The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 212

Chapter 212

With Christmas approaching, if they were going to celebrate, they might as well do it properly.

If they wanted to stay warm through the holiday, firewood was a must.

Hughie’s group set out together to gather it, but the trees around Mount Westbridge had already been stripped bare. The nearest place with usable wood was a hillside villa area, and just getting there and back would take a full day.

“Nicole, you coming?”

Nicole waved it off. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll just freeze to death at home.”

Zeph didn’t look interested either. “Poppy and I aren’t cold.”

When Gabrielle heard they were heading out for firewood, she suggested with surprising enthusiasm, Logs are heavy. Hauling them back isn’t worth it. You should turn them into charcoal first, then bring that

back.”

Charcoal?

No one on the 18th floor had any idea how to make it.

Gabrielle laughed and slapped her knee. “It’s simple! I’ll show you.”

Just like that, she passed down an old-fashioned charcoal-making method that had been outdated for

decades.

Hughie, who could barely tell grains apart, listened with a blank look on his face. He couldn’t even keep basic tools straight. Jeremy, on the other hand, picked it up quickly. He had a sharp mind from years of running around on business.

“Thanks, Gabrielle. Got it,” he said. 1

Going back and forth every day was unrealistic, so Hughie’s group packed sleds and tents, determined not to return until they had at least a few hundred pounds of charcoal.

“Nicole, Zeph, the 18th floor’s on you. We’ll be back when we’re done.”

Heading out came with risks, but without fuel for heat, they wouldn’t survive the winter.

“Be careful,” Nicole said. “And don’t sleep too deeply at night.”

They were confident in their safety. Each of them carried a crossbow and ammunition. Either one was enough to kill if it came down to it. On top of that, Beatrice’s background as a seasoned fighter gave both Jeremy and Hughie a solid sense of security.

Jeremy did try to coax Cola into coming along.

The dog looked tempted for a moment, then gave it up and stuck close, firmly choosing to stay by his

1/3

+15 Bonus

human’s side.

Once Hughie’s group left, the 18th floor fell quiet. Nicole found herself unsure how to talk to Zeph.

“So… Christmas is coming up. I was thinking of heading out to pick up some supplies. You want to stay here, or…”

Zeph didn’t have anything in particular to get. If anything, the closer it got to the holiday, the more dangerous it became. Even thieves and looters needed supplies for Christmas. Someone had to stay

behind.

“I’ll stay,” he said.

Before leaving, Nicole handed Cola over to him for training.

Being a considerate neighbor, she asked, “Need me to grab anything for you?”

Zeph thought about it. “Nothing specific. If you see something that fits, you can bring it back.”

That didn’t help much. How was she supposed to know what suited him? 1

It sounded more like something he said in passing, so Nicole didn’t think much of it and headed out

alone to the department store.

Truthfully, there was nothing there she didn’t already have in her storage space. But supplies had to be brought out in the open, and more than that, she had never really celebrated the holiday these past three years. Life had been bleak for too long. 1

Now that she had the chance, she wanted to enjoy it while she could. No one knew what tomorrow would bring. It would be a waste to let everything sit unused.

If she was going to do it, she might as well do it right. She needed some ideas.

As Christmas drew closer, the department store was livelier than before. Some stalls were even selling decorations, garlands, and “Merry Christmas” signs.

It was a rare sight, though few people were actually buying. Most survivors were still struggling just to eat. Decorations were a luxury they could not afford.

People stopped to look, more for the memory than anything else. For a brief moment, it felt like the old world again, before reality settled back in and dimmed their expressions.

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