The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 851

Chapter 851

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Chapter 851

As the submarine crept closer, Nicole caught a flicker of movement in the distance.

Nicole studied the camera feed until she made out several enormous tentacles, long and purplish red, with rows of round suckers along their undersides. They looked like they belonged to a squid.

Zeph leaned closer to the screen. “Those must be the giant squid Sawyer mentioned.”

Giant squid were among the largest invertebrates in the world. Including their long feeding tentacles, they could reach about 43 feet in length. They inspired stories of the kraken, a sea monster powerful enough to drag an entire ship underwater.

But more than nine years had passed since the disasters began, and the creatures ahead had mutated far beyond anything people once knew.

Their tentacles alone stretched over 30 feet. From the tangled mass on the screen, Nicole couldn’t begin to judge the size of their bodies, much less their weight.

According to Sawyer, they traveled in groups and were fiercely aggressive. Even one could take on a 50-ton sperm whale and stand a decent chance of winning. An attack by this many could be devastating.

A dangerous idea took shape in Nicole’s mind. “Can our submarine outrun them?”

Zeph turned to her, startled as he realized what she had in mind. “Squid can shoot through the water like arrows. They force water out through a funnel under their bodies. It’s basically jet propulsion.”

That powerful thrust sent them hurtling through the depths. Some squid could even launch themselves clear of the water and travel a considerable distance through the air.

But these mutated creatures were another matter. If they could reach anything close to the speeds Sawyer described, the submarine wouldn’t stand a chance.

Nicole considered the yacht instead. At full throttle, it could reach 70 knots, roughly 81 miles per hour.

Giant squid only reached those explosive speeds when they shot up from the depths. Near the surface, they

should be a little slower. 1

Of course, that only applied to normal giant squid. These creatures had mutated.

Nicole left the decision to Zeph. He handled the yacht better than anyone, so she trusted him to judge whether they could risk it.

All she could promise was that if things went wrong, she would pull everyone into her storage space along with the yacht.

After they weighed their options, luring these creatures into attacking the Ardelonians still seemed like the safest way to wipe them out.

The plan carried risks, but so did everything else. With bad enough luck, someone could choke to death on a sip of water.

Zeph thought it over for a long time before he finally agreed.

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Chapter 251

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They used submarine 2688’s sonar to drive Blue away, then brought the submarine to the surface. Zeph aimed the harpoon launcher at the cluster of squid.

Nicole brought out the yacht and ushered Poppy and Cola into the escape capsule for safety. Once everything was ready, she clipped on her safety line and started the yacht’s engine.

At her signal, Zeph fired three harpoons in quick succession at the squid more than a mile away.

The targeting display gave him a clear shot. The razor-sharp harpoons pierced their targets, and blood streamed into the surrounding water.

Zeph threw open the hatch and scrambled aboard the yacht. The moment he was clear, Nicole pulled the submarine into her storage space.