Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 73: On the Run 4

Evelyn Ford had been lying prone for nearly twenty minutes. She hadn’t seen the elk she’d been hoping for, but a herd of wild buffalo had appeared instead.

The black buffalo had long horns and were incredibly tall and powerfully built—nothing like ordinary water buffalo or yellow cattle. Evelyn Ford counted seven of them. She planned to make a sound to lure one or two into the nearby forest.

"You hide here for now. Don’t make a sound." Evelyn Ford patted the little squirrel’s head and pointed to the forest nearby.

"I’m going over there. I’ll be back soon. If there’s danger, you should run. Thanks, little guy."

Evelyn Ford grabbed her Crossbow and sprinted toward the forest. The lead buffalo heard the noise she made and immediately gave chase.

Seeing it follow, Evelyn Ford quickly stored her silk scarf in her space. She hid behind a huge boulder. Three buffalo had come, and they were extremely wary, each one looking in a different direction. Evelyn had to ensure she could kill them quickly and cleanly. Wild buffalo are naturally aggressive and massive; even lions and tigers aren’t necessarily a match for them.

A cold sweat broke out on Evelyn Ford’s palms. She began to count down from ten in her head.

’Ten, nine, eight, seven...’

The lead buffalo snorted, breathing heavily through its nostrils. It was sniffing the air for the enemy’s scent to pinpoint their location.

Evelyn Ford’s shoe accidentally stepped on a leaf, which made a faint RUSTLE. The buffalo seemed to know her position now and began to slowly walk toward her.

A single wild buffalo could weigh up to a ton. They ran incredibly fast and could kill an opponent with their horns alone.

Evelyn Ford knew she absolutely could not face it head-on.

The buffalo stopped about twenty meters from Evelyn Ford, flicking its tail anxiously. Evelyn raised her Crossbow and took aim.

The moment it began to turn, a Crossbow Arrow shot out, piercing straight through its skull. Without hesitating, Evelyn Ford immediately loosed a second arrow.

The lead buffalo collapsed, and the other two began to panic. Evelyn Ford gave them no chance to escape, taking them down with lethal precision. All three buffalo fell in the forest.

After waiting three minutes to confirm the buffalo were completely dead, Evelyn Ford approached them and retrieved the Crossbow Arrows from their bodies. She did a quick inspection. All three were young adult bulls. ’Meat of this quality is sure to be delicious.’

There was no time to skin and butcher them today. Evelyn Ford stored them in her space, wiped the blood from her hands with some dirt, and then returned to the edge of the marsh.

The remaining four buffalo, having drunk their fill, began to enter the forest to look for the ones that had left. Evelyn Ford had already erased her tracks in the forest. Unable to find the other three, they wouldn’t linger for long.

Evelyn Ford washed her hands, and seeing the little squirrel still crouched in the rushes, she immediately went over and picked it up.

"You’re still here, little guy?" Evelyn Ford took out a bag of sunflower seeds, opened it, and gestured for the squirrel to eat.

"I have to go now. You stay here and be safe. Maybe we’ll meet again."

Evelyn Ford stroked its head and was about to put it down and leave, but the squirrel leaped onto her back, clinging to her tightly with all four paws.

"You want to come with me?"

The little squirrel nipped Evelyn Ford’s finger, then started bouncing on her back again.

Evelyn Ford winced in pain and quickly pulled it off.

"You can’t come with me. Where I’m going might be more dangerous than here."

The little squirrel nudged Evelyn Ford’s outer jacket open with its head, looking like it wanted to burrow inside.

Evelyn Ford raised an eyebrow. "What are you, some kind of genius? You even know to hide in there? I’ll give you another bag of sunflower seeds. Just stay here and live a good life, okay?"

The little squirrel was unmoved, determined to stick with her. Evelyn Ford sighed and finally gave in.

’Although the squirrel has a long, fluffy tail, its body is only about the size of a four-month-old kitten. Hiding it in my coat shouldn’t be a problem.’

Evelyn Ford took out the canvas bag she had previously used for wild vegetables, put the squirrel inside, and hung it in front of her. She glanced at the time. ’It’s about time to head back.’

The return trip was fast. As Evelyn Ford descended the mountain, she heard a few shouts. She guessed the other people had probably hunted some big game. Evelyn didn’t go near them, taking a detour straight down the mountain.

Just as Evelyn Ford approached the convoy, she saw Officer Graham and Quincy sitting by a fire next to a vehicle.

"I’m back."

Seeing her, the two men immediately stood up.

"Did you run into any trouble?"

Evelyn Ford shook her head. "No. By the way, I found water. We’ll split into two groups. I’ll take you up to get some. Put the buckets in your bags so no one sees them."

She said this in a very low voice, so only Officer Graham and Quincy could hear.

Hearing her words, the two men were too stunned to react for a long moment.

"Hurry up."

Evelyn Ford had originally planned to leave markers for them to find it themselves, but the paths in the deep mountains were complex, and she worried they would get lost and not find their way back. Besides, she hadn’t brought anything with her when she left earlier. So, she had to grab a bucket and go up the mountain again with them to fetch water. She had a five-kilogram flat plastic water container in her luggage bag, which she put in her backpack. Then, she led Quincy and Roy Henderson into the mountains once more.

The little squirrel was still hanging in the bag in front of her. She had wanted to leave it in the vehicle, but it got very nervous away from her and just huddled tightly against her. Evelyn Ford didn’t have the heart to leave it behind.

"What are those people yelling about?" Just after they entered the mountains, the two men heard the shouting from deeper within. Roy Henderson couldn’t help but ask.

"They probably ran into a really big animal. We’re going this way. Don’t worry about them."

Evelyn Ford led the way. Her physical fitness was quite good; she had been running around all night without complaining of fatigue. Quincy and Roy Henderson, on the other hand, were already flushed and out of breath after climbing just a short stretch of the slope.

"Evelyn Ford, you have the makings of a special forces soldier," Quincy said, his voice full of envy as he watched her back.

"Are you just saying that because you can’t keep up?"

Quincy was speechless.

"No way! For the sake of water, I have to keep going! Even if I die, I’m going to die after I’ve had a drink of water."

With two liabilities slowing her down, Evelyn Ford’s pace was much slower. Along the way, they encountered a rabbit. Roy Henderson and Quincy insisted on showing off their skills, but the rabbit got away.

Evelyn Ford didn’t want to comment on their performance and just kept walking.

When they reached the marsh and saw the clear water shimmering among the rushes, Quincy suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Now, even if I die, I can die happy."

Evelyn Ford ignored him. After filling the water container, she began to scan her surroundings warily. There were many new tracks of wild buffalo by the edge of the grass. ’It looks like the others came back again.’

The two men filled their buckets, water bottles, and Water Cups. Quincy went to the most downstream spot to wash his feet, and Roy Henderson followed his lead.

Evelyn Ford glanced at the time and urged them to leave.

"Hurry up, it’s time to go."

"Why don’t we just stay here? With mountains and water, we definitely wouldn’t starve."

Quincy was reluctant to leave the place.