Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 235: Explosive Growth

Every time the storage space went through a major upgrade, it would also speed up the growth of all crops. The aquatic life was probably no different.

Mariella nodded quickly. "We have to harvest now, or everything will get overripe."

After their big meal, the sky outside had gone completely dark.

But there were faint lights moving across the water outside the window. It was probably survivors out searching for supplies.

Their brightly lit RV could easily attract unwanted attention.

Mariella used her mental energy to check the storage space first. When she sensed that everything inside had calmed down, she didn't hesitate. She took Chandler and the RV and teleported them all into the storage space.

Outside, a few kayaks circled near the empty building. "I swear I saw a light in there just now. Why is it gone when we got closer?" a man said.

"Could it be a ghost?" an older voice guessed.

"No way," the man said, but he still sounded a little uneasy.

The kayaks soon paddled away, heading toward another place with lights.

They had heard that a brutal drop in temperature was coming. They needed to find as much food as possible—or at least supplies to stay warm.

The richest place in Liraelith was Celestine Ridge. It was hiring workers for large construction projects and paying very well. Sadly, ordinary people had no chance of getting in.

Some jealous survivors wanted to target Celestine Ridge, but there were police stationed there. They had also heard that the residents were extremely strong—even the notorious convict gang had been wiped out there.

Otherwise, they would have already gone there in groups to raid it.

After absorbing the 42,700 pounds of gemstones, the storage space completed another major upgrade.

The total volume of the stable zone reached an incredible 8,456,096 cubic feet, almost 8,500,000. It felt vast and empty.

The cattail marsh expanded to about 3.7 acres. Almost all the lotus flowers on the water had bloomed, their leaves greener than ever. Under the night sky, it looked like a painting.

The other aquatic plants grew even thicker. Most had already formed seeds or fruit. The wild rice was ready for harvest too.

The farmland expanded to about 16.5 acres. Crops and fruits were nearly all fully grown. Even the fruit trees planted just days ago were already bearing fruit.

Normally, fruit trees would take close to a year to produce anything. But after two explosive growth boosts, they had gained enough energy to bloom and fruit early.

Mariella cheered and ran straight to her favorite—her black cherry trees.

The ten trees had grown from weak saplings into nearly six-and-a-half-foot-tall trees, loaded with dark red fruit.

If she wanted to pick them, she'd have to climb.

"I'll do it," Chandler said. He moved quickly, jumping up and climbing the tree with ease. He began picking cherries and putting them into a cloth bag.

The fruit wasn't fully ripe yet, so he chose the deep red ones.

Mariella stood below like a kid, staring at the cherries in his hands.

Noticing her eager gaze, Chandler turned and gave her a bright smile.

Mariella was still lost in that handsome smile when he tossed down a handful of dark red cherries.

Her body reacted faster than her mind. She caught them perfectly.

Not a single one fell.

Looking at the large, glossy fruit in her hands, she couldn't help but swallow.

She picked the biggest one and popped it into her mouth. The moment she bit down, sweet juice burst out, filling her mouth with flavor.

These were freshly picked cherries—something that would have been a luxury even before the disasters, let alone now.

With floods covering farmland and orchards everywhere, fruit was almost impossible to find.

What she was eating right now was something no one else in the world could have.

She quickly finished one, then another.

In no time, she had eaten the whole handful, still craving more.

Chandler jumped down from the tree and handed her the heavy bag.

Mariella cheered, took it, and picked out the biggest cherry, feeding it to him.

Chandler took a bite and smiled.

But there was something a little mischievous about that smile. Before she could react, he leaned in and fed the half-eaten cherry back into her mouth.

This guy is getting more and more shameless!

After eating more than half the bag, they finally got back to work.

All ten cherry trees had fruit, but only about half were ripe. There were also three apple trees, three pear trees, two persimmon trees, and two jujube trees—all bearing fruit.

The black soil made everything grow about three times faster than normal land. Outside, fruit trees would need at least two to three years to bear fruit. But here in the storage space, it only took about a year.