Chapter 699 - 330: Volcano Area
Unexpectedly for the two of them, the volcano didn’t cause any trouble, but food did. They set up camp at noon on the second day of entering the Volcano Area. Since there were quite a few obstacles on the road, they had only covered 120 kilometers, and the food was down to the last one-kilogram piece of smoked meat and half a kilogram of rice.
After setting up the tent in a natural rock cave by the road, Lin Wu immediately went to a creek 300 meters away, just as he had suspected, it was a hot spring creek. The water was perfect for a bath but did nothing to solve the food problem. After filling up with hot spring water and returning to the camp, Maya took a sip and felt a burst of sulfur flavor hitting her nose, but there was no choice but to drink it.
"We’re moving too slowly," Maya acknowledged the objective reasons being the severely damaged road and numerous obstacles. Considering the food issue, they must leave the Volcano Area before the next rest stop. This meant that they had to cover 180 kilometers before two o’clock in the afternoon the day after tomorrow.
Maya suggested a solution, "You go ahead." Phantom, with its all-terrain enhancements, would have no problem completing the 180 kilometers within the designated time. Maya suggested that Lin Wu leave the Volcano Area first and find a location on the road outside to set up camp and wait for her.
This idea was also what Lin Wu had in mind, but he hadn’t brought it up immediately; after all, it was the first time they would be separating. Moreover, according to the schedule, Maya needed to reach the camping spot before the second night of her journey; otherwise, Sandstorm would starve to death. Considering that it took Sandstorm a day and a half to travel 120 kilometers, whether it could cover 180 kilometers in two days would be left to fate.
Lin Wu replied, "Whether we can successfully get out is not about the upper limit of efficiency, but the lower limit. As long as we have water, we won’t die of hunger for a few days, but Sandstorm is the root of the problem."
Truth be told, Sandstorm was already excellent, but it still wasn’t as good as Phantom. Besides not having the all-terrain enhancement advantage, Sandstorm also had a tendency to slack off, so Maya had refrained from pushing it too hard, keeping its fatigue levels safely in check.
Maya said, "One reason I’m letting you go first is that following you won’t speed up Sandstorm. The second is that I’m prepared to abandon Sandstorm if necessary."
"Alright!" The worst-case scenario was Maya’s death, and he would just wait for her for 24 hours.
After agreeing on the plan, they both soaked in the hot spring by the creek, taking the opportunity to drink more water. Once the tent was set up, Lin Wu used the kitchen to cook all the remaining ingredients into salty rice. He ate a little, leaving most of the food for Maya. Maya didn’t refuse, consuming half and packing the other half in a paper bag.
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