18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 148

Most women shuddered at the sight of serpents, their slimy, slithering bodies being the stuff of nightmares. Especially the mutated snakes after natural disasters, they were not only gigantic but also had ghastly appearances.

Stella instinctively backed away, about to grab her weapon to fight the snake, when Jasper, quick as a flash, pulled her behind him. With one swift, ruthless swung of his shovel, the snake was decapitated, a gush of fresh blood immediately following.

Stella can't quite remember when the snake infestation started, perhaps when the floodwaters receded to the sixth floor. Now, with the waters having receded to the fifth floor, only a single snake appeared, a far cry from the horrifying swarms of the past.

Stella had prepared a lot of sulfur powder, but she found no use for it.

This was due to the city's active pest control measures. With the environment improving, the pests decreased. This time, the snakes probably didn't stand much of a chance.

Just as the snake was killed, a man emerged from a corner, with desperation and pleading in his eyes, "Can I have the snake?"

He was a skinny man, his face covered in grime. His clothes were so filthy you couldn't tell their original color. Before he even approached, a foul stench wafted from him.

Seeing no response, he begged, "Please, I haven't eaten in days."

Jasper didn't give him the snake, instead using his shovel to toss it outside. There was garbage floating on the water, and the snake landed with a splash. As the two rowed away in their dinghy, Stella looked back to see the man diving into the murky water to retrieve the snake.

It was right not to give it to him. Jasper had only gone downstairs once with Rosie to hunt rats, and the next day people were already waiting to scavenge. If this happened again, they would probably be bold enough to ask for supplies from the 18th floor.

Despite their ragged appearances, their eyes were even more sinister than before. The only reason they acted subserviently was because the 18th floor held an absolute advantage. If the 18th floor was ever overthrown, they would certainly be the first to charge up with knives.

So, you can avoid causing harm, but never be too generous. The lessons of the past were enough.

Upon reaching the neighborhood committee to deliver their catch, they found canned food from the food factory had arrived.

The canned food was without any labels. The cans were simple and unadorned, each weighing about 230 grams.

The staff knew that the 17th and 18th floors of the Sanctuary were a team due to their frequent appearance, so they distributed the supplies together.

For over 1500 pounds of rats, they were given 150 cans of food. Their backpacks were packed full, attracting envious glances.

Upon leaving the committee, several greedy people followed them. The two communicated with their eyes, steering their dinghy at high speed through the water, splashing dirty water on those tailing them, causing them to jump and curse.

As per the agreement, the Moore family received 75 cans of food.

Katie, a cunning old woman, insisted on sharing some with the 18th floor. "You did most of the work. You should take more."

"We agreed beforehand on how we would divide it."

Moreover, Stella suggested they stop hunting rats. Firstly, there were fewer rats and it was not cost-effective to spend so much time and energy. Secondly, with no secrets in this world, they'd already been noticed and there was a high possibility they could be ambushed while delivering the rats.

With the rapid decrease in red-eyed rats, once the rat-catching sound wave was switched off, it was very unlikely that they'd climb to the 17th or 18th floor.

Katie agreed and put away the rat traps.

The remaining canned food, excluding Cooper and Rosie, was distributed equally amongst those who took turns working, each person receiving 15 cans.

Once they were back in their room, Stella curiously asked, "Have you ever eaten canned rat meat?"

"I have." Jasper handed over his share to her for safekeeping, "It's not great, quite tasteless."

Now that they were not lacking in supplies, there was no need to eat canned rat meat. They could save it for when resources were scarce.