The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 145

[Mental Strength: 8.0 (Humanoid) → 10.0 (Starry Osprey Form Boost)]

[In Starry Osprey form, awaken the 'Storm Insight' talent and additionally gain the skills 'Storm Wings (Basic)', 'Star Vision (Basic)', and 'Stardust Protection (Basic)'.]

Han Ning tried to flap his wings gently.

A gentle updraft immediately formed beneath him, lifting him half a foot off the ground and suspending him in the air with incredibly smooth movements.

"Wow!"

His hands vibrated continuously.

His body soared upwards, reaching straight into the sky.

Suddenly, we were hundreds of meters above the sky.

The winds are howling, the temperature is extremely low, and there are hailstones the size of thumbs all around, making for a very harsh environment.

But all of these things vanished without a trace when they reached a distance of several tens of centimeters from Han Ning's body.

Han Ning lowered his head slightly, looking down at the earth.

A faint starlight gathered in its eyes.

In the realm of stars, everything is different.

The dim light no longer hindered its observation.

With their own eyes, they could clearly see the tiny dents on the rocks a kilometer away caused by hail.

It can penetrate the dense rain curtain and capture the dead trees rolling in the floodwaters of the valley below.

Even more strangely, the invisible wind took on a form in his eyes.

The turbulent airflow resembled countless rushing gray ribbons, intertwining and separating.

He can see where the wind is most violent and where it is relatively calm, and he can even predict the changes in the wind in the next moment.

With a flap of his broad wings, Han Ning unleashed a highly condensed azure aura at the edges of his wings.

"Whoo~"

His body transformed into a black line, piercing the dark sky shrouded in thick clouds at a speed far exceeding that of the Molten Gold War Tiger Lu's sprint.

Han Ning kept trying to climb higher, getting closer to the clouds.

He clearly remembered that a faint aura of black tide lingered above the clouds, and he wanted to test at what stage it would trigger an attack from the black tide aura.

Fortunately, this powerful sensing ability allows for early warnings.

Ascending steadily, 600 meters, 1000 meters...

Until it approaches 3000 meters.

Han Ning suddenly felt a deep chill.

It was as if some terrifying being had instantly locked onto him.

"It's probably reached its limit..."

Han Ning quickly lowered the altitude.

Soon, the chilling cold gradually disappeared.

Chapter 162 High-Altitude Exploration

Han Ning spread his wings and flew silently in the gray sky, circling the edge of the mountain range.

The violent airflow blowing over the feathers actually helped him, propelling him forward at an even faster speed.

The continuous mountain range was clearly visible in the field of vision.

Gradually, he flew to the southwest direction of the mountains.

A relatively flat valley caught his attention.

Because below, there were many buildings constructed by humans.

Rows of camouflage tents were neatly arranged, as if measured with a ruler.

Between the tents, figures moving about with a clear sense of discipline were seen carrying supplies or constructing fortifications.

Even from a great distance, Han Ning recognized the orderly atmosphere immediately.

It was clearly a military base.

Han Ning's gaze swept over the military camp and landed on another area a little further away.

There is also a human-built habitat there.

However, compared to military camps, it was quite disorganized.

The crooked and dilapidated shacks were crammed together in a crooked and haphazard manner.

The materials are also quite varied.

There were tree branches, tattered canvas, and rusted iron sheets, making it difficult to even provide adequate shelter from the wind and rain.

The figures moved between the shacks, most of them dressed in tattered clothes and with sallow and emaciated faces.

Some people were nearby, laboriously picking up branches that had been blown in from afar, their movements stiff.

They shivered in the cold wind, a stark contrast to the orderly campsite not far away.

Han Ning glanced at those people.

Suddenly, a figure made him stop flying forward and start circling.

It was a tall woman, bending over and dragging a heavy log with another person.

Her face was covered in mud and grime, her wet hair clung to her cheeks and neck, her lips were tightly pressed together, and her expression was tense.

It's Su Mingke.

Han Ning focused his gaze, scanning the people around him.

He saw Lin Wei, whom he had once rescued, carrying some dry branches toward a shack.

And there's Ah Jun, who's hammering a wooden wedge with a stone... They're all ordinary people who followed Professor Ye at the Agricultural and Forestry University back then.

They are all here, struggling to survive in the cold and mud.

However, Zou Yu and the other awakened individuals were not seen.

"I never expected that those people from the Agricultural University would still be alive..."

Han Ning's mind stirred slightly, but he made no move to lower the altitude or reveal his presence.

He continued to hover silently in the air.

A moment later, he flapped his wings, changed direction, and continued flying into the distance.

More and more temporary military outposts came into view.

They are like chess pieces on a chessboard, spaced a considerable distance apart, occupying different places.

Strangely, they were clearly separated from each other, showing no sign of being connected.

As he silently passed by one of the larger encampments.

Inside a mobile military building below, which served as a temporary command post.

"The enemy's defenses in area three are relatively weak; we can break through there and enter..."

A middle-aged man with short, neat hair and a resolute face was pointing at a map and saying something.

Suddenly, he paused, his brows furrowed, and almost instinctively looked up at the ceiling, as if his gaze could penetrate the building and reach the distant sky.

“…Something’s not right,” he said in a deep voice, with strong suspicion.

"What's wrong, Captain Wang?" the person next to him immediately asked.

"I felt like something was watching this area just now." The man called Captain Wang spoke quickly as he strode out of the house and stood in the rain, his eyes scanning the gray sky warily.

The clouds hung low, and raindrops mixed with hail poured down.

The sky was completely empty, without a trace of any living creature.

Team Leader Wang stood there for a moment, his brows furrowed, before finally looking away.

"Such keen senses, a true expert..."

Han Ning felt a chill run down his spine when he sensed that someone below had noticed his investigation.

Keep in mind that this is over a thousand meters in the air.

"The army is indeed full of experts."

Han Ning quickly flew away from here and continued to fly around the huge island mountain range.

The true state of the entire area was clearly displayed before his eyes.

The number of survivors who made it to this mountain range was somewhat beyond his expectations.

Human settlements of varying sizes are scattered along the edges of the mountains and in the relatively flat areas near the mountains.

The army garrison in the southwest is just one of them.

As he turned to the east side of the mountains, an even more spectacular view came into view.

Between the floodwaters and the low-hanging clouds, several warships, resembling steel behemoths, lay quietly moored in a body of water near the mountains.

Their massive hulls resemble moving mountains, painted in camouflage, with numerous turrets and various radar antennas densely packed on the island superstructure.

A considerable number of small gunboats and patrol boats, also painted in military camouflage, were patrolling and guarding the waters.

“Navy…” Han Ning understood.

This should be the naval force originally stationed in the waters off Bailu City.

It's normal for Bailu City, being a coastal city, to have a naval base, and the navy's capabilities are generally stronger than the army's.

They just keep a low profile.

With the army and navy, plus any other troop units that may remain in the city, the number of troops in this area is considerable.

He glanced at several large strongholds and conservatively estimated that there were at least a thousand people there.