18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 32

With a sudden acceleration and a swift drift around the bend, Stella barreled forward. A violent jolt nearly sent her flying out of the car. Thankfully, she managed to maintain her balance and, after a long detour, finally arrived at the convention center. Although the convention center only had 12 floors, the expansive halls gave it an imposing presence. Stella circled around the center but couldn't detect any signs of life or any broken windows.

According to the industrial layout of the city, Rockdale was a hub for furniture manufacturing, with factories scattered around. The residential and commercial districts lay on the other side of the river and were hardly visible under the downpour. All around, floodwaters prevailed, with only the convention center standing tall amid the chaos. The glass was thick and sturdy, resistant to a hammer's blow.

Stella used a window breaker and managed to shatter it after several attempts.

The convention center was a popular tourist destination and it was vast. Unfortunately, the grand lobby was submerged under the floodwater. Still, the magnificent structure was visible when Stella looked upwards.

The darkness swallowed the glitz and glamour of the center. Now, the only light came from Stella's flashlight, illuminating the rows of stylish furniture.

The intricate waterways around the center had protected it well. Perhaps the center didn't contain any survival supplies, as it remained untouched before Stella's arrival.

The center was filled with furniture of unimaginable designs and styles. Stella didn't rush to gather the furniture. Instead, she headed straight to the furniture museum on the top floor.

Without electricity, the center was pitch black, echoing only her footsteps. Exhausted from the long climb to the top floor, Stella rested her aching feet as she looked around.

The whole floor was filled with historical exhibits, including photographs, various types of wood, and ancient furniture - some intact, some dilapidated.

After about half an hour of exploring with her flashlight, Stella reached her target - a four-meter-long piece of irregularly shaped, dark brown wood.

This was ebony.

for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, it had become something akin to a plant mummy -

a saying that

couldn't estimate its value. After all, no matter how precious, it couldn't fill a

electric saw from her backpack.

time, she quickly stowed

electric saw, she continued to collect various types of wood, all encased in glass or cordoned off with caution tape

couldn't tell which types of wood were infused with spiritual energy. She decided to throw them all

of rosewood, intricately carved, stunningly beautiful, and flawless. In the

and started to disassemble it. After disassembling and storing the bed, she also took the matching table, chairs, benches, and

though she was wearing several layers of a face cover, Stella was sweating bullets while breaking the display

hard work, Stella was drenched in sweat and felt dizzy. She found a spot to rest, munching on a Snickers bar for energy, and washing it down with a can of Red Bull. Once she felt a bit better, she switched off her flashlight and entered

meters, and there was now a spiral staircase leading

bedrooms, two living rooms, three bathrooms, and a study. The spiral staircase stopped at the ceiling, indicating that there was potential for further expansion. What surprised her even more was the garden. It had grown from

made the right bet. The ancient, spiritual wood had worked! She thanked the ebony, the rosewood, and all the other woods that had contributed to her

to Arcadia, she planned to use as

She estimated that she had gained

Stella moved on to the next

furniture. There was too much to take, so she picked the most valuable-looking pieces to throw

the furniture was stacked in the garden. If Arcadia could accept them,