18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 40

Stella scrutinized her surroundings, spotting traces of rabbit droppings.

Cooper was always starving before, so he valued survival supplies more than she did, not even sparing the wild rabbits..

Stella searched around and indeed found a burrow. She quickly blocked it with mud. Before long, a grey figure emerged from the burrow, scampering away.

Cooper chased after it, seizing it by its neck and slamming it to the ground. After a few rounds, the wild rabbit lay motionless.

Cooper then brought the carcass back to Stella, wagging its tail to ask for praise. Good boy!

After petting Cooper, Stella resumed her exploration, pulling out another rabbit from the burrow.

In the end, she found three more medium-sized rabbits. A whole rabbit family now clustered together.

Wild rabbits were not worth rearing like farm rabbits, especially since she and Cooper were not lacking in meat. She swiftly killed them and threw them into the Arcadia.

On her way back, she made a detour to the place where the pig was slaughtered and collected all the construction materials piled up in other buildings into the Arcadia.

When the Arcadia bag made things disappear, Cooper's eyes widened with fear. “Woof!”

Stella patted its head. “Don't worry. I know magic.”

By the time she got back to the apartment, it was getting late. As usual, countless eyes were peeping at her. They felt relaxed when they saw Stella returning with just a bundle of firewood.

Seemed like the people living on the 18th floor weren’t always so lucky.

As soon as she entered the building, Cody greeted her, “Why are you back so late? Lukas and I were just about to go out looking for you.”

Stella replied, looking weary, “I searched several places. Couldn’t find any dog food. I didn’t even see any moldy bread.”

“Everything nearby has been thoroughly checked. Finding something is not easy.” Lukas seemed worried. “I heard some blocks have been looted. We need to be careful even if we don't venture out.”

After a few words, Stella went into the house to change her raincoat and pull up the greens growing on her balcony.

The vegetables, nourished by a nutrient solution, were growing well, albeit their leaves were slightly yellow. They looked different from those grown under normal sunlight, but on rainy days, this was already quite good.

Eating only meat was not good for the stomach. She picked up a bag of mushroom spawn and went to apartment 1803.

The trio were very surprised. Not only did Stella have fresh vegetables, but she also had mushrooms. “Stella, you should go on a survival challenge show.”

“I'm just lucky. When I moved out, I happened to buy a box of mushroom spawn online. I didn't expect them to actually grow into mushrooms.”

“Is there anything you can't do?”

“Following Stella, we definitely won't starve.”

The atmosphere was cheerful, and they busied themselves in the kitchen.

Soon, Jasper and Rosie came over to help, bringing ten eggs and half a pound of pasta.

“Stella, it's good to have you home.” Angela smiled, “When you're not here, the 18th floor feels so quiet. But look at it now, so lively.”

Stella was in a good mood. “Wait and see. I'll show you what I can do tonight.”

She led the group, who were inept at cooking, and started the lively night. Cody chopped ribs. Lukas cleaned lean meat. Angela picked vegetables, and Rosie clung to the mushroom. “Stella, I want to grow mushrooms too.”

Rosie was so well-behaved, and Stella nodded. “Sure, I'll give you one tomorrow. Be sure to take good care of it.”

Rosie looked at Jasper as if seeking his approval. “Jasper.”

Sensing the longing in her eyes, Jasper said, “Remember to thank her.”

Rosie happily threw herself at Stella. “Thank you, Stella. I can grow mushrooms.”

Stella stroked her hair. “Take good care of it.”

Lukas nearly cut his hand while chopping the meat, so Stella took over. She thinly sliced the meat, marinated it with a little oil, starch, and salt.

The stew seasoning was first fried in the pot, and then poured into the pot for boiling. She added a few green onions and dried matsutake mushrooms.

The living room of 1803 was large. They closed the doors and windows, and placed the pot on a portable gas stove. Soon the strong aroma of the stew filled the room.

Everyone gathered around the pot. Their faces were beaming with smiles. The mere scent of it is enough to make their mouths water.

The ribs went into the pot, and the marinated lean meat could be taken out after one minute of cooking.

“This is heaven.” Cody's tongue was scalded. “The meat is so tender and tasty.”

The others didn't hesitate, using the spoon to grab more food.

Rosie couldn't eat spicy food, so Jasper picked non-spicy food for her. Angela teased her, “Rosie, is Stella's cooking as good as your brother's?”

Rosie carefully glanced at her brother, and then smiled sweetly. “Jasper's is also delicious.”

It was a lie. Everyone knew Jasper's cooking was really bad, even worse than the cooking of Lukas, who was a freeloader.

“Where's Cooper?” Cody asked, turning around to look for him.

Stella spoke between mouthfuls, “At home.”

“Why not call him over? He's part of our team now.” Angela liked Cooper. “Cooper is amazing. He knows immediately if there's any movement downstairs. It’s like he has superpower.”

Cooper was very energetic. Lukas and even Cody weren't a match for him.

“When he watches the house, we can finally have a good night's sleep.”

Rosie also liked Cooper, and everyone agreed to call him over. From now on, they had to work together. Everyone should be treated in the same way.

Stella was moved. “Okay.”

She opened the door to let Cooper in with his food bowl.

Rosie picked up a rib from her own bowl and secretly stuffed it into Cooper's mouth.

She and Cooper couldn't have spicy food, so they had to pick ribs in the second pot, which tasted sweet and delicious.

Cody brought out a few cans of beer. “Come on, we finally had a good meal today. Let's celebrate!”

Everyone had a can. Rosie drank Sprite, and Cooper had rib soup. “Woof!”

Lukas sighed with a beer in his hand, “If it weren't for the flood downstairs, who would know it's the apocalypse based on our dinner tonight?”

Cody was trying to lighten the mood, “Look forward. As long as we work together, every day will be like this.”

After they ate most of the meat, they made some veggies to balance it out.

The wax gourd was brought by Stella. This vegetable was durable and could last for several months without spoiling. The mushrooms were delicious, leaving a lingering taste in the mouth.

They hadn't eaten vegetables since the storm started. Now they had the chance, they just wolfed them down.

“Without Stella, I would forget what vegetables taste like.”

“The nutrient solution we brought back is good. It can promote the rapid growth of vegetables. We won't lack vegetables in the future.”

This was good news, so everyone was excited.

Having egetables cheered everyone up. Engaging in lively conversation over a meal, they finally served some pasta, filling up their bellies in a satisfying way.

Despite having a decent stockpile of supplies, Angela and Lukas were careful with their consumption, under the constant advice of Cody. Today's meal, however, was a treat!

It felt like a dream. Perhaps, when they woke up, the flood would recede and they would be back in their familiar world. There would be no apocalypse. Every night, they dreamed, but the dreams were always filled with water. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Today's meal helped to release the pent-up tension in their hearts, allowing them to muster up the courage to keep going. They believed that one day, this natural disaster would end, and they would be able to return to their former peaceful lives.