During the Great Heat, there would be no crocodiles or other aquatic life to eat, and no murky water to gulp down with a grimace. What awaited people instead was the inescapable torment of scorching temperatures and the desperate shortage of drinkable water. It would be like throwing the entire population into a blazing desert with no oasis in sight. Natalie urged Olivia and Harold to keep going out to fish and trade. After all, the more food they stockpiled now, the more chances they'd have later to exchange it for precious water and survival. Of course, she never told them that she could foresee the course of the apocalypse. The tragedies of her previous life had taught her that no matter how much she trusted her friends, she could never reveal her secrets, neither the existence of her storage space, nor the fact that she had been reborn. Instead, Natalie simply pushed them with a little jab at their pride. "Your combat skills haven't improved in ages. Maybe you two should train harder?" Stung, they went out and vented their frustration on the crocodiles. They killed so many that storage became a problem, throwing the meat away was wasteful, so they took it back to the market to trade. As the water level continued to drop, many people believed the apocalypse was nearly over. They no longer hoarded grain like treasure, but were willing to exchange it for crocodile meat to improve their meals. For a time, the value of crocodile meat skyrocketed. Olivia and Harold returned with heaps of supplies. Harold's home was already overflowing, so he simply let Olivia take the extra.Soon, Olivia's place was piled high with goods, practically overflowing into every corner. Only when their rooms were packed to the brim and crocodiles had nearly been hunted out did they finally stop and rest at home. Natalie, meanwhile, spent her days tucked comfortably inside, practicing needlework. Yes, needlework. Her apartment had electricity and air conditioning. Food and water were plentiful. For her, the Great Heat only meant one real inconvenience—she couldn't go out easily. Fortunately, she had the temperature-regulating fabric Harold had given her. As long as she could successfully turn it into clothing, then the Great Heat would hold no real threat for her. Because the fabric was so rare and limited, Natalie first practiced with ordinary cloth, following video tutorials and repeating the process again and again.She ruined countless pieces of fabric before finally learning how to sew a proper, fitted garment. Only then did she carefully take out the precious material. In what felt like no time at all, more than ten days had passed, the floodwater had receded down to the second floor, and Natalie finally finished the clothes. The flesh-toned material was thin as gossamer. When she slipped it on, it felt soft and so comfortable that it was almost like wearing nothing at all. She looked at herself in the mirror, nodded with satisfaction, and decided she needed to make one for Lucky too. Bulldogs, with their short snouts and stocky bodies, were highly prone to overheating. Especially her spoiled little Lucky, who had been living a life of luxury at her side and grown unbelievably pampered. There was no way she was going to let Lucky suffer in the heat. She took out a soft tape measure and carefully noted down Lucky's dimensions.Dog clothes were made a little differently than human clothes, so she studied the pet outfits she had bought before, then began drafting Lucky's. Lucky found it strange and fascinating—the usually tough, punch-throwing Natalie had suddenly turned into someone who spent her days threading needles and sewing quietly at home. Meanwhile, the outside world was growing noisier and livelier, full of voices carrying through the streets. Lucky's ears twitched, and she could sense the difference. That day, Natalie finally finished the little outfit. She held Lucky in her arms and was just about to slip it on Lucky when a sudden wave of loud cheering erupted outside the window. Natalie walked over and looked out. The last patches of standing water had completely vanished. The ground was damp but no longer flooded.People poured out of their homes in groups, stumbling over trash and rotting corpses without a care, running wildly in every direction. Their shouts rang out, ecstatic. "This is history in the making!" "The apocalypses are finally over!" "We made it! We survived!" People ran through the streets spreading the news, strangers and friends alike hugging each other with tears streaming down their faces. Even enemies who had once drawn blades against one another, fighting over scraps of supplies, set aside their grudges for the moment, now arms linked as they celebrated what felt like a new beginning. Natalie's door was knocked on, and she went to open it. It was Olivia. Her eyes were wet with tears as she threw her arms around Natalie."Natalie, the apocalypse is over!" Natalie froze for a second before gently returning the embrace, her feelings a tangled mix. Olivia's heart must have been surging with joy right now—believing that the days of going hungry, of living in constant fear, were finally behind them ... that survival no longer meant despair. But Natalie knew better. It was nothing but false hope. Just then, Harold came down from upstairs. Unlike Olivia, he didn't look elated. Instead, his expression was shadowed with concern. "Don't you think the water drained too quickly? I can't shake this uneasy feeling ... " "Don't jinx it!" Olivia shot back immediately. "Knock on wood and quit with the bad luck talk." Harold scratched his head sheepishly and gave a small laugh. "Alright. I won't say anything."