18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 498

As they trudged forward, a foul stench assaulted their nostrils, growing stronger with each step.

They finally reached the innermost cell where two to three hundred people, of all races and genders, huddled together. Their clothes were in tatters, their faces smeared with grime, and their eyes vacant and lifeless.

When the prisoners noticed the newcomers - masked in balaclavas and gas masks, brandishing heavy-duty submachine guns - fear initially gripped them. But the unfamiliar attire of the strangers sparked a flicker of hope in some. They began to plead and sweet-talk in every language imaginable.

Among the cacophony, Stella's ears picked up her native tongue.

But freeing them now was a death wish. If she got out, she could consider their fate later.

After a full circuit, Stella emerged from the cell block. Just as she was puzzling over how to crack the quadruple smart locks, gunshots rang out from above.

She immediately grasped the situation - the Russians had arrived!

The Russians, long oppressed by the Union Base, had been keeping a close eye on their movements. They wouldn't miss such an opportune moment.

The base was too vast for just the two of them to tackle over two thousand enemies. Pursuing the escapees was out of the question. Having the Russians pick off the stragglers was fine by her.

Jasper frowned. "A lot of them got away. What if they spill your secrets?"

Stella didn't hesitate. "Anyone who knows, we'll just have to take care of them."

There were too many at Union Base to wipe out entirely in the underwater fortress. But even if they ran, they couldn't escape the Arctic. This wasn't the well-resourced Ocean Point Naval Station. It was the harsh, unforgiving Arctic. If she had to unleash her wrath, she wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

...

Outside the base, a fierce battle raged.

The Russians hadn't expected their chance for revenge to come so swiftly. The seemingly impregnable Union Base was now in ruins.

They split into teams, waiting outside, ready to kill anyone who emerged. They seized a batch of weapons, and their lost confidence surged back. "Ura..." they cheered in the darkness.

A Russian soldier dragged a bloodied base member forward. "Captain, we've got the situation," he reported. "He says two people with special abilities broke into the base..."

Special abilities? Two of them?

The leaders laughed heartily, executing the half-dead base member on the spot. "You believe these liars? How many times have they deceived us?"

Years of conflict had taught them never to trust the enemy's words. They were probably trying to lure them into a trap.

The captain gave his orders with a stern face, "Listen up, unless you fancy dying, don't give them a chance to squawk. Kill on sight!"

Tonight, they would not rest, not allowing a single bird to escape! Special abilities or not, even the Almighty wouldn't help them now. Just finish them off, no more words needed. Only with the complete annihilation of Union Base could they truly be safe! Any sign of weakness, and he would take care of the offender himself!

The Union Base leader could never have imagined being driven to a dead end because of one Snowflake. The first sub-level, destroyed. The second sub-level, destroyed. With communication still functioning within the base, he knew the Russians were scavenging.

Stella never liked playing by the

book. The four doors were too difficult to open. It was just special material, after all. Could a living person be killed by holding in urine? First, they used an 1800-degree flamethrower continuously, then bombs or sulfuric acid for corrosion, and they even had high-speed drills. If she was here, even if it were eighteen layers of hell, she'd break through!

Halfway through using the flamethrower, the door to the third sub-level opened. This was the last level of the underwater base. Light shone through. Stella didn't hesitate, cautiously entering with Jasper All four security checkpoints were open, offering no resistance. It seemed they realized their tricks were useless, and this time they were much more straightforward.

Past the quadruple doors was a descending elevator. The two exchanged a glance before stepping in. As the elevator descended, Stella couldn't help but wonder what they would do if they were trapped inside. But this was a gamble, and they could afford to stay in Arcadia for a few months. What about the Five Eyes Alliance? With the Russians waiting to pounce outside, the base's ventilation system destroyed, and poison gas everywhere, how long could the third sub-level's oxygen supply and power last? So, they left the doors to the third level open.

With a ding, the elevator doors slowly opened. They stepped out to face a hundred or so armed base members, the dark muzzles of their guns trained on them. "Whoo... Whoo..." The mournful howl of Snowflake filled the air. Stella followed the sound and saw Snowflake being manhandled by a soldier.

A dozen soldiers surrounded three base leaders as they approached. Stella frowned slightly. Were these Union Base's leaders? They seemed a bit off!

Without mincing words, they got straight to the point: "If you want it to live, hand over your special abilities."

Stella let out a light chuckle, "You want to trade a wolf for my abilities? What were you thinking?"

"If it's not important, why did you come here?"

"I think you've got it wrong. It's not that we wanted to come here; you've forced us to come time and again."

The leader did not believe them. Having relied on special abilities to destroy the underwater fortress, they still dared to be so defiant. With a gun against Snowflake's head, the soldier threatened, "Believe it or not, I'll blow its brains out?"

Even in their balaclavas, Snowflake recognized them, "Whoo... Whoo..."

"I came here for myself today, and I've dealt with over two thousand people." Stella remained unmoved by Snowflake's plight, "We've all been through a decade of disasters. Don't joke like a child. If you were in our shoes, would you exchange your abilities for a wolf?" Giving them up would only lead to a swifter death.

While they negotiated, the pained Snowflake suddenly lashed out fiercely, its sharp claws wounding the soldier's arm. Angry from the injury, the soldier slammed Snowflake to the ground and pulled the trigger in a bid to intimidate the opposition. Snowflake yelped in agony, blood spurting from the wound. Stella's anger flared, but she restrained herself from showing any emotion. Showing feelings would only make them more vulnerable.

Luckily, Snowflake wasn't killed instantly by the shot, but the injury to its thigh, coupled with a day of struggling, had left it barely alive, lying on the ground too weak to fight.

Seeing that the two were genuinely indifferent, it seemed that the only way to obtain their abilities was through force. The boss sneered at Stella, his hand waving dismissively with a flick of arrogance.

In the blink of an eye, a hailstorm of bullets erupted, blanketing the area where the two stood in a deadly spray. Stella, quick on her feet, whipped out a bulletproof steel plate in a desperate bid for defense.

But to their horror, an armor-piercing round, unanticipated and unforgiving, punched through their shield. The sheer force of the impact sent the bulletproof steel plate clattering away, leaving Stella and Jasper crumpled in a growing pool of their own blood...