The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 149

Chapter 149

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The moment Jeremy and Hughie heard the sled was for the boss dog, they lit up with excitement.

They had never seen a sled in real life, but they had seen pictures. With some tinkering, they figured they could make one.

“Cola, you’re something else. Even pulling a sled now.”

The dog blinked, completely confused. What was that?

But it didn’t matter. If his human thought he could do it, then he could.

“Woof!”

Seeing a pile of cut, thin colored steel sheets on the table, Nicole grew curious. “What are these for?”

Hughie grinned. “Guess.”

“Nope.” Nicole raised her fist. “Just tell me.”

Jeremy laughed and explained, “There have been gangs coming into the complex collecting protection. rations, right? They’ve got weapons. We can’t stop bullets. So we thought about making some makeshift body armor.”

That actually surprised Nicole. She hadn’t expected them to think this far ahead, though those steel sheets wouldn’t stop bullets.

“Maybe not, but they might soften the impact. If we ever do get hit, maybe it’ll save our lives.”

“Hey, don’t jinx it.”

Watching them struggle to survive, Nicole felt a quiet sense of relief. It steadied her.

When Jeremy and Hughie heard she was going out with Zeph to cut bamboo the next day, they wanted to help, but things were more dangerous now. Someone had to stay behind, and Beatrice alone wasn’t enough.

“Don’t worry about us. If someone comes for our supplies, they’ll have to step over our bodies first.”

Nicole almost told them to cut the dramatic talk, but if the 18th floor ever got overrun, those people wouldn’t leave survivors anyway.

Beatrice added, “Nicole, knock on our door before you head out tomorrow.”

After chatting a bit more, Nicole went back to her place.

With Edward and Mary both dead, she pulled out a huge spread to celebrate, even cracking open a can of pineapple beer. If they hadn’t kept pestering her, she would’ve let them struggle longer in this world. Ending it quickly was almost too easy for them.

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Chapter 149

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Nicole set an alarm for 7 a.m. and slept straight through the night.

Remembering what Beatrice said, she knocked on their door the next morning.

In just one night, they had actually built the sled. To keep it light and reduce friction, it was welded from aluminum tubing, curved at both ends, almost like a small boat.

Beatrice also brought over a shirt.

Actually, it was two shirts stitched together, with thin steel sheets sandwiched inside. It had some weight to it, especially around the chest, where extra layers were added. The impact resistance was much better.

“It’s dangerous out there. Wear this when you go. If something happens, it might help,” Beatrice said.

She had wanted to make one for Cola, too, but there hadn’t been enough time. Still, there was no rush. Everyone on the 18th floor would get one eventually. The only issue was Zeph’s size.

Beatrice hesitated. “Maybe you can ask him?”

“Why me?” Nicole looked confused. “You can just ask him yourself.”

Beatrice fell silent.

Come on. Anyone with eyes could see it. Why pretend? 1

The door to Zeph’s apartment opened, and Poppy came out, rubbing her eyes. “Nicole, let’s go.”

Nicole was in a hurry and didn’t ask further. She went back to change and grabbed a few belts and ropes.

Afraid of being left behind, Cola stuck close, even picking up the rope in his mouth, as if ordering Nicole

to leash him.

Since Zeph was taking Poppy out, Nicole had no excuse not to take Cola, so she brought him along.

On the 17th floor, they ran into Derek and Victor, heading out with machetes. They were going to Mount Westbridge, too, so they left together.

Nicole didn’t want to waste Cola’s potential. Once downstairs, she tried to rig the sled onto him.

But she had no idea how.

Victor stepped in. “Let me try.”

He had never set up a sled before, but he understood physics well enough to figure out how to distribute force and reduce friction.

After a bit of trial and error, he secured the straps around the dog. “We can tweak the sled later. It’ll be easier to pull and carry more wood.”

He explained the adjustments to Nicole as he worked.

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Watching the dog pull a sled, Derek got interested. “When we get back, you should figure out how to make one, too. It’ll save a lot of effort going out.”

They didn’t have a dog at home, but they could always put a person on the harness. It was better than hauling everything back on their shoulders.

Victor had tried building a pulley system, but it froze up. A sled seemed much more practical.

Once harnessed, Cola looked like a small cannon ready to fire, bursting forward with explosive energy.

Poppy stared in awe, then hurried after him. “Cola, wait for me!”

At first, Cola wasn’t used to the sled. His steps were awkward, like something was dragging behind him. He kept turning his head, wanting to bite it.

But this was something his human made. It was for hauling wood.

He forced himself to hold back and not bite.

He moved fast, wobbling slightly as he figured it out, adjusting to the strange weight.

Belgian Malinois were smart, and with training, he was even sharper. It didn’t take long before he adapted, turning back and barking at Nicole. “Woof!”

Like he was saying, “Get on. I’ll pull you!”

Nicole didn’t dare. She was worried he would overexert himself.

But the dog insisted, determined to show off.

In the end, Nicole gave in and put Poppy on the sled. “You can pull her.”

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