Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse

Chapter 174: High Temperature of 50 Degrees

Evelyn Ford returned home and immediately chugged a large glass of ice water, which finally cooled her down.

Whenever she closed her eyes, the image that appeared in her mind was of that man’s steaming body, like a piece of boiled white meat.

’Of all the ways to die in this world, how painful and agonizing must it be to have your internal organs cooked through?’

Evelyn sighed, sat down right on the floor, and turned on the tower fan, aiming it at her back.

Ronan Kendrick returned from cutting bamboo, and his eyes swept over Evelyn when he saw her.

"You went out?"

"Someone had heatstroke. I went to take a look, but I couldn’t save them in time. They were already gone."

Ronan soaked the bamboo in water, shook the sand and dust off himself, and slowly walked over.

"It’s too hot outside. If you can’t handle it, you shouldn’t go out."

"I know. Ronan, do you eat durian?"

Ronan looked at her with interest, but the moment Evelyn pulled out a durian, he instantly retreated to the doorway.

"What is that?"

"It’s durian! It’s delicious. Come on, Ronan, have a taste."

Ronan’s face was full of resistance. Evelyn could see a trace of fear in his eyes, as if to say, ’Are you sure that thing is even edible?’

Evelyn opened the durian. In an instant, its smell filled every corner of the cabin. Ronan, who was usually expressionless, finally broke his composure. He looked like he was in agony.

Evelyn chuckled to herself and decided to tease him.

"Ronan, here, let me feed you."

"No, thanks. I’ll go cut some more bamboo. You eat it. But... are you sure that’s really a fruit?"

Evelyn was speechless. ’If it’s not a fruit, then what is it?’

"You’re sure you don’t want a taste?"

"I’m sure." With that, Ronan actually shut the door and bolted. Evelyn didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry.

After scooping out the pulp, Evelyn took out some ice and chilled the durian for a while before eating it.

’It’s delicious,’ she thought. ’So creamy and sweet.’

However, Evelyn didn’t eat too much. The weather was too hot, and durian is a high-calorie fruit; eating too much could cause a nosebleed.

Half an hour later, Ronan returned. He sniffed the air outside for a long time before finally entering the cabin, but only after confirming the durian smell was gone.

Evelyn was lying in the rocking chair, a faint smile on her face as she watched him. "I was starting to think you were never coming back."

Ronan rubbed his ear. "You really ate it?"

"Come here." Evelyn beckoned to him. Ronan slowly walked over and squatted down, meeting her gaze.

"Can you smell it? The durian on me."

Ronan nodded, then shook his head. "I smell it, but that’s not your scent."

Evelyn realized it was useless trying to reason with him, so she just closed her eyes and ignored him. The tower fan continued to blow cool air as she sprawled inelegantly in her chair.

「In the following days」

Several more cases of heatstroke occurred. Only one child was saved; everyone else died.

Late at night, Taylor Vance was once again banging on a piece of stainless steel in the safe zone, loudly warning everyone not to go outside during the day.

After a small storm passed, the temperature still rose from forty-eight to forty-nine degrees.

The daytime sun grew so intense that even Ronan rarely went out anymore. Evelyn used her solar panels to charge the storage batteries. What used to take two days to fully charge now only took half a day.

With temperatures exceeding forty degrees, plant growth slowed. Sown seeds were cooked right in the ground, and even the trees inside the safe zone looked withered and listless.

The water tanks in her space had run low, so Evelyn refilled them one by one. That night, she cut some Gold and Silver Flower and delivered it to Quincy and his group. She also urged them to store more water. Every family had a cellar now, and she stressed that they had to store water whenever it was available. If the high temperatures persisted, it was only a matter of time before the ponds dried up.

"Ronan, come quick!" Evelyn opened the coop and saw that all the chickens and ducks were listless. She knew this was bad.

"What’s wrong?"

"I don’t think the chickens and ducks can take much more of this."

"Don’t panic. I’ll divert water from the front yard and dig a pit here."

Evelyn went to check on the goats next. They were doing alright, but the rabbits were really struggling. Rabbits were fragile creatures to begin with. Looking at the more than one hundred adult rabbits, Evelyn had no idea how many she could save.

Wearing masks and gloves, the two of them started digging the pit. The moment they diverted the water into it, all the chickens and ducks scrambled and jumped into the newly formed pool.

They worked through the night and finally managed to save the chickens, ducks, and goats.

The rabbits started dying one after another, so Evelyn had no choice but to slaughter the rest. If they had been desert rabbits, they might have been able to withstand the high temperatures, but unfortunately, these were just ordinary wild rabbits.

Other residents were facing similar situations. In the extreme heat, humans, animals, and plants were all failing to hold on.

When the temperature broke fifty degrees, Evelyn felt her breathing become labored, as if the very air was growing thin.

Even thirty or forty degrees below zero hadn’t been this agonizing. Evelyn tossed and turned, groaning in misery.

Ronan opened the bedroom door and watched her for a long moment before walking over and touching her forehead.

"I’m not sick, I don’t have a fever. I’m just hot."

Several tower fans were pointed at her, but she was still hot. Even the breeze they created was warm.

Ronan suddenly lay down beside her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Evelyn felt uncomfortable and tried to push him away, but as soon as she touched his ice-cold body, she immediately pressed herself against him.

"Any better?"

"Mmm."

"Then get some sleep." He patted her shoulder, as if comforting a child.

Evelyn fell asleep before she knew it. Every day after that, she relied on Ronan, her personal human air conditioner, to cool down.

A few more elderly people died in the safe zone, casting a heavy gloom over everyone. They all thought of their own mortality, wondering if they too might just pass away quietly one night.

The misery of the heat was just like the agony of starvation. It made people anxious and irritable, creating a desperate need for release with no outlet to be found.

The extreme heat was a scorching burn from the inside out, like being locked inside a steamer.

Starvation was a thousand needles stabbing your stomach, then having it twisted tight with a coarse rope.

"Ronan, do you think the temperature will keep rising?"

Ronan was silent for a long time. "Yes."

Evelyn hadn’t expected his prediction to be so frighteningly accurate. The very next day, the temperature shot straight up to fifty-two degrees, breaking all previous records.

Even with a shelter built over it, the water in the yard began to warm up, and the fish started to die off one by one.

Not a single bird could be seen in the sky. Evelyn sat by the window in a thin camisole, staring blankly outside. ’I’m so hot,’ she thought. ’If I were here alone, I’d be completely naked.’

That night, Evelyn poured some herbal heatstroke remedy into a flask and had Ronan take it to Officer Graham’s family. She was mainly worried about Wendy, Annie, and Cherie. The children must be suffering terribly.

When Ronan returned, Evelyn looked at him with eager eyes.

"I gave it to them. They’re all doing okay. Every family has stored a lot of water, and their cellars have plenty of food."

Evelyn nodded. "Then hurry over here. I’m about to die from the heat."

Ronan gave her an amused look, but his body was honest, and he walked over without hesitation.