Phone novel Chapter 287: Extreme Cold 33
Chapter 287: Extreme Cold 33
There was still plenty of meat in the shipping container. Taylor Vance took out a rack of ribs and started cooking. Officer Graham shoveled two buckets of snow to melt down, then peeled the cassava and put it in a steamer to cook for half an hour.
The temperature dropped at night, so everyone gathered around the campfire to keep warm. Sweet potato porridge simmered in another pot. It didn’t need any sugar; the natural sweetness of the potatoes filled the air.
A warm bowl of sweet porridge would hopefully soothe their frayed nerves.
"How many more days until we’re out of this grassland?"
Taylor Vance took out the map and glanced at it. "About another fifteen days, but we’ll have to cover around sixty kilometers each day."
"Fifteen days... so another nine hundred kilometers."
"Our route is correct, right?" Wyatt Vaughn asked, looking up at Evelyn Ford after taking a sip of his sweet potato porridge.
"It’s correct. The compass has stabilized." Evelyn Ford took the compass from her pocket and passed it around for them to see.
It was ten o’clock sharp. The dark clouds had scattered, revealing a few rare stars. Evelyn Ford gazed up at them, but her thoughts drifted back to the people frozen within the Eye of Kaelan.
After the compass had been passed around, it was returned to Evelyn. She put it away, then got up and went back to her carriage.
Ronan Kendrick brought up some hot water for her to wash up, but Evelyn Ford didn’t move. She pulled him down to watch the stars with her.
"I haven’t seen the stars in so long."
Ronan Kendrick could feel that Evelyn’s emotions were still a bit unstable. He sat beside her, quietly keeping her company.
"Still thinking about what happened today?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "I can’t figure out why the ice suddenly sank."
"Maybe when we walked onto it, we added too much pressure, causing it to crack and sink."
Evelyn Ford smiled faintly. "That’s the only explanation that makes sense."
They had to travel again tomorrow, so Evelyn didn’t want to dwell on what had already happened. After washing up, the two of them rested.
At seven the next morning, Evelyn opened her eyes right on time. Ronan Kendrick was already up. Hearing her stirring, he came in from outside.
"The weather’s nice today. The sun’s already out."
Evelyn put on her overcoat and, tucking her chin in, glanced outside. Just as Ronan had said, the sun was indeed out. Warm, orange light bathed the distant horizon. She extended a hand, only for it to be coated in a fine, cold mist. Realizing she’d forgotten her gloves, she shivered instantly.
"Evelyn, the weather’s great today. Looks like we can cover an extra twenty kilometers," Wyatt Vaughn said, sipping hot water as he walked over to chat with her.
Evelyn smiled, pulling on her gloves as she stepped out of the carriage. "In that case, we need to feed the horses well. Where’s Quincy? I should give him his acupuncture treatment. We need to set off soon."
"Over there. He went with my brother to feed the horses."
Just then, Quincy and Miles Vaughn returned. Evelyn quickly took out her silver needles and administered the treatment. Afterward, she pulled Wendy along to use the restroom on the slope behind the camp.
"Miss Ford, look over there. Is that smoke?"
Wendy pointed at the smoke rising a few kilometers away, looking at Evelyn with an excited expression.
"It is smoke. There must be people over there."
The two returned to camp, and Wendy told Officer Graham about seeing the smoke. However, it was in the opposite direction of their intended route. Zion Lowell thought they should go investigate, but Taylor Vance felt it was unnecessary.
"Since the compass has stabilized, there’s no need for us to go scouting. It’ll be trouble if we run into people with ill intentions."
"Could it be another base over there?"
"It can’t be a base. There’s at least a thousand kilometers between bases."
Evelyn returned to the carriage and roasted a few sweet potatoes on the stove. Ronan came up after feeding the Mammoth branches and water. The two ate breakfast, listening as the others debated. Ultimately, they all decided to stick to the planned route. Discovering other survivors was encouraging, but it wasn’t worth the risk of seeking them out and inviting trouble.
As they set off, Evelyn took out her crossbow to inspect it. A few of the crossbow arrows were ruined, but the arrowheads could be salvaged.
The items inside her space were all neatly arranged. Evelyn took out an unopened Cannibal Flower, placed a small iron pot on the stove, and prepared to make some poison.
They would likely encounter more survivors on the road ahead. Their group consisted of only eleven people, but they had over a hundred animals. A caravan that large was bound to attract covetous eyes.
After she pushed the window open, two birds flew out. Mina and Blackie lay on the windowsill, their eyes darting around as they watched the outside world.
Evelyn mixed several poisons together, but she wasn’t sure of the concoction’s effects. She could only store it in her space for now.
The next day, the group arrived at a forest. Once they passed through it, they would be able to see Khoros’s famous Frosfall Mountain.
"Frosfall Mountain is a range of thirteen peaks. Even before the apocalypse, it was covered in snow year-round and was a well-known uninhabited area. Other snowy mountains might have plants like snow lotuses, primroses, Snow Rabbits, and thyme, but Frosfall Mountain is nothing but rock, completely devoid of life. The air is said to be incredibly thin, and many professional mountaineers have died on its slopes."
After finishing her explanation, Evelyn found a copy of National Geographic, opened it to the section on Frosfall Mountain, and handed it to Ronan.
"Frosfall Mountain is internationally renowned. It’s magnificent and was chosen as one of the world’s top ten natural wonders. When the sun shines on the snow, it creates a red spectacle, which is why it’s also called Blood Mountain. According to pre-apocalypse data, more than four hundred people died on its slopes in the last thirty years. But even with the danger, its beauty continued to attract explorers from all over the globe."
Ronan looked at the pictures. It was indeed beautiful. The pure white snow slowly turned red under the sunlight, as if it were stained with blood.
"The mountain is very high."
"The highest peak is 6,688 meters."
The snow in the forest had begun to melt. The group stopped to chop some branches and wood, then continued on their way.
Evelyn took out a few sweet potatoes and placed them on the stove. Ronan closed the book and handed it back to her. Inside the cramped carriage, the sweet aroma of the potatoes filled every corner.
After eating the sweet potatoes, Evelyn took a dagger and a long blade from her space. She hadn’t sharpened them in a while. Compared to guns and crossbows, she seemed more comfortable using the long blade.
Hearing the sound of Evelyn sharpening her blade, Quincy drove his cart up alongside to ask if he could borrow her whetstone. His dagger had gotten a bit dull and needed sharpening too.
There were many animals in the forest; Evelyn even saw two brown bears. After traversing eighty kilometers of forest, the group entered the Frosfall Mountain region the following noon. They gazed at the snow-covered peaks, where sunlight fell upon the highest points, casting a sacred and magnificent red glow.
But no one stopped to admire the view, because the greatest danger on Frosfall Mountain was the threat of avalanches.