Chapter 749: Walking
Chapter 749: Chapter 749: Walking
The next day, Ronan Kendrick seemed like a completely different person. It was still him, still the same face, but something had changed. He had regained his former composure and calm. Evelyn Ford mentally gave herself a thumbs-up. ’As expected of me,’ she thought. ’I actually managed to cure what was ailing him. Looks like that zombie dance last night really did some good after all.’
Today, they continued their journey north. A light had been installed on the roof of the vehicle, making driving both more convenient and safer.
The river was long, and it took them three days of driving to reach its end. However, the end of the river didn’t open up to a smooth, wide road, but rather to several mountains that had been burned completely bare.
The trees on the mountains had been burned away, leaving behind nothing but blackened stumps. There were no flat roads here. After stowing the RV in her space, the two of them prepared to continue on foot.
"This doesn’t look like Mount Grol. Mount Grol doesn’t have peaks this high. This mountain range is quite long; we’ll probably be walking for several hours."
"If we go this way, there’s a ravine up ahead. It’s going to be difficult to cross."
"Alright. Let’s rest for a couple of minutes and have some water."
Evelyn Ford took out two bottles of water. After resting for a few minutes, they set off on foot again.
Evelyn Ford had recovered about eighty percent of her strength, so traveling on foot was no problem at all.
At the foot of the mountain, the remains of a few dilapidated mud-brick houses still stood. The houses had been burned down, leaving only a few walls that hadn’t collapsed.
Whenever Evelyn Ford couldn’t walk any further, Ronan Kendrick would carry her on his back and press on. There had been no wind for the past few days, so the carbon ash wasn’t flying everywhere. They weren’t wearing gas masks, but to be on the safe side, they still had to wear their goggles.
The roads were destroyed in many places, with very few stretches suitable for a vehicle. Most of the time, they had to travel on foot. Evelyn Ford had considered using the bicycles or tricycles she had, but one look at the pitted, ravine-scarred road surface made her give up on the idea.
The thought of the small helicopters she had in her space made Evelyn Ford sigh. The black fog and thick smoke floating in the air were too dense, too acrid. If they took off, their vision would be completely blocked. Not only would they be unable to see the ground, but it would also likely be dangerous.
’Walking is still the most reliable way,’ she thought. ’It’s more tiring, but at least we can leave trail markers. Besides, I’ve developed a fear of flying. I’m always worried the aircraft will explode. If another accident happened, we might not be lucky enough to survive it.’
There was another concern: Evelyn worried that the floating smoke, carbon dust, and black fog might contain toxins or radiation.
The two decided to continue heading north, back to Eldoria Base to find Officer Graham and the others. Although compasses were no longer functional, Evelyn Ford was able to determine their direction using light and shadow.
A month flew by, and they were still trekking across the devastated landscape. Along the way, they saw many mountains, rivers, fields, and houses, but the forests had all been burned to cinders, and not a single drop of water remained in the rivers. The blisters on the soles of Evelyn’s feet would break only for new ones to form. Despite drinking large amounts of water every day, her lips were still cracked and bleeding. To make matters worse, she got her period.
Ronan Kendrick decided they would rest where they were for a week. They would set off again once her period was over.
After drinking Ronan Kendrick’s blood, Evelyn’s physical constitution had become comparable to that of three strong, healthy men. She hadn’t been bothered by period pains for many years. She never expected to experience cramps again this time.
Inside the RV, Evelyn Ford lay listlessly on the bed. Ronan Kendrick had boiled her some brown sugar water and added his blood to it. She smelled it before she even took a sip.