18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 87

Stella had a worried expression, and Jasper comforted her, "Don't worry. Cooper is extremely intelligent and is man's most loyal companion. I trust he'll be fine."

Stella wasn't convinced, after all, the harsh winter lasted a year, and Cooper had only managed to save her from a deadly attack for three months of it. Back then, all he wanted to do was to protect her. He was so determined that he'd have rather died than let go of her.

The scene was too gruesome for Stella to recall. All she could do was hold Cooper tightly. This time, it was her turn to protect Cooper.

Sensing her tense emotions, Cooper nestled into her arms, thinking, “What's wrong with you, human?”

"Don't worry, I'll train him well."

Train him? Cooper grumbled. Hadn't he graduated already?

Jasper petted him. "Training is a lifelong practice. As long as we're alive, we need to keep learning."

Cooper snorted, whatever!

Back home, Stella measured Cooper's height and weight and recorded all his data. Not just him, but Smoky and Snowy too. After checking them over a few times, she couldn't shake off the feeling that they'd somehow changed and were becoming braver.

Over the next few days, Stella made over two thousand arrows, and her crossbow skills were improving. Unsatisfied with the distance in the corridor, they all went to the rooftop to push their limits. In the freezing -40 degrees weather, they bundled up like bears in hibernation.

Everyone wanted to rest, but no one dared, fearing that they might never get the opportunity to stand up again. But it was really too cold, and their hands were shaking like they had Parkinson's.

Cody saw how steady Stella was and couldn't believe it. "Stella, how do you do it?"

She was less bundled up than him, but she seemed unaffected by the cold. This was beyond his understanding!

Stella shot him a glance. "I'm not frail, nor weak, and I have a heart full of passion."

Lukas, who was often sick, grimaced, thinking, “Really Stella, even in a post-apocalyptic world, you don't forget to throw shade. What did I ever do to you?”

He was frail? Even Angela said he was doing great lately!

Once they'd gotten used to being outmatched, Lukas and Cody gave up resisting, especially since Stella had Jasper as her private trainer. Her skills were becoming increasingly formidable.

She seemed to be soaring. Not only were her skills constantly improving, but her physical fitness seemed to be rocketing too.

What was the deal with this weather? The damp cold air seeped into their bones, making them feel as though their souls were being frozen.

But look at Stella, and look at Jasper…

Ugh, Jasper was also wearing far less than them. They envied the two’s superhuman endurance.

Lukas and Cody couldn't compete, and they couldn't afford to be injured. They had to focus on improving their crossbow skills.

After a few days of rest, Jasper challenged Stella to spar. Stella was puzzled. "Your arm isn't fully healed yet."

"That's okay, I can manage with one hand. As long as you don't target my weak points."

“Weak points? Ah, he meant his shoulder, or did he mean his private parts?” Okay, Stella admitted she was being a bit naughty. She still retained some integrity and honestly didn’t attack his weak points, even deliberately avoiding them.

And Jasper, he was truly skilled, because even with one arm, he never let Stella gain an advantage.