18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 221

Packing up, they moved away from the ground fissures.

There were probably aftershocks, so the two decided against returning home, planning to spend another night in the open.

They found a spot about a hundred meters away from the fissure and the factory. With no dangerous obstacles around, it was a good spot for camping.

Stella pulled a pop-up tent from her backpack. For the three of them and the dog, a large tent was necessary. She had chosen one with two bedrooms and a living area.

Jasper called Rosie over and showed her how to set up a tent in the wilderness.

Stella walked to a higher ground, pulling out a pair of binoculars to look towards the city.

The city, once filled with towering skyscrapers, was gone. Just like that, silently wiped off the face of the earth.

All around, remnants of human civilization were almost entirely destroyed.

Despite having gone through this once before, Stella still felt a chill down her spine, her palms sweaty.

Griffith, where she had lived for twenty years, was now lifeless. Nothing like the lively city it was before the disaster.

Inside the escape pod and outside were two entirely different worlds. She had been safe inside the escape pod, only to emerge to a world turned upside down.

Before sunset, Jasper had successfully set up the tent and filled the air mattress with a pump.

Instructing Rosie and Cooper not to wander off, he walked towards Stella, who was bathed in the golden glow of the sunset. "What's up?" he asked.

Stella handed him the binoculars. Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

Looking at the destruction, Jasper finally said, "The city officials issued a warning in advance. I believe many people are able to survive."

It wouldn't be as brutal as the last time, where dead bodies were scattered everywhere.

The tent was well-ventilated, but it wasn't enough against the heat. Stella took out a fan, added some ice cubes and made a glass of chilled juice for each of them. "To surviving the disaster," she toasted.

They had a light lunch, but dinner was a bit more elaborate: rib soup, eggplant Parmesan, and a salad.

At the same time, they kept the solar light dim. After all, they were in the open. What if the smell of food or the bright light attracted others?

After dinner and a quick wash, Rosie nestled in the room watching cartoons.

Stella asked Jasper, "How did you spend the day of the earthquake in your previous life?"

It was a long time ago, and Jasper took a moment to recall, "It happened suddenly, without any warning. I was in my dormitory, sleeping after two days of nonstop work. Then the ground started shaking."

He fell off the bed and couldn't stand steadily, his body injured by the falling furniture.

Hhis forehead was broken, and blood flowed out. But with years of training, he quickly rushed out of the dormitory, and the next moment the house collapsed loudly.

After the earthquake, he hurried to dig out his friends buried in the house.

During the process, several aftershocks occurred, and many people involved in the rescue were injured one after another. Most of the soldiers dug out by their bare hands were dead.

With high temperatures, earthquakes, and suffocation, most people couldn’t survive.

They didn't even have time to grieve for their fallen friends, and immediately threw themselves into the task of rescuing survivors, working for several days without rest.

The memory was painful. Jasper held Stella's hand, "What about you, Stella?"

His question caught Stella off-guard. She realized that he knew about her rebirth all along.

Stella glanced at him, "I was alone, out looking for food. I wasn't in the Sunrise Sanctuary when the earthquake happened. I was injured by flying rocks, and the wound got infected. I was unconscious for a long time."

After waking up, there were bodies of victims everywhere. She rummaged for a long time to find some food, and kept going on. However, in the end, she couldn't escape the tragic end.

Stella leaned gently against Jasper's shoulder and looked up at the star-filled sky. "Look, such a beautiful starry sky, twinkling like it's studded with diamonds."

From what she remembered, the industrialized Griffith had long lost such a charming night sky.

The sky was so dark, the stars so bright, and the moon untainted by dust. Who could imagine that under the stunning night sky, mountains and rivers shattered, buildings collapsed, and beneath the

ruins lay bodies, countless survivors without homes.

The topic was too heavy, and Jasper didn't speak, just sat quietly by her side, their fingers tightly interlocked.

Suddenly, another aftershock hit.

Stella quickly deployed the escape pod. Jasper crawled into the tent and saw Cooper pulling Rosie's clothes. Once again, they all climbed into the escape pod.

Several aftershocks occurred throughout the night, so they decided to stay in the escape pod. Although it was a bit cramped compared to the spacious tent, it was safer.

Close to dawn, Jasper nudged Stella, signaling her to pack up.

Rosie and the dog went back to sleep in the tent. Stella packed up the escape pod, stretched to relieve fatigue, and then crawled into the tent to sleep.

She complained that Jasper was too close, "Move away. It's too hot."

Jasper mumbled, "You forgot when you were holding me tight?"

Stella blushed, lightly kicking him.

Jasper caught her foot, "Easy, don't wake up Cooper."

"I should tell him to bite you."

Just as she finished speaking, a pair of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, startling her, "Cooper, go away!"

Cooper left with a pitiful look on his face.

Stella and Jasper woke up early, brushed their teeth, ate breakfast, packed up the tent, and set off on foot.

They smeared dirt on their faces and clothes to blend in, wary of any dangers along the way. Each of them had a hiking stick for defense.

Jasper led the way with Rosie, and Stella had Cooper on a leash. They couldn't separate.

It was just after six in the morning. The sky wasn't fully bright, but it was clear enough to see.

Jasper walked ahead, warning the others of any roadblocks or dangers.

As they moved closer to the city center, the number of collapsed buildings increased. People were rummaging through the ruins, and the faint sound of children crying could be heard.

Before they even got close, a little girl about eight or nine years old was frantically waving her arms, her voice choked with sobs as she pleaded for help, "Mister, Miss, please help my mom."