18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 101

The battle was still raging, the deafening shouts filling the air.

Stella felt a wave of nausea and turned away, unable to bear the sight.

She scanned the crowd, taking in the bloated men and the women in their prime, all laughing and carousing without any regard for decorum.

Was this what The Chaos considered natural liberation?

The audience either reveled in the debauchery or remained indifferent, clearly used to such spectacles.

The party was not only attended by guests, but also by servers. The girls were young and pretty, the boys handsome and dashing, all dressed in swimsuits with number tags. They weren't just there to serve refreshments, but to accompany the guests. At a wave of the guests' hands, no matter the request, they had to obey unconditionally.

They were all so young, yet they looked like the walking dead, worn down by the harsh reality of the apocalypse.

For the sake of survival, they swallowed their emotions and hid behind masks of indifference.

Stella gripped her hand tightly and looked away, grateful for her superpower that spared her such a fate.

Jasper surveyed the room, his years of experience telling him that there were infiltrators among them, but without any concrete proof, there was little he could do.

They walked around the room hand in hand, noticing eight bodyguards stationed around the room, heavily armed and ready to open fire at any moment.

The battle in the arena was reaching its climax, but the boss of The Chaos remained absent.

To avoid drawing attention, they blended into the crowd.

As the clock was about to strike midnight, the battle finally came to an end. The victor, with numerous wounds, left the arena with a sack of rice while the loser was thrown into a trash can. The next match promised to be even more eye-catching.

As the disco balls spun, two girls wearing cloaks stepped into the arena amid the cheers of the guests, igniting the atmosphere.

One was covered in horrifying scars, her eyes cold and ruthless; the other was young and beautiful, her eyes filled with fear and terror, like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

One was clearly a seasoned fighter, the other a helpless, pitiful novice. This was to be a bloodbath, a one-sided slaughter.

Stella gasped in shock as she recognized the novice as a former classmate.

They weren't close, but she knew the girl came from a well-off family, nurtured and cherished in a sheltered environment. Now, she was thrown into the slaughterhouse.

The guests were placing their bets, and the atmosphere was mad, even more intense than the horse races before the apocalypse.

Stella stood among the crowd, staring at her former classmate in the arena, her jaw clenched tightly.

Jasper noticed her reaction and gave her a comforting pat. Stella took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

Suddenly, the lights went out and the melodious chime of a bell rang out.

Stella felt a chill run down her spine.

Jasper instinctively grabbed her hand, their bodies pressed close together.

As the music started, a spotlight shone on the center of the stage.

The curtain on the stage slowly lifted, revealing a burly man with a dragon tattoo on his chest, sitting on a Iron Throne in a swim trunks, surrounded by twelve beautiful women, each more stunning than the last. Stella frowned in disgust.

What the hell?

In her previous life, she had never gotten a good look at the boss' face, but she had heard of him from official reports.

He was a drug dealer, who had made a fortune selling drugs and then smuggling them into the country. He was wanted for smuggling a large quantity of drugs, enough to get him executed dozens of times over. He took advantage of the chaos of the apocalypse to build his criminal empire, so ruthless that he didn't even fear the police.

Suddenly, Jasper pinched her arm twice.

Stella immediately handed him a weapon from her Arcadia.

The Chaos was overconfident, daring to play with the lights off.

This was a golden opportunity. They naively believed they were safe, thinking it impossible to hide weapons in a bikini. Well, too bad they didn't know she had Arcadia.

In the pitch-dark room, all eyes were drawn to the stage.

Jasper fired a shot, and with a bang, the boss' forehead burst open.

Amid the screams of the women, he swiftly fired another shot at a bodyguard, knocking his gun to the ground.

Stella didn't stand idle. She put on night vision goggles, pulled out a smoke grenade and threw it in several directions, the irritating smoke quickly spreading.

She put on a gas mask, took advantage of the darkness to quickly put on body armor.

Gunshots rang out, and the previously jovial banquet hall was now filled with wails and cries as people ran for their lives.

The bodyguards were tough, raising their weapons and firing indiscriminately.

They found cover, and Stella used her night vision goggles to fire at the bodyguards.

She didn't know whether she had hit them or not, but there were people falling to the ground.

The lights suddenly came on, filling the room with blinding light and thick smoke. The air was filled with coughing, mixed with the sound of gunfire.

Jasper recognized the sound of gunfire, and he realized that it was those people who had been watching firing.

He picked up the bodyguard's gun and handed it to Stella. "Let's go."

Stella nodded, taking the gun and throwing it into her Arcadia.

They ran out of the hall in the chaos; Stella didn't forget to throw him a bulletproof vest and a coat.

He was too conspicuous in just a swimsuit.

They ran and dressed at the same time, the elevator was overloaded, so Jasper pulled Stella to the stairs.

They ran down several floors, hearing the sound of footsteps rushing up from below, very organized and fast.

Jasper went down another floor, flashing into the 19th floor and closing the corridor door, turning off the power and using a metal rod to bolt the door. The 19th floor had been specially remodeled, with only one room, the boss' residence.

He looked at Stella, "Can you pick the lock?"

Time was of the essence, Stella didn't know why they were lingering, but if he suggested picking the lock, there must be something important inside.

If they ran down now, they would likely run into the law enforcement officers, and they would be in trouble.

Jasper listened to the movements outside, making sure they were still rushing upwards, then nodded at Stella.

Stella took out a crowbar, her movements practiced and efficient.

There was a huge difference in strength between men and women, so Jasper took the crowbar from her, while Stella went to keep watch in the corridor.

After a few minutes, the sturdy door was finally forced open.

The boss' room was even more lavish than the CEO's. A thousand square meter mansion, with a living room so large you could walk a dog in, and the toilets were made of pure gold. Stella's eyes almost popped out of her head, whether it had a smell or not, her Arcadia was a gold-devouring beast.

Ignoring whatever Jasper was doing, she found herself in a duel with the toilet.

She was prying with all her might.