LOGINNicole asked around and learned that a 16-ounce bottle of fresh water could be traded for one pound of sweet potatoes or regular potatoes.That was the reseller price.Some offered a full liter for just half a pound of grain, but the catch was whether you were willing to follow them somewhere private.Nicole had water stored, so she hadn't realized how severe the shortage had become. No wonder Oakhaven Gardens and the nearby towns were fighting over it.There were also people selling seawater. Survivors lined up with containers in hand.At first, Nicole thought it might be Sven's operation, but when she pushed through the crowd, she realized they were strangers.The water was hauled from the coast near Grayport. With the two criminal bases gone, there was no more extortion or toll collection, so more people had started transporting goods.Prices hadn't dropped, but they hadn't spiked either.One pound of food could be exchanged for half a bucket of seawater, and the sellers wou
Zeph didn't dodge the question. After a moment, he said, "Next time you have class, you can play with them. Half an hour. That's it."Poppy's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Zeph!""When you're with them, don't talk about anything at home, especially what we eat or how we live. If they keep asking or steer things that way, stop talking to them."Poppy nodded. "Got it."They washed up and sat down to eat.The heat made it easy to get sick, so Nicole made a simple meal: bean soup, meatballs, and vegetables. Everything had been cooked earlier, so there was no need to use the stove again.Zeph had only worked half a day and spent the afternoon resting at home.During their nap, he brought up his assessment. "From what I saw today, they're lacking in skill, but overall, they're decent. They work together."Nicole agreed. "That's because of Alex."If things held, this would become their new home.They woke after 3 p.m. and made a list of what they still needed.Nicole planned to head to the
The rat was tied with a thin string and treated like a treasure. The kid even picked sweet potato leaves to feed it, drawing a small crowd of children.It had been a long time since Nicole had heard children laughing. Their skin was dark from the sun, but their smiles were bright, and it lifted her mood.From their chatter, she realized the complex actually had a school, with Alex and a few retirees acting as teachers.Classes were held every two days, free of charge. It was less about formal education and more about giving them something to do and keeping their spirits up."Hurry up! That hero from yesterday is at the sales office. His little sister is so cute! She's really good at fighting. She's showing my brother moves. Let's go watch."It was clear the kids here were relatively well protected. With Alex offering regular counselling, most residents had managed to hold on to a healthier mindset.Compared to the outside, the children weren't as hardened or withdrawn. There was
Two years into the disaster, the alarm batteries in the safes had long since died, so they opened without a sound.Two held gold, and the third was filled with jewelry.Before, Nicole would have been thrilled. Now, she didn't even smile.Her suspicion had been right. The storage space had stopped expanding.Zeph picked up one of the pieces and looked it over. "It's real."For Nicole, everything she had already gained was more than enough, and most of the essentials were already secured, so she took it in stride.Since the storage space wouldn't absorb them, she kept everything herself.Over 300 pounds of gold, plus a large amount of jewelry. She had never had the chance before, but now she could wear something different every day.The storage space was already large, with more than three acres of black soil, but lately, she hadn't had time to organize it. Supplies were piled everywhere, leaving little room for planting.She would need to sort everything out over the next few d
Over the years, both before and after the apocalypse, Nicole had built up quite a collection of books. With the two large bookcases she had taken from Felix, she finally had a place for them and spent some time pulling everything out and organizing it.Medical books, psychology books, practical guides, children's stories, classics, relationship magazines...and an unexpectedly large collection of adult reading material, which she quietly pushed aside without a second look.Felix really did have some questionable tastes.During dinner, the city released an update. Two private criminal bases near the Westbridge and Grayport border had clashed over territory and wiped each other out. Police had rescued 48 women and 9 children, all of whom had been held illegally. They would be relocated properly, and the investigation was still ongoing.Authorities had also seized more than 60 thousand pounds of food along with other supplies, with the inventory still being counted.They urged the p
Once everything was moved in, night had fully fallen, and Zeph and Nicole headed out again to return the truck.As soon as it got dark, the temperature dropped a little, finally giving them some relief.They removed two fire doors and worked together to install them at the building entrance, securing them with chains.Zeph added an alarm so that any attempt to tamper with the lock would set off a sharp warning sound.The hallway became a makeshift garage, and the Hummer fit inside perfectly.They didn't know the residents well yet, and with someone like Alex around, they weren't taking chances.They didn't store the vehicle, but they drained the fuel tank completely.Zeph didn't cut corners. He spent the night installing steel doors on the stairwells, the kind that could be powered, adding another layer of security.Even after dark, the heat still lingered. Cola lay flat on the ground, tongue hanging out, too worn out to move.Poppy wasn't doing much better, sweating even in f
"Three days ago, a family came looking for a place. We were full, so they ended up renting in the fishing village. That same night, they were robbed and stabbed."I heard their eight-year-old boy was killed, and even the body was taken."It's chaos out there now. If you don't renew, someone else w
Following the direction of the shots, Zeph pushed through the brush and found two bodies on the ground.Nicole shone her flashlight over them and saw a single red mark between each man's brows.From the way they had fallen, one had been dropped instantly. The other had tried to get up and run.He
It sounded like Nicole was asking Zeph, but maybe she was asking herself, too."We're only at the beginning," Zeph said. "We'll live long enough to see the end of it."We.Nicole thought about that and realized he was right. She was only in her early twenties, and Zeph was only a few years older.
Sven didn't bother dressing it up. "Along with the Ocean Star necklace from last time, Jake can add a piece of raw emerald. I can guarantee it's better than the one you got before."Medicine saved lives, but these drugs weren't as valuable as the vaccine. If Sven really put in the work, he could







