Chapter 8, The Underwater City

He must move over, no matter how many people there are, they can all move over

A tall male stag walked onto the road with a "thud thud" sound, adorned with beautiful white markings on its neck

The sky is a deep blue, and across the wide road is a vibrant green. Originally, there was also a park on the opposite side, called Wuzhaomen Park, which is part of the ruins of the Ming Palace.

Long before the destruction of the world, the Ming Palace in Nanjing had already been reduced to ruins. The teacher explained that the Ming Palace was dismantled once during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, again during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and finally a third time during the Republic of China, leaving only a few stone pillars, which were enclosed and transformed into a park

The waves surged in a "whoosh" one after another, creating white foam. Banxia quickly took off her shoes and held them in her hands, hopping and skipping as she stepped down.

The distance from the opposite side of the road is more than 20 meters, which is a sufficiently safe distance, allowing her to shoot an arrow before drawing her gun

They can easily raise their necks to reach the tender leaves on the trees. Apart from giraffes and elephants, this creature is truly the tallest thing that Banxia has ever seen

Banxia sat down on the steps and took out some food and a water bottle from her bag

The deer noticed a strange creature across the road, but it did not care. Its dark, beady eyes glanced over this way before it turned its head to search for food

The green landslides and tsunamis came from the mountains and the sea, overwhelming the entire city in a vast and all-encompassing manner

The girl stopped to rest at the entrance of the Ming Gu Palace, while also having a bite to eat

The sika deer is more sensitive to its surroundings than humans; as long as they are leisurely foraging, the halberd leaf does not worry about the presence of predators nearby

Oh, by the way, there are giraffes in Nanjing

It is a sika deer

A gentle breeze brushed by, causing the bushes across the road to rustle.

The frame of the mountain bike emitted a "creaking" sound as Banxia recklessly rode in the center of the road, arms outstretched, soaring like the wind

Nanjing was not originally home to giraffes; the teacher suspects that the giraffes currently living in the urban area of Nanjing are descendants of individuals that escaped from the zoo many years ago

She decided that no matter where the person she contacted last night was, she must make him move over to Unit 2, Building 11, Qinyuan, Meihua Mountain Villa. Is there anywhere in this world more suitable for living than Bansha's little nest? With mountains and rivers, and even the sea nearby for fishing! It is simply a land of good fortune!

The most striking is the Zifeng Tower, which has not yet collapsed, standing upright in the sea from a distance, accessible only by boat in the past

Approximately five or six individuals have been observed, primarily active in the area of the Purple Gold Mountain Peninsula

If one stands at a high place, one can see through the clear seawater to the seabed, where there exists another world, which is the other half of Nanjing City

Every time I visit Xuanwu Bay in the summer, I always return with a bountiful catch, with so many fish that I cannot fit them all in my bag

The agility of leopards is astonishing. In their entire family, apart from the cheetah, the others are all deadly hunters. Most of the creatures in this world have never encountered humans; to put it bluntly, they have forgotten that a dominant species called humans once existed. To them, Banxia is merely a rare upright monkey, and whether it is edible can only be determined by taking a bite.

This item is quite high in calories and can provide the necessary energy for outdoor activities

To reach the seaside from the main road, one must pass through a city wall, and Nanjing has particularly many city walls

In the years since humanity's disappearance, nature has infiltrated every corner of this city with astonishing resilience. Sometimes, Banxia thinks that humans do not necessarily need to do anything to suppress nature; the vast space they occupy inherently constrains the reproduction of other species. As long as this large population of humans continues to exist, nature can never fully return to its original state.

Banxia rode her battered mountain bike, speeding along the road, with blackened car shells lining both sides.

Banjia took a bite of the dry food and gazed into the distance across the road. Adjacent to the park is Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. From Banjia's perspective, the faint outline of Building 11 can be seen, that grayish concrete structure nestled among the lush greenery. Perhaps the surface of the cement is not conducive to plant growth, which is why it remains unchanged. However, Banjia knows that the paths of the past must have been overgrown with weeds.

The teacher once said that if you only see the dangerous side of nature, you will inevitably be unable to survive in this world. Do not forget that humanity is also one of nature's children. Since ancient times, humans have survived thanks to the gifts of the natural world. While it is fraught with crises, it simultaneously provides you with endless resources

The teacher once took her past the entrance of the park and pointed to the charred shell, saying it was a Su-27

Wow, this is so comfortable!

