Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse

Chapter 299: Varden 1

"Is that bearded man going to die?"

Ronan Kendrick shook the cat teaser in his hand. "He should be dead by now."

Evelyn Ford sat down across from him. "How will he die?"

"His meridians will rupture, and he’ll bleed from all seven orifices."

Ronan Kendrick suddenly reached out and took Evelyn Ford’s hand. "I think I smell the scent of ore."

Evelyn Ford sniffed the air. "What scent? I can’t smell anything."

"It’s probably a coal mine, not far from here. Want to go dig some up?"

The people in Crystell City burned coal. Evelyn Ford thought of them and shook her head. "No. With the bearded man dead, without that Bloodsucker around, their lives should get a little easier."

Beyond Crystell City lay an endless mountain range. Taylor Vance had said that once they crossed the mountains, they would be in Varden.

There seemed to be quite a few people living in the mountains. They could see thick smoke rising from within, and as they got closer, they even heard a rooster crowing.

Once they entered the forest, the trees blocked out the sun. The snow on the forest floor had begun to melt, and chunks of ice occasionally fell from the branches, thudding against the carriages.

The forest was dotted with wooden houses, indicating a large population. When they saw the convoy suddenly appear, the inhabitants became very nervous and fearful.

Ronan Kendrick directed the mammoths to quicken their pace. The group had no intention of stopping in the forest, wanting to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

Some of the mountain streams had thawed and were already flowing. Everyone was thrilled to see such clean, clear water.

"Let’s fill up. This water looks really clean. The snowmelt is full of sediment and always needs to be filtered."

The livestock drank from a downstream section while the group took out their bottles and buckets to collect water. Quincy took a sip, and the cold nearly shattered his teeth.

He hissed, "It’s freezing."

The trees lining the stream were massive. This mountain range was a dense, primeval forest, with moss covering some of the rocks.

Worried that Varden would be nothing but desert, the group chopped down some more branches and logs. Evelyn Ford gathered a good amount of rotted wood, which could be used to cultivate mushrooms, and stored it directly in her space.

Once their containers were full, the convoy set off again. The scouts who had come to investigate saw them leave and immediately ran back home.

"How’d it go?"

"They’ve left. All they did was collect some water and chop some branches and wood."

The rest of the family breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Doesn’t sound like bandits. Alright, we’re in the clear."

* * *

"I wonder how Donovan Irving is doing."

That evening, as the group sat around a campfire, Miles Vaughn, feeling a bit worried about Donovan Irving, couldn’t help but bring him up. "That guy... we told him to come with us to Frelia, but he absolutely refused. If he runs into a band of robbers, he’s finished."

"Didn’t we give him two knives? Besides, he’s a smart guy. He’ll be fine."

Miles Vaughn nodded. "I hope you’re right. I know I definitely wouldn’t dare to hit the road alone. And his compass was broken, too. The man is just so stubborn."

"Can’t be helped. When someone is determined to go home, they’ll go through hell and high water to get there."

The mountain range was vast, and it took them several days to cross. Ahead, they saw a boundary marker. It was the border between Varden and Khoros. Once they passed it, they would officially be in Varden.

"Looks like a lot of people live over there, too. See? There are tons of wooden houses, and all that smoke."

The soil of Varden was yellow. Under the sun, the endless expanse of yellow earth seemed barren and desolate. But in the distance, rows of small wooden cabins added a touch of life and hope to the landscape.

Just as Taylor Vance had said, they began to encounter more survivors after leaving Khoros.

Survivors who had migrated from all over the country were settling here, putting down roots.

They reached the boundary marker, which was covered in a thin layer of snow. Taylor Vance scraped it clean. Seeing the name "Varden" carved into the stone, everyone smiled.

After traveling thousands of kilometers and enduring countless dangers and hardships, they had finally reached the Rovan Wastes.

In the distance, in front of the small wooden cabins, some goats were penned up near the doorways. A person on horseback returned, carrying fresh game.

"This is even better than I imagined. At least the land here is whole," Taylor Vance remarked with emotion.

"Hey! Who are you people? What are you doing here?" a young man called out, riding over on his horse. He eyed the group with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.

"We’re refugees from Rivenia, heading to Frelia. Are you a native of this area?" Taylor Vance walked over to speak with him. The man looked over the group, his eyes finally landing on the mammoths.

"I’m a native. You came all the way from Rivenia? Must have taken you a good year and a half, eh?"

Taylor Vance nodded. "You’re telling me. With the bad weather, we could only cover twenty or thirty kilometers a day. We frequently ran into torrential rain, too, so the roads were a mess. These wooden houses... are they inhabited by natives, or by outsiders who migrated here?"

The man hopped down from his horse. A crossbow and a quiver were slung across his back.

"Some are migrants, some are natives. You looking to settle in our village?"

Taylor Vance smiled. "We’re still on our way to Frelia to find family."

The man suddenly shook his head. "I hear Frelia’s even colder than Varden. A lot of refugees fled there over the last couple of years. The place should be at capacity by now."

"Friend, you seem to know a lot about this. Could you tell us more? We’re all headed to Frelia. If it’s at capacity, will they turn us away?"

The man waved his hand. "I’m not sure about that. But my brother went over there to do business a while back, and you can trade for supplies now. He said both Frelia and The Southward have several established bases. If you want to enter a base for protection, you have to pay a toll. With all this stuff you’re carrying, you’ll probably have to hand most of it over."

Hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the group turned grim.

"Oh, right. If you go to Frelia and want to stay, you’ll have to do mandatory labor—mining coal."

Evelyn Ford stepped forward. "Sir, what kind of business were you talking about exactly?"

The man just smiled, clearly not planning to elaborate. Evelyn Ford pulled a lighter from her pocket and handed it to him. The man flicked it on. The flame was powerful, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"You can trade anything: firewood, coal, game, furs, clothes, herbs... It’s mostly bartering for other goods. These days, you can even trade people. A pound of rice or flour can buy you a child."

As the man finished, Evelyn Ford glanced at the two mammoths, and an idea suddenly struck her.

"Are there no restrictions on trade?"

The man shook his head. "You have to pay a toll to enter the governed territories, but both Kryll and Varden have patrols now, so it’s safe to come and go. You can’t just start fights whenever you want. Both provinces have prisons, you know. Sentences vary depending on the severity of the crime. Minor offenses get you mandatory labor, while serious ones can get you the death penalty."

The man glanced at the group. "My family runs an inn. You folks need a place to stay?"

"What do you charge?"

The man grinned. "It’s real cheap, but food isn’t included. For a group your size, if you stay three days or more, I’ll charge you one sheep."