18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 32

With a sudden acceleration and a swift drift around the bend, Stella barreled forward. A violent jolt nearly sent her flying out of the car. Thankfully, she managed to maintain her balance and, after a long detour, finally arrived at the convention center.

Although the convention center only had 12 floors, the expansive halls gave it an imposing presence. Stella circled around the center but couldn't detect any signs of life or any broken windows.

According to the industrial layout of the city, Rockdale was a hub for furniture manufacturing, with factories scattered around. The residential and commercial districts lay on the other side of the river and were hardly visible under the downpour.

All around, floodwaters prevailed, with only the convention center standing tall amid the chaos. The glass was thick and sturdy, resistant to a hammer's blow.

Stella used a window breaker and managed to shatter it after several attempts.

The convention center was a popular tourist destination and it was vast. Unfortunately, the grand lobby was submerged under the floodwater. Still, the magnificent structure was visible when Stella looked upwards.

The darkness swallowed the glitz and glamour of the center. Now, the only light came from Stella's flashlight, illuminating the rows of stylish furniture.

The intricate waterways around the center had protected it well. Perhaps the center didn't contain any survival supplies, as it remained untouched before Stella's arrival.

The center was filled with furniture of unimaginable designs and styles. Stella didn't rush to gather the furniture. Instead, she headed straight to the furniture museum on the top floor.

Without electricity, the center was pitch black, echoing only her footsteps. Exhausted from the long climb to the top floor, Stella rested her aching feet as she looked around.

The whole floor was filled with historical exhibits, including photographs, various types of wood, and ancient furniture - some intact, some dilapidated.

After about half an hour of exploring with her flashlight, Stella reached her target - a four-meter-long piece of irregularly shaped, dark brown wood.

This was ebony.

Aged and weathered underground for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, it had become something akin to a plant mummy - resembling wood but not quite, stone but not exactly.

It was considered a fossil amongst woods. There was even a saying that a bit of ebony was worth its weight in gold.

Stella couldn't estimate its value. After all, no matter how precious, it couldn't fill a starving belly. To a survivor, it was worthless.

The ebony was encased in transparent, explosion-proof glass, making it difficult to retrieve. Stella put on a mask and took out an electric saw from her backpack. After some effort, she managed to cut open the glass, releasing a sweet, aromatic scent. The scent of the ebony was truly pleasant.

Without wasting any time, she quickly stowed the precious wood into her Arcadia.

With the electric saw, she continued to collect various types of wood, all encased in glass or cordoned off with caution tape to prevent tourists from touching.

Stella couldn't tell which types of wood were infused with spiritual energy. She decided to throw them all into Arcadia.

After a while, she came across a bed made of rosewood, intricately carved, stunningly beautiful, and flawless. In the darkness, it looked somewhat eerie.

The bed was too large to fit in the living room of Arcadia, so she rolled up her sleeves and started to disassemble it. After disassembling and storing the bed, she also took the matching table, chairs, benches, and dressing table.