Chapter 764: Chapter 764: More Arrivals

Looking at the space, which had returned to daylight, Evelyn Ford had mixed feelings. There was still so much to do, and she didn’t have time to wallow in melancholy. Now that Ronan Kendrick could also enter the space to work, with the two of them paired up, things would be a little easier for her.

The next day, Evelyn Ford found Quincy and Ethan Dawson and told them that Ronan Kendrick would be working in the space. The hundreds of acres of wetland around the camp had all been planted with trees, and the ponds were nearly finished. Evelyn really couldn’t keep up with the demand by herself, especially since she also had to harvest the wheat. Now, with Ronan’s help, she would be in charge of reaping the wheat while he took over all the other tasks.

"Then I’ll take over digging holes from Ronan tomorrow," Quincy said. "I have to say, seeing the trees we planted survive gives me a real sense of accomplishment. And a sense of mission, like we’re saving the world."

"I wish we really could save the world." Ethan Dawson wasn’t in high spirits. Micah Manning still hadn’t recovered from the pain of losing her child and parents. He was very worried about her but didn’t know how to console her. ’I can’t even help my own wife. How could I possibly save the world?’

Evelyn Ford and Quincy exchanged a look, neither knowing how to comfort him. After a moment of silence, Ethan Dawson was the first to break the heavy atmosphere.

"Evelyn, I’d like to ask Ronan for a favor."

Ethan Dawson wanted Ronan Kendrick to hypnotize Micah Manning, to make her forget the child that was never born and her parents who had disappeared in the explosion.

Ronan Kendrick didn’t agree rashly. Instead, he told Ethan to ask for Micah Manning’s opinion. If Micah was willing to forget these painful memories, he could perform the hypnosis.

After dinner, Ethan Dawson and Micah Manning came over in the dark. Micah was willing to undergo hypnosis. She knew that wallowing in her pain was a form of torture for both herself and Ethan. Although she was reluctant to admit or accept it, she knew her parents were gone. She couldn’t process this pain; self-blame and guilt shackled her tightly. Even if she didn’t consider herself, she had to consider Ethan. The future was long, and she needed to pull herself together and live on. That was why she agreed to the hypnosis.

The hypnosis was over quickly. Micah Manning showed no ill effects, but she seemed like a completely different person. The sorrow and despair in her eyes were gone. She had reverted to the Instructor Micah of a few months ago. In truth, nothing in her memory had changed except for her child and parents. By deleting the root of her suffering, she was no longer bound by pain.

Ethan Dawson solemnly said "thank you" to Ronan Kendrick. As they left, their posture was a little straighter.

After a busy day in the space, Evelyn Ford was utterly exhausted. She fell asleep less than three seconds after lying down on the bed. Ronan Kendrick had been about to discuss tomorrow’s plans with her, but seeing she was already asleep, he simply pulled the blanket over her, turned off the night light, and lay down.

「A month passed in a flash.」 The ponds were completed. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick spent three nights finally filling them with water. Over that month, the group planted hundreds more acres of saplings and sowed several tons of Four Seasons Green grass seed. The seeds successfully sprouted. The first step in rebuilding the ecosystem was a success.

That day, to reward everyone for their hard work, Officer Graham had slaughtered a sheep and a Red Deer. While they were eating dinner that evening, a group of people appeared outside the camp. The two wolfdogs, which Evelyn had already released from her space, were patrolling the perimeter. Hearing the commotion, they started barking frantically, sending the newcomers scattering in fear. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick put down their bowls and hurried out to see what was happening. The others, forgetting their meal, all followed.

Ronan Kendrick let out a whistle, and the wolfdogs fell silent. Evelyn Ford shone her flashlight over the newcomers. They were huddled on the ground, trembling. Their clothes were ragged, and they carried simple packs on their backs. Among them were many elderly people and children.

Under Evelyn Ford’s gaze, a middle-aged man stood up. "We’re from Eldoria Base," he said. "We didn’t know anyone was here; we just stumbled upon this place by accident. Please, don’t kill us. We’ll leave right away."

"What’s the situation at Eldoria Base now?" Evelyn Ford wasn’t surprised they were from Eldoria. These people didn’t look like irredeemable villains. It had been nearly two months since she’d left Eldoria, and frankly, she was quite curious about how things were there.

Seeing that Evelyn Ford wasn’t hostile, the middle-aged man quickly explained the situation in Eldoria.

He said they had fled from the downstream area of Eldoria. He used the word "fled" because a gang of strong young men had taken over. They had seized control of what little water was left, forcing everyone to trade supplies for a drink. Anyone who refused was brutally beaten. They also openly robbed and bullied the weak. Many women had already fallen victim to them, and several children had gone missing. In order to survive, they had secretly left the area, never expecting to run into Evelyn Ford’s group here.

"Where are you headed?"

The man looked up at Evelyn Ford and shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.

"I don’t know. We’re just taking it one step at a time. Even if it means dying, we couldn’t stay downstream. That place has become a living hell."

Evelyn Ford frowned. She hadn’t expected the downstream area of Eldoria to deteriorate so much in just a couple of months.

"Even if you make it to the south or the Central Plains, it will be the same as it is here."

Evelyn Ford’s words were a heavy blow. He knew, of course, that there was no real path to survival anywhere, but what choice did he have? He had to give himself some hope, even if it meant deluding himself. But now, Evelyn had ruthlessly shattered that illusion. He slumped to the ground, speechless.

The others squatted behind him, their expressions numb. From prolonged consumption of Famine Clay Soil, all of them—men and women, young and old—had severely bloated stomachs. Evelyn Ford did a quick count. There were twenty-three people in total: three elderly, two children under ten, three young girls, and the rest were middle-aged men and women in their forties and fifties.

"Do you know how to plant trees?"

The moment Evelyn Ford spoke, everyone looked up at her, including the children.

"W-what did you say?"

"Azure has become a wasteland. It won’t do you any good even if you walk all the way to The South Pole or Glacior. If we don’t save ourselves, no one is going to survive. We are planting trees. Planting trees can rebuild the ecosystem. Do you want to live?"

A new light sparked in the man’s eyes. "We want to live."

"Liam Sterling, Ryan Rowe, take them twenty kilometers away. Give them two thousand saplings and one hundred and fifty kilograms of grass seed."

Evelyn Ford looked at them. "If you plant all two thousand saplings within five days, you will receive food and water."

They all stood up, a mixture of excitement, doubt, and confusion on their faces. Evelyn Ford didn’t offer any explanation, but simply pointed to the nearby pond.

"If you are willing to plant trees, you can get water from there."

"So as long as we plant the trees, you’ll give us food and water? Is it real food? The kind we can eat?"

Evelyn Ford nodded. "Wheat flour. Five kilograms per person, per month."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.