Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 61: High Temperature, Mid-Autumn Festival

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: High Temperature, Mid-Autumn Festival

As the gales intensified, going outside became next to impossible, forcing everyone to hide in their homes. The wind whipped sand against the windows, which were now coated in such a thick layer of dust that it was impossible to see outside. Officer Graham led everyone to reinforce the security door downstairs one more time, and they boarded up the windows in the hallways and in their homes.

They fashioned the gauze they had scavenged into masks to wear over their heads, as it was otherwise impossible to go out. The air was muggy and hot. Blowing sand found its way inside their collars, mixing with their sweat until it felt like saltwater pickling every inch of their skin.

Evelyn Ford checked the air quality index; the API value had already reached 200. She had no choice but to consider leaving.

’But other than the base, where else could we go?’ Evelyn Ford pulled out a national map. It might be safer to head toward the Southwest or the Northwest. There was only one factor she needed to rule out—the presence of nuclear power plants. The Southwest and the Northwest both fit the bill.

Late at night, Evelyn Ford lay in bed, the sound of the howling gales filling her ears. Cars buried under the sand were being swept up by the wind. The windows of the neighboring building were blown out, followed by a series of sharp, shattering cracks.

Evelyn Ford didn’t sleep well that night. When she got up the next day, she had dark circles under her eyes. The new day began with the same old routine: cooking meals, steaming buns, and simmering sweet soup. Once everything was ready, she moved it all into her space. She didn’t feel tired; seeing the ever-growing pile of food filled her with a sense of satisfaction and security.

The cactus had sprouted two new pads. Her other potted plants, however, had begun to wither with the rising temperatures, and there was no point in trying to save them.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Evelyn Ford took out six cans of meat, grabbed the half-pound of bean sprouts she had grown, and went up to Officer Graham’s apartment on the twelfth floor.

When she arrived, the others had already been there for some time. Upon seeing the canned meat Evelyn Ford had brought, Quincy nearly burst into tears.

"I haven’t seen meat in months."

"Quincy, didn’t you hunt snakes? Snake meat is pretty tasty," Roy Henderson said as he took the can of braised pork from Evelyn Ford, unable to resist taking a sniff.

"I was lucky the snakes didn’t eat me. I hid at home that whole time, too scared to go out. I only ventured outside after most of them were gone. I used to have a cat, but it got sick and died during the toad infestation. After that, I survived by eating its cat food." A flicker of sadness crossed Quincy’s eyes as he mentioned his cat. Just as the others were about to console him, he broke into a carefree laugh.

"I mean, there’s meat in cat food, right? It didn’t taste great, but it was nutritious enough. The only problem was, it made me really constipated."

Everyone was speechless. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Let’s just make a big hodgepodge stew. We can put the canned meat and instant noodles in first," Officer Graham said, setting an iron pot over the fire. Everyone immediately backed away. It was already hot, and the addition of the fire made it agonizing.

"Let’s just boil some water for the noodles and then add the bean sprouts. Don’t put the canned meat in; it’s very salty." Evelyn Ford placed a stainless steel basin on the table, putting the instant noodles inside. She had already washed the bean sprouts, so they were ready to be cooked.

There was also a jar of chili sauce and some ham sausages on the table. Evelyn Ford took on the task of cooking, with the others acting as her assistants.

"This canned meat smells incredible." As soon as the can was opened, the aroma of braised pork filled the room. Wendy leaned in to smell it and looked up at Evelyn Ford in pleasant surprise. Evelyn picked out a piece for her.

’In fact,’ Evelyn thought, ’I stockpiled plenty of canned goods before the apocalypse, but none of them are as tasty as the ones we found at the food factory.’

The canned meat and fruit were decent, but Evelyn still wasn’t quite used to the canned seafood.

There were also a few "snow cakes"—a type of rice cracker—on the table, which Quincy had brought.

"We don’t have any mooncakes, so we’ll have to make do with these. Come on, one for everyone."

Roy Henderson and Owen Chapman couldn’t bring themselves to eat theirs, holding the crackers carefully in their hands. Evelyn Ford poured the cooked bean sprouts and broth over the noodles in the basin, which softened almost immediately.

"I always thought instant noodles were junk food, but now I know just how delicious they are," Quincy said, taking a sip of the broth and letting out a sigh of pure contentment.

Wendy squatted next to Evelyn Ford, clutching a small bowl and taking tiny sips of the broth.

Officer Graham gave her a piece of meat, but Wendy adamantly refused to eat it. Evelyn Ford thought it might be too salty and asked Officer Graham to rinse it in some fresh water, but Wendy still refused.

"I think Wendy wants to save the meat for Mr. Graham," Quincy said. Everyone fell silent, stunned.

With his eyes turning red, Officer Graham hugged Wendy tightly. A wave of sadness washed over everyone in the room.

And so, the first Mid-Autumn Festival of the apocalypse came to an end. Before going home, Evelyn Ford slipped a few pieces of candy into Wendy’s pocket.

When the temperature hit fifty-five degrees Celsius, the API value broke 220.

No matter how carefully Quincy and the others conserved their drinking water, they only had enough to last about twenty more days. Late at night, they could sometimes see the glow of distant fires.

Another day was crossed off the calendar, and a new one began.

For the past few days, Quincy had been trying to figure out how to collect water through condensation. Judging by his expression, however, he hadn’t succeeded yet.

The group’s injuries had mostly healed. They had planned on seeking revenge against the robbers they’d encountered earlier, but the gales forced them to put it on hold for now.

Recently, a strange plant had started growing downstairs. It looked a bit like a plantain weed, but it had a faint, pleasant aroma. When its leaves were cut open, beads of water would seep out.

This was a job for Quincy, the resident "expert." He sniffed it, touched it, licked it, and after wiping the sand from a leaf, ate it. Half an hour passed with no side effects, so he declared the plant edible.

"When the wind dies down a bit, we’ll go out and forage for them."

Quincy considered it a wild edible. He didn’t know its name, but its juice was fresh and sweet, and it was heat-resistant. It was like heaven had opened a window for humanity in the midst of the extreme heat.

"From what I’ve observed, the wind is weakest between ten p.m. and two a.m." This was a conclusion Evelyn Ford had drawn after several days of monitoring. It was the perfect window to go out and forage.

The discovery of the edible plant lifted everyone’s spirits. At ten p.m., they all headed out, armed with buckets and trowels.

The plants didn’t grow in dense patches. They were scattered, with several meters between each one. They were also very small, about the size of baby greens.

Evelyn Ford put on a pair of night-vision goggles, grabbed a bucket and a small trowel, and headed out of the complex. After an hour, she had only managed to gather a handful.

"Evelyn, it seems there’s always a way out in the end," Quincy said quietly, sidling up next to her.

"The ground has turned to sand. I thought not even a blade of grass would ever grow here again. Who would’ve thought we’d find edible plants? Nature is truly amazing."

Evelyn Ford glanced at his bucket. A few sparse plants lay scattered at the bottom.

"If you keep marveling for much longer, it’ll be two a.m."

"Hey, I’m nearsighted! It’s pitch black out here, I can’t see a thing. Are those night-vision goggles? Do you have an extra pair? Could I trade you for them?"