18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 146

Only the two women of the Moore family were at home, and they were extra cautious. "Who's there?" Recognizing the voice of Amber, Stella spoke up: "It's me, from the 18th floor."

Amber opened the door with a mixture of surprise and anxiety, "Stella, is something wrong?"

Before she could answer, her dog Cooper barreled in, followed by a series of gnashing sounds.

Fearing a misunderstanding, Stella quickly explained, "Some vicious rats have invaded the 18th floor. They're not scared of humans and they chew everything in sight." Katie emerged from her room, "Rats are here?"

From the look on Katie and Amber's faces, it seemed they had already anticipated a rat infestation. They weren't overly shocked, but their eyes reflected worry and unease.

The battle on the balcony between Cooper and the rats was loud and chaotic. The balcony was filled with pots and planters growing sweet potato vines, all of which had been chewed through by the rats. Cooper was quick to act, killing three rats. Two managed to escape, and fresh rat droppings were scattered across the floor.

But the rats weren't limited to the balcony. They had also made their way into the living room, chewing through the sofa to reveal hidden bags of grains. The grain bags were torn open, their contents spilling out.

The women of the Moore family were shocked at the ferocity of the rats and felt a wave of fear wash over them. If their food stock was ruined, they would have no means to survive.

Katie was visibly shaken, "Stella, we really owe you one tonight."

"No problem." Stella replied awkwardly as Cooper started marking his territory around their apartment. "The rats may not be scared of us, but they sure are scared of Cooper." "That's good to know." Katie was an experienced woman who understood the value of Cooper's actions and praised him generously in front of Stella.

Having done everything she could, Stella left with Cooper.

Katie sighed, "What else can we do? Every day is a struggle."

With no sleep in sight, the two women found all the hidden food and locked it in an iron cabinet. They cleaned the balcony with a flashlight, replanting the chewed sweet potato vines and brought them indoors for protection. "What do we do with the dead rats?"

The three rats were not small, each one looking to be about a pound. Amber was torn between fear and anticipation. This was meat after all. But thinking about what the rats had been eating, she felt sick to her stomach.

Katie considered this and reluctantly said, "Let's butcher them, dry the meat and store it. We'll only eat it if we're sure it's safe."

Given the choice, who would willingly eat rat meat? They were simply out of options.

They had some food stored at home, but who knew what the future would hold. It was better to be safe than sorry.

Amber followed her mother-in-law's advice, fighting off revulsion as she worked.

...

With Cooper around, Stella slept soundly until morning. After breakfast, she sat on the sofa, reading a book in front of the air conditioner.

After some time, she heard a commotion from next door, followed by an urgent call from Lukas over the intercom, "Stella, we need backup! Send Cooper over, the rats are back."

Without any hesitation, Cooper opened both doors and dashed to the neighbor's apartment.

Damn rats had invaded their space. The ensuing chase between Cooper, Lukas, and the rats resulted in shattered vases and lamps.

After two hours of intense fighting, they finally managed to kill several vicious rats and threw their bodies on the roof in frustration.

Tired from reading, Stella got up to stretch. Through the glass door, she was surprised to see three rats gnawing at the stainless steel screen that had been chewed through the night before. They were boldly eating away at the glass, ignoring the depleted rat poison beside them.

These brazen creatures were active even during the day, blatantly challenging her in broad daylight. Did they really think she was less intimidating than a dog?

Stella opened the door but they continued without fear, their sharp teeth gnawing at the screen and glass while their red eyes shone with a strange light.

Stella was furious. She grabbed a jug of boiling water from the Arcadia and flung it at them. The rats squealed in agony as they fell from the high-rise balcony into the water below.

It seemed like the people from the 18th floor had it easy compared to the chaos below, where sounds echoed non-stop.

It was a bittersweet situation. The bitterness came from the ruthless and bold rats. The sweetness came from the fact that killing them provided meat.

As for what the mice grew up eating, they couldn't care less. They were almost starving to death anyway. As a result, the survivors not only fought rats in their homes but ventured into vacant apartments and corridors in search of them. Some even made simple rat traps. Of course, there were also those who were bitten by rats in the middle of the night and had to borrow rubber boats to get to the hospital.

With great power comes great responsibility. Cooper was running non-stop between two floors, marking his territory everywhere. It had to be admitted that his urine had a deterrent effect, but it evaporated too quickly in the hot weather.

Seeing the balcony invaded by rats, Cooper quickly topped up his markings. Then, exhausted, he collapsed on the floor, panting heavily, 'Human, I need some Gatorade. I've given my all for this home. If I don't replenish my fluids, I won't be able to pee anymore.' Stella filled a large washbasin with water for him.

Meanwhile, Jasper was also busy. He opened the triple doors on the 17th floor and let Rosie out.

With him by her side, Rosie was free to unleash her skills.

At dinner, Rosie was extremely cheerful, "Stella, I killed several rats today."

Stella was surprised, "How did you kill them?"

"With a crossbow."

With Cooper around, there weren't many rats on the 17th and 18th floors, so Rosie didn't have much chance to practice. That was why her brother took her downstairs.

In two hours, they killed 12 rats.

Stella knew Rosie was a good shot, but she didn't expect her to be this good. She was definitely Jasper's protege.

"Where are the rats?"

Rosie looked at her brother, waiting for his approval before she spoke, "A lot of people downstairs wanted the rats I shot. But my brother said we can't give them away, or they'll become reliant." They were dirty and thin, all bald, and they gave off a foul smell.

While Rosie was scared, she also appreciated her current life more, "Stella, I didn't give them the rats. Instead, I threw them away."

Whoever picked them up, and whoever got sick from eating them, had nothing to do with her.

Stella praised her, "Rosie, you're great."

Rosie was pleased by the affirmation. Not only did she volunteer to wash the dishes, but she also insisted on mopping the floor.

For several days, the red-eyed rats continued to wreak havoc, especially at night. Katie, being a wise woman, came up with a bottle of mineral water asking for Cooper's urine.

Sprinkling it in the areas where the rats frequented was especially effective.

The residents of 1803 were shocked. Cody brought several basins over, "Cooper, we need your help urgently."

The stunned Cooper stumbled backwards; he really did not have any urine left in him.

The city council released the latest news, stating that after testing, the meat of the red-eyed rat was not toxic, but they were carriers of multiple pathogens, which could easily lead to Dengue fever or other diseases. They advised against private consumption. The news caused quite a stir. Rats were edible, better start catching some before others get to them. There was no way that they would hand those rats over to the neighborhood committee.

A spark of interest flickered in Cody, "Stella, shall we join the hunt?"

Stella picked up the walkie-talkie, "You guys do as you please, I have no interest in this endeavor."

With word that many people in the neighborhood had been bitten, she decided it was far safer to lay low and protect her own skin.

That night, the door to the 18th-floor apartment was knocked on.