18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 240

His companion's body surged with fresh blood, causing him to instinctively turn around in shock. Moments later, a loud splash echoed as he collapsed, stirring up countless droplets of water.

The two girls were choked, their consciousness muddled. They collapsed into the water pool, gasping for breath. As they saw the bodies in the water, the shock was so intense that their lips trembled, rendering them speechless.

It was only then that they noticed the fully armed figure standing on the bank, his face obscured.

Worried for Jasper, Stella turned and left without a word.

The girls finally reacted, using their hands and feet to climb out of the pond. They sought cover nearby, trembling with fear. By the time Stella returned to the bamboo grove, Jasper had effortlessly dealt with the villains.

Inside the hut, chaos reigned. The air was thick and foul. After rummaging around, they found several pounds of assorted grains.

Stella drew her samurai sword, easily severing the locks on the two basements on the left and right.

The left basement held six or seven women, their disheveled appearance and vacant eyes a chilling sight. They sat on the floor, resembling walking corpses, showing no reaction.

The right basement held boys whose terrified eyes revealed that they had not been captive for long.

As for the storage room, Jasper wouldn't let Stella in.

They didn't linger. They tossed the grains they'd found onto the floor and left with Cooper.

"Wait!" The two girls who had been choking on water stumbled out, their eyes pleading. "Can you take us with you?"

"No." Stella raised her crossbow. "You're capable of leaving on your own."

"But..." the girls begged. "There are evil people outside. Please help us."

"I'm a person, not a god," Stella coldly refused. "I saved you not because you're pitiful, but because I detest them. Keep whining, and I'll send you back to keep them company."

Sensing her as a woman with a hardened heart, they instinctively turned to Jasper. Soaked and shivering, they gazed at him with pitiful eyes.

Jasper remained silent, turning to leave.

Cooper growled, seemingly craving a hot dog.

With their ruthless demeanor and weaponry, the girls didn't dare to follow. One of them helped a boy who had been scared to the point of wetting himself, and the siblings began to sob.

Another girl noticed the bag of grain on the ground and quickly picked it up. As people slowly emerged from the cave, her face turned pale, and she ran away with the bag of grain.

After leaving, Stella avoided the path the villains had taken and instead took a detour through other forests.

Crossing two mountains, they found an abandoned quarry.

After pondering for a moment, Stella asked, "Does the villa in Newtown have a garden wall?"

Jasper had never lived in a villa but assumed it didn't. Not only was there no garden wall, but they would also have to provide their windows and doors. It was a basic shell of a house.

Feeling unsafe without a wall, Stella crouched down to pick up stones. And so, the trio and Cooper spent the night in the quarry, picking up stones the next day. They collected enough to build a garden wall three to four meters high.

"No," Stella smiled subtly to others’s questin, "we have some family matters to attend to."

Back at Building 5, the rabbits obediently returned to their hut, laying down in frustration. They were fed up with being taken out and eating grass; hopefully they wouldn't be called upon next time.

After spending a few days in the mountains where the humidity was high at night and they had to work during the day, they were exhausted. Home was the most comfortable place.

Washing up, they crawled into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

After a long rest, they woke up feeling much refreshed.

Stella had been lazing around for two days, and began to get busy again.

She set aside a plot in Arcadia specifically for growing medicinal herbs. Each type of herb was planted separately, giving them ample space to thrive.

Particularly the Dragonlily Jasper had pointed out, Stella took extra care in nurturing it, hoping to see if it would truly mutate when it grew.

In less than a month, it felt like the Griffith River was about to be drained by the diligent members of Eastwood Eden. Every two days, a large truck would come to collect river sand.

They didn't want the stones, as hauling them from here to Hope Bay would consume too much fuel. Many survivors would collect and crush the stones near Hope Bay, then transport them to the construction site using loaders or wheelbarrows.

The scavenging teams had turned over every stone in the vicinity and had to go further afield. On several occasions, they almost got into fights. If it weren't for sticking together for survival, it was uncertain whether they could have made it back.

Mark made a special trip to Hope Bay. Newtown was under construction, bustling with activity and brimming with vitality.

Not only were refugees being recruited, but there was also a particular need for workers with construction experience and young people who were willing to work hard. If the returns from scavenging decreased, they could be arranged to work as construction workers to continue earning points. At least they would be provided with food and shelter.

The buildings would take at least half a year to be completed, but it was indeed time to take action.

Storing things in Arcadia and then handing them over all at once would be too conspicuous.

After discussion, they decided to hand over the goods in batches at different times, and the points should not be assigned to one person.

The villa required 50,000 points. If they were all assigned to Stella, Jasper and Rosie would each have to save for a two-bedroom property.

So, Stella took their dog, Jasper took his sister, and they set off for Hope Bay in a large truck.

Indeed, many people were out scavenging. Some were saving for a house, others were exchanging for survival supplies.

Materials were collected in different areas. Stella handed over a truckload of coiled steel. The steel had been soaked in water and then left in The Garden. Over time, it had oxidized and rusted. To avoid suspicion, Stella also exchanged a few buckets of mud and sprayed it on with a pesticide sprayer.

Rusty and muddy, it was an unsightly sight, but it still drew many envious glances.

The staff members were somewhat surprised, but they didn't question it too much. After all, they had seen more extravagant scenes, with seven or eight trucks arriving in a row, all belonging to wealthy people or former businessmen. Given their demeanor, it was likely they came from wealthy backgrounds.

Once the materials were confirmed to be fine, they submitted their personal details, opened an account, and weighed the materials for points.

The staff member reminded them with a smile, "Keep your card safe, and don't lose it."

Stella put the card into Arcadia and drove to the tile collection area to find Jasper.

Unloading the tiles was a bit of a hassle as they needed to be handled gently. The packaging paper had rotted away, and a lot of mud had stuck to it. But after washing and inspecting the tiles, they were found to be of excellent quality. Given the brand, it wouldn't have been affordable for ordinary people before the apocalypse.

The warehouse staff counted the tiles and asked, "Do you have more? If so, I'll set aside a separate area for them."

"There are about three more truckloads," replied Jasper.

The staff member was pleased. "Alright, please bring them over as soon as possible."

For account opening and card issuance, they provided service with a smile. "You can come directly to me next time, no need to queue." Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

"Thank you," It was better to queue.

After dropping off their load, the duo drove the truck to a secluded spot for a lunch break.

They took a brief respite, loaded up two large trucks with stones, and continued their delivery, with the points credited to Rosie's account.

Cooper, who had been cooped up in the truck all this time, could only whimper. He knew all too well there wouldn't be any points for him.