The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 474

Chapter 474

By the time Nicole woke up on her own, it was already 10 a.m.

After washing up and eating breakfast, she picked up “The Herbal Canon” again, but no matter how hard she looked, she still couldn’t identify the two herbs they had brought back from Mount Cedar.

What exactly were these plants? How could they be so mysterious?

Unwilling to give up, she dug through the pharmacology references she had downloaded before the disasters, only to end up even more frustrated.

Forget it. The important thing was keeping them alive. Sooner or later, she would find out what they were.

Since she only had two specimens, Nicole treated them like priceless treasures and carefully transplanted them into the black soil garden.

She also planted the 100-plus medicinal herbs they had collected from Mount Graypine, grouping them by type before recording each one’s medicinal properties in her notebook.

Collecting a large variety of herbs didn’t mean they had every remedy they might need.

Nicole made a list of common illnesses, matched each one with the appropriate medicinal herbs, and then compared it against their collection.

The results surprised her. They were missing far more than she had expected.

She wrote down every herb they still needed, planning to look for them whenever another opportunity arose.

Zeph didn’t come downstairs until lunchtime.

“Those people aren’t watching the crops,” he said. “They’re scouting Oakhaven Gardens.”

Nicole thought for a moment. “So what do you think we should do?”

How many people were there? Were they refugees, violent gangs, or an organized criminal group?

If she and Zeph wanted to leave, no one could stop them.

Helping from time to time was one thing. But if this turned into a large-scale battle, or if the attackers came intending to wipe everyone out, especially if they had guns, there was no way she was going to throw herself into the middle of it.

“Did Alex ask you to get involved?”

“He asked for my opinion, but he never asked me to help.”

That put Nicole a little more at ease. If people’s lives were at stake, she would help however she could, but she didn’t want everyone assuming it was her responsibility to solve every crisis.

Helping was an act of goodwill, not an obligation. Nothing irritated her more than people trying to guilt-trip her into it.

Dependence had a way of becoming a habit. If Alex had expected them to step in, Nicole would’ve refused without hesitation. She might even have moved out.

What Nicole and Zeph didn’t know was that several residents had proposed inviting the people from Building 5 to discuss the situation.

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T4 4

+15 Bgnus

Alex had considered it as well, but in the end, he rejected the idea.

“With Zeph and Nicole’s abilities, they could settle down anywhere. They’re only staying in Oakhaven Gardens temporarily.

“They’ve already done more than enough for us. When those thugs attacked last time, we survived because of them. If we’d waited for the police or military, most of us would’ve been dead.

“The salt, the seeds, the tools… None of that was something they owed us.

“I know everyone’s frightened and hoping someone else will protect us. But they’re people, not superheroes. They have no obligation to risk their lives for ours. We have to learn to protect ourselves.

“If we depend on them for everything, what happens after they leave? Do we just lie down and wait to die?

“So listen carefully. No one is to ask them for help. If anyone ignores my orders, you’ll answer for the consequences.”

The room fell silent.

A young child slowly raised a hand. “Aren’t Zeph and Nicole heroes? Heroes are supposed to beat bad guys and protect people. They’re so strong. It’d only take them a little effort.”

Alex smiled bitterly.

“No. They’re just ordinary people like us. They get scared, they cry, and they feel pain. They just don’t let us see it.

11

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