The rising seawater has submerged the remnants of the sidewalks and flower beds, which have now transformed into mudflats, where one can catch crabs and sandworms.

The girl shouted in the briny sea breeze

This is a herd of sika deer. Banxia estimated the number to be around twenty or so.

Startled me. Banxia put down the bow, sat down to continue eating, while watching the deer crossing the road one after another.

Nature does not favor anyone

If it were still intact, it would surely be a magnificent structure. However, it is regrettable that Banxia has never seen it in its complete form. A crashed fighter jet fell from the sky, shearing off half of the main hall's roof, and broken bricks and stones are scattered all over the ground. How does Banxia know that it was a fighter jet that caused such destruction? Because that very fighter jet is now stuck upside down at the back door of the main hall.

Based on the body type assessment, that thing is unlikely to pose a threat to one's safety

She parked the car at the entrance of the Ming Gu Palace Ruins Park, where the park's main gate is an ancient-style building, constructed on a ten-tiered platform. The golden-tiled eaves soar elegantly, and the main entrance is flanked by four large crimson pillars, each too thick for an adult to embrace.

So far, she has not used that imitation 54-style pistol, as the need to use a gun is rare. This is mainly because Banxia is sufficiently alert and intelligent; she knows how to avoid the activity areas of large predators. There are no tigers or bears in the vicinity of Nanhang, and the most dangerous feline is the leopard. Due to the presence of leopards, Banxia never stays under the trees for long.

Dried food is a starch block mixed with animal fat, which comes from deer and rabbits. After hunting these animals, Banxia pays close attention to preserving the fat. The starch mainly comes from lotus roots and lotus seeds. There are large areas of lotus flowers in the Crescent Lake near Meihua Villa, making it easy to obtain lotus roots and seeds. Banxia cooks them until tender, mashes them, and then mixes them with deer fat to form balls, which are then wrapped in plastic.

Due to climate change, those giraffes are living quite comfortably

From Meihua Mountain Villa to Xuanwu Bay, if taking the subway, one can first take Line 2 from Muxuyuan Station, transfer to Line 1 at Xinjiekou Station, and then get off at Xuanwumen Station. The entire journey takes twenty minutes, while riding a bicycle would take about forty minutes

Banxia immediately bit into the provisions, grabbed the longbow, and nocked an arrow.

Standing at the entrance of the dark subway station and looking down, the moss-covered slippery steps extend into the darkness beyond the reach of the naked eye. Hanxia can faintly smell a fishy odor mixed with the cold air, and her subconscious tells her to stay away; it is an instinct evolved over millions of years, the instinct of being prey.

Beyond the city wall lies the seaside, where the shimmering waves stretch endlessly before the eyes. Scattered high-rise buildings stand in the distance amidst the azure waters, not yet completely submerged, half beneath the water and half above, resembling concrete pillars that have grown from the seabed

Building 11 is fortunate, but its neighboring brother, Building 12, is not so lucky. When Bansha was coming along Zhongshan East Road, she saw that it was only half remaining, possibly destroyed by an aerial bomb.

After finishing the dry rations, the girl patted her bottom and stood up. She ignored the deer, and the deer also ignored her. Banxia got on her bicycle and then headed towards Xuanwu Bay

They come on strong, unstoppable in their momentum

This is a colossal creature; the existence of the elk can overturn most people's perceptions of deer. This animal stands nearly 2 meters tall, and with its magnificent antlers, it can reach almost the height of a floor. It is strong enough to overturn a small car.

What Banxia sees now is the remnants of the ruins

The subway is no longer a viable option; it has been unrideable for many years. Currently, subway stations are extremely dangerous places, and Banxia does not dare to set foot in them. These dark, damp, food-rich, and interconnected underground spaces of the city have long been occupied by perilous creatures. Her teacher once warned her not to enter places devoid of light

Xuanwu Bay is the largest food source for Banxia

For thousands of years, it is possible that humanity has suppressed nature too harshly, causing it to accumulate tremendous power like a spring. Therefore, once humanity disappears, it rebounds rapidly.

A pair of large horns suddenly emerged from the bushes, and the girl let out a sigh of relief

It is said to be the Forbidden City, but in fact, only a few buildings remain