18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 249

When they woke up naturally, it was already ten in the morning.

After washing up and having breakfast, Stella kept flipping through the "Complete Guide to Herbal Medicine", but she still couldn't figure out the two plants that she brought back from Mount Murray. What the hell was so mysterious about these plants?

Unwilling to give up, she continued to scour the resources on botany that she had downloaded before the disaster, almost driving herself to frustration.

Nevermind, she thought. She'd plant them first and figure them out eventually.

With only two of these plants, Stella treated them with extreme care, gently planting them in her garden.

She also had hundreds of different types of herbs that she had collected from Mount Greenwood. She organized them by their medicinal properties and noted them down in her notebook. Though there were many herbs, not all of them were suitable for treating illnesses on demand.

Stella made a list of common ailments and then made corresponding prescriptions. She checked what she had and what she was missing. To her surprise, she realized that she was missing a lot of essential ingredients. She made a note of the ingredients she was lacking, planning to go out and replace them when she had the chance.

Jasper showed up at dinner time. He came down from upstairs and said, "Those people aren't interested in the crops. They're scouting Eastwood Eden."

Stella thought for a moment, "What do you suggest?"

Did they have to deal with refugees, bandits, or organized crime? She and Jasper could leave without a problem.

If it was within their ability, they could lend a hand from time to time. If it was a large-scale conflict, and the enemies were armed, they wouldn't rush into the fray.

"Did Mark ask you to join?" she asked Jasper.

"He asked for my opinion, but he didn't ask me to join."

This made Stella feel a little better. She was willing to help in a life or death situation, but she didn't want people to take their help for granted.

Dependency could become a habit. If Mark took their help for granted, Stella would refuse, and they might even move away.

Actually, some people in Eastwood Eden had suggested that Mark should involve them in the decision-making process. Mark considered it, but in the end, he said, "Given Jasper and Stella's abilities, they won't have trouble replaceing a place to stay. They're just passing through Eastwood Eden.

"Besides, they've already done so much for us. The last time the bandits attacked Eastwood Eden, they saved us. If it weren't for them, we would've been wiped out before the police or the army arrived.

"They don't owe us anything. I know you're scared and want someone to protect you, but they're not obligated to do so. We need to rely on ourselves. If you always depend on others, what will you do if they leave?

"Listen to me, don't go looking for them. If anything happens, you'll only have yourselves to blame."

With that, Mark continued to arrange work, "We'll split into four groups. If it comes to a fight, everyone but the old and the young will have to fight."

...

Stella didn't openly ask about what was going on in Eastwood Eden, but she kept an eye on things.

When she went downstairs to fetch water, even though people still greeted her with a smile, she could tell something was off. However, they didn't say anything, and the old man who fetched water was the same as always.

On her way back, she bumped into Christian, who was on patrol, "Stella, the Agricultural Institute is distributing seeds. Are you going to pick them up yourself, or should we do it on behalf of the community? If it's the latter, we need to register with IDs." "I have to go out for a bit these days. I'll pick them up on the way."

Christian nodded, "Alright, just remember to pick them up on time. I'm worried they won't distribute them if you're late."

At night, Jasper came out of his study, "There are more people outside. They might make a move tonight."

The midnight sun meant there was no real night, but most people's biological clocks were still set to sleep at night, making it the perfect time to strike.

Stella went back to her room to sleep and left Cooper to keep watch on the balcony.

Around three in the morning, she was woken up by the dog's bark.

Pulling back the curtain, she could see chaos outside. An endless stream of people was armed and moving towards Eastwood Eden.

She quickly grabbed her binoculars and saw men, women, old, and young, all dressed in ragged clothes, their expressions numb yet greedy.

Their disheveled appearance made it clear that they were refugees turned bandits, and there were probably over three hundred of them. With so many bandits gathered in one place, there was definitely someone pulling the strings.

Moreover, they clearly knew that Eastwood Eden had gasoline and sprayers. They weren't recklessly charging in, but instead adopted a siege strategy.

That was right, they were just surrounding Eastwood Eden at a distance.

Stella was almost angry enough to explode, "What the hell do they want?"

Jasper analyzed calmly, "They're waiting for the people of Eastwood Eden to fall into their trap."

If the community members charged out in small numbers, they could surround and kill them. If there were many, they would scatter. If the community members didn't come out, they would steal the crops.

It was a cat-and-mouse game. The community members charged out with their makeshift weapons, and the bandits scattered immediately. As soon as they retreated, the bandits would return.

As long as Eastwood Eden didn't take action, they would rush into the fields to steal crops. The bandits had nothing to lose, but the community members had their homes and food. The psychological pressure was naturally greater on them. Once they were driven to the point of mental collapse and made a mistake, it would be the end for them.

Stella didn't know how Mark felt, but she was seething with rage at these damned bandits.

Jasper remained calm and composed. He scanned the dancing bandits one by one with his binoculars, quickly figuring out the key to the situation. The team's duties were clear, each taking charge of a different direction, while the leader took it upon himself to challenge residents in a relentless round-robin fashion.

"Stella, hand me the sniper rifle."

Rooftop sniping wasn't an option, so Jasper headed upstairs, "Come on, I'll show you the ropes."

She'd learned a few tricks before, but had never truly put it into practice. Stella was instantly intrigued.

On reaching the 10th floor, they flung open the windows, set up the machine gun, and Jasper took aim, "Eight o'clock, the guy in the orange shirt."

Stella, with her binoculars in hand, confirmed, "Got him."

No sooner had she spoken than the silenced sniper rifle went off with a 'pop.'

The man in the orange shirt fell with a thud, causing the miscreants to stop dead in their tracks.

Jasper gave way, "Your turn."

Stella gladly took over the rifle, with him assisting from the side, "Twelve o'clock, the guy in the red shirt."

The target was constantly moving, making it a challenging shot.

Considering her lack of experience and feel, Jasper activated the secondlary scope, "Lock on..."

His sharp eyes remained focused, waiting for the perfect moment, "Fire."

As his words echoed, Stella squeezed the trigger, and the red figure over half a mile away fell instantly.

Once could be luck, but twice was a clear display of skill. After two consecutive deaths, the mobs started to panic, instinctively wanting to retreat to a safe distance.

However, they had clearly underestimated the range of the sniper rifle. Even if they fell back to over a thousand yards, a third man still toppled over.

Three deaths in a row, all of them leaders.

What did that imply?