Chapter 229: Chapter 229: Deserted Island Survival 7

After breakfast, the two started making wooden crates. This time, the crates were larger—six meters long and three meters high. Ronan Kendrick assembled the sawn wood into frames, and Evelyn Ford lined them with plastic sheets, ensuring a perfect seal.

The snow in the yard could be collected again. The snow on the island was exceptionally clean. Evelyn Ford had boiled it once before. Generally, snowmelt contains various impurities and requires significant filtering before it’s drinkable. But when the island’s snow was melted, not only was there no residue, but it also had a hint of sweetness.

By nightfall, they had made ten wooden crates. They had to hurry and gather the fish and shrimp from around the island before the next wave of the storm hit.

The winds and waves during the day had been ferocious. To Evelyn Ford’s surprise, the island’s only coconut tree had been completely uprooted. Coconut trees could also be used for firewood, so Evelyn took out a saw, cut the tree into pieces, and stored them in her dimensional space.

As for the other trees in their backyard, not many remained after being battered by the storm. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

There was no mud or sand on the island. Evelyn Ford had considered building a thick windbreak wall, but the storm’s power was too immense—the waves crashed over twenty meters high. A windbreak would probably be useless, just a white elephant.

Besides, she didn’t have much cement in her space and didn’t want to waste it.

The maple seeds hadn’t even had a chance to sprout before the temperature plummeted and it began to snow. The seeds had probably frozen to death.

Evelyn Ford now hoped the sea would freeze over, but the water was in constant motion, making the chances of that happening very slim.

After gathering all the fish and shrimp and putting them away in her space, Ronan Kendrick made a round of the island. Only after confirming there were no safety hazards did he return to the wooden cabin. Evelyn Ford had already added more wood to the fireplace and the heated brick bed.

She had already made six or seven pairs of shoes for Ronan Kendrick. Evelyn had also crocheted two pairs of yarn slippers. Since they arrived on the island, night fell early. Evelyn didn’t sleep much and spent the rest of her time making clothes and shoes.

"Come here." Seeing Ronan Kendrick return, Evelyn Ford beckoned to him.

Ronan Kendrick smiled, pressing his lips together. He took off his jacket and shoes and sat down beside her.

"What is it?"

"I’m going to measure your head to make you a few wool hats. What color do you like?"

Evelyn Ford took out a box of yarn. Inside were thirty-six skeins in every color imaginable.

"Red and black."

Evelyn Ford nodded. "Alright. I’ll crochet you a few sweaters, too. This is wool yarn, so it’s very soft and warm."

Ronan Kendrick suddenly picked up a skein of green yarn. "What about this one?"

Evelyn... ’Dude, are you serious?’

"You want a green hat?"

Ronan Kendrick didn’t understand the hidden meaning in her words. He just thought green looked nice—vibrant and refreshingly pure.

"I want one."

Evelyn Ford suppressed a laugh. "Alright, I’ll knit you a green hat."

"Does it not look good?"

Evelyn Ford shook her head. "No, it’s great."

"Then why were you secretly laughing?"

"Was I laughing? You must have been mistaken. I was just marveling at your good taste."

Ronan Kendrick felt like Evelyn Ford was laughing at him, but he had no proof.

—

A new day began with gathering fish and shrimp. Among the sea life washed ashore by the storm were several snow crabs, and Evelyn Ford decided to steam them for lunch.

Life on the island was both peaceful and perilous. Before they knew it, a month had passed.

Evelyn Ford took stock of the gasoline, engine oil, kerosene, and coal in her space. There was still a lot left, but she couldn’t afford to be wasteful.

The compass had stopped working right after they arrived on the island due to a magnetic field disturbance. Evelyn Ford had no idea which direction they were in.

If they were to leave in the future without any navigational aid, she worried they might accidentally wander into another country’s territory.

Meanwhile, the temperature on the island had already dropped to twenty-seven degrees.

"Ronan Kendrick, I’ve always felt something was strange, but I could never put my finger on it. Today, it finally hit me."

"What’s strange?"

Evelyn Ford pointed at the sea not far ahead. "Have you noticed? The sea is turbulent every day, with fierce winds and torrential rain, but it never snows out there. In this entire stretch of ocean, it only snows on our little island."

"You’re right."

Evelyn Ford scratched her head. "It’s so strange."

Ronan Kendrick couldn’t figure out why, either.

—

At that very moment, nine hundred kilometers away in the Noctis Sea, thirty to forty blond, blue-eyed men stood ready on an enormous fishing vessel. They had already crossed a thousand kilometers of ocean without catching a single fish.

This part of the sea was dead—murky, foul-smelling, and devoid of life. To survive, they had no choice but to enter the territories of other nations and poach.

It was the apocalypse, anyway. Territorial treaties were void. Onboard the fishing vessel were three crates of weapons. This time, they were determined to return with a full haul.

—

Evelyn Ford extracted the toxin from the jellyfish and incorporated it into a new poison she had developed. She had yet to test its potency.

She caught a poisonous, stinking fish and fed it a single drop of the new concoction. In less than two seconds, the fish’s eyes rolled back and it died.

Evelyn Ford took out two hundred Crossbow Arrows and had Ronan Kendrick coat the arrowheads with the poison. She poured the rest of the poison into insecticide spray bottles.

The cold wind howled. Evelyn Ford’s right eyelid had been twitching from morning till night. Staring at the suddenly calm sea, she had a nagging feeling that something big was about to happen.

It was the second month of the lunar calendar. Before the apocalypse, this would have been spring.

But on the island, blizzards still raged and fierce winds howled.

Evelyn Ford placed the newly crocheted wool hat on Ronan Kendrick’s head. It was red, looking both festive and handsome.

She had used wool yarn to make him over ten pairs of socks. Although he always said he wasn’t cold, she still wanted him to be bundled up warmly.

"It’s the second day of the second lunar month, the Longtaitou Festival. Let’s give you a haircut."

Evelyn Ford took out a pair of scissors and trimmed the stray hairs around his ears. Her own hair now reached her shoulders, and she decided not to cut it anymore.

"Evelyn, my eyes... I think the color has gotten deeper."

Evelyn Ford moved to stand in front of him, lifted his chin, and stared intently into his eyes.

It was true. The color of his red eye had not only deepened, but it also looked a little strange, like a glass marble.

His blue eye had turned from light blue to a deep, dark blue.

"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Ronan Kendrick shook his head. "I’m stronger, I heal faster, and my hearing is sharper."

Evelyn Ford clapped. "Amazing! So, does that mean you’re invulnerable now?"

Ronan Kendrick shook his head. "Not quite. I can just take more of a beating."

Surprised that he could even make a joke, Evelyn Ford threw her arms around him and burst out laughing.

"I was starting to think you were mutating! Here, let me check. Are you hiding another pair of ears and a tail somewhere?"

Ronan Kendrick blinked. "Are you talking about the bunny ears you gave me?"

"That was a headband."

Ronan Kendrick shook his head. "Then I don’t have any other ears."

Evelyn Ford pinched his cheek. "Ronan Kendrick, how can you be so adorable? Did you grow up eating ’Cutie Pies’ for breakfast?"

"I grew up eating nutrient packs."

Evelyn Ford laughed so hard she could barely stand.

Her mood improved even more at the thought of all the embarrassing photos of Ronan Kendrick on her phone. In her spare time, she would dress him up as a girl, put makeup on him, and force him to wear the bunny-ear headband.

Ronan Kendrick never resisted and was always very cooperative.