Noticing the unease on Nadia's face, Harrison reassured her, "You don't need to worry. Colby is highly intelligent, and dogs are humanity's most loyal companions. I trust it won't lose itself." Even so, Nadia wasn't convinced. The extreme cold was expected to last an entire year, and in her previous life, Colby had only made it through three months before it died protecting her. She still remembered how it refused to let go, even as it was beaten to death. The memory was too gruesome. Nadia didn't want to recall it. She just hugged Colby tightly, refusing to let go. This time, it was her turn to protect it. Sensing her unusual emotions, the dog jumped into her arms, tilting its head as if to ask, What's wrong, Human? "Don't worry. I'll train him well." Train me? Colby gnawed on its teeth, clearly unimpressed. Haven't I already graduated?!Harrison ruffled the dog's head. "Training is a lifelong journey. We live to learn, my friend." Colby cocked its head, unimpressed. Whatever. Back at her place, Nadia measured Colby's height and weight, carefully recording all the data. She didn't stop there; even Dusty and Snowball got the same treatment. After handling the two rabbits, she couldn't shake the feeling that they, too, were changing. And their newfound boldness was impossible to ignore. Over the next few days, the group focused on crafting arrows, producing over two thousand bamboo shafts while honing their crossbow skills. When the hallway proved too short for practice, they moved to the rooftop, braving the frigid -40°F temperatures. Bundled up like bears, they kept at it, knowing that stopping meant risking never getting back up again. Still, the cold was brutal. Hands shook so violently it felt like they were battling early-onset Parkinson's.Watching Nadia remain perfectly steady, Caleb felt his confidence crumble. "How are you even doing this, Nadia?" She wasn't wearing nearly as much as him, yet she didn't seem cold at all. It defied all logic. Nadia glanced at him with a smirk. "I'm not sickly, not frail, and I've got a heart burning with passion." Levi, who was actually innately sickly, grumbled. He was beyond done with her digs. Who are you, calling me frail?! I'll have you know Jasmine had just told me how strong I'd been lately! Eventually, both Caleb and Levi accepted their fate. Resisting was futile. Besides, with Harrison as her private coach, Nadia's skills had become freakishly advanced. She wasn't just improving—she was skyrocketing. The cold seeped through every layer, chilling them to their very bones, yet Nadia was unfazed. And then there was Harrison—wearing even less than her. His endurance was enviable, almost superhuman. There was no competing with them. All Caleb and Levi could do was focus on improving their aim and hope for the best. After a few days of rest, Harrison suggested a sparring session. Nadia quirked a brow. "Your arm doesn't seem fully healed yet." "It's fine," he replied with a faint smile. "I can manage with one hand—as long as you don't target my weak spots." Weak spots? Are you referring to your injured shoulder or something more… Focus, Nadia! she thought, shaking off her wandering thoughts. To her credit, she avoided attacking his injured arm entirely. She even went out of her way to steer clear of it. As for Harrison? He was a force to be reckoned with. Even with one arm effectively out of commission, he didn't give Nadia a single opening to exploit. His sheer independence was as impressive as it was intimidating. When Lily fell in her attempt to make breakfast, she'd thought Harrison might use it as an excuse to ask for her help, maybe to cook or give Lily some cooking lessons. After all, it was her fault things had gone awry, so she was mentally prepared for him to make such a request. However, Harrison said nothing and handled everything himself, putting Nadia at ease. Despite the peaceful atmosphere on the 18th floor, her guard remained high. If Harrison had asked for help, she definitely would've pitched in, but she was determined to maintain some distance moving forward. Frankly, his shoulder injury wasn't as severe as he made it out to be. He couldn't lift heavy objects or perform any strenuous movements, but his daily life wasn't really affected. Nadia was on alert because if he tried to use the injury to his advantage, it would suggest an ulterior motive—and in this case, it likely wasn't for basic supplies. Years of struggling in the apocalypse had left her with a jaded mindset. Even if she could start over, her instincts didn't allow her to trust anyone. Plus, with the secret of her domain hanging over her head, she couldn't afford the risk.Still, at the end of the day, his actions had earned her respect, but her suspicion didn't waver. … Elizabeth knocked on the door again, her emotions mixed. George and Austin had landed jobs as technical researchers and were now working for a monthly ration of fifteen pounds of grain or flour. Marilyn was a teacher who didn't meet the technical requirements for the higher-paying jobs but had managed to land a position with the lowest-level corpse collection team. While the job sounded grim and paid poorly, it was surprisingly competitive. The position offered only five pounds of grain a month, but at least they provided a work meal. It wasn't much, but it filled one up enough to get through the tough labor, and there were some extra perks. The elimination rate for applicants was high, but Elizabeth had managed to secure the job for her daughter-in-law by slipping two pounds of arrowroot powder to the interviewer as a bribe."If any one of you want to apply for a job, Nadia, I can have Marilyn take you all to meet them." She was concerned that the younger residents might be too stubborn or prideful to take the backdoor route, but securing a job was crucial in this day and age—there was no room for misplaced idealism. However, the 18th-floor residents weren't looking to engage in formal work, though they appreciated Elizabeth's gesture. That said, Elizabeth couldn't have braved the freezing cold just for something trivial, and sure enough, her expression turned serious. "The people collecting protection supplies are making their way through Building Eight. It won't be long before they come to our building. Have you all thought about what to do?" In the apocalypse, food was life. Certainly, no one would want to give up their only chance at survival. Elizabeth was old enough not to fear death, but she wasn't ready to embrace it either. She had to think of her family. It was in human nature to be greedy. If the protection rackets took three pounds of grain per person, what would stop them from raising it to five next? She had lived through famine and witnessed the brutality of those who preyed on others' misery. These monsters wouldn't stop until they'd squeezed every last bit from their victims. And her family? They were gentle scholars, incapable of fighting back. Asking for help was their only option. Nadia understood her intentions but didn't answer right away. "Our community is large. If everyone united against them, would we really not stand a chance?" Elizabeth sighed. "Those people have plenty of tricks. First, they'll get the building managers under control, offer them some perks, and then they'll become accomplices." Nadia was a bit surprised. "Has none resisted?" "Well, there are a couple," Elizabeth said. "The building managers of Buildings 15 and 16 are righteous and led the survivors in resisting. They even reported it to the police. The next day, both of them were found dead at their doorsteps. The manager of Building 16 was a woman, and the things those animals did to her…" "Didn't the police intervene?" "It's not that they didn't try, but they couldn't handle it."