18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 218

Stella had given him barley seeds, fresh and well-preserved. Barley was pretty easy to grow, requiring far less water than rice. Monkey was thrilled, knowing the seeds could be sold for a good price.

Storing the seeds in Arcadia, Stella rode back home on her bike.

When she got back, she relayed all the information she had gathered from Monkey to Jasper, "It seems not just the middlemen know about the mutation of seafood, but many wealthy folks are in the know as well. They just keep quiet to protect their own interests and safety."

Jasper nodded in agreement, "In these times of disaster, everyone is just trying to survive. They aren't going to worry about others."

Leaning on his shoulder, Stella asked, "We've stocked up on so much seafood, should we still eat it?"

With his arm around her, Jasper replied, "Haven't we been eating it for months now?"

That was true, but they decided to be more cautious in the future, avoiding anything that looked abnormal.

Despite the extreme heat, the sweet potatoes on the large terrace had managed to survive under the shade and regular watering.

Rosie had been taking care of them enthusiastically. Though she was still recovering from her concussion, she was always finding things to keep herself busy.

The terrace's sweet potatoes were just a cover, though. If they had to rely on them, they would have starved.

Stella expended a considerable amount of mental energy, and the six acres of cornfields in Arcadia were finally planted.

While they were having lunch, the radio announced the latest city government news, advising people to stop consuming mutated seafood.

Due to the extreme heat catastrophe, the melting of polar ice caps, and the contamination of the oceans by ancient viruses, sea creatures underwent mutations. Mutated marine products grew rapidly, expanding in size several times or becoming deformed.

Not only seafood, but seaweed was affected as well. The safety of sea salt was still being researched, and it was also not recommended for consumption.

The virus types were diverse, and the risks were still unclear. Some could cause acute gastroenteritis, neuralgia, organ infection, etc., mainly spreading through food. The government urged citizens to be careful when buying seafood to avoid harm.

The broadcast had just ended when Mark repeated the message over the loudspeaker, reminding everyone to be safe and avoid seafood unless necessary.

This news was bound to cause a stir, cutting off the survival route of many coastal survivors. Life was only going to get harder.

Cooper was happily munching on a large, fat crab when Mark's announcement about the dangers of seafood made him drop the crab in fright.

Laughing, Stella reassured him, "Ours is safe. Don't eat what others give you. It could be dangerous."

After thinking for a bit, Cooper couldn't resist the temptation of the crab and started eating again.

Life in Eastwood Eden had been peaceful lately. Mark had put past grudges aside, helping villagers find locations to dig wells. After half a month of hard work, they finally found a water source not far from Griffith River. A single well could sustain the village.

The mayor was a sneaky operator but responsible. He immediately offered some potatoes as a token of apology.

Mark was gracious, "It was just a misunderstanding. We're all just trying to survive. We should all protect our water sources."

To prevent further disputes, Mark had the old man teach the villagers their ancestral craft. If one well wasn't enough, they could find another location to dig.

After the people of Eastwood Eden left, a villager suggested, "Mayor, we're running out of water and our crops are dying. Now that we know how to dig wells, why don't we dig for other villages in exchange for supplies?"

The mayor glanced at him, "Mark is so smart, why doesn't he use this skill to make money?"

"He's just dumb. If it were me, I wouldn't teach others this skill."

"You're the dumb one. Your head's full of crap."