Chapter 708: Black Truffle
Chapter 708: Chapter 708: Black Truffle
Evelyn Ford took out her folding knife and sliced off a piece. She took a bite and nearly spit it out.
"Is this stuff really nutritious?" The flavor was peculiar—like spoiled leftovers, with an added scent of garlic and gasoline. It was hard to describe, but in any case, it was disgusting.
"I guess so. Before the apocalypse, I definitely couldn’t have afforded this stuff." Ryan Rowe took a bite and immediately spit it out.
"You’re definitely not used to it at first, but you’ll get accustomed to it after a few days." Marcus Scott found a branch and started digging in the nearby ground.
"The mountains are full of black truffles. We can bring some back to the base—they count as a proper dish."
Flynn Hansen clapped Marcus Scott on the shoulder. "Eating too much of this stuff can give you a nosebleed. Marcus, let’s not eat this. I’ll hunt a wild boar for you later, and we’ll have fresh pork tonight."
Marcus Scott nodded. "Okay, but you have to be extremely careful hunting wild boar. Their bristles are very long and hard. If one injures you, it’ll skin you alive, even if it doesn’t kill you. That’s why we don’t dare try to catch them with our bare hands."
"Don’t worry, we brought weapons."
Flynn Hansen took off his jacket and put it on Marcus Scott. Marcus looked a little embarrassed. "I’m running around the mountains almost every day, so my clothes have been torn to shreds by branches. Do I look like a wild man now?"
"You do. But you’re tougher than any wild man."
Marcus Scott played along, letting out a couple of roars like a wild man. His optimistic spirit was infectious, and everyone couldn’t help but laugh.
"Haha! Alright, let’s go. First, we need to find Gavin Gable, Sonny Sawyer, and Wayne Xavier."
Along the way, Marcus Scott chattered nonstop about everything that had happened over the past month. He probably hadn’t spoken to anyone in a very long time; after reuniting with the group, his desire to pour everything out had skyrocketed.
Flynn Hansen had said before that Marcus Scott was a man of few words—a reserved, quiet type.
"He’s gone too long without seeing anyone. It’s driven him stir-crazy," Flynn Hansen sighed.
Ryan Rowe expressed his understanding. "It’s perfectly normal. Facing herds of fierce wild boars and oxen every day with no one to talk to, not to mention the lack of food and water... it’s hard to even get a peaceful night’s sleep. A person’s personality is bound to change. Once we get back, we need to let them rest well for a few months. Their stomachs, too. After eating black truffles for so long, if you overdo it with something so rich, your stomach will get damaged."
Flynn Hansen nodded. "I know."
By noon, they had crossed two more mountains, encountering two herds of wild boar and one of wild oxen. Marcus Scott’s stamina was much better than theirs; in contrast, Ryan Rowe and Flynn Hansen were so tired their legs felt like jelly.
"Let’s eat something first. They should be in this area."
Flynn Hansen took out his whistle and blew it a few times. After waiting a long while without a response, Evelyn Ford took out her map. ’Could the little bird have led us astray?’
’Impossible!’
Just then, a faint response echoed back. Flynn Hansen and Marcus Scott were ecstatic and quickly blew the whistle again in reply.
"It sounds a lot like Sonny Sawyer’s voice. It must be him."
Now that they had confirmed the direction, no one was in a rush anymore. Evelyn Ford took out canned food and water for them to have a quick bite and rest for a few minutes before heading out to rendezvous with Sonny Sawyer.
Marcus Scott hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a very long time. Taking a bite of the braised pork, he couldn’t help but close his eyes in satisfaction.
"This is delicious! Is this a new product from the base?"
Flynn Hansen glanced at Evelyn Ford. "Just eat. Why all the questions? You’ve gotten a lot more talkative."
Marcus Scott sounded aggrieved. "Captain, I haven’t seen you in so long, and you’re already lecturing me."
Flynn Hansen shoved the can he was holding into his hands. "Eat more, talk less."
"You got it! I’ll shut my mouth." Seeing the meat, Marcus Scott instantly behaved.