Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 78: Tough Survival Alone 2

The night dragged on. Evelyn Ford sat by the fire the entire time. Her wounds still ached despite the painkillers, and she couldn’t sleep even in her tent, so she simply stayed by the fire, enduring until dawn.

At six the next morning, a thick fog shrouded the entire mountain. Evelyn Ford went out for a look. There was no flat ground or any ponds within a three-hundred-meter radius. ’It seems finding a good place to stay temporarily won’t be easy.’

Evelyn Ford had taken a liking to the swamp where she’d fetched water before, but it was on another mountain. Getting back there wouldn’t be easy. ’Better to forget it,’ she thought, ’and just find a new marshland.’

Mina seemed to have imprinted on Evelyn Ford like a baby bird. The moment it opened its eyes, it would try to jump on her, and it followed her everywhere. The little thing was harder to tame than the monkeys on Mount Corvix. Evelyn Ford had given up trying to reason with it and simply let it have its way.

Although the rain had stopped, a thick fog filled the air, and the mountain air remained cold. Evelyn Ford took out a military greatcoat and put it on, feeling her body warm up instantly.

Mina’s tail was back to its usual fluffiness. It trotted right at Evelyn Ford’s heels. Sometimes, when Evelyn wasn’t paying attention, she would step on its tail. It would shriek like a startled cat, then scamper off to a corner to stare at her with an aggrieved expression.

It took a lot of coaxing from Evelyn Ford to placate it. But it seemed to have a short memory. A moment later, it was back at her heels, only to get its tail stepped on again.

For breakfast, she had boiled eggs and warm milk. Afraid of aggravating her wounds, Evelyn Ford avoided anything sour or spicy. By the afternoon, the pain had begun to subside, but the thick fog showed no signs of clearing.

The moment she stepped out of the cave, her eyelashes and hair were instantly damp with mist. Evelyn Ford held her breath, listening to the sounds of the forest.

Occasionally, a few birds would flap their wings and take flight. A scattering of dead leaves began to fall from the trees. Evelyn Ford reached out and caught one in her hand.

The earthy scent after the rain had a slightly metallic tang, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Wiping the mist from her face, Evelyn Ford limped back into the cave.

The mountain trees were thick and sturdy. Many had died after the heatwave. Evelyn Ford planned to find a good spot to settle down, then chop some wood to store in her dimensional space. In this post-apocalyptic world, the extreme weather was unpredictable. It was possible a deep freeze was coming, so she needed to stock up on firewood to be prepared.

Two days passed without Evelyn Ford finding any trace of other people on the mountain. Her heart finally settled. Now that she was alone, she had complete freedom in what she ate and drank. Still, whenever she thought of Officer Graham and the others, she couldn’t help but worry.

「On the third day」 The temperature plummeted. A biting wind whipped against her, and Evelyn Ford suddenly had a bad feeling.

She worried the weather was about to turn and bring heavy snow. She quickly pulled out a thermometer. The temperature had dropped to eleven degrees Celsius. Evelyn Ford frowned, glancing at her small cave.

’If it really starts to snow, I’ll have to find a new place, and fast.’

Fortunately, her wounds didn’t hurt much anymore. It seemed her body’s ability to heal had also grown much stronger.

The mountain fog grew thicker with each passing day. After breakfast on the fourth morning, Evelyn Ford decided not to delay any longer and set out to find a suitable place to stay.

After stowing everything in her dimensional space, she put on a hat and gloves, grabbed her trekking pole, and set off again, holding Mina in her arms.

After being held for a little while, Mina demanded to be let down to walk on its own. It would occasionally leap into a tree to find pinecones, but the nuts inside were already gone. It chattered angrily from the branches.

Moss grew on the ground beneath the leaves. The moment Evelyn Ford stepped on it, she lost her balance and fell. Her knee slammed into the ground, but thankfully, she reacted fast enough to lift her fractured leg out of harm’s way.

Seeing her fall, Mina immediately leaped down from the tree. Evelyn Ford used her trekking pole to push herself up, spitting out a mouthful of dirt and leaves. She barely managed to hold back a curse.

’Just my luck.’

She hadn’t even been walking for twenty minutes. Gazing at the misty forest, Evelyn Ford watched her own breath turn to vapor. She gritted her teeth and pushed forward.

After walking for nearly eight hours, Evelyn Ford finally found a hollow nestled between two mountains. It was a sizeable, flat area filled with fir trees, and there was even a marsh nearby.

Evelyn Ford was very pleased with the spot. She rested for half an hour, then took a chainsaw from her dimensional space. After filling it with gasoline, she prepared to cut down some of the firs to clear a spot for the RV. Then she could live inside it.

The roar of the chainsaw starting up was deafening, scaring all the birds in the forest into flight.

Mina alternated between following her and scurrying around in the trees. Evelyn Ford paid it no mind, pulled on her gloves, and got to work.

Evelyn Ford felt a bit like Baldy Brock right now. ’I just hope I’m not as unlucky as he is,’ she thought. ’I really don’t want to run into any bears.’

In just over an hour, Evelyn Ford had felled more than ten fir trees. She took out a hoe and cleared the area of stones, leveling the uneven ground before bringing out Mr. Holloway’s RV.

As for her own new RV, Evelyn Ford didn’t want to rough it up just yet.

This Mercedes-Benz off-road RV was a high-end model, but unfortunately, the inside was stained with blood. Opening the door released a thick, metallic stench.

Evelyn Ford put on a mask and decided to clean the vehicle first. She stored the refrigerator in her dimensional space, took out a pressure washer, and began spraying down all the interior fixtures.

Evelyn Ford wasn’t squeamish. Even though people had died in the RV, it would be fine once it was cleaned. She pressure-washed the exterior as well, even dismantling the large tent mounted on the roof. ’Of course, a rich person’s toy,’ she thought. This tent was dozens of times better than her own. She accepted it without the slightest guilt.

The RV wouldn’t be habitable today, so Evelyn Ford also brought out her small runaround car from her dimensional space. She could just squeeze into it for the night.

She didn’t want to pitch the tent. Pitching a tent and taking it down was a hellish chore.

Fortunately, her luck was holding out. She had expected to walk for a day or two to find a temporary home, but she’d found one in less than a day. Nestled by the mountain and near the water, it was a truly great spot.

Evelyn Ford’s biggest worry now was the snow. If it started, how long would it last? ’Two or three months? Or two or three years?’

’Would I ever have a chance to leave? Would I ever see Officer Graham and the others again?’

’No point thinking about it. It’s useless.’

After she finished cleaning the RV, Evelyn Ford built a fire pit next to it and propped up an oversized umbrella overhead. The temporary camp was already starting to look like a proper settlement.

The moment she sat down, Evelyn Ford noticed her arm wound had split open and was oozing blood. Her fractured leg was also throbbing with pain. She must have aggravated her injuries while using the chainsaw. She took out her first-aid kit and re-dressed the wounds. A glance at the time showed it was 7:30 p.m., and the sky was already completely dark.

She gave Mina some water and beans, and it burrowed into her arms, ready to sleep.

Evelyn Ford leaned back in her chair, gently stroking its fur.

The firewood in the pit burned brightly, and a wave of drowsiness washed over her.

’Can the RV withstand the wind and snow?’

’Could I build a proper house by myself, one that could block out the elements?’

’I’d need a fireplace... and a heated brick bed.’

Her thoughts drifted, and she fell asleep.