18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 432

Jasper and Stella were blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding in Iran. They quickly found their balance and worked together to stabilize their submarine.

“They’ve got five of those things…”

Before Stella could finish her sentence, several dark shapes emerged from beyond the 2688, swiftly forming ranks.

One, two, three, four, five, six…

A total of six submersible crafts—not submarines. These were hexagonal underwater vehicles, smaller but faster than the 2688.

And they were riveting together underwater. Two became one, growing larger and heavier.

“Holy smokes, these aren’t just subs. They’re modular underwater fortresses,” Jasper muttered in amazement.

You had to hand it to them—their geographical constraints had pushed them to incredible ingenuity. With rising sea levels and no new land to claim, they turned their focus to the vast ocean.

Even without military sovereignty, nothing stopped them from dreaming of underwater cities.

Stella always thought it was just a fantasy, but here it was, staring them in the face.

These polyhedral crafts were more like submersible aircraft, capable of disassembling and reassembling in multiple configurations, like something out of Transformers.

Despite being less than half the size of the 2688 when alone, their combined strength was formidable.

If there were enough, they could form a base.

Normally, they could operate as a whole to withstand the unpredictable weather at sea. When a storm hit, they could quickly break apart and evade danger with their speed and knowledge of the area.

The engineers were skilled at turning small advantages into big wins, often with surprise attacks or invasions.

Their confidence was sky-high; otherwise, they wouldn’t have charged in blindly.

But they could also correct course instantly upon realizing their mistakes.

And now, they were transforming!

The six crafts combined in the depths, their mass and offensive capabilities skyrocketing.

Having once faced death, Jasper and Stella weren’t about to risk a head-on collision without knowing the enemy's strength.

As the crafts merged, they didn’t hesitate to go full throttle and flee.

The 2688 raced ahead, with Iran’s craft hot on their tail.

If there was a flaw in their craft, it was that their size made them sluggish—less nimble than before.

Deep beneath the waves, an exhilarating chase was unfolding.

Iran was relentless, pursuing from day into night without relenting.

Stella knew their forebears had endured a 14-year war, triumphing even with just millet and rifles. She had no reason to cower.

She had great faith in the newly launched 2688. It hadn’t been through the cataclysmic tsunamis caused by tectonic collisions and had ample nuclear fuel and optimal component performance.

Iran’s crafts were different. They had been toiling away at sea for years. Even with the best of luck, they would have weathered countless storms and were now worn and weary.

They would wear them down!

And so, the pursuit continued from night back into day.

Stella glanced at her watch, her brow furrowing. “Something’s not right with the weather.”

Jasper noticed it too.

It was ten in the morning, yet the light at the ocean’s bottom grew dimmer, and the current’s speed and direction shifted rapidly.

Drawing on Hans’ decades of maritime experience, a new storm seemed imminent.

Stella wanted to avoid disaster, but with Iran’s relentless pursuit, they had to be dealt with or they’d remain a constant threat.