The Abandoned Old City

Chen Xuan knew the name only from the replica pedestrian street at Jiangcheng's Window of the World.

At the entrance to that long street stood an ornate concrete gateway. According to the sign, it was a full-scale replica, though as far as Window of the World was concerned, its main purpose was to collect admission fees.

Chen Xuan had thought he would only ever see the imitation. Yet five minutes later, they stood before the ruins of a massive stone gateway. Its lintel had collapsed, but the two square pillars on either side and their magnificent reliefs still spoke of what it had once been.

The Arc de Triomphe.

It was proof enough that the street connected to it was the Champs-Élysées, one of Paris's famous landmarks.

Now it was not just Elorie who stood stunned. Chen Xuan stared at the stone gateway too.

The capital of France... had become an abandoned wasteland?

This had to be something that happened in the future.

But Lin Qing had never mentioned a future like this.

Even if an ability user had attacked a nuclear submarine, England had been the target. And a single nuclear strike should not have been enough to leave a city of over ten million people completely deserted.

"This is... my world."

Elorie spoke softly. "There's a candy shop on the south side of the square by the gateway. It's decorated in all sorts of colors. One look at it makes you want to go inside."

She pointed to a two-story building surrounded by weeds and other plants. Its walls had faded badly, but traces of red and orange were still visible.

Then she turned toward the other side of the street. "Across from it is a flower shop. I didn't go there often, but the owner is a