Taylor Vance had already guessed some of it, but hearing the old woman’s words still left him speechless with anger.

"If it weren’t for the food in the cellar, we wouldn’t have survived these three years. But now, there’s not much left. I’m old, and Claudia can’t stay here. I’m begging you, you must take her away."

Claudia Schultz hugged her grandmother, sobbing. "No, I won’t go! What will you do if I leave?"

"I’ll manage on my own. Claudia, you need to leave this place." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The others stood a short distance away, falling silent after hearing the exchange.

"Claudia, do you remember what those people looked like? If you do, that’s all the more reason to leave. If you get out of here, you might run into them again, and then you can avenge your family," Wyatt Vaughn couldn’t help but urge loudly. Perhaps leaving was the best way for this girl to survive.

Hearing Wyatt Vaughn’s words, Claudia Schultz stopped crying.

"Claudia, leave. If you don’t go, I’ll take poison and die right here in front of you."

Claudia Schultz’s face went white. She stared blankly at her grandmother. "You can’t do this. I can’t leave you."

"Claudia, I’m begging you."

Claudia Schultz closed her eyes, her voice hoarse. "Alright. I’ll leave."

Claudia Schultz didn’t have much baggage—just a few worn-out clothes, two pairs of shoes, and a pack of dry rations. She was assigned to Evelyn Ford’s vehicle. The car Serena Lynch was in was already full, and the other vehicles were filled with men. Worried she would be scared, Taylor Vance came over to arrange for her to ride with Evelyn.

The van was spacious enough, but it was crammed with luggage. Everyone rearranged the bags and finally managed to clear a spot.

Her grandmother stood a short distance away, leaning on a cane. Claudia Schultz was still crying as the vehicle slowly started to move. Her grandmother started running after it, taking small, hurried steps.

"Grandma, I’ll come back! Once I get my revenge, I’ll come back for you!"

Crying, her grandmother waved. Her lips moved. "Take care," she said.

As the vehicle left the small town, the trees on either side of the road grew sparser, and the insects seemed to be growing more numerous.

Evelyn Ford had Claudia Schultz rub some Poison Powder on her clothes, which meant she no longer needed to cover her face. She sat in a corner with her head down, completely silent. Only when Wyatt Vaughn occasionally spoke to her would she offer a few words in response.

"Claudia, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

"Oh, you’re younger than both me and Evelyn. You can just call me Wyatt. Let me introduce everyone else. This is Quincy, my partner. The one driving is Ronan Kendrick, Evelyn’s partner. Don’t be so reserved. Since you chose to leave with us, we’ll be living together day in and day out. There’s no need to be afraid or shy."

Claudia Schultz nodded lightly. "Thank you. I’m a little worried about my grandmother."

Hearing this, Wyatt Vaughn didn’t know how to comfort her.

The vehicle entered a very, very long tunnel. They drove for half an hour without reaching the end when a whistle sounded from up ahead.

"The tunnel’s collapsed! Turn back, we have to find another route."

Ronan Kendrick immediately turned the van around. Evelyn Ford took out a pair of binoculars and looked ahead. It had indeed collapsed.

Fortunately, there were other roads outside the tunnel entrance. Half an hour later, the vehicles exited the tunnel one by one. But before they could even change routes, a massive RUMBLE echoed out as the entire tunnel suddenly caved in. Everyone stared at the scene, stunned—a mix of relief and fear.

"Oh my god, we got out just in time."

If they had been thirty seconds later, the truck would have been buried inside.

Everyone was badly shaken by the incident, but they didn’t dare to delay. They quickly found a new route and continued on their way.

After that, whenever they came across another tunnel, no one dared to enter.

Claudia Schultz was frighteningly thin. At about five-foot-three, she looked like she weighed less than seventy pounds.

Wyatt Vaughn saw her rations: a bag of black, rock-hard lumps of coarse bread. Fearing she couldn’t survive on that, Wyatt gave her a pack of Dried Meat and a plastic water bottle.

Four hours later, the vehicles stopped at an abandoned gas station. People got out to gather firewood, while others searched the gas station for supplies. Evelyn Ford and Wyatt Vaughn needed to use the restroom, and Claudia Schultz quickly followed them.

Evelyn Ford chopped down a dead branch and fashioned a small wooden spade for her.

"You can use this to dig for wild vegetables later."

Claudia Schultz quickly took it. "Thank you. You’re all such good people."

Wyatt Vaughn laughed heartily. "No wonder you’ve been so quiet this whole time! You were worried we were bad people, weren’t you?"

Claudia Schultz looked a little embarrassed. After a few hours to calm down, she had come to understand her grandmother’s true intentions. It wasn’t about revenge; it was about getting her to leave the town and find a way to survive.

"I’ll help out. I can cook, and I can chop firewood."

"Wow, that’s amazing! I didn’t know how to do anything before. I only learned in the last two years." Wyatt Vaughn had a knack for complimenting people, and Claudia Schultz quickly began to relax.

When the three of them returned to the convoy, Claudia Schultz took the spade and went to dig for wild vegetables. Evelyn Ford took a sip of coffee from her cup and immediately felt more alert.

"It feels like it’s going to rain."

Ronan Kendrick handed a damp towel to Evelyn Ford. She wiped her face and passed him her cup.

Ronan Kendrick couldn’t stand coffee. He took a sip and his brow furrowed.

"Evelyn, don’t you think it’s bitter?"

"But it wakes you up. Look at me now, I’m wide awake."

Ronan Kendrick reached out and touched her forehead. "You’re not just awake, you’re hyper."

’I guess I do feel a bit hyper. But at least it proves my mind is sharp and I’m fully alert.’

There was nothing in the gas station, but they did find two old tires, which they loaded onto the truck. The tread could be used to make shoes, so nothing should go to waste.

After a half-hour rest, they got back on the road. This time, Evelyn Ford took the wheel.

The farther south they drove, the fewer plains they saw, replaced by towering mountains and steep ridges.

The road was a series of hairpin turns, a true test of driving skill and courage.

Quincy’s face was already pale. He clung tightly to Wyatt Vaughn’s arm, unable to even look outside.

"How can this road be so twisted? There’s a bend every hundred meters! I can’t take it. I’m dizzy... I think I’m going to be sick."

Evelyn Ford quickly pulled over to let him get out and vomit. The vehicles ahead had also stopped, and many people were getting out to be sick.

"Are that many people getting carsick?"

Ronan Kendrick shook his head. "It’s not just carsickness. If you pay attention, there’s been a strange smell in the air for the last half hour. It makes you dizzy and nauseous."

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I’m fine." It was the others who weren’t. Aside from Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick, everyone else had gotten out of the vehicles and vomited until they were weak.

"Could it be some kind of mineral deposit around here? In most places with ore, people have strange reactions just by getting close."

Evelyn Ford got out of the van and found Taylor Vance, telling him about the smell.

"Everyone rest here for a bit. Ronan and I are going into the mountains to check it out."

In their current state, they couldn’t possibly continue driving. Taylor Vance, his face pale, could only nod.

"Be careful. If anything happens, blow your whistle."

As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of nausea hit him, and he bent over and started vomiting again.

Evelyn Ford returned to Ronan Kendrick’s side. After settling Mina and Lola, the two of them headed directly into the mountains.

"Evelyn, the smell is getting stronger."

Ronan Kendrick scanned their surroundings, holding Evelyn Ford’s hand tightly.

Twenty minutes later, deep in the mountains, they came across a large patch of bizarre-looking red flowers.