Xiao Mu...
Hearing this name, Elara's gaze subconsciously fell on the blond, blue-eyed little boy hiding behind the woman, his face still red with the marks of her slaps.
It's likely... this plant-based ability user named "Xiao Mu" is this little boy's family. Perhaps his father, or maybe his brother. No wonder this woman is so full of venom and agitation, and no wonder this little boy rushed out so bravely, so desperately, to try and protect his family.
This theory formed in Elara's mind, but she didn't voice it. Like an observer, she silently watched as Cassian used his masterful communication skills to soothe the nearly broken woman.
"We sympathize with what you've been through," Cassian's tone was filled with genuine compassion. "In a world like this, just surviving is an incredibly difficult thing."
As he spoke, he signaled to Zephyr again, who brought down some basic medicines and a small bag of rice from the truck, placing them next to the case of instant noodles.
"This is a small gesture from us. We hope it can help you get through this immediate difficulty."
After providing tangible benefits, Cassian slowly and deliberately began to paint them a picture of a brighter future.
He mentioned their destination—the temporary base established by the military.
"We are heading to a temporary safe base located in the southeast of the city," Cassian's voice was full of allure. "There, you'll have the protection of the military, relatively safe shelter, and most importantly, a stable food supply. If you can find a way to get there, you can at least have real security for a while."
Cassian's words were like a ray of light, piercing through the gray, despairing darkness in the woman's heart.
However, Cassian didn't make a grand promise to take them all to the temporary base. He was well aware of what a huge burden and risk it would be for their small group to travel with such a large number of elderly, women, and children, who had almost no combat capability.
He simply gave them a general location and some advice on how to avoid dangerous areas. Whether they could ultimately reach it would depend on their own fortune and determination.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. In this apocalypse, sometimes, a hopeful goal could inspire the will to survive far more than temporary material aid.
After listening to Cassian, the woman seemed to fall into a daze, and it was unclear if she had truly absorbed the crucial information.
And Cassian, having said what he needed to say and done what he needed to do, did not linger.
He gave the woman a polite nod, then turned and got back into the SUV.
As the engines started again, the entire convoy slowly drove away from the small town filled with sorrow and despair, continuing towards their set destination.
As the convoy slowly drove away from the sorrowful town and returned to the silent, snow-covered plains, a brief silence fell over the vehicle. The woman's desperate curses and sad story had left everyone's mood feeling a little heavy.
Just then, Vespera, sitting in the back seat, quietly picked up her phone and quickly typed a line of text on the screen.
Then, the familiar, emotionless mechanical voice sounded in the quiet vehicle:
"...Really... so glad... I met... Sister Elara..."
Hearing this sudden, heartfelt expression of gratitude, Elara's face, for no reason at all, flushed with heat.
She felt a little... guilty.
She knew that the only reason she had made it this far, the reason she had been able to save Vespera and her mother, the reason she could appear so much calmer and stronger than everyone else in this cruel apocalypse, was simply because... she had the advantage of rebirth.
Even her initial motive for saving them hadn't been entirely pure; it was more of an investment in and a desire to utilize the powerful "Dark Witch" from her past life.
But now, looking into Vespera's clear eyes, filled with complete trust and reliance, an indescribable, warm, and soft emotion welled up in Elara's heart.
She turned around, her gaze so gentle it could have dripped water, and looked at the "little girl" before her, who had already blossomed into a graceful young lady. In a light, teasing tone, she said:
"We're the ones who should be thanking you, Vespera. So powerful at such a young age. Not only can you protect your own mother, but you can also protect so many of us adults. You're far more courageous than most of us here."
Praised like this by Elara, Vespera immediately grew a little bashful. Her small face reddened, and she shyly covered her face with her hands, revealing only a pair of sparkling, smiling eyes through the gaps between her fingers.
Seraph, watching this heartwarming scene from the side, couldn't help but reach out and affectionately stroke Vespera's soft, brown curly hair, praising her sincerely, "That's right, our little Vespera is the best."
And Amily, who had been sitting quietly beside them, just watched it all with a gentle smile, her eyes filled with happiness and contentment. For her, just seeing her daughter safe and healthy, and even having the possibility of speaking again, already made her feel like the luckiest person in the world. In this precarious apocalypse, so many people couldn't even guarantee their own basic survival, let alone dream of such "blessings."
Elara looked at the harmonious scene inside the car, and her golden-brown eyes, as if melted by the warm atmosphere, became like the sweetest, flowing honey, warm and bright.
Outside the window, it was still a world of ice and snow, with the cold wind howling.
But for some reason, at that moment, everyone inside the car felt that the world outside… didn't seem quite so cold anymore.