18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 561

Stella carefully unpacked the first aid kit she'd grabbed from the hospital,

cleansing and bandaging the wound with practiced hands, even adding a couple of stitches where needed. The team worked together seamlessly, and in no time, they had the submarine spick and span.

With the sea finally calm, Stella, always the one to step up, offered to fix a hearty meal – she suggested making dumplings. Flour, dried green beans, cured pork - simple, yet filling. After more than a decade of life-and-death experiences, especially for a special forces soldier like herself, the concept of mortality had become somewhat abstract. As they rolled out the dough and filled the dumplings, they praised the team leader for having a well-stocked pantry and Cole for his world-class submarine skills. The mood was light and harmonious.

Stella's mind drifted for a moment, thinking of the high-rise, the villa district in Newtown, sharing Moutai and hot pot with Austin and the second-generation slipper moguls. Having survived two major disasters in one day, the journey that followed was smooth sailing, and they arrived safely at the fifth coordinate. This time it was underwater, and only a little over a hundred meters deep. According to the sonar, the container was neither damaged nor buried.

Stella was brimming with confidence; this task seemed like the easiest yet, practically a hand-wave away from entering Arcadia. That's what she thought, and that's what she set out to do. Daniel's pneumonia hadn't fully cleared up and needed careful nursing. Besides, this was Rosie's first real independent mission, and Stella couldn't help but worry. Emerging from the depths, she realized how much the feeling of home meant – an irresistible pull to return to familiar comforts. Stella suited up in her diving gear, giddy as she swam towards the Kindle Chest. As she approached the chest, something seemed to light up abruptly. There was something on the Kindle Chest, quite a lot of something! When she finally made out what it was, Stella's mouth went agape in shock, nearly letting in a mouthful of seawater.

Run, she thought. Flee as fast as you can! She turned tail, her earlier bravado lost in a flutter of panic. Cole was stunned. Was he seeing things, or had Stella been possessed? Jasper, sharp-eyed, shoved him forward. "Move it!"

reaching up to three meters before the catastrophe. Despite their mild

was too close for comfort!" Jasper and Cole could hardly

Why on earth had the snakes made the chest their stronghold? There must have been hundreds, and just one glance was enough to trigger a bout of trypophobia. Amelia, unaware of the situation,

unsure of how to broach the subject. They all understood the logic, but overcoming a psychological barrier wasn't

one of those off." "Blow them up with depth charges - the Kindle Chest can take it." "Our sub is built

the discussion, sitting next to Stella, whispering, "If you can't overcome it, it's okay. Arcadia has other treasures." Stella pondered for a moment. "We've come this far; we have to find a way to retrieve it." Choosing this path meant there was no room for child's play. Earlier, fear had simply overpowered her logic - it was just a few hundred snakes,

took a deep breath to calm herself. She was a grown adult, after all.

tribulations, he knew her next move and said to Cole, "We're going back down. Keep an eye out for snakes that might come up." Cole was worried sick at the thought of Stella diving

and plunged back into the ocean, darting towards the serpent-infested chest. What was there to fear about snakes? She had survived the apocalypse. Jasper held her hand, facing the fear with

wrap around her diving suit, tightening around her arms... In a flash, the Kindle Chest

with her knife, killing a few, and then doused Jasper with a mixture of realgar and alcohol. The concoction's pungent smell was unbearable for the Belcher's sea snakes, and those clinging to Jasper quickly dispersed, vanishing within the