, Stella was out of breath and drenched in sweat, but she felt a

looked at each other,

was a truly refreshing

journey was desolate, but they occasionally encountered other survivors. It was either Stella's group running or the others fleeing. Those who had

from winter to late spring, astonishing even Stella with their endurance. Every day was fresh, whether exciting

source of water, Rosie would plant a few trees. "Brother, sister-in-law,