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.

of thousands of years, it had become something akin to a plant mummy - resembling wood but not quite,

even a saying that a bit of ebony was worth its weight in

matter how precious, it couldn't fill

took out an electric saw from her backpack. After some effort, she managed to cut open the glass, releasing a sweet, aromatic scent. The

stowed the precious wood into

of wood, all encased

wood were infused with spiritual energy. She decided to throw them all into

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

her sleeves and started to disassemble it. After disassembling and storing the bed, she also took the

bullets while breaking the display cases. In a normal world, she would have been arrested

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

by about 30 square meters, and there

bedrooms, two living rooms, three bathrooms, and a study. The spiral staircase stopped at the ceiling, indicating that

worked! She thanked the ebony, the rosewood, and all the other woods that had contributed to her

changes to Arcadia, she planned to use as firewood during

been more than worthwhile. She estimated that she had gained an extra

Stella moved on to the next

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

furniture was stacked in the garden. If Arcadia could accept