18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 86

Listening to his description, Stella figured the situation didn't seem too dire, and asked casually, “Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet, Rosie's on it.”

Rosie cooking breakfast? She couldn’t even reach the stove.

“She has to learn eventually.”

True, in a post-apocalyptic world, kids needed to be pragmatic to survive.

Suddenly, a scream of pain came from Rosie over the walkie-talkie. “What happened?” Stella asked. She hoped it wasn’t like when Jasper got burned by hot oil.

The walkie-talkie went silent.

Feeling guilty as Rosie was only learning to cook because of her, Stella left her room and headed for apartment 1801. “Rosie?”

After knocking several times, the door finally opened. Rosie was fine. She had volunteered to take care of her injured brother and started by learning how to cook breakfast.

She couldn't reach the pot, so she stood on a stool. She accidentally fell off but thanks to her quick reflexes, she managed to adjust her landing and didn't injure herself.

However, her spirits were low as she sat there. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Sis, am I useless? I can't even make breakfast.” It looked like she was about to burst into tears.

“No.” Stella consoled her, patting her head. “You're only five and you're already learning to cook breakfast, you're doing great. Jasper just started learning recently too.”

Jasper, who was mentioned, was at a loss for words. Finally, he joined in comforting her. “That's right. Rosie, you’re way better than me.”

Feeling guilty for the lack of breakfast, Stella asked, “What do you want to eat, Rosie? I'll teach you how to make it.”

“Pie.” Rosie finally smiled. “My brother wants some pie.”

And so, Rosie climbed back onto the stool, with Stella carefully instructing her at the side. Cooper got up and leaned against the stove. He wanted to learn too!

If it weren't for the apocalypse, Stella would have sent Cooper off to dog college. He might’ve even come back with a degree.

Rosie was surprisingly good at it, from boiling water to washing dishes and wiping the table.

Stella, however, wasn't pleased. She looked worried. Jasper was wealthy, so wthere was no way Rosie learned these chores out of necessity. She must have been forced by her ruthless uncle.

Thinking of Jasper's tough, no-nonsense character, Stella couldn't help but wonder, what happened to his uncle's family in the end? Of course, that was Jasper’s personal matter, and Stella wouldn't pry.

As the two of them and Cooper stayed in the kitchen, Jasper stood by the kitchen door. Even Jasper himself might not have noticed the slight smile on his face.

Admittedly, Rosie was a much better cook than Jasper. Feeling proud, she carefully sent a slice to Jasper. “Jasper, try the pie I made.”

She also served Stella and Cooper.

“I've eaten. I’ll pass.”

Cooper, the greedy dog, ran home and fetched Stella's washbasin from the bathroom, sort of demanding Rosie to “Fill it up!”

Feeling embarrassed like she had neglected Cooper, Stella tugged his ear. “These are filled with chives. You can't eat them. You'll get sick.”

Cooper froze, feeling devastated. Not wanting to die yet feeling unsatisfied, Cooper grabbed the washbasin and left.

Jasper sat at the dining table, first complimenting Rosie before looking up at Stella. “You sure you don't want any?” Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Stella declined, “I've eaten.”

Even if she hadn't eaten, she wouldn't easily accept food from others. In a post-apocalyptic world, taking someone else's food was equivalent to taking their life, even if Jasper was wealthy.

After Jasper finished eating, Stella finally spoke, “You need to apply some medicinal wine to your wound.”

She was professional about it, but Jasper felt awkward. “I'll have Rosie do it later.”

Rosie quickly chimed in, “I'll help brother.”

Thankful for his gentlemanly behavior, Stella breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as they finished eating, there was a knock on the door. Cody and Lukas came over to learn how to make bamboo arrows. Seeing Stella there, the two of them didn't find it strange, and instead exchanged glances.

Though Jasper’s shoulder was injured, he was still able to teach Cody and Lukas in the living room.

First, they had to cut the bamboo to the right length, shave it round with a knife, and then harden it with fire to increase its toughness.

Since they were all capable, they learned quickly and worked diligently. Cody voiced his doubts, “Jasper, crossbows are great, but in winter, people wear thick clothes. It's hard to penetrate them and cause fatal injuries.”

“That's why you need to improve your shooting skills and aim for their eyes.”

Cody was shocked. How was that possible! The eyes were such a small target, and people were moving targets too. It was too difficult!

What could they do if they couldn't do it? They had to train hard; it was better than waiting to die.

Stella eased their worries. “You can aim for their face. Scarves are relatively thin.”

Relieved by her words, they both said, “Stella, you're the best.”

“Mhm, don't compare yourselves to me. I'm aiming for the eyes.”

Cody was taken aback and speechless. He felt like giving up!

Despite the cold, the three of them joked around and the atmosphere in the room was pleasant. Jasper occasionally joined in, while Rosie played with Cooper on the side.

Lukas casually asked, “Jasper, do you have any spare thermal clothes? Give us a couple, and we'll give you a homemade bulletproof vest later.”

After some thought, Jasper finally agreed.

With more hands to help, they quickly made a large bundle of bamboo arrows, but the arrows would be used up quickly, and they needed to stock up more for the next few days.

Jasper’s injured, so training had to be postponed. Stella went home and did some squat exercises with Cooper. After a while, she felt something was off, and she quickly went to find Jasper. “I feel like Cooper has gotten bigger.”

“He's been exercising daily. His muscles have developed.”

“No, not only is he heavier, but his overall size has increased.”

Stella was serious, so Jasper asked Cooper to lay down and checked his body.

Cooper was a mature dog, his bones should have stopped growing. Jasper, being a professional trainer, had checked this before taking him in. As he checked, his brow furrowed. Compared to a few months ago, there was indeed some change.

Not only Cooper’s bones were bigger, but his fur was also denser. His paws had grown larger and the paw pads had thickened.

Even Jasper couldn't provide an explanation to these changes. "Faced with the harshest of climates, humans use their intellect and resources to protect themselves. When it's cold, they bundle up in layers, and when they're sick, they take medicine to recover. But animals have no choice but to confront the onslaughts of natural disasters, forcing their bodies to mutate rapidly to adapt to the harsh environment."

Mutation?

This thought struck Stella like a bolt of lightning. She recalled the roaches from her previous life in the south. Their teeth were razor-sharp, and the rats were massive in size. The snakes’ reproduction rate became astronomical. Without exception, they were all ferocious creatures.

A chill ran down Stella's spine. No wonder Cooper's appetite had been increasing and he was becoming more aggressive. "Would this evolution cause him to lose his original nature?"

"Survival of the fittest - most will become more ferocious, but those with higher intelligence can be guided accordingly."