18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 177

The solar panels were packed away into the Arcadia; just as the two of them were about to descend the stairs, they noticed a mushroom cloud spreading like an explosion, countless flashes of lightning illuminating the clouds.

It was a thunderstorm!

And those billowing, rolling clouds were nimbus clouds.

Lightning, as dense as a centipede's legs, pierced through the clouds, striking the sea surface, forming a tightly knit net of electricity. Over and over again, they ceaselessly radiated high voltage electricity.

This was not some technological light show, but a reality unfolding before their eyes. Stella felt her scalp tingle, and her heart seemed to seize up.

They said the sea was like a mother, but now it was like a mother who had lost her temper, causing such a big commotion. Surely it was not just a simple storm.

Escape? Now it was definitely too late. Even the fastest wheels can't outrun the raging sea.

What to do now? Stella's mind was racing.

Suddenly, she thought of something and hurriedly took it out of the Arcadia. An orange life pod, three meters in diameter, appeared out of nowhere on the rooftop. She hoped it wouldn't have to be used, but it was better to be prepared. Jasper looked surprised for a moment, but quickly snapped back to reality, going down to the second floor to continue packing up, "Rosie, come help me dismantle the air conditioner."

While Rosie was away, Stella kept putting things into the Arcadia: the air conditioner, the washing machine, the refrigerator, the sofa... Thankfully they only had essential supplies, otherwise, who knows how long they'd be packing. When the time came, Jasper demonstrated his SWAT-like speed, moving so fast that even five Stellas couldn't keep up. By the time she finished collecting everything, he had already packed away three air conditioners along with their external units. The sunlight vanished, darkness spreading across the sky.

Having packed everything, the three of them and the dog quickly ran up to the rooftop. The sky was being pushed lower and lower by the lightning, as if an invisible hand was rapidly compressing it, the world becoming increasingly narrow. Wait, this wasn't an illusion, the world really was closing in.

Stella picked up the binoculars, gazing intently. After a while, she realized it was a tidal wave. It was as high as the sky, like a wall advancing from the horizon.

A tsunami!

The survivors on the beach noticed the anomaly. They were first taken aback, then shocked, and then they started screaming and running.

The crowd was dense, screams rose and fell, some turned and ran, some knocked over the elderly or children, and some couldn't bear to leave their tents, wanting to pack them up and escape with them. People were trampling each other, families separated, everyone rushing around like a wave of black water.

Some ran towards higher ground, others towards the fishing village, fear and despair intertwined. But no matter how fast they ran, they couldn't outrun the tidal wave that was sweeping across the sky.

In the face of the all-encompassing tsunami, humans were as insignificant as ants. No matter how much they struggled, what could they possibly do against the natural disasters?

The crowd of people was instantly swept up by the tidal wave; some didn't even have time to struggle before they were swallowed up. The tsunami carried them away, continuing its unstoppable advance with destructive force.

The pier was the same. Numerous fishing boats of all sizes were docked here, appearing as steel giants in the eyes of humans. They used to bravely battle the winds and waves at sea, bringing back abundant harvests each time, providing humanity with boundless hope. However, in the face of a true natural disaster, they became like paper-folded toys. Waves as high as dozens of meters effortlessly overturned these once formidable vessels.

Stella watched as the giant fishing boats overturned and sank, disappearing in a blink of an eye.

It was almost laughable, Odeberg International and Aqua Base fought each other to death, just wanting to become the real master of this sea area. But all it took was one wave, and the territories they built with blood and sweat were completely destroyed.

The fishing boats were gone, and the salt fields were washed away.

Everything was gone.

"Boom!!!"

The tidal wave roared, crashing heavily against the mountainside. Despite being several kilometers away, Stella could feel the spray on her face. And behind the dozens of meters high tidal wave was an even bigger wave. "Stella!" Jasper shouted.

Stella snapped back to reality, quickly opening the door to the life pod, "Quick."

After climbing into the life pod, Jasper settled Rosie in a seat and fastened her seat belt tightly, "Rosie, don't be scared, sit tight and hold onto the handle."

As Stella turned around to close the door, she heard the roars of cars on the mountain road, along with the frantic footsteps of people running in haste.

The wealthy residents of the mid-slope villas, either fleeing in their cars or running on foot, were swarming towards the top of the mountain, trying to get to the highest point to save their lives. The mountaintop villa that Stella rented was undoubtedly the highest point on the mountain.

"Quick, quick, get upstairs."

"My God, they have a life pod!"

Unable to stop in time, someone crashed into the car in front. Some even pulled the people in front of them out of the way, trying to be the first to rush onto the rooftop.

Several dozen, even hundreds of people, who usually soaked in milk baths and sipped red wine, wearing either suits or dresses, displaying refined or charming looks, were now more disheveled than the refugees at the bottom.

"Shit, who the hell is pulling me!"

"Help, don't steal my spot!"

Their hair was messed up, their high heels broken, and everyone was struggling to squeeze into the courtyard.

Without hesitation, Stella closed the pod door and bolted it shut. She sat down in her seat and quickly fastened the multiple seat belts. "Cooper."

There was no dog-specific seat, so Jasper gave him an order. The dog jumped onto its trainer's lap, allowing him to hold him tightly.

The crowd was like a horde of fast zombies, fighting each other to get onto the rooftop, constantly banging on the life pod. The people in front were violently pushed by those behind, their faces pressed against the glass door, appearing grotesque and terrifying. They didn't even have time to speak before they were pulled away by the people behind.

The pod door wasn't big. Everyone knew there were few seats inside, and they could only fight with all their might for a chance to survive.

"Open the door, I have money, houses, and cars. Just give me a spot."

A woman behind jumped up and started fighting with the man, "You bastard, what about me and daughter?"

The man kicked her away. He was fighting for his own life. How could he care for his wife and child? He yelled desperately into the pod, "I have food, I'll give you 5,000 pounds, no, 50,000 pounds, please open the door."

Before he could finish his sentence, the man was pulled away by those behind him. A man in a security uniform lunged forward, "Miss Stella, I'm Rob, please, I beg you, give me a spot. I can't die. My parents and children are waiting for me at home. Please help me!" The life pod's door was made of triple-layered glass and had excellent soundproofing. Stella could only see a sea of grotesque, terrified faces, but inside the pod, it was eerily quiet.

Rob wasn't a bad guy, but he was too worldly and sometimes he talked more than he should. The security guards of the post-apocalypse differed greatly from those before the catastrophe. They felt as if they were the custodians of the wealthy, their demeanor carrying a hint of superiority. In particular, some affluent individuals would privately bestow them with perks, facilitating their entry and obtaining information.

Pampered by the wealthy, they soon developed ulterior motives. They would fawn over those who provided these benefits, while subtly hinting or causing difficulties for those who did not.

Stella had been on the receiving end of these insinuations when they wanted cigarettes.