The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 143

Chapter 143

Chapter 143

+15 Bonus

Maybe it was all the layers they had on, bundled up so tightly no one could tell who was who, but several figures suddenly rushed out from Building 8, looking vicious as they tried to snatch Hughie’s military

coat.

Under that coat was a fur-lined jacket. There was no way Hughie was letting them take it. He swung his wooden club studded with rusty nails, striking again and again as he roared, “Come on! Anyone not afraid of dying, step up!”

Damn it, everyone always picked on him! Did they think he was the easy target?

Watching from the balcony, Nicole couldn’t help laughing.

Hughie might have been the weakest on the 18th floor, but after months of grinding it out, he was nothing like before.

Being the weakest among them didn’t mean he couldn’t fight outside.

Look at him now. Even a cornered rabbit bites.

He came out swinging, landing heavy blows that stunned the people from Building 8. They cursed their luck for running into someone this tough right out the door.

After a couple of them got knocked flying by Beatrice’s punches, panic finally set in.

“Run! It’s those maniacs from the 18th floor!”

Damn it! What kind of bad luck was this, running into these people first thing?

No matter how easygoing or optimistic someone was, this kind of world would twist them eventually.

Hughie dropped a few of them, and the pent-up frustration in his chest finally eased. It was just fighting and killing. He could do it, too.

After watching Hughie’s group leave, Nicole went back inside for warm milk and bread for breakfast.

Cola’s appetite kept growing. After finishing his dog food, he still wanted slices of bread.

At first, Nicole was worried he would get fat and sluggish, but instead, he had only gained muscle, his

coat thick and sleek.

Nicole patted her own stomach, feeling like she was getting closer to having visible abs.

The deep freeze made staying still unbearable. Zeph had paused Poppy’s lessons, which left Nicole with more free time. She kept reading, working the soil, and heading over to Zeph’s apartment for sparring when it was time.

Hughie and the others didn’t come back until near dark. They had cut down trees, sawed them into manageable lengths, then tied them up with rope and dragged them back.

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Chapter MI

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The ice made everything slippery. They had taken a few hard falls along the way, leaving them looking a

mess.

The trees were frozen dead but not fully dried, making them especially heavy to haul.

Seeing that they made it back safely, Nicole opened the door and went downstairs to help. Cola rushed after her, and Poppy refused to be left behind.

“Nicole, Cola, wait for me!”

She wore a red coat, her hair tied into two little buns, her ears covered with soft earmuffs, looking small

and adorable.

Going in and out through the stairwell window was a hassle. Apartment 702 had no survivors, and someone had smashed the living room window, making it much easier to pass through.

Nicole didn’t like it, but Hughie’s group had already dragged the firewood there, so she had no choice but to climb out through 702.

Even bracing herself, she couldn’t help glancing into the distance. A dark mass of bodies was piled there.

Some had been placed there by family members who wanted to give their loved ones a shred of dignity. Others had just been tossed out without a second thought.

Like Edward throwing out Faye, and the people Faye had killed.

Nicole had to admit, that guy was insanely lucky. Even after all that, he was still alive.

The firewood was heavy. It took several trips to move everything. Cola carried shorter branches in his mouth, while Poppy picked the lighter ones, the two of them bouncing around and racing each other.

Two legs couldn’t compete with four. Poppy even lost one of her earmuffs along the way.

By the final trip, it was completely dark, and the cold had grown even more biting.

Nicole pulled a stone from her storage space and hurled it hard at Edward’s window.

After months of training, her arm strength had grown tremendously. Combined with her daily crossbow practice, her aim was dead on.

The glass shattered instantly with a crash.

Edward was probably out. There was no reaction from inside the dark apartment.

Other residents heard the noise but didn’t react at all. In this world, killing had become routine. Breaking a window was nothing.

As long as it wasn’t happening to them, they didn’t care who suffered.

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