The Apocalypse Survival Manual의 모든 챕터: 챕터 221 - 챕터 230

The familiar soundtrack and cheesy holiday lines instantly pulled everyone back to the days before the apocalypse.A trace of sadness lingered in the room, but young people naturally leaned optimistic. Reality wasn't going to change, and compared to ordinary survivors, the people on the 18th floor were already living far better than most.Nicole sat on the couch, munching on trail mix.Cola shoved poor Poppy aside, planted his massive head in Nicole's lap, and stared up at her with those glossy black eyes.Left with no choice, Nicole tore off a strip of jerky and fed it to him by hand.But that tiny bite barely counted as a snack to him. Cola looked at her like she had personally offended him, his expression practically saying, 'Seriously? That's it?'Nicole could only sigh and start feeding His Majesty bigger pieces instead.She didn't give him too many, though. No point spoiling him rotten. Once they got home, she would make him an extra meal instead.Honestly, she had alread

There was no way Nicole was getting a job. Not in this life.Beatrice let out a sigh of relief. "We're heading over tomorrow to sign up and see if we get accepted. If we are, we're gonna need you and Zeph to keep an eye on the 18th floor for us."Hughie's group wouldn't be contributing much to defense anymore, so they planned to make up for it by sharing some of their supplies later.Nicole neither agreed nor refused. Better to wait until everything was finalized.The next morning, the three of them headed out early for interviews and registration.After training like maniacs for half a year, even fragile people could turn into muscle-bound bruisers.Security patrol work was dangerous, so they preferred recruits with decent combat ability and quick reflexes. Compared to other jobs, competition for the position was actually much lower.Hughie might've ranked dead last on the 18th floor, but once he got to the security bureau, he suddenly became prime talent.The interviewing off

"You guys head back first. I just boiled some water anyway. I'll bring a kettle over in a minute."Nicole shut the door, brushed her teeth, washed up, then carried a kettle of hot water over to Hughie's apartment. Seeing how exhausted they looked, she also threw together a pot of noodles for them.Only after finishing an entire steaming pot did the feeling finally return to their stiff, frozen bodies.Jeremy let out a long sigh. "Your cooking really is the best, Nicole. The cafeteria food where we work is awful. There's not even a trace of meat in it.""How's the job been?" Nicole asked.Jeremy raised his bandaged hand. "Almost lost my life."Those eight pounds of grain really weren't easy money.Jeremy handled it better than Hughie. He had already been out in society long enough to understand how hard life could get, so mentally, he'd been somewhat prepared for this kind of work.Hughie was different.For 20 years, he had never truly risked his life to earn food before.If h

After dinner, Nicole gave Hughie's group five pounds of pickled greens and dried cabbage along with three pounds of frozen potatoes. In exchange, she accepted a gold chain, two packs of cigarettes, and a box of insulin from them.In truth, none of it was particularly useful to her storage space, but everything needed a believable source. That way, they could accept the food without feeling indebted, while she could still keep her secret hidden.The three of them were thrilled with the trade and thought they had gotten an excellent deal."Nicole, you're seriously good at bartering," Jeremy said.Nicole looked both modest and smug at the same time. "That's because we happened to have things people actually needed. Otherwise, trading isn't nearly that easy."And it was true. If they hadn't found medicine and other valuable supplies back then, they probably wouldn't have survived this long."Don't remind me." Beatrice looked genuinely pained. "If I'd known the world was really ending

Cola showed absolutely no shame about it, either. The second Zeph declined the "gift," he hurriedly carried his precious bowl of bones away to hide it again.The door closed, and dinner officially began.The four of them made for a much quieter atmosphere than Nicole's birthday celebration had been.Nicole simply wasn't capable of pulling off Jeremy and Hughie's over-the-top energy. Instead, she handed Zeph the canned food and birthday cards from the others."I'll spare you the birthday song," she said. "Just make a wish."At the same time, she opened the musical card, and a cheerful birthday tune immediately started playing.Poppy clapped excitedly beside them. "Make a wish, Zeph!"Maybe it was just Nicole imagining things, but while Zeph silently made his wish, she could've sworn he glanced not only at Poppy, but at her, too.Then, everyone finally started eating.Beef brisket stew tasted even better with hot sauce, and somehow Zeph actually had some.The man seriously was