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.

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

be nothing a good hot pot couldn't fix.

After Blue Blue finished scratching an itch and seeing Cooper eager

opportunity to sun the flowers, while Cooper dashed

any rapid changes in the weather, which could be as quick

pair went down for a nap, and Stella told Jasper to

a luxurious face mask, lounging in a beach chair and scanning

she washed her face and was about to apply her skincare, a foul stench hit her. She sniffed, thinking it smelled like rotten fish. Could it be that they hadn't properly cleaned up after the flying fish last time? Impossible, Jasper was meticulous about cleanliness. She grabbed her

A few more looks, and she recognized it - wasn't that a Thai fishing

the ongoing stench nearly made her hurl. With the wind blowing their way, the

twice before rushing out. Jasper

the deck, they saw Stella standing firmly, her gaze locked on the distant object. Stella handed Jasper the binoculars, "Take

but there seemed to be a mass of dark, heaving things gathering around it. 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

tide, making even Jasper, who had no fear of insects, shudder.

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 seemed to have a sharp sense of smell, and once on deck,

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