Chapter 239: Entering Westeria

Evelyn circled the area, cutting down more trees. She was obsessed with stockpiling wood; she always felt the cold wouldn’t end easily. If one day the gasoline and diesel ran out, people still wouldn’t freeze to death as long as there was wood.

"The search can’t be delayed. We have to return to our homeland eventually." Evelyn’s expression was grim as she looked at the map in her hand, crossing off several countries they had originally planned to visit.

Even though they had plenty of diesel now, Evelyn still felt uneasy.

"Then let’s adjust our course," Ronan Kendrick said, circling a few areas on the map.

"This place is the most suitable. It has no high mountains or oceans. I’ve done my research—Westeria is rich in natural resources, especially various ores. A lot of people might have already sought refuge there."

Evelyn was a bit surprised. "Are you sure about this place?"

Ronan nodded. "If we compare all the regions, countries, and cities we’ve marked, this might be the only area that wasn’t flooded by the rising seas. The land is higher here, and the topography is unique."

Evelyn was silent for a long moment. "Alright. We’ll go there."

"Just the two of us will go."

Evelyn looked up at Ronan. "Just the two of us? What about the others?"

"To get to Westeria, we have to cross through Yarrow. This area might be the last line of defense against the seawater. We’ll have them stay on the ship and wait for us. We can leave them some of the weapons. We’ll be faster if we move alone."

"Okay, I know what to do."

After reaching an agreement, the two of them immediately gathered the others for a meeting, where Evelyn announced the change in their route.

"You’re going to Westeria?" Miles Vaughn stroked his chin. "I’ve been there before. It’s vast and sparsely populated, with no high mountains or oceans. It’s landlocked, surrounded by other small countries. Plus, Westeria has a lot of desert terrain."

Evelyn nodded. "That’s right. We’ll moor the ship in Yarrow, and you all will stay on board. Ronan and I will go to Westeria."

"But..."

"I agree." Officer Graham was the first to raise his hand. "Since Evelyn and Ronan have already decided, I’ll follow their plan. But how long will you be gone?"

"Two months at the most, half a month if we’re quick. We’ll be back as soon as possible."

"I’ll follow the plan," Taylor Vance suddenly said.

"I’ll listen to Evelyn," Quincy said with a grin.

"Westeria has some of the most abundant wildlife in the world. Even without the floods, it’s very dangerous for you to go there." Miles Vaughn was still worried about the two of them going alone.

"I have a way to handle that. I just hope everyone works together and gets along. If anyone comes asking for help, don’t be soft-hearted. Our ship is not taking on any other passengers. No women, no elderly, no children, no infants."

"Understood."

Evelyn glanced at everyone, her gaze finally resting on Officer Graham. He gave her a slight nod.

Since they had changed course, they headed straight for Yarrow. Twelve days later, the fishing boat stopped ten kilometers from the border crossing between Yarrow and Westeria. Evelyn spoke with Officer Graham alone for a bit, handing over the weapons and the key to the storage hold.

"Evelyn, don’t worry. I’ll protect this ship and keep an eye on everyone else."

Evelyn naturally trusted his promise. "We’ll be back as soon as we can. And like I said before, don’t take anyone on board. If you need to use the weapons, use them."

"Understood."

"Oh, right. There are four little guys shut in my room. Help me look after them."

"I’ll remember. You two be careful out there."

After disembarking from the fishing boat, Evelyn and Ronan paddled onward in their kayak. Four hours later, their path was blocked by an Earthen Cliff, thirty meters high. The territory of Westeria lay at the top. The seawater had been successfully held back here; all they had to do was climb up to enter the country.

Evelyn took out an Eagle Claw Hook. Ronan threw it upward, snagging a tree trunk at the top. Ronan climbed up first. Evelyn gripped the hemp rope, and once Ronan was safely on top, she stored the kayak in her space and began to climb.

Ronan held the rope taut from above. After reaching the top, Evelyn saw a three-meter-high wire fence topped with barbs. She raised an eyebrow and took a wrench from her space.

’So this is how they keep out illegal immigrants. Looks like a lot of people fled here five or six years ago and established a safe zone.’

’Of course, the only ones who could have escaped here so quickly must have been political and business tycoons.’

The two of them cut a hole in the wire fence. After crawling through, they restored it to its original appearance.

"Wait, they also planted a ring of poisonous weeds here. Be careful."

Evelyn took out a shovel and gloves. She cleared a patch of the poisonous weeds and then carefully stepped across.

An endless forest stretched out before them. They would have to cross it to reach the city. Evelyn noticed that the temperature in Westeria wasn’t as low as in other countries. She took out a thermometer—it read negative twenty degrees.

"Evelyn, there are people in the forest."

"Could they be here to chop wood?"

"I don’t think so. It sounds like three men."

The two entered the forest silently. A few minutes later, Ronan pulled Evelyn behind a tree. The ground was covered in a layer of frost that made a CRUNCHING sound underfoot.

Not far off, three foreign-looking men were roasting meat over a fire in the snow. They were cursing under their breath, complaining about having to be out on patrol in such cold weather.

When Evelyn saw the long guns they were carrying, her eyes narrowed slightly.

Just then, one of the men suddenly walked in their direction. He unbuckled his belt to take a piss, and Ronan quickly covered Evelyn’s eyes.

"Ever since those people came to Zaltar, this place has turned into a beggar’s den. I almost got bumped into on my way home yesterday. It was some ten-year-old kid. I put a bullet in him. It’s not like killing is illegal these days anyway."

Another man guffawed. "I’ve had my eye on a woman recently. Her whole family moved here from Syler. She has three brothers, which makes things a little tricky."

"What’s there to be scared of? We’ll go over and help you tomorrow. We’ll grab her family, kill ’em all, and then the woman’s yours, isn’t she?"

"HAHAHAHA..."

Ronan dealt with the pissing man with a flick of a Silver Needle. Evelyn collected the long gun from the ground. After confirming the man was dead, she stored his body in her space.

Ronan crept over and swiftly snapped the other two men’s necks from behind. Evelyn picked up their long guns while Ronan searched their bodies, finding two boxes of matches, a set of keys, and two work IDs.

"Zaltar, District One. Patrolman. Prior, age thirty-seven. Aniello, age forty. Their home addresses and work locations are on here too. They’re forest patrol. This place is called Zaltar. They’re armed because of all the illegal immigrants."

Evelyn looked at Ronan, her expression serious. "Looks like security in Westeria is pretty tight. Let’s go check it out first, but if we want to get into the city, we’ll probably need new disguises and some form of identification."

"Judging by their clothes, Zaltar isn’t short on supplies."

’He was right. They were wearing thick overcoats, wool felt hats, and leather shoes.’

Evelyn waggled the work ID in her hand.

"Zaltar... Sounds like a decent place."