Chapter 740: Chapter 740: Mount Grol

The Grol Mountains in Oakhaven weren’t exceptionally long, but their continuous peaks were majestic and magnificent. Before the apocalypse, they had attracted many tourists.

Evelyn Ford stored the helicopter in her space. As she looked out, the mountains and forests were blanketed in pristine white snow. There was nothing but white between the heavens and the earth.

"There’s a road for vehicles down there. Let’s bring out the Mammoths, attach the carriage, and then head into the mountains. The road surface is still quite wide; we should be able to pass easily."

Finding the people was important, but they needed to scout the path first before heading into the mountains to search slowly. It was already past five in the afternoon. Evelyn Ford took two small birds from her space, fed them, gave them a few instructions, and then set them free.

The carriage was set up. Ronan Kendrick was soothing the two Mammoths. Having not been out of the space for many years, they were a bit unsettled, but under Ronan’s calming touch, they quickly settled down. As they entered the familiar carriage, Evelyn Ford’s mind drifted back many years ago, to a time when she, Ronan Kendrick, and others had also traveled through a land of ice and snow, making their way from Rivenia to the Southward.

It was even colder back then, and the road was so long it seemed to stretch on forever.

Evelyn Ford felt her eyes sting. Looking back on the path she had traveled, she realized so many years had passed. The exhaustion and pain had felt insurmountable back then, but thinking about it now, it barely registered.

"If I had to do it all over again, I’m not sure I would have the determination to walk that road again."

Evelyn Ford didn’t specify which road she meant, but Ronan Kendrick understood.

"I’m different." Ronan Kendrick walked over to Evelyn Ford, pulled off his hat and mask, and casually ruffled his messy hair. "As long as you’re with me, I could walk that road again—or even other roads, longer and more winding."

Evelyn Ford’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "Then I’m willing, too."

After they boarded the carriage, the Mammoths had only taken a couple of steps before Evelyn Ford was jostled from side to side. The snow on the ground was thick, making the Mammoths’ footing unsteady. Still, it was kind of fun. Evelyn Ford let Mina and Lola out. Perhaps because they hadn’t been out in a long time, the two little ones were very excited. In truth, both Mina and Lola were getting old. Even though they had drunk Ronan Kendrick’s blood, it would at most extend their lives by two or three years. This year especially, Mina’s signs of aging had become more obvious. It didn’t like to move much; besides sleeping, its days were spent wandering slowly around the space.

Evelyn Ford held Mina in her arms. When she’d found it in the mountains all those years ago, the little guy had only been two months old and was tiny. It had been very wary of her, but it still ended up trotting happily along behind her.

"Mina, you still love snowy days just as much, don’t you?"

The carriage window was open, and Evelyn Ford let it look at the scenery outside. Mina was so excited it wagged its tail furiously. Lola stood on Ronan Kendrick’s shoulder, its small, round eyes staring out at the world. Its once-colorful feathers had turned a dark, blackish-red, which Evelyn guessed was a sign of its age. Sometimes she would deliberately ignore them. Avoidance made her feel a little better. ’As long as I don’t see them,’ she thought, ’they’re still lively and strong. They won’t get old.’

When Mina got tired from playing, it curled up in Evelyn Ford’s arms, whimpering softly. Raising a small animal was just like raising a child; seeing it made Evelyn’s heart melt.

"When we finish this mission and go home, I’ll mix up some dye and make your tail rainbow-colored. It’ll be so cool. All the other little animals will definitely be jealous of you."

Mina grinned, its mouth wide open. Evelyn Ford knew it was in a great mood and couldn’t help but laugh along with it.

"Then everyone will ask, ’Where did this sharp-looking young fella come from?’ What will you say?"

"SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK..."

Evelyn Ford raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you’re not a sharp-looking young fella, you’re Mina?"

Mina chirped even more happily, its tail wagging so hard it was practically taking off. It looked like it wanted to jump up and spin in a circle.

Lola patted Ronan Kendrick’s face with its wing, but he didn’t seem to understand what it wanted. Instead, he just stroked its head and offered it a piece of Dried Meat.

At 9:30 PM, the pair rounded a mountain and came to a hollow by a sharp bend at its base. Just then, the two tracking birds Evelyn Ford had released returned. Although Evelyn couldn’t understand their chirping, Zoe had trained them. When she gave a command, the birds not only understood but also carried it out. They would even answer her questions by nodding or shaking their heads.

Evelyn Ford brushed the fine snow off the tracking birds and asked if they had seen the trapped team or their convoy. Both birds shook their heads.

"It seems they aren’t in this area."

"Tomorrow, let’s take this road. Mount Grol has a lookout tower—see, right at this location. If it’s still standing, we can go up and check." The message from the trapped team said they had tied a piece of red cloth to the front of their vehicle, so it should be visible from the highest point.

"Ronan, how about this? Tomorrow, I’ll go to the lookout tower while you take the helicopter up. You can fly a circuit around Mount Grol. It should be easier to search from a bird’s-eye view."

Ronan Kendrick was against it, and Evelyn Ford had to spend some time persuading him before he finally agreed to take the helicopter to search for them.

"It’s getting a little cold. We should rest in the space." After storing the Mammoths and carriage, Evelyn Ford held the drowsy Mina and Lola and teleported into the wooden cabin inside her space.

Ronan Kendrick went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. After putting Mina and Lola back in their room, Evelyn Ford went to the planting area. The wheat she had planted a few months ago was now ripe. Tens of thousands of acres of it shimmered with golden light under the Solar Lamps. The plump, heavy heads of grain drooped on their stalks. As she breathed in the fragrant scent of wheat, Evelyn could almost see rows of large, soft, fluffy steamed buns.

’Once this mission is over and we’re back at the base, I can come in here and harvest it all.’

Evelyn Ford then went to the orchard. The red fruits were ripe. A single Red Tree was laden with what looked like hundreds of them, its branches bent low under the weight.

Evelyn Ford picked a basketful and returned to the cabin.

"Wash your hands, dinner’s ready."

Ronan Kendrick finished the last dish and called Evelyn Ford over to eat. After eating their fill, they went to bed early. They had to resume the search the next day. Evelyn studied the map for a while; she had a feeling the trapped team was somewhere on Mount Grol.

At eight o’clock the next morning, the two of them emerged from the space. Today, Evelyn Ford decided to ride a horse into the mountains, while Ronan Kendrick took the helicopter up from the flat ground near the sharp bend. They would be temporarily separated, but they had plenty of signal flares in the space. If either of them found anything, they could simply launch a flare to notify the other.

If they encountered danger, they could also retreat into the space at a moment’s notice. Evelyn Ford wasn’t particularly worried, but Ronan Kendrick, on the other hand, looked nervous and couldn’t stop nagging.

"Put on your goggles."

"I know, I know."

"The lookout tower should be about ten kilometers ahead. The mountain path is treacherous, so please be careful."

Sitting atop her horse, Evelyn Ford gave him a helpless look. "I know. I’ll be sure to watch my surroundings."

"If there’s any danger, retreat to the space immediately. Don’t try to tough it out."

"Yes, sir. I will strictly follow Mr. Kendrick’s instructions."

Evelyn Ford leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the eyelid. "I’m off."

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