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."

a year younger than Stella. Having lost her family and lover years back, she cherished life but held no fear 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 discreetly passed her

no longer seemed so terrifying. It meant rejoining her family, at least. Still, she did regret not fulfilling her

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,

that Stella wasn't much for conversation, but she couldn't help herself. Stella asked gently, "Can you

she was curious about his past and eager to learn more.

an admirer of Daniel, Stella's father, began sharing

they knew it, two hours had passed. While Stella appeared to be just

and overall condition were normal except for some pain at the wound site. Relieved that the sea snake wasn't venomous, she hadn't

crew had come to recognize Stella's importance to the team. Initial shock had given way to profound respect and now, deep gratitude. Medicine was precious in a disaster-ridden world; not everyone would share it

days 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

Stella, faced the currents, their seasoned skills overcoming the challenge. But then, a megalodon approached-a behemoth over 20 meters

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

She fled, it pursued, round and round they went. The megalodon, irate and massive, became dizzy with the chase and began ramming the Kindle Chest.