18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



The sea was a chaotic mix of vessels-fishing boats, cargo ships, warships, and sleek black aircraft. But Iran's innate narrow-mindedness and extremism, coupled with a lack of vision and generosity, led to creations that were limited and never quite reached the grand stage.

Their so-called warships? Well, even if they managed to build something sizable, their Chinese benefactors would never allow it. Beyond the boats, wooden towers sprouted over the sea. Metal piles were hammered into the seabed, topped with wooden platforms, stacked densely until they resembled a ho's nest. It seemed Iran had lucked out finding such a prime spot; otherwise, they'd have been torn apart by ocean storms long ago. Stella did a quick count and estimated there were several hundred people. Clothes were hanging outside the wooden houses, belonging to men, women, and children-these were the homesteaders. Many others lived on the ships, likely the Iran who ventured out for plunder.

They survived by capturing sea life, and after a few years, had all turned into grotesque monsters. Even the children were covered with lumps and tumors, a sight that sent shivers down your spine.

Three people and a dog against several hundred Iran? That was a tall order. Blue Blue caught the attention of the Iran, drawing out two ships in pursuit, with guns and harpoons at the ready.

Seizing the opportunity, Stella retracted her periscope and started to steer the 2688 away from the area. With so many Iran, capturing them all would need a well-thought-out plan.

After leaving the area by several dozen nautical miles, the submarine found a calmer region of the sea to stop. Both the ship and the sea constructions were substantial, and the Iran, being adept swimmers, were on high alert after several losses-they even had watchtowers on the wooden towers. Approaching them would easily give away their position.

If it wasn't for Blue Blue's intelligence, 2688 would have been exposed already. After waiting half an hour on the seabed, Blue Blue returned. Jasper and Stella had finished discussing their options. Whether it was hand-to-hand combat, throwing grenades, or machine-gun fire, none seemed feasible.

To confront them, they would have to leave the submarine. The three of them had diving suits, so that was no issue, and they could take shelter in the Arcadia if the Iran fought back. But what about Cooper? Dogs don't have diving suits. Surely they couldn't leave him in Blue Blue's care? He would be swallowed whole. And with the Iran mutated by the virus, an infection during a fight would be a heavy loss. Combat always came with risks, and Arcadia wasn't omnipotent.

After much deliberation, they decided to either wait for bad weather to make their move or to attack when the Iran went out to plunder. Whichever method they chose, they needed to know the enemy and themselves to ensure absolute success. Having made their decision, they set out to scout the terrain around the Iran's lair in search of the perfect ambush spot.

Thus, the submarine began its underwater patrol, centered around the lair. Blue Blue, though not understanding, insisted on following. After seven or eight leisurely hours underwater, the sonar from the submarine detected an obstacle at six o'clock. Besides the terrain, there seemed to be living entities, large in both size and number.

Stella was curious about what kind of creatures could live on the ocean floor in such numbers and for so long without moving. Certainly not fish. Blue Blue issued a warning and nudged the 2688 to leave promptly. An entity even the queen of the ocean feared? Stella's curiosity was piqued; she wanted to know what formidable being could wield such power.

And so, the 2688 cautiously approached. Stella took out her binoculars, focusing intently on the sight before her. As the view came into focus, there appeared to be something writhing. Staring through the lens, she spotted several tentacles. Large, long, purplish-red, covered in dense circles. Could these be... squid tentacles?

Jasper looked on and said, "This might be the colossal squid Hans mentioned." The colossal squid, or the giant squid of the North Pacific, is the world's largest, stretching 9-10 meters in length and weighing several hundred pounds.This is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

The sea monster from the movies, its inspiration was the colossal squid, known for dragging ships to the ocean depths, extraordinarily fierce, and reigning over the ocean's hierarchy with sheer strength. A colossal squid of 9-10 meters was normal before the calamity, but now, nine years post- calamity, they had mutated. Such a large mass, with tentacles alone stretching over ten meters, let alone the length and tonnage.

Not only did they live in groups, but they were also incredibly temperamental. Even alone, they would dare to fight sperm whales weighing 50 tons, and they had a high win rate. With such numbers, if they went berserk...

A dangerous thought crossed Stella's mind. "Can our submarine outrun them?" Jasper was surprised by her audacity. "Squids are known as the swords of the sea, and they're incredibly fast because..." They jetted through the water using the funnel on their bellies, propelling themselves with such force that they could leap from the depths and soar up to 7-10 meters above the water surface. Their bodies could fly through the air like cannonballs for about 50 meters.

A squid could reach speeds over 15 meters per second, with a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour. 150 kilometers per hour? Stella felt her sanity slipping. The submarine was no match, but perhaps the yacht could give it a run. The yacht's top speed was 70 knots, about 130 kilometers per hour. Colossal squids only reached bullet-like speeds when bursting from the deep sea. If they swam on the surface, they'd likely be slower.

Of course, that was the speed of a normal colossal squid; now they were mutated. To gamble or not, Stella left the decision to Jasper, who was the best at piloting yachts. She could ensure that in an emergency, both people and the yacht could be taken into the Arcadia. All things considered, the surest way to annihilate the Iran was to use one force against another. There were risks, of course.

What didn't come with risks? When luck was against you, you could choke on a sip of water. After much thought, Jasper agreed. 2688 sent a sonar signal to Blue Blue, chasing it away. The submarine surfaced, and Jasper aimed the harpoon launcher at the squid den. Stella took out the yacht, securing Rosie and Cooper in the escape pod for protection.

With everything ready, she fastened her safety harness and started up the yacht. Jasper, receiving the signal, fired three harpoons in quick succession towards the squid den several kilometers away. The sharp harpoons, aided by accurate aim, hit the squid den precisely, causing blood to spew forth. Jasper moved swiftly, opening the hatch and clambering onto the yacht.

Stella took the chance to stow the submarine inside the Arcadia. The duo worked in perfect harmony, wrapping up the entire operation in under two minutes. However, the giant squid king was quick on the uptake. When its members were ambushed and injured, it flew into a sudden rage.

The once tranquil sea surface became a tempest of frothing waves, as countless enormous tentacles burst forth from the depths, thrashing about with incredible speed. The squid king's cohort sprang into action, propelling themselves rapidly toward the yacht. In moments, the ocean was a churning, boiling frenzy...