18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 599

Five days into the submarine's voyage, just as twilight began to paint the sky, the crew caught sight of a new landmass through their remote periscope.

After a detailed survey, Cole's face turned serious. "The submarine's detected a bunch of movable obstacles. Looks like a port."

In a world torn apart by disaster, the ability to keep a port running was no small feat. This wasn't some private setup; it had to be a national base.

Afraid of getting caught, the submarine kept its distance, making their observations a bit sketchy. But the salvage team was seasoned.

Analysis of the sonar data showed the port had more than just submarines. There were large transport vessels and even aircraft carriers.

Cole turned the data into images. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's either China or a China-led alliance."

They were on a mission for the Kindle Chest, and unless they had no other choice, the special ops team wasn't looking to pick a fight with China.

They decided quickly to change their landing site.

Time to scram—if China even got a whiff of them, given their notorious shoot-first- ask-later attitude, they'd be toast.

So, the submarine dove deeper, taking an extra half day to find another entry point.

The new continent was massive, and the coordinates for the Kindle Chest's crash site were still a long hike away. They estimated it would take around 20 days on foot, through who knows what kind of dangers.

After a quick huddle, everyone disembarked.

Stella glanced at Arcadia, reluctantly stowing the submarine away, and the 14- person team boarded two inflatable dinghies, heading for the shore.

The wasteland stretched out endlessly, with sand and dust whipping around so fiercely it was hard to keep your eyes open.

The environment was brutal; the wind was so strong it could blow a person away. In no time, their faces were caked with sand, making walking impossible.

Considering they might be on China's turf, they needed to blend in and move fast.

Stella pulled out two top-notch military Humvees, eagle-emblazoned uniforms, weapons, and camo face paint.

From head to toe, they transformed into Chinese soldiers.

Jake and the others were stunned. "Stella, you're like a walking armory!"

The armored Humvees had automated weapon stations on the roof, capable of mowing down any threats nearby.

donned sunglasses, and

spitting

Time to roll out!

beasts, their Humvees, plowed through the violent dust storms across

Bran. This mad dash across the desert would've been his ultimate joyride. He would've died

be discreet, but they stayed

and lookouts

got nothing on this,"

back, I bet the greenery will have spread

everything, they thought, feeling like Griffith was paradise compared to

they set up tents to brave

wind howled all night, and by morning, the

scorching sun beat down on the

beautiful and brutal, the

coordinates, the desert's sandy terrain

midday, they

scouted the high

when three of the lookouts came sprinting back,

wind made it hard to hear their warning. The lookout with the binoculars initially couldn't see what was following them, but when he did, his

down from his perch.

and the rest thought they'd been spotted

"No, it's army ants."

frantically starting

legionary ants, were not only fast

usually formed a

prey with powerful mandibles.

their kin as

hunted.

a swarm of army ants could devour a large

person, but she had seen them in movies, and they were as terrifying as the legends

fumbling with their weapons as they

and Stella, after stowing her gear

forces backgrounds,

Humvees roared to life, with Stella's vehicle speeding towards the fleeing trio. The relentless pursuit of the army ants was terrifying. They swarmed from every direction, an endless tide emerging from the

three men squeezed into the vehicle, howling in