Apocalypse: Last Traveler-Chapter 377 - 356: Undersea World

After looking through the photos he just took, Lu Xi’an continued clicking the arrow to view the photos originally stored in the camera.

The first photo they saw was a simple underwater selfie. The person in the sea was wearing a diving suit, bubbles rising from their head, waving at the camera with a smile, looking very happy.

The second, third, fourth, up to the seventh and eighth photos were similar, only with slight changes in the deep blue sea background. Some images lacked human figures, only showing the seascape. Fish, large and small, swam with bright colors, but their numbers weren’t many, just one or two solitary swimmers.

Perhaps the sea was affected back then, which is why it seems so desolate now.

Yet, even so, everyone found it an eye-opening experience.

Luo Ping said, "Wow, I’ve only ever seen the sea from the shore, never beneath the waves. Who would’ve thought it was this beautiful? I must go down there sometime."

Shu said, "You can go down now too."

Luo Ping glanced at Shu and said, "You see what time it is now! If we go down and the tide retreats, we’ll be in trouble. It’s better to enjoy these photos for now; we can plan for another time."

Shu retorted, "Just say it, why are you looking at me?"

Luo Ping replied, "Who’s interested in looking at you!"

Shu: "..."

Lu Xi’an couldn’t be bothered with these two who seemed like sworn frenemies, yet he suddenly found Chai Xin’s earlier suggestion might have some merit—seeing the two get their picture taken together as if they were close might not seem that out of place.

Even if it is a bit nauseating.

He continued to look at the next photo. This time, the style changed dramatically, showing a scene completely absent from the previous pictures.

It was a panoramic view of a city, entirely submerged by the sea, like the sunken city of Atlantis.

The city was vast, with towering skyscrapers. Many windows had cracked under the pressure of the seawater. Seaweed and corals climbed up, covering the original steel jungle with various colors, creating a strange beauty amidst the dead blue stillness.

Lu Xi’an noticed a corner of the city where the buildings were relatively dense and low, with fewer skyscrapers compared to elsewhere.

Among the low buildings were several narrow streets that appeared weathered and damaged by the seawater in the photograph. The buildings reflected light, some quite dazzling, standing out strikingly in the city photo.

"What’s that? Why is it so bright?"

Everyone was curious, Chai Xin asked.

Lu Xi’an didn’t answer but opened the next photo.

A close-up of the city appeared, focusing on that low-lying area.

All the buildings here were encased in a transparent glass dome. The glass appeared to be of excellent quality, completely intact at this deep sea level without a single crack.

No other buildings could compare.

Green algae covered the bottom edges of the glass, rising and falling unevenly like serrated teeth, sealing off the inflow of seawater.

Lu Xi’an suddenly recalled the submerged residential areas beneath the Three Gorges.

Those buildings were also covered with a glass dome, preserved as relics of an era within the river.

This is the Fish Mouth District.

Lu Xi’an suddenly realized.

This is the place depicted on the commemorative coin.

The image on the coin was too generalized and worn with age, making it difficult to recognize now.

Unexpectedly, the people on the East Island boat ventured into the sea, capturing the scenery of the Fish Mouth District with a camera.

And the Fish Mouth District wasn’t just commemorated on a coin; protection measures were also implemented, making it one of the few intact cities in this broken world.

Lu Xi’an kept clicking the arrow, viewing more photos, as everyone watched together in admiration.

Finding it troublesome with everyone crowded around, Lu Xi’an projected the video onto the camper’s screen for easier viewing.

Thus, those old city skyscrapers, along with ancient architectural styles preserved from long ago, appeared one by one through the blue seawater in the glass dome before everyone’s eyes.

"This place even looks like those from historical dramas."

Luo Ping marveled.

Chai Xin agreed, "Yes, yes, it looks just like those in TV shows and movies."

Lu Xi’an sighed, "It’s a pity that this place has been submerged by the sea; otherwise, we could visit and see it up close."

This place must now be very deep underwater. Looking at the photos from the camera, people back then would also need diving suits and lamps to go down.

Unfortunately, the diving suits are now gone, making it difficult for ordinary people to dive that deep.

—However, come to think of it, this shouldn’t affect Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei much. As Type A Neo-Humans, their bodies are strong enough to withstand the deep sea pressure for a certain time.

Besides, Gou is waterproof, made with high-strength Dyson Sphere materials. It can accompany them underwater, providing light and navigation without any problems.

This way, they couldn’t see the ancient civilization in the deep sea up close.

