18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



As dawn broke, Stella, armed to the teeth, hurried off to the battlefield. The scene was a gruesome mess of severed limbs and relentless carnage, with dozens of human bodies strewn across the landscape, their blood trailing off into the distance. Dead Red-eyed Crocs were everywhere too, bullet-riddled but mostly intact.

Jasper was busy collecting the fallen warriors' weapons while Stella crouched to inspect the Red-eyed Crocs. They were about twice the size of regular crocs, clearly mutated, but their skin was smooth and free of any growths, suggesting they hadn't been too affected by the ancient virus. Her thoughts wandered to Blue Blue, her unruly yet lovable companion, prone to fits of scratching but otherwise fine. Nature sure had its quirks. The memory of last night's fierce battle made Stella's brow furrow with worry. Another defeat by Union Base, and they wouldn't take it lying down. They had tanks; what's stopping them from launching missiles next? Underestimating the "Westies" was foolish; their dominance was built on military might. Even without missiles, strutting around in this apocalyptic nightmare meant they had some serious firepower.

Stella eyed the croc carcasses and then stowed them away in Arcadia. After collecting all the croc bodies, she scoured the area and found over two hundred croc eggs. Jasper had scavenged a variety of weapons-submachine guns, pistols, grenades. They didn't bother with the clothes and shoes; they were either shredded by crocs or soaked in blood. The blood trail stretched far and wide, finally fading after two miles. The battle had claimed over sixty crocs and even more human lives.

Together, they discarded the useless bodies into a frozen chasm. For their own safety, this chasm had to go. After disposing of the bodies, Stella fetched some wooden planks, tied them securely with rope, and tossed them into the abyss. Securing the rope to the shore, she made sure the planks wouldn't be swept away. They piled snow onto the planks, then drenched it with water. In the freezing air, the water quickly froze, merging with the snow. After repeating this a few times, the hole was thoroughly sealed. After a day's freeze, no croc would be climbing out of there.

Just as they finished, Ivans arrived, dragging a hefty bag and bubbling with excitement. "Jiang, Huo, I've got meat for you!"

Russia had been watching Union Base, especially with all the commotion lately-it was impossible to miss. Tanks had even been deployed. Ivans, worried that Stella and Jasper might be in pieces, had come to check on them, only to find them unharmed. Australians sure knew how to surprise.

Seeing the blood-stained snow, Ivans was visibly shaken. "What happened here?"

Stella didn't hold back but was selective with her account. "The day before yesterday, Union Base folks showed up, and we blew up their tank, creating this chasm in the ice. Turns out Red-eyed Crocs were climbing up from the sea to lay their eggs. Last night, they tried a sneak attack, probably crushing the croc eggs in the process, which led to a firefight. With all the bodies lying around, we were pretty grossed out, so we tossed them into the sea and patched up the hole."

Ivans was immediately concerned. "You threw all the crocs away?"

"Yeah, didn't want the bad juju."

"Aren't you Aussies supposed to eat anything?" Ivans lamented, knowing the truth. "Croc meat is delicious, you really... what a waste."

The look in his eyes was as if they had chopped off a piece of his own thigh.novelbin

Stella was mildly surprised. "Aren't you afraid of getting infected by the ancient virus?"

"Think I'd praise your Aussie cuisine if you were clueless about food?" Ivans took the opportunity to enlighten them. While it was true that marine life was contaminated by the ancient virus, not all animals were inedible. Smooth, slippery creatures, even if they had grown in size, were safe to consume as long as their bodies remained normal and without growths. If still worried about safety, just make sure it's well-cooked.

Stella was skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, we've been eating them for years. Especially in Siberia, we've even had them raw. If there was any danger, we'd be long gone." In Russia, a meal without meat is akin to death. They'd rather eat meat than live meekly. A life without meat is meaningless. Different cultures, different values-Stella smiled and said no more.

Ivans had come with a purpose, though the friendly gesture was genuine. He knew the ways of Australian hospitality and had brought gifts. "Jiang, Huo, I've brought you presents."

Several pounds of croc and seal meat. Crocs weren't easy to hunt; they had gone to great lengths to catch a few, and people had gotten hurt. Before the disaster, there were seals in the Arctic, but it had been a long time since they'd been seen. Stella was surprised. "Seals are coming back?" "Yeah, they've been surfacing from the sea."

To adapt to the new world, the seals had mutated, becoming more aggressive. But the Russians didn't care-it was either you eat them, or they eat you. That's how they roll. And they weren't reckless eaters; they chose only those that were smooth and well-proportioned.

Living twice, Stella had her own

ways of dealing with the world. She had already flexed her muscles, destroying a Union Base tank. The Russians shouldn't dare to mess with her, but there was no need to make enemies in the Arctic. So, she feigned regret. "Oh Ivans, if only you'd come a bit earlier, wouldn't have thrown over a hundred crocs into the sea. My precious meat!"

"Oh dear Jiang, more and more crocs and seals keep coming from the outskirts, moving inward. With your skills, you won't lack for meat."

He even thought that setting up ice traps for crocs was a viable idea to take back home. His visit was meant to solidify an alliance, thinking they might

be injured and open to persuasion. Yet, they were unharmed, and Union Base's men had been turned away.

Ivans didn't bring it up again, but as he left, he shared a piece of news. "Jiang, Huo, the Arctic ice is growing, and more people are drifting ashore. The outskirts are chaotic, and strong teams are moving inward. It won't be long before people start moving toward your area, keep an eye out."

Stella thanked him. "Will do, stay safe yourself."

As he was about to leave, he threw out a question. "Soon it'll be your Spring Festival, will you be celebrating?"

Ivans knew about the festive and hospitable nature of Australians, half-expecting an invitation to join them. But when no such offer came, he could only touch his nose in disappointment and walk away.

The ice hole was thoroughly sealed off and frozen solid, foiling the crocs' plans to come ashore. That day, just as Stella was settling in for a midday nap, a mournful howl pierced the silence from outside.

Stella reacted instantly, grabbing her

rifle and dashing outdoors. From a distance, she caught sight of Snowflake entangled in a fishing, being dragged onto a snowmobile with great force. Cooper roared furiously, his legs pumping as he sprinted in pursuit. But the gap was too wide, and the snowmobile,

revving to life, quickly vanished toward the far end of the glacier.

Stella ran, shouting at the top of her lungs. "Cooper, come back!"

Cooper, like lightning unleashed, desperately chased in the direction where Snowflake had disappeared...