I Want a Divorce by Abigail Quinn Novel
Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Hailey’s expression turned distant and apathetic as she gazed down at the flowing stream. She murmured, “Even if I do like him or not, what difference does it make? Humans… Life is always filled with a sense of helplessness and discontent. Ms. Kaiserman, I hope you replace success in your endeavors.”

After a long silence, Sienna responded earnestly, “Regardless of whether your words are genuine or not, I appreciate your blessing.”

Hailey’s heart was pierced with pain. It was like a knife had sliced through it.

Suddenly, the thought crossed her mind that if her father could not return this time and perished in Enchanting Hollow, she would willingly accompany him to that world.

After all, in that world, she would have her mother and father, the two people who loved her the most.

At that moment, Hailey suddenly realized her true emotions that she had fallen deeply in love with Oliver.

The two bodyguards, who had finished preparing breakfast, called out, “Breakfast is done. It’s time to eat!” Everyone then gathered around to eat.

Gunther’s bodyguards began by serving plates filled with breakfast to Gunther, Hailey, and Gabriel.

Wayne and Simon, despite their silence, competed to serve breakfast to Oliver and Sienna.

Each person had their own agenda. Hence, there was little to comment on amongst them.

Hailey grimaced as she ate. While her father’s bodyguards were skilled in combat, their culinary skills left much to be desired.

They only ensured that the food was cooked thoroughly and added some basic seasoning of salt and oil. Frankly, it tasted somewhat akin to animal feed.

-Gunther struggled to swallow the food after taking a few bites, but he encouraged Hailey to eat more, saying, “Hailey, you can’t be selective about food once you’re in the mountains. It takes physical strength to navigate through the terrain. You need to have enough energy to endure. Eat more and make sure you’re satiated.”

“Okay,” Hailey replied obediently, her head down as she struggled to eat the breakfast that was difficult to swallow.

Sienna, on the other hand, paid little attention to the taste. She had a good appetite and ate her breakfast with enthusiasm.

Oliver, Wayne, and Simon had no complaints about the taste either. They indulged in the food, enjoying their breakfast without any hesitation.

Isaac, while eating, said, “Make sure to eat your fill, everyone. Don’t waste any food. We’ll begin our journey at half past ten. As the sun gets stronger, the fog will gradually lift.”

After Isaac finished speaking, he glanced toward Enchanting Hollow with a hint of worry in his eyes, even as he ate his food.

After breakfast, the six bodyguards started packing up and distributing supplies to everyone. Except for Gunther and Gabriel, the rest of the group received their allocated items.

Hailey and Sienna, the two girls, were given the supplies they would need for the journey. Each girl carried a backpack weighing approximately 55 pounds.

On the other hand, the rest of the bodyguards and Isaac carried at least 110 pounds of supplies.

As the cars were no longer usable from this point onward, they were left behind on the spot, and the group began their journey on foot.

From the mountainside, the foggy area of Enchanting Hollow did not appear to be too far away. It seemed to be just a few hundred yards in a straight line, but it took the group over an hour to reach their destination.

Isaac took the lead and used his machete to clear the path through the thorny obstacles ahead. Once he had created a path, he waved his hand and called out, “Everyone, let’s take a 20-minute break here. After that, we will enter the Enchanting Hollow area.”

Then, Louis began distributing gas masks. These state-of-the-art gas masks were quite expensive, priced at 18 thousand Atharian dollars each. They were not something that could be purchased solely with money.

The ordinary gas masks cost less than 100 dollars and were only designed to last a few hours. However, the gas masks they had were equipped with intelligent air purification functions and had the ability to charge and store energy through a solar module automatically. As long as there was electricity available, they could be used indefinitely.

The

gas masks were not only lightweight and exquisite, but they also boasted a powerful night vision function. This allowed them to be used effectively during both day and night.

The gas masks clearly demonstrated that one got what one paid for. Their quality and features were worth every penny invested in them.

Twenty minutes flew by in an instant. Isaac stood up and addressed the group. “All right, everyone, get prepared. Louis, bring out the rope. I want each of you to tie it around your waist in succession to avoid getting separated. Once we enter Enchanting Hollow, visibility will be limited to about three feet at most. By noon, we won’t even be able to see the ground clearly. Stay vigilant and take care!”

Everyone got nervous after hearing that.

Isaac and one of the bodyguards took the lead, followed by the two other bodyguards. Gunther, Gabriel, and Hailey were positioned between Louis and two bodyguards. Oliver and Sienna followed, and Wayne and Simon brought up the rear.

“Make sure to put on your gas masks, activate your intercom devices, secure the rope, and let’s move!”

Isaac rallied his spirits and bravely stepped into the fog ahead,

A bodyguard who was trailing closely behind also stepped into the fog. With just one step apart, the people behind could longer see the person in front clearly.

Walking closely ahead of Oliver was Hailey, silently following her father Gunther’s lead and relying on the guidance of the rope.

Sienna walked behind Oliver. He held her hand tightly even though there was already a rope around her waist.

Once they stepped into the fog of Enchanting Hollow, a sense of dizziness enveloped everyone, obscuring their vision of the road and terrain beneath their feet.

Leading the way, Isaac held a geomagnetic compass in his left hand, guiding him through the uncertain path. He tightly gripped a customized crutch in his right hand, using it to feel and navigate the terrain ahead.

Walking in such conditions was incredibly arduous and agonizing.

Despite the cutting-edge technology of their gas masks, they still experienced dizziness upon entering the area. This indicated that the issue was not toxic fog but rather a peculiar characteristic of the region itself.

Isaac, leading the way, discovered that the geomagnetic compass had become ineffective. Even the ordinary compass was useless for navigation. With the faint sunlight as his only guide, he pressed on, relying on his instincts to move forward.

After trekking for over an hour, it was nearing noon, and the visibility had slightly improved. Fatigue was setting in, evident in their weary expressions. They had lost track of the distance covered, but it was safe to assume they had walked a few miles at least.

However, Isaac’s intuition alerted him to a potential problem. He instructed everyone to halt and drew out his machete. He severed a branch from a nearby tree and fashioned a distinctive marker on it. Hammering the makeshift sign into the ground, he repeated this process at regular intervals as they progressed.

After walking for over an hour, Isaac suddenly shouted, “Stop!”

Isaac stopped and crouched down to examine the ground and found a branch. He picked up the branch and scrutinized it closely, his anxiety growing.

It was the very first branch he had marked, as there was the number [1] engraved on it.

After thinking for a while, he took a few steps forward and found the second branch with the number [2] engraved on it.

Despite having walked for several hours, he realized with astonishment that they had been going in circles. It was safe to say they had only covered a distance of less than 65 feet.

Strangely, neither the geomagnetic compass nor the regular compass seemed to work. Isaac decided not to rely on these instruments and instead used the faint sunlight hidden within the fog as his guiding reference for movement.

Furthermore, Isaac had a distinct sense he was moving in a straight path rather than walking in circles.

Despite following what appeared to be a straight path without any turns, Isaac could not understand why they kept ending up in the same location repeatedly instead of making progress forward.

Feeling frustrated, Isaac gathered everyone in a small circle and shared the perplexing situation with them. Gunther and Gabriel wore concerned expressions after hearing that. Upon entering the area, they struggled to see clearly through the fog. The dizziness in their heads added to their unease. The fact that Isaac could not replace the way and they seemed to be continuously circling only heightened their anxiety. The strange circumstances had everyone on edge.