Luo Ping said, "It’s okay, just looking at the photographs is good enough. In these times, being able to see these photos is already quite something, right? Others may want to see them but can’t."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Lu Xi’an said, "For us Type A Neo-Humans, diving into the sea shouldn’t be a problem. When the next tide comes, we might be able to go down and have a look. Tang Er, do you want to come?"

Tang Er shook his head and said, "No, without Liu Hua, it’s no fun going down there alone."

Liu Hua frowned and said, "If you have the chance, you should go and have a look. Don’t just think about me; it’s such a good opportunity to broaden your horizons."

But Tang Er was resolute and said, "I’ve gained enough insight just from the photos."

Liu Hua tried to persuade him for a while. Even Shu and Luo Ping spoke up, but Tang Er remained unmoved.

Everyone, helpless, had to give up persuading him.

Next, one photograph after another was displayed, and everyone marveled at the sturdiness of the glass and admired the prosperity of the ancient civilization, looking at each photo very carefully.

After watching, they went outside the vehicle and stood by the cliff, gazing into the distance. For a moment, the sense of time’s change from the ancient past filled their hearts, making it hard to escape.

"I feel like watching a period drama."

Luo Ping suddenly said.

Everyone nodded.

What they wanted to see was not the plot but to find some sense of ancient culture from the video—a glimpse of the bustling life of ordinary people in an environment so different from the present.

As though just by looking, they could place themselves there and experience it.

"Then let’s watch one."

Lu Xi’an said as he retrieved a laptop from the RV, placed it on the rattan box where the waterproof camera was kept, and found a period film to watch.

He didn’t open a new one but chose a film they had seen before. This film was relatively authentic, with costumes and props guided by historical experts, giving it a convincing atmosphere as soon as the scenes unfolded.

What they were searching for was this feeling; the plot was secondary. So Lu Xi’an played that film.

It turned out that Lu Xi’an’s choice was correct. After the film started, everyone discussed it while watching, praising it continually. Occasionally, they joked about other videos they had seen, saying how those films or TV shows had chaotic hairstyles and everyone wore either white or black, as if they were in a perpetual funeral.

Even those who hadn’t experienced the old era found it jarring. What were the people of the old era thinking, filming it like that?

As they joked, Lu Xi’an stood by, nodding repeatedly, agreeing but saying little else.

In the next two days, they stayed on the mountain, helping Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei take care of the cornfield and the two chickens, attempting to find materials to make a smaller rattan box.

The rattan box was almost done, and Shu had tended the cornfield very neatly.

However, he was uneasy about letting the two chickens run into the field, saying that the corn was just sprouting, and he was worried the chickens might peck them. He suggested waiting for the corn to grow a bit more before letting them in.

Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei readily agreed, following his advice.

Two days passed quickly, and the sea finally receded. They once again stood on the east cliff, watching the majestic tide ebb away, as spectacular as when it came.

Lu Xi’an took many photos of the retreating tide, then said to Luo Ping and the others:

"We’ll go into the sea shortly to have a look and take some photos. Once we’re done, you can take the camera back next time you visit and take some photos for your families. Then upload the pictures to the computer at the base and bring the camera back for us."

"Sure, no problem."

Luo Ping laughed, "We’ll certainly be coming here often. Now that we’ve established a contact with Hu Xiaodong, the trade route is open, and we’ll have regular exchanges with the island community."

Lu Xi’an nodded.

Luo Ping continued, "I heard from Hu Xiaodong that the island will have an election in six months. He invited us to the island to observe. Would you two like to join?"

Lu Xi’an said, "We’ll pass. It’s just the two of us, and you’ve got a bigger crowd for that. This is more your thing."

"Haha, you noticed it, huh?"

Luo Ping grinned widely, "That Hu Xiaodong is quite a character. When we were leaving the island before, he said we didn’t need his boat, just ride the fish.

"He immediately came up with an idea, saying people hadn’t seen such a sight and wanted to bring a crowd to witness it, a chance to learn."

"His grand rhetoric, I saw right through it."

Lu Xi’an smiled and said, "And yet you agreed."

Luo Ping also laughed, "There’s no harm to us. Didn’t you just say? It’s about setting the scene for Hu Xiaodong. It makes future business easier for us. Why not?"

Lu Xi’an nodded without a word.

After the tide completely retreated, Luo Ping and the others drove off, leaving Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei alone on Caiyang Mountain.

But such a life for just the two of them was what they were used to and enjoyed the most.