18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 562

A thick tangle of seaweed hid the creature's identity, leaving Amelia with nothing but the sharp pain in her calf as a clue to what had just bitten her. None of them had expected a snake to lurk in these crystal-clear waters, especially after they had been so cautious.

"Probably using the seaweed as camouflage," Stella mused, trying to make sense of it.

She meticulously cleaned Amelia's wound, disinfected it after studying its shape, made a small incision with her knife, and then squeezed the blood out with force. Whether the sea snake was venomous remained a question, but they weren't taking any chances.

Arcadia was stocked with several kinds of antivenom, but Amelia and the others hadn't gotten a clear look at the snake. Using antivenom haphazardly could be as dangerous as the poison itself; it wasn't something to be administered lightly.

"Only if it's absolutely necessary," Stella reminded them, as she applied a poultice of crushed herbs to Amelia's wound and bandaged it up. To keep Amelia from panicking, Stella offered soothing words, her tone casual, "Most sea snakes aren't venomous. Don't worry. If you feel off, just let me know, okay?"

Amelia had a military upbringing. She had survived a decade of brutal disasters, which had honed her resilience beyond that of an average person. She'd heard that venom could kill quickly and without much suffering a mercy compared to the alternatives: heatwaves, famine, dehydration, hailstorms, toxic fog, tsunamis... Every disaster imaginable was a worse way to go.

Adjusting her mindset, Amelia assured Stella, "I'm fine, sis."

of death. It meant no regrets and possibly a reunion with her loved ones. She remained sanguine about life and death, determined to fight for survival but accepting of whatever end might come. As they conversed, Stella

meant rejoining her family, at least. Still,

embracing a sort of philosophical detachment about her fate. She would strive to live, but if there was no way out, she wouldn't be consumed by regret. She had experienced it all. Yet, deep down, she longed to witness a better tomorrow,

help herself. Stella asked gently, "Can you tell me how you all managed after the land

curious about his past and eager to learn more. What

special forces and an admirer of Daniel, Stella's father, began sharing

passed. While Stella appeared to be just listening, she was

normal except for some pain at the wound site. Relieved that the sea snake wasn't venomous, she hadn't realized Stella had been distracting her the whole time. A warm feeling swept over

shock had given way to profound

before the sonar detected the Kindle Chests. To their disbelief, they had stumbled upon not one, but two! The chests were not far apart, likely remnants

without hesitation, they called on Stella to work her magic. The diving trio, Jasper, Cole, and Stella, faced the currents, their seasoned skills overcoming the challenge. But then, a megalodon approached-a

didn't want the crew to know that living beings could seek refuge within it. The more they

they went. The megalodon, irate and massive, became dizzy with the chase and began ramming the Kindle Chest. It was big, but the Kindle Chest was much bigger. No matter how hard it hit, the chest barely shook.