Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse

Chapter 133: Night Encounter with Mandrills

"This rain is a bit heavy. I wonder when it’ll stop."

Ronan Kendrick glanced at the downpour outside the car window, his expression calm.

"It’ll stop tomorrow morning."

"That’s good, what a relief. We’ve been out for half a month, and we should be heading back in another half a month."

Evelyn Ford’s premonitions had always been accurate. She knew the next cataclysm was coming soon.

Around midnight, a sudden sound slapped against the glass window. Evelyn Ford turned on the light and looked out to see a strange animal clinging to the window.

It looked like a monkey, but not quite. It resembled a gorilla, but its features were even more peculiar.

Its head was large and long, with a bulge on each side of its nose, flanked by vertical stripes. A patch of bright red skin ran vertically down the middle.

A sharp protrusion jutted from the top of its head. Its fur was strange, tinged with green, and its face was also somewhat greenish.

"That’s a Mandrill," Ronan Kendrick said softly beside her.

’A Mandrill?’

’The kind of Mandrill from the legends, the one you’d rather run into a jackal or wolf than encounter?’

In the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Mandrill was a one-legged monster that lived in the mountains, hideous in appearance with a human face and long arms.

And right now, dozens of Mandrills were swarming the RV.

If they were just monkeys or apes, there would be no need to worry. But Mandrills are the world’s largest species of monkey. They are not only fierce but also omnivorous, subsisting mostly on meat.

"Let’s drive away. I’ll drive. You take the Crossbow. If they attack us, we fight back."

Evelyn Ford felt her way to the driver’s seat, intending to drive off, but many Mandrills had already climbed onto the roof and body of the vehicle. They were jumping and stomping around up there, banging on the glass and opening their mouths in an attempt to provoke Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick.

Evelyn Ford ignored them and started the engine. The Mandrills were large, and driving away safely while carrying their weight and dealing with the shaking was no simple task.

"Ronan Kendrick, draw them over here. Get them to cluster together and spray them with the insecticide."

Ronan Kendrick caught the can of insecticide Evelyn Ford tossed him. He blew a whistle, and all the Mandrills gathered outside the window.

Ronan Kendrick opened the window and sprayed the insecticide at them. Seizing the opportunity, Evelyn Ford quickly started the vehicle and sped away.

The insecticide got into the Mandrills’ eyes, the stinging pain causing them to howl and shriek as they rolled on the ground. A few of them chased after the vehicle, and two leaped directly onto the roof, furiously pounding on it.

"These things are really something. They provoke us, bang on the windows, slap the doors, jump on the roof, and when we fight back a little, they have the audacity to get angry."

Evelyn Ford wasn’t about to indulge these ugly creatures. She accelerated, trying to shake off the Mandrills on the roof. Just then, a Mandrill suddenly ran in front of the vehicle. Evelyn Ford hit it directly and ran it over. The Mandrills behind let out ear-piercing wails and then all gave chase.

"Evelyn Ford, you go on ahead. I’ll get out and take care of them."

"They’re primates, after all; they have some intelligence. Don’t get out. It’s pouring rain out there. I’ll shake them off with the car."

Luckily, this stretch of road had no barricades. After driving for about three kilometers, Evelyn Ford noticed the pack of Mandrills was still behind them. They were picking up rocks from the ground and frantically hurling them at the vehicle.

Evelyn Ford grew angry too. She had only wanted to shake them off, but she hadn’t expected them to be so relentless.

"Ronan Kendrick, use the Crossbow to kill the one in the lead. We need to make an example of it."

Following her command, Ronan Kendrick opened the window and aimed a Crossbow Arrow at the pursuing Mandrills. The one at the very front had a black face; it seemed to be the leader of the pack.

Ronan Kendrick fired an arrow through the downpour, piercing straight through the black-faced Mandrill’s skull. After it fell, the other Mandrills gathered around it, wailing, and all of them stopped. In that moment, Evelyn Ford sped up and finally lost them.

However, after driving for another twenty minutes, they encountered a roadblock. Evelyn Ford tossed Ronan Kendrick a raincoat, stored the RV in her space, and ran directly into the mountain forest beside the road, carrying Mina and Lola.

"There’s a cave here. We can take shelter. The rain will stop by dawn."

Ronan Kendrick carried Evelyn Ford on his back into the cave. It was dry inside, a perfect place to wait out the rain and rest.

"I can’t believe we actually ran into Mandrills. Could the cataclysm be starting early? The Mandrills have come out from the deep mountains."

Evelyn Ford pressed her lips together as she watched the downpour outside the cave. Ronan Kendrick had already started a fire. Mina and Lola were used to being on the move, and the two little ones were in high spirits.

At seven in the morning, the rain stopped. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick left the cave and decided to head back.

The air after the rain carried the scent of earth. After walking for just a few minutes, Evelyn Ford suddenly plucked a leaf and began examining it closely, turning it over and over.

"What’s wrong?"

Seeing the grim expression on Evelyn Ford’s face, Ronan Kendrick walked over to her and glanced at the leaf in her hand.

"What’s on it?"

"A hole."

Evelyn Ford nodded. "That’s right. A hole. A hole that’s been corroded."

Evelyn Ford grabbed Ronan Kendrick’s hand. Her face had gone pale, and her hands were trembling.

"I know what the next cataclysm will be."

"It’s acid rain. Black acid rain, as corrosive as sulfuric acid. Ronan Kendrick, we have to get back to the base immediately. Right now."

Ronan Kendrick looked at the leaf in Evelyn Ford’s hand, then plucked a handful of other leaves and checked them one by one.

Some of the leaves had corroded holes, while others did not.

This meant that last night’s downpour had been mixed with acid rain, but only a very small amount.

It was a warning from the heavens.

In her past life, the acid rain had fallen for seven days, and countless people had died because of it. The acid rain didn’t kill instantly. But when it landed on skin, it would immediately corrode the flesh, causing it to rot away bit by bit. There was no cure.

"Ronan Kendrick, do you trust me?"

Ronan Kendrick nodded. "Of course."

Without another word, he immediately lifted Evelyn Ford onto his back. Mina and Lola were in a cloth bag, which Evelyn Ford held at her side. He ran through the mountain forest at his top speed. Hearing the beat of Ronan Kendrick’s heart, Evelyn Ford’s anxious mind slowly began to calm.

A day and a night later, the two of them returned to the base. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick showed their resident IDs and were allowed to pass.

Back at the apartment building, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick found Officer Graham and asked him about what had happened at the base during their absence.

"They haven’t started harvesting the wheat yet?"

Officer Graham nodded. "The wheat isn’t mature yet. They say we have to wait another half a month."

’Half a month?’

’We can’t wait that long. The acid rain is coming soon.’

That night, Evelyn Ford wrote a warning sign and had Ronan Kendrick hang it outside the administration building.

But unexpectedly, the administration staff treated the sign as a prank and destroyed it before any residents could see it.

"Ronan Kendrick, tonight we’re going to the broadcast station. We’ll broadcast a warning to everyone directly. We can’t let more people die. The acid rain is even more terrifying than the parasites. We have to save as many as we can."

Evelyn Ford had studied Bel canto for a while when she was young, so disguising her voice was a simple matter for her.

Tens of thousands had already died from the parasites. That wasn’t just a number; it was life after life.

If Ronan Kendrick weren’t with her, Evelyn Ford would never have dared to take such a risk. But with him by her side, she knew she wouldn’t be exposed, and more importantly, that she would be safe.