To everyone’s surprise, they ran into Donovan Irving here. Several months had passed, and he looked scruffy with an unkempt beard. He had somehow gotten his hands on the cargo box of a three-wheeled vehicle and converted it into a horse-drawn carriage.

He was also surprised, not expecting to reunite with everyone here.

"How are you still here? It’s been half a year, right? And you’re still here," Wyatt Vaughn said, astonished. Looking at the temporary shelter built from ruins, he could hardly believe the weary, weather-beaten man before him was actually Donovan Irving.

"When I got here, I ran into a black bear. I managed to kill it, but I was seriously injured. My leg was so bad I couldn’t move for months."

He already had a bit of a limp, and now it was even worse.

"Have you run into anyone else here?"

Donovan Irving shook his head. "No one. There are a few tigers around here. You all should be careful."

Evelyn Ford observed him for a moment. His leg injury was real.

"Why did you all leave too?"

"The sun is out now, and the weather seems to be improving, so of course we had to leave too."

Judging by his shelter, he must have been living here for three or four months. The horse was outside under a separate shed he’d built, and it looked fairly well-fed.

Inside his shelter hung a lot of cured meat, which was probably all from the black bear.

"Can I travel with you? I can just follow behind. I have food and can protect myself. It’s just too dangerous to travel alone. I’m worried my horse will be attacked by tigers, and I’m also worried about running into extreme weather."

Donovan Irving was from Serena Province, and since the group was heading to the Northwest, they would have to pass through Serena anyway. He seemed like a sensible person, so there was no harm in bringing him along.

"We’re leaving soon."

Hearing this, Donovan Irving’s eyes lit up. "Great. I’ll pack up right away. My modified carriage is sturdy. I won’t slow you down."

He loaded all his belongings onto his carriage, fed his horse some branches, and then drove it over to fall in line behind the Mammoth.

The caravan set off again. His carriage wasn’t very large, so the horse pulled it with ease.

"Surviving alone in this environment for three or four months, and while injured... he’s truly resilient."

Evelyn was impressed.

Ronan Kendrick raised an eyebrow. "He’s right. There are tigers nearby, but there are too many of us for them to dare approach."

"Where are they?"

"Behind the ruins to our right. The tigers smell of blood. Another reason they might not be approaching is that they’ve just killed prey and aren’t hungry yet."

’To be honest, I’ve never seen a tiger in real life. When it comes to the kings of the forest, it’s best to avoid them if possible. I feel like tigers are much harder to deal with than black bears.’

After leaving the city, they entered a vast, endless plain. To conserve the horses’ strength, the caravan moved at a moderate pace, stopping every four hours to rest and let them drink water and eat fodder.

Everyone was incredibly envious watching the Mammoth move on its own without needing any direction. In reality, it had less to do with the animal’s intelligence and more to do with who was giving the commands.

If Ronan Kendrick were the one commanding the horses, they would obey and set off just as willingly, with no need for a whip.

Donovan Irving’s horse seemed to have been tamed by him as well. It automatically followed behind the Mammoth, freeing up Donovan’s hands so he could take shelter from the cold inside his carriage.

At nine in the evening, the caravan stopped, planning to rest and resupply. Just then, a slight noise came from a distance. Ronan Kendrick immediately told everyone to grab their guns and be on alert. Donovan Irving also picked up his long saber and joined them.

"It’s two black bears. They must have been starving for a while; they seem agitated."

The night was dark. Although the ground was covered in white snow, a thick fog obscured their vision, making it impossible to see the black bears’ exact location.

"They’re behind us, about three hundred meters away."

Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick stood at the very front. Black bears were massive and agile. Getting hit by one of their sharp claws would cost you half your life.

Under Ronan Kendrick’s command, the group advanced slowly and methodically. Wendy, Taylor Vance, and Zion Lowell stayed behind to guard the supplies.

A roar echoed out. BANG! Ronan Kendrick fired the first shot, and Evelyn Ford immediately followed up. There were two black bears, so the eight of them split into two teams of four, one for each bear. Perhaps because of the poor visibility, both Miles Vaughn and Officer Graham missed. Just as a bear was about to pounce, Evelyn fired five consecutive shots, then drew the long saber from her waist and charged directly at it. Donovan Irving also rushed forward, raising his saber to strike alongside her.

On Ronan Kendrick’s side, he had already dealt with his black bear with incredible speed. Peter Owens and Wyatt Vaughn were almost clawed in the process.

Meanwhile, on Evelyn’s side, she had severed one of the bear’s paws. Donovan Irving reacted quickly and cut off the other. The black bear fell to the ground, howling in agony. Officer Graham rushed over to deliver the finishing blow. After a few more cries, the bear went still.

Evelyn looked at Donovan Irving. He was slumped on the ground, panting heavily. Evelyn finally understood how he had managed to survive all this time alone. Besides his tenacious life force, the man had incredible reflexes.

The black bears were dragged back. Since Donovan Irving had participated, he was entitled to a share.

"My carriage is full. I didn’t join you for the bear meat. I just wanted to contribute and thank you for letting me join your group."

Everyone was a little surprised. In times like these, someone was actually refusing meat.

"How about this: you can eat with us for the time being, at least until we finish these two black bears."

Donovan Irving wanted to say something more, but Taylor Vance stopped him. "It’s settled then."

What everyone valued now wasn’t food, but a person’s character. Having someone with impure intentions in the group would be a very dangerous thing.

"Thank you, everyone. If you’re thinking of settling down when you get to Serena Province, you’re welcome in my town."

Evelyn smiled. "We’re heading to Frelia."

"That far?" Donovan Irving was surprised. "From here to Frelia... that’s probably five or six thousand kilometers."

"We’ll get there someday," Evelyn said with conviction.

After joining the group, Donovan Irving integrated quickly. Despite his limp, he was a very capable worker, chopping firewood and gathering branches with great efficiency.

After the black bears were butchered, Taylor Vance and Zion Lowell took charge of the cooking and stewed a large pot of meat. Donovan Irving came over with his plastic lunchbox, and Taylor Vance filled it to the brim.

"I don’t have a pot, so I’ve been eating nothing but roasted meat. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a hot soup."

Evelyn glanced at his horse. "Hasn’t your horse had any water?"

Donovan Irving scratched his head in embarrassment. "I don’t have any water for it. It’s been eating leaves."

’That poor horse. It’s amazing it hasn’t lost any weight under these conditions.’

A large pot of stew was made with the black bear meat and blood. Everyone had two bowls, which warmed them up. After processing the rest of the bear meat and storing it in the shipping container, they immediately went to their carriages to sleep. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

At six the next morning, everyone began to wake up. After a quick breakfast, the caravan set out again. They planned to cover fifty-five kilometers today.