Nadia had slept so much during the day that she felt unusually alert at night, so she decided to continue organizing her domain. The garden's peppers, eggplants, and cucumbers were ready to be harvested. The grapes on the old vine were also plumping up, turning from green to a deep red. She figured they'd be ready for harvest in a little over a month. Since it was the first year, there were only ten bunches in total, but when they ripened, they might weigh forty or fifty pounds. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she, not wanting to waste unnecessary time inside the domain, tried picking one using her consciousness. She didn't expect much, though, for she'd never succeeded in picking anything still rooted in the soil before. But to her surprise, a single red grape appeared in her hand. Shocked and thrilled, she quickly tried pulling up some greens. To her amazement, she managed to pick several bunches. However, the process was mentally exhausting, leaving her dizzy and lightheaded. If she could pick plants from her garden with her consciousness, could she plow the field, too? Once the dizziness faded, she gave it a try, using her consciousness to control a hoe, attempting to till the soil. Her mind felt sluggish, but she managed a few strokes before her energy gave out. Strange—she'd tried before with no response. Could her recent physical training have strengthened her abilities? The discovery thrilled her. If she could strengthen her mind the same way she trained her body, she'd be able to make better use of the fertile black soil in her garden. Corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, potatoes, soybeans, green beans—she could plant it all. With that motivation, Nadia repeatedly practiced, working late into the night until she'd managed to plow about fifty square feet of land before collapsing, exhausted, onto her bed. Sensing something was off, Colby sniffed around her and whimpered anxiously. What's wrong with Human? Nadia shared her excitement with him, "Colby, we're gonna have more food soon! Are you happy? Isn't that great news?" Woof! Colby yelped, thrilled, spinning in circles. The next day, Nadia overslept and didn't get up until she'd used her consciousness to plow some more, only finally getting up for breakfast when she was absolutely worn out. Pulling back the curtains, she was stunned to see it was snowing. Snow along the southern coast? That only happened in the worst natural disasters. The snow was light, barely noticeable unless one looked closely, but there it was, flurrying down. Nadia frowned. In her previous life, they'd only dealt with extreme cold, but now, it was actually snowing. Things were definitely this time around. The cold alone was deadly enough—were they going to face snowstorms, too? The floodwaters had reached the sixth floor; if it really started snowing heavily, would they need to build even higher? Would this city eventually be buried? The thought sent chills down her spine.Just as she finished breakfast, there was a knock at her door. The residents of Unit 1803 were calling a meeting about the critical issue of water supply. The day before, everyone had huddled indoors, trying to keep warm. It was even colder now, but at least people had regained enough strength to gather. Caleb and Levi shuffled in, bundled up so much they looked like walking snowmen, but their hands and feet were still shaking from the cold. "The water tower's frozen solid—what are we gonna do about our water?" Levi asked, teeth chattering. Nadia wasn't worried about water since she had plenty stored in her domain, but she couldn't let that on. So, she put on a troubled expression. "Yeah, what are we going to do?" Caleb scratched his arm, clearly uncomfortable. "I didn't get to shower yesterday, and I feel gross." It was just a lifelong habit that wasn't easy to break; skipping a day made him feel grimy. "Same here. My scalp's itching," Nadia quickly chimed in. Even she, the life hack expert, couldn't think of anything this time. So naturally, everyone's hopeful eyes turned to Harrison, who remained silent in response. Just then, little Lily tugged on his sleeve. "I want to take a bath too, Harry." As the entire 18th floor's hopes rested on him, Harrison took a deep breath. "I noticed it was snowing earlier." While the snow was light, over time, they could gather enough to make use of it. Nadia caught on immediately. "Are you suggesting… we collect snow from the rooftop?" "Yeah, why didn't we think of that?!" With that, everyone hurried up to the rooftop. The moment the door swung open, the frigid air hit them, making it hard to breathe. Nadia wrapped her face in a scarf and stepped outside. It was freezing, and the falling snowflakes had turned to ice, making the ground slippery. Suddenly, her snow boots lost traction… Colby, seeing his human about to fall, darted forward in a flash, aiming to use his body as a cushion. But someone moved even faster. A steady hand reached out, gripping her waist to keep her upright. Colby bristled immediately, glaring with his fierce, doggy eyes. What's this guy's problem?! Though it was just a minor slip, and Nadia could've steadied herself, the dog's sudden leap threw Levi off balance, causing him to skid and land hard on the icy ground. Despite being bundled up like a bear, he felt a wave of indignation—Honey, I've been bullied! Jasmine was at a loss. What could she do about it? Nadia was the survival expert, and Harrison had the strength of a warrior. She couldn't exactly go up against either of them. So, her husband slipped—if he had an issue, he'd have to suck it up. That said, Levi wasn't the only one slighted; Caleb, too, found himself in an awkward spot. Walking half a step ahead of Harrison, he was suddenly shoved aside, smacking his shoulder against the doorframe. He gave up with a sigh, thinking, Well, as long as Nadia's alright. This minor mishap left everyone with mixed feelings. Even Jasmine, who usually prided herself on her strength, felt a pang of jealousy. Look at Nadia's man—then look at her own. Apart from that face she adored, there really wasn't much to praise. Harrison, ever the gentleman, steadied Nadia and immediately withdrew his hand. "Be careful." "Thanks," Nadia replied, not giving it much thought. Woof! Colby pawed at the snow, protesting anxiously. "Colby, go back inside," Nadia said, worried he'd be too cold. Without a mask for him, there was no way to filter out the frigid air. Scolded by his human, Colby sprinted around the rooftop in protest. "Colby, quit running around!" Caleb raised a complaint. "We're collecting this ice and snow for water—we're not drinking water that smells of your feet!"Hearing that, Colby sped up defiantly. Huh, enjoy my stinkin' feet! Nadia had her hands full trying to get the hyper Malinois off the rooftop. Once excited, it was hard to calm him down, and even a heavy chain wouldn't hold him. After a fair bit of effort, she finally managed to chase him down the stairs. The rooftop was expansive, and after a night of snowfall, a thin layer of ice had formed. They could break it up with shovels and collect it. With all the rain from recent months, there were probably bacteria on the surface, so Levi and Caleb placed a few sheets of insulated steel panels they'd found at an unfinished construction site. They'd originally dragged them back to block off water from the balcony, but these extra panels came in handy now. Each family claimed two panels. By collecting the ice and snow from these each day, they'd likely have enough water. Plus, they could chip off the ice from the sides of the water tower as well. With the water problem solved, everyone was in good spirits. Teaming up really did have its perks, especially when everyone contributed their own smarts to the mix. After closing the rooftop door, they clambered downstairs, hands and feet stiff from the cold. From below, the sound of banging and prying echoed through the stairwell. Jasmine's temper flared, thinking someone was up to no good on the 18th floor again. She was about to storm down when she noticed Colby standing calmly at the top of the stairs, listening to the sounds. She realized it was a false alarm. What on earth are those knuckleheads up to this time? That one trip to the rooftop had nearly frozen her ears off, and they were still ringing. It took a while before her hearing returned to normal. The group paused at the stairwell, listening to the clamor below. Whatever it was, it sounded intense, mixed with the chatter and shouts of multiple voices.