18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 179

Having tidied the room, the two, accompanied by their dog, sat down to lunch in their humble abode in Arcadia. Rosie, however, was still fast asleep in the room. Knowing that time in Arcadia was precious, Jasper didn't rest. Instead, he helped Stella harvest the green beans in The Garden.

The beans were not yet mature, still in the green bean phase. The leaves and beans bore a vibrant green hue.

Given the long days ahead, Stella decided to turn them all into pickled beans. She figured it would be a good pastime to munch on them alongside some jerky. Cooper, the dog, was not one to be outdone. He bit into the bean sprouts and pulled them out at a remarkable speed, albeit with a lack of precision.

He was really competitive!

Harvesting the beans, washing them, adding pickling spices, and cooking them was their routine.

After teaching Jasper the process, Stella returned to her room for a nap. Waking around five, she was about to roll over when she felt a hand resting on her waist. Jasper was spooning her, fast asleep. Had she been that sound asleep? She hadn't even heard him enter the room. Was she too relaxed, or was he just that stealthy? Stella nudged him, "Quit pretending, I know you're awake."

Jasper opened his eyes, only to pull her closer. With their bodies close and eyes locked, she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. Stella felt her mind go blank, her gaze involuntarily shifted away. Suddenly, Jasper leaned in for a kiss. Stella froze for a moment, feeling her body betray her. She didn't push him away. And so, they found comfort in each other's presence.

He didn't push things further. He held her for a long while before his breathing steadied, "Stella, do you think the marriage office is still open?"

Stella considered, "Probably not."

"Once this disaster is over, we'll go and get our marriage certificate."

Stella threw a pillow at him, "I never said anything about marrying you."

Jasper gazed at her, "But I want to take care of you. Aren't you going to give me a chance?"

"Bark, bark, bark!"

Outside, Cooper was causing a commotion, calling for his trainer to start their practice. Jasper felt exasperated as his confession was interrupted.

Stella laid on the bed, laughing so hard it hurt, "Go on, Cooper is calling you."

Jasper was incredibly patient with Cooper, starting their workout with a warm-up run, followed by twists, jumps, and crawls. In the end, Cooper collapsed on the grass, panting and unable to get up. Jasper crouched down to encourage him, "Good boy, we'll continue tomorrow."

After dinner around seven, Jasper initiated, "Stella, shall we go out and take a look?"

Stella had been wanting to say that. Time was precious, and she didn't want to waste it. At this time, it was already dark outside, which meant they were less likely to be spotted.

Rosie was strapped back into her safety harness. Stella caressed her cheek, "Sorry, kiddo. All for the sake of peace and friendship."

Once ready, they quickly left Arcadia.

The escape pod had been pushed about ten meters out by the waves when it was retracted back into Arcadia. Thankfully, it had landed on a flat area rather than the villa's rooftop. Otherwise, it would have rolled all the way down from the hilltop. The good news was that the tsunami had receded. However, the roar of the waves could still be heard in the distance. It seemed like the sea was still restless.

Stella took out her night-vision binoculars, but the tsunami had destroyed everything. The sea was pitch dark, devoid of any light.

It was too far away, beyond their field of vision. Presumably, the sea hadn't receded to a safe distance yet.

After retracting the escape pod back into Arcadia, Stella was about to return to the villa with her flashlight when Cooper suddenly tensed up, growling softly. Jasper furrowed his brows, "Someone's in the villa."

That wasn't surprising. Given the number of people on the beach, it was likely that some had survived. As for what kind of people they were, that was another story. Jasper wanted to investigate. He handed Rosie over to Cooper, "Stay here with Rosie, and wait for us to come back."

Cooper took on the task, staying close to Rosie.

The two changed into bulletproof vests and quietly approached the villa. Faintly, they could see the flicker of firelight. Having lived there for a month, Stella knew her way around. She saw that the villa's front door was wide open. On the ground was a fire pit for light, and there were about almost twenty people, either sitting or standing. Their clothes were ragged, and their faces were dirty. Their eyes were all fixed on a man lying unconscious on the ground.

Judging by their appearances, they were the lowest class of refugees.

The unconscious man on the ground was dressed in a camouflage uniform, appearing to be a soldier. Stella took a closer look and found him vaguely familiar. It seemed like she had seen him somewhere.

She had rarely interacted with soldiers since they arrived at the beach a month ago. The only time was...

He was actually the soldier who had distributed relief supplies.

He was seriously injured, his uniform stained with blood. His thigh was particularly bloody because of a tourniquet. His face was pale, indicating significant blood loss. Being injured to this extent in a tsunami was tantamount to a death sentence. Apparently, the people surrounding him realized this. Their expressions were complex and conflicted.

Having survived three years in a post-apocalyptic world, Stella knew exactly what those looks meant. Simultaneously, she noticed something off about Jasper. She gently held his hand, sensing his icy stiffness and the barely concealed murderous intent. He was completely different from his usual self.

"I'll go first."

A raspy voice sounded. A man pulled out a rusty knife from his pocket, "One stab each. No exceptions."

A child next to him looked scared and stuttered, "But, that man saved... saved us."

The man smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, "Kid, are you hungry?"

The child shrunk back, retreating into the crowd without uttering another word. The others remained silent as well.

The man gripped his knife and stepped forward. The fire pit flickered, casting eerie shadows on the man's face, making him appear devilish.

Stella stepped forward with her assault rifle, "Well, what a lively gathering."

Everyone was startled and turned to look at her.

She was beautiful, clean, and rosy-skinned. They couldn't remember the last time they had seen such a beautiful woman.

The man's eyes nearly popped out of his head, but seeing the assault rifle in her hands, he was soon overcome with fear. Just as he was about to speak, a tall, stern man walked in, also holding a gun.

Watching the two stand side by side, the man quickly hid his knife and put on a pitiful smile, "Sir, ma'am, our belongings were washed away by the tsunami. The hero who saved us is injured. Do you have any food or medicine?"

Stella didn't bother to waste her breath on them, "I'll give you two options. One, get as far away from here as you can. Two, I'll slaughter all of you."

"But, ma'am..."

Jasper fired a shot without warning, accurately piercing the man's ear. The man wailed, clutching his bleeding ear.

Stella glanced at everyone present, "I have a temper, and I don't like to repeat myself."

The crowd felt a sense of reluctance, yet noticing the murderous intent in the eyes of the two, their fear of death prevailed. They had no choice but to disperse.

"Wait, we can't just abandon a hero!" A cunning one suddenly said.

A few turned back, rushing to help the unconscious soldier lying on the ground.

Stella pointed her assault rifle at his head, "Or, I could just put you out of your misery and let them take you."

The man was trembling with fear, eradicating his last shred of courage and scattered like a frightened bird.

Stella stepped forward, only to replace the soldier unconscious with high fever and multiple stab and slash wounds on his body. She stared at him for a while. After a moment of hesitation and struggle, she took out water, antibiotics, and medical supplies for treating wounds from Arcadia. If it were anyone else, Stella might not have reached out to help. But looking at the unconscious man, she couldn't help but think of Jasper in his last life.