The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 471

Chapter 471

Once everyone steadied themselves, Nicole’s group decided to keep climbing.

Zeph stayed as cautious as possible, steering clear of every spot where rocks had fallen or the slope had given way last time.

They hit danger several more times, but each time, they got through it without any real trouble.

After 26 hours of climbing through a full day’s worth of wild temperature swings, they finally reached the summit.

Clouds drifted beneath their feet, and weathered pines clung stubbornly to the cliffs. Layers of mist slipped between the mountain peaks, turning the landscape almost unreal.

Nothing about it looked like a world devastated by endless disasters. It looked untouched.

Poppy had never seen anything like it. Even Cola stood there stunned. It was his first time, too.

Zeph didn’t stop to admire the view. He scanned the area instead. Soon, his gaze fixed on a patch of green growing

from the cliff.

It had sprouted at the base of a withered vine, only a few inches tall, so fragile that it looked like it might snap in the wind.

He patted Nicole’s shoulder, holding back his excitement. “Nicole, I found it!”

Nicole looked where he was pointing and studied it for a while, but there were too many kinds of herbs. She really couldn’t tell.

Forget it. They could collect it first.

The cliff was too dangerous, and gathering herbs there took real skill.

Zeph took out the climbing gear. “Wait here.”

Nicole caught his arm. “The rock might not hold. Let me do it.”

“You don’t know how to rock climb. That’d be even riskier.” Zeph refused without hesitation. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be careful. I’ve done this before.”

He put on layer after layer of protective gear and walked toward the cliff.

Nicole’s whole body tensed. Her left hand gripped the rope tied to the two little ones, while her right stayed locked on the climbing line, ready to react at the first sign of trouble.

Zeph clung to the cliff like a lizard, moving with slow, deliberate precision as he worked his way toward the herb.

A few loose rocks rattled down the cliff, and Nicole’s heart leaped into her throat. She didn’t realize she had stopped breathing.

Poppy slapped both hands over her mouth, terrified that even the slightest sound might distract Zeph.

At last, Zeph’s long fingers reached the herb growing from the crack. He took out his military shovel and carefully loosened the soil around its roots before gently working the plant free.

The stem stayed intact. The roots came up with it.

When Zeph climbed back to safety, Nicole threw her arms around him. She held him tightly, unable to say a word

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for a long moment.

The weather on the summit could change without warning, and danger was everywhere.

The root system was sparse. There was no guarantee this one would survive, so they kept searching.

The stubborn thing really did love growing on cliffs. Sure enough, another young shoot was hiding among a tangle of dead vines.

If Zeph hadn’t remembered the spot so well, they never would have found it.

Fortunately, this one wasn’t as dangerous to reach as the first. It still took some effort, but they managed to dig it out. Its roots were completely intact.

Nicole smiled. “This one should survive. Let’s head down.”

There was no point in risking any more. Most of the seedlings had only just broken through the soil, and digging them out was dangerous enough as it was.

These two could be cultivated once they got home. There was no reason to keep sending Zeph over the edge of a cliff.

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