18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 425

Stella felt a pang of regret for rushing off so quickly that day. If only she had taken a moment to check things out first.

Jasper chuckled at her thoughts, "You know, you can actually train to hold your breath underwater."

Most people can manage a minute or two underwater, but world record holders can last up to 22 minutes. It's amazing what humans can do when pushed to their limits.

You can also train for speed while free-diving, with the best reaching speeds of a hundred meters per minute. So, Iran's ability to stay underwater for long periods wasn't all that surprising. Stella couldn't help but marvel at the world's wonders. The sea stretched endlessly, and the sky was painted with the fiery hues of a sunset.

Tired of being cooped up in the submarine, the trio and their dog decided to enjoy a meal in the open air. They had been living on bland box lunches, so they opted for a spicy hot pot instead.

They set up a folding table and chairs, placed a portable gas stove on top, and laid out plates of thinly sliced beef, lamb, meatballs, mushrooms, seaweed, winter melon, tofu skin, and an assortment of greens. The broth bubbled fiercely, its spicy aroma carried away by the sea breeze.

Jasper popped open a bottle of red wine, and the glasses clinked in the golden light. Rosie laughed, "To my favorite brother and sister-in-law, cheers!"

Cooper, who couldn't handle the spice or the wine, barked pitifully, pawing at the ground and turning away from his bowl of chicken breast and bones. He glanced longingly at the ocean, drool betraying his discontent.

gave him some freeze-dried treats. After the fiery meal, they felt refreshed, the gloom lifted,

to be nothing a good hot pot couldn't fix. Full and

calm and well-lit sea, predicting another day of serene weather. After Blue Blue finished scratching an itch and seeing Cooper eager for exercise,

opportunity to sun the flowers, while Cooper dashed up and down the decks

in the

a breeze picked up, but it wasn't severe. The pair went down for a nap, and Stella told Jasper to take over in two

luxurious face mask, lounging in a beach

hadn't properly cleaned up after the flying fish last time? Impossible,

few more looks, and she recognized it - wasn't that a Thai fishing boat? Damn it, a ghost ship? They were more than a hundred nautical miles away, and

on the fishing boat and the ongoing stench nearly made her hurl. With

twice before rushing out.

they saw Stella standing firmly, her gaze locked on the

A dark current? No, the winds weren't strong enough to spread such a thing so quickly. It was moving too fast, catching up with the fishing boat, swarming around it, and climbing up

had no fear of insects, shudder. Lowering the binoculars, he wanted to tell Stella they needed to flee, but

up the yacht at an alarming pace, so many that their movement created a rustling sound. With their uniformly black shells and eerie green eyes, their sheer numbers were enough to invoke terror. The creatures

mind was buzzing, instinctively wanting to lead her family to safety inside Arcadia, and she had already grabbed Jasper's hand when she realized her mistake. If they brought the bugs inside with them, the whole vessel would be infested. What were these monsters? Stella wasn't sure, but their eagerness for the fishing boat meant they were carnivorous. Leaving the luxurious yacht would be like amputating a limb to survive. She had a ship, sure, but she and Jasper couldn't