Chapter 705: Chapter 705: Demon’s Ridge

The four didn’t linger in the deserted county town. After breakfast, they mounted their horses and set off again.

They had to bypass Devil’s City, so they took a small side road toward Demon’s Ridge. The detour added another day to their journey. Fortunately, they encountered no danger along the way. At 8:00 PM on the seventh day after leaving the base, they finally reached Demon’s Ridge.

By the time they reached Demon’s Ridge, the group of four was exhausted. They had been traveling day and night for the past two days. Never mind the horses—the riders themselves were at their limit. Evelyn Ford just wanted to find a place to lie down and sleep right away.

"Let’s go meet up with my teammates first," Flynn Hansen said, unable to wait. It had taken them seven days, but they were finally at Demon’s Ridge. He hadn’t let Rhys Chase down. Still, his biggest worry was for the four teammates he had left here. ’I wonder how they’re doing.’

"Do you even know their general location? It’s about to get dark. How are we supposed to find them with all these mountains? Demon’s Ridge is even bigger than The Twenty-Four Peaks, and it’s all jungle here, not bare, snow-capped mountains like the Peaks."

He had left Demon’s Ridge, returned to the base, received treatment for his injuries, and then set out on this mission with Evelyn Ford’s group to come back. All in all, more than a month had passed. He had no idea where his teammates might be now.

"We’ll rest here for the night. I have a way to find them, and the horses can’t go any further anyway." Evelyn Ford took two small birds from her backpack, fed them a handful of crushed rice, and set them free.

Flynn Hansen watched her, both surprised and delighted. "Evelyn, can those two birds help find my teammates?"

"Yes. Let’s wait for good news from them. If you’re still worried, you could set off a firework. As long as your teammates are still in Demon’s Ridge, they’ll come looking for us when they see it. The only problem is that a firework could easily start a forest fire and would also disturb the wild boars and bison."

"Let’s just wait for news from the birds. If a fire started on Demon’s Ridge, the damage would be incalculable. Habitable environments are becoming increasingly rare. We can’t afford to destroy another one."

They were currently at the foot of the first mountain of Demon’s Ridge. Ever since entering southern Serena, it was like they had stepped into another world. The land was vibrant and lush with greenery. If not for the earthquake damage visible on the roads, one might think this southern region had been untouched by any natural disasters.

Flynn Hansen and Ryan Rowe set up the tents while Ronan Kendrick fed the four horses their grain and fodder. Evelyn Ford sprinkled insect repellent powder around the campsite. Once everything was done, the four of them started dinner.

"Evelyn, when will those two little birds be back?"

"Tomorrow morning at the latest. We’re already at Demon’s Ridge, so one more night won’t hurt. Let’s get some sleep early tonight and gather our strength. Starting tomorrow, things are going to get busy for us."

Demon’s Ridge wasn’t a single mountain but a range that spanned two provinces. It was also Serena’s most treacherous primeval forest. Finding four people inside would be like finding a needle in a haystack. What’s more, it was already dark, and the ridge was home to wild boars and bison. Entering the mountains now would be far too dangerous.

After dinner, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick returned to their tent. Evelyn touched her face and hair, unwashed for two or three days. ’I feel like I could scrub off a pound of dirt.’ She had to go back to the space for a bath tonight. The last few days of travel had been so exhausting that she hadn’t even had the energy to comb her hair. ’Now that we’re at Demon’s Ridge, I have to get clean no matter how tired I am. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep properly.’

She slipped into the space, exchanged greetings with everyone, and then she and Ronan went to their room to wash up.

It was strange. A year ago, anyone other than her and Ronan Kendrick could only stay in the space for two days before it would eject them. But six months ago, the space seemed to have upgraded. Now, anyone they brought inside could stay indefinitely. They still couldn’t come and go as they pleased, but the time limit was gone.

Evelyn Ford couldn’t figure out the reason, no matter how much she thought about it. It was Taylor Vance who finally offered an explanation.

He suggested that in the past six months, they had given countless crop seeds to the base and leased out the space’s black soil, all for free. They had solved the food crisis for ten million people. The black soil was never left fallow; they continued to work it diligently. The space wasn’t an inanimate object. Its ability to upgrade suggested it was sentient in some way. Perhaps, because they had performed a good deed that benefited the entire base, the space had rewarded them all.

Evelyn Ford didn’t know the exact reason for the upgrade, but she found Taylor Vance’s explanation convincing.

Before, all they could do was ensure their own survival; they didn’t have the ability to save anyone else. But now, they no longer had to worry about food or fear the next catastrophe. Now that they had the means, they could finally help others.

’Perhaps this is how time changes a person.’ Evelyn Ford knew full well that her deep-seated wariness and selfishness had never truly vanished. If a crisis hit, she’d be the first one to run. But in times of peace, she could also let that little bit of kindness in her heart show and share it with others.

Soaking in the tub, Evelyn Ford sighed in contentment. ’Now this is living. The past few days of endless travel... that was no way for a person to live.’

Just as she stepped out of the tub, Evelyn’s period started. She was incredibly thankful she had already bathed, and even more so that they had finally reached Demon’s Ridge. ’If I’d had to ride a horse while on my period, it would have been a bloodbath.’

Before bed, Evelyn ate the warm, sweet egg with brown sugar that Ronan Kendrick had prepared for her. Her stomach felt pleasantly warm. They could finally get a good night’s sleep. As for Ryan Rowe and Flynn Hansen, they were the last thing on the couple’s minds.

「The next morning at 6:00 AM」

Evelyn Ford was woken by her alarm. Ronan Kendrick was fast asleep, pressed close against her back. ’It’s been a while since I dyed his hair,’ she thought, noticing the two or three inches of silver roots that had grown in.

Evelyn rubbed her stomach, changed her clothes, and slipped out of the space without even taking the time to wash her face.

Outside the tent, the two little birds were flying about, CHIRPING loudly enough to wake both Ryan Rowe and Flynn Hansen.

When Evelyn emerged from the tent, the two birds immediately flew onto her shoulders.

"Evelyn, did they find my teammates?" Flynn Hansen asked, staring nervously at the two small birds on her shoulders.

"They’re very agitated, so they must have found your teammates. You two get some more sleep. We’ll set off to find them at eight."

Evelyn zipped the tent flap shut and, holding the birds, slipped back into the space.

Inside the wooden cabin, Taylor Vance was already up making breakfast, and the others were gradually waking up and starting their day. Evelyn was just about to look for Zoe when the little girl appeared before her, sporting a serious case of bed head.

"Auntie, why are the little birds yelling at you?"

Evelyn glanced down at the birds in her hands, her expression turning dangerous. "What are they saying about me?"

"Auntie, they’re saying really nasty things. They’re calling you a big jerk for making them work all night and then leaving them out in the cold all morning. They said they nearly froze and starved to death."

The two small birds’ chirps grew fainter and fainter. They glared at Zoe with their round, beady eyes, clearly shocked that she had betrayed them.

After listening to Zoe, Evelyn lifted the two birds with a deceptively sweet smile. "Zoe, how about some fried birdie for breakfast?"

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