Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

The people in the Pyeongseong Safe Zone didn't understand why crystal cores were added to the fertilizer, but since Mr. Kim said it should be done this way, they followed his instructions without question. Although they were puzzled, their hands didn't stop moving.

Perhaps it was part of Mr. Kim's ability, like using crystal cores to alter the properties of materials or something like that. In any case, they just followed his orders.

After planting the first batch of the seeds, Kim Haru was almost ready to rest.

Next, he only had to wait for the crops to mature, and then continue turning them into seeds and plant them in the other cleared fields, following the same process as the first batch. There was no difference. The cabbage seeds required a few more days to mature, waiting for the cabbage to bloom and age, so he would just plant more potatoes in the meantime.

Anyway, potatoes produced in large quantities.

However, before Kim Haru could fully relax, someone urgently came looking for him.

It was Jang Dojung, the director of the plant research institute.

"Mr. Kim, the potato sprouts in one of the fields have mutated!" Jang Dojung, now looking a bit disheveled and covered in dirt, as if he had been battling something, said urgently. "Luckily, they are just small plants that have just mutated, and the abilities users have already suppressed them. But no one knows where the problem started. Please, Mr. Kim, come and take a look!"

Kim Haru immediately stood up. "Let's go!"

How could this happen? According to plan, the land had already been under his ownership as part of the farm. The plow didn't require system tools, and the land that had been cleared by Little Aeris and Little Ignis—the two zombies-botw—was doing just fine. There shouldn't have been any issues with this one either, right?

Furrowing his brows, Kim Haru followed Jang Dojung to the mutated potato field.

At this moment, the potato field was in chaos. The mutated potato sprouts that had been killed were lying everywhere, some still burning, others frozen into ice blocks, and some even had their leaves twitching, resembling octopus tentacles.

Only a few potato sprouts had not mutated and were growing steadily.

Kim Haru now understood why Jang Dojung looked so disheveled. He must have been one of the ability users who participated in suppressing the mutated potato sprouts, looking much like the others around them.
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Seeing Kim Haru's arrival, the people around immediately stepped aside.

Without a word, Kim Haru walked directly into the field and began inspecting the healthy potato sprouts.

[ Potato ]

[ Health Status: Mild virus infection. (Infection source: water, Solution: change the water.) ]

Now he understood!

Kim Haru slapped his palm in realization, a bit frustrated with himself.

How could he have forgotten about this? The land that had been cleared earlier had either been watered by the system's automatic irrigation or watered by the two zombies using the system's watering cans. The water had been treated by the system and contained no trace of the mutagenic virus, so the crops remained unaffected.

But he had grown accustomed to using water that was free of viruses, and he had forgotten that other water sources needed to be purified before use.

Fortunately, the issue was caught early. The mutated potato sprouts hadn't been very powerful, and no casualties had occurred, with only a small amount of crops wasted.

"Don't water the plants yet, wait for a moment," Kim Haru said, leaving the instruction before pressing the transmitter and vanishing in front of the others.

The people around looked at each other, unsure.

"Did Mr. Kim figure out the cause?"

"It sounds like it's a problem with the water."

"So what do we do now?"

"Just wait. Mr. Kim must have a solution."

"Inform everyone not to water the fields for now." Jang Dojung,l who is staying behind, took charge of the situation. Soon, the order was spread throughout the area.

Kim Haru had returned to the farm.

Go Okrim, who had been idly playing with the small flowers in the chicken coop, suddenly saw someone appear before him.

"Kim Haru-hyung, you're done?" Dropping the Sir Peckington, Go Okrim eagerly followed Kim Haru.

In the past few days, Kim Haru had been busy with the Safe Zone's matters, leaving Go Okrim to stay at the farm and look after things. They only saw each other in the evenings when Kim Haru returned to rest. Seeing him now, Go Okrim was delighted.

"Not yet. I encountered a problem," Kim Haru said as he wandered around the cabin, finally grabbing a watering can. "I need to head out now. I'll be back in the evening."

Go Okrim waved, "Come back home soon, hyung."

...

Kim Haru while holding a watering can, returned to the Safe Zone and found Hwa Jian. "Can you find Han Gwonhee for me? Please call him over."

While Hwa Jian went to search, Kim Haru used the sound-transmitting snail to contact Jang Dojang, asking him to set up a few large water containers near the water source, the ones that would make it easy for people to fetch water.

Jang Dojang immediately sent people to carry out the task.

Before long, Hwa Jian returned with Han Gwonhee.

"Boss, I'll leave you to talk…" Hwa Jian started, intending to excuse himself.

"You stay too," Kim Haru interrupted, stopping Hwa Jian from leaving.

"Oh," Hwa Jian responded, nodding.

Following Kim Haru, Hwa Jian and Han Gwonhee entered the 'Green Basket Vegetable Shop' and watched as he closed the door behind them. Suddenly, a sense of nervous anticipation filled the air.

It wasn't a fearful kind of nervousness but rather the kind that arises when someone feels they're about to be entrusted with an important responsibility.

Hwa Jian's intuition was right.

Kim Haru looked at both Hwa Jian and Han Gwonhee and asked, "Would you like to become my employees?"

Yes, Kim Haru intended to hire them as staff members in the farming system, just like Go Okrim.