18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 159

Besides food, the most scarce resource during extreme heat was water.

Stella's Arcadia was equipped with water and electricity, so water was the least of her worries.

Don't be fooled by the well drillers that were busy drilling all day and night. They had once found water, but before they could even pull out, the water source disappeared.

Yes, the surface water was disappearing at a rate that was visible to the naked eye.

The residents of the street where Sunrise Sanctuary was located were lucky. They didn't have to wait long before their turn to drill a well came up. Every day, they could get a bucket of water with their IDs.

But with the water level dropping steadily, they could only get half a bucket a day.

Now, even half a bucket was hard to come by.

At first, Stella would still make a show of carrying a bucket out, but now she didn't even want to pretend. With so little water each day, there was barely enough to cover basic human needs, let alone washing dishes or watering the sweet potatoes. Jasper seemed thoughtful. "Sell water?"

"Or potatoes." The last batch of cold-resistant potatoes hadn't been sold yet, and they had quite a few growing in The Garden. In any case, there would be something suitable for the survivors.

Jasper didn't object to the idea, but he insisted they proceed cautiously. After all, there were plenty of shady dealers out there.

So, as the sun set, Stella led Cooper and Rosie downstairs, intending to leave them with the Moore family.

Upon reaching the door, she saw Amber coming back with a full bucket of water and she couldn't help but wonder. "You managed to get that much water?"

Amber managed a grim smile. "The well on our street has dried up. This is seawater I bought. A pound of potatoes can exchange for a bucket of water. If you need any, hurry up and go. It's just at the street corner. If you delay, I'm afraid it might run out." Seawater? Who in their right mind would sell seawater!

Upon hearing the voices, Katie opened the door, welcoming both of them into the house and giving Stella some life tips. "Stella, seawater is a good thing. It might taste salty and bitter, but there's a way to drink it.

"You just cut open a bottle, make a few small holes at the bottom, line it with clean cloth, and fill it with clean sand and charcoal. They can absorb harmful substances. Layer it several times and you can filter the seawater."

As she spoke, she took out a bottle she had prepared earlier and demonstrated it to Stella. "The filtered water still tastes bitter, but it's much better than before. You have to mix it with some fresh water and boil it before drinking."

Two years into the disaster, even the salt they had been hoarding ran out, but they could extract it from seawater.

In reality, if they had a choice, who would want to drink seawater? But they had no choice. They had to replace a way to survive.

Katie was experienced in life, and Stella nodded and thanked her. "Thank you, Katie. I'll go and get a bucket later."

After leaving the Moore family, Stella and Jasper stepped into the twilight, heading for Peace Square. When they reached the street corner, they indeed saw a spray truck selling water.

Stella was curious, so she went over to watch the commotion. And sure enough, there were people lining up to buy water, exchanging all sorts of goods for it.

If even seawater could sell well, wouldn't fresh water sell even better?

"Hello, are you here to buy water too?" a surprised voice sounded.

Uh, Monkey seemed to be everywhere, a true professional.

Monkey came over with a grin. "Do you live nearby?"

"Just out for a walk. Just passing by." Stella got straight to the point. "How do you sell seawater?"

"It's free."

Stella was taken aback, not getting what he meant immediately.

"It's free for you." Monkey was still all smiles. "It's a favor."

Seawater wasn't expensive to begin with, so he wouldn't lose much by giving it away to her.

Stella was serious. "How do you really sell it?"

Seeing that she didn't look like she was short of water, Monkey told the truth. "A bucket of water for half a pound of rice, or a pound of potatoes or sweet potatoes. Other goods are also acceptable." Stella pretended to be shocked. "Why don't you just rob people?"

Monkey didn't like this. "Don't say things without knowing the whole story. We have to drive more than seventy miles to Swan Hill to get seawater, and the car needs fuel. We also have to pay tolls on the way. We're earning our keep through hard work. Go ask around. Our prices are the most reasonable. Other dealers charge more than twice what we do."

"Look at you, all pitiful." Stella patted his shoulder and left.

Monkey was alarmed. Was she planning to steal his business?

Stella and Jasper walked towards Peace Square and on the way saw several individuals carrying pots and pans, with their belongings on their backs, moving in a distant and numb manner. Griffith was a coastal region without a sea, sandwiched between Swan Hill and Mount Barker in a triangular pattern. Both beaches were within an hour's drive.

Judging by the direction they were heading, they were going against the base, probably heading for the nearest beach to survive.

Monkey's words reminded her, seeking survival at the beach wasn't easy either. There were tolls to pay along the way.

Thinking back to her past life, it was both agonizing and painful. It was truly not easy to survive. This time, she felt lucky to have Arcadia, and people who were willing to share her hardships. As dusk fell, Jasper held Stella's hand, leading the way to the market square with a flashlight.

The market still had quite a few people, but it already lacked the liveliness of the past. Apart from death, there was also the departure, and countless workers. This quietness was to be expected. Beyond food, water was the most lacking.

One could go without food for seven days, but without water, they could only last three. There were very few willing to trade it.

Bottled water and beverages were available, but they could be finished in a few gulps, not solving the major issue.

The two of them walked around but didn't replace any antique or paintings for sale. Instead, they saw people stealing water and running away with it. By the time the stall owner caught up with them, the water was already finished. Even if they were beaten to death, they couldn't vomit it out.

It seemed selling in small quantities wasn't effective. The things she needed weren't in the hands of the lower-class survivors. She had to replace a way to locate those who had the goods.

With no significant gains and a bit worried about the two they had left behind, they didn't waste time and took a shortcut home.

Taking the shortcut was risky. Jasper held Stella's hand tightly, and was on high alert.

"Ahh..."

A scream echoed from a distance. Without a doubt, it was a robbery.

Such things happened every day, if not every moment. Knowing the risks, if one still chose not to take the beaten path, well they needed to prepare for the consequences.

Stella and Jasper continued on their journey, not stopping for anything.

"You blockhead!" a deep, triumphant voice echoed in a foreign language, tauntingly. "You're a piece of trash. Aren't you going to drop dead yet?"

Stella paused in her tracks, slowly turning around.