Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

Moreover, just a couple of days ago, he had seen this very same type of grass—except back then, all of it had been dried and withered.

Yes, Kim Haru swore if he shrank this giant grass in front of him, then shrank it again, it would look exactly like the withered pasture grass on the Biryong Plains.

Was this… a King of Grass?

Jo Sungmo and his group had already been waiting at the edge of the cliff for more than four days.

During the past three days, they had tried all sorts of methods, but no matter what they did, they couldn't reach the bottom of the cliff.

In the end, they were covered in wounds and looked utterly miserable.

Yet, despite their injuries, not a single person suggested giving up.

How could they give up?!

Unless they found Mr. Kim, they absolutely could not abandon their search!

Even if… even if Mr. Kim was truly already gone… they still had to find his body!

"I've rested enough. Give me the rope."

Han Gwonhee fastened the bandage on his arm, walked up to Jo Sungmo, and reached out to take the rope.

His injuries weren't limited to just his arm—his abdomen and back were also covered in bloody wounds, all sustained during their attempts to enter the cliff when they were suddenly attacked.

It wasn't just Han Gwonhee—everyone else was in the same condition.

They hadn't even seen what attacked them.

All they knew was that everything went pitch black in an instant.

If not for their extensive combat experience, they wouldn't have had the chance to climb back up.

Jo Sungmo glanced at Han Gwonhee's wounds, confirmed that his mental state was still stable, and handed him one end of the rope.

"Be careful."

At this point, injuries no longer mattered.

Everyone knew that finding Mr. Kim was the top priority.

Han Gwonhee nodded his head, skillfully tied the rope around his waist, and walked to the edge of the Biryong cliff, preparing to jump.

Just then, Jang Dojung, who had wandered off a bit without them noticing, suddenly shouted, "Look around! Don't you think the grass on the ground has changed?"

Hearing this, the others immediately looked down at their feet.

Han Gwonhee also stopped his descent and lowered his gaze.

The Biryong Plains were covered in withered pasture grass, and right now, they were all standing on the same kind of dried-up vegetation.

After walking across it for days, they were used to seeing its dull gray color—there wasn't a single green sprout anywhere.

No one had paid much attention to it.

Now that they were observing it closely, they stared for a long time but couldn't see any noticeable difference.

Or rather, they hadn't really examined the grass before, so they didn't know exactly what it had looked like in detail.

Except for Jang Dojung, the director of the Plant Research Institute.

"Director Jang, did you find something?"

Everyone knew Jang Dojung wouldn't waste their time with trivial matters, especially at a critical moment like this.

That wasn't his personality.

They all waited for him to explain.

Jang Dojung hesitated before saying, "I suspect… this pasture grass isn't actually withered. I'm certain I just saw something moving through the roots and stems, transferring something downward. I didn't see it wrong."

Normally, without solid confirmation, he wouldn't have brought this up and delayed their search for Kim Haru.

But then he noticed that the closer the grass was to the cliff, the more "alive" it seemed.

Jang Dojung wasn't sure how he could see vitality in what was clearly withered grass, but he was certain he wasn't hallucinating or being affected by any sensory disturbances!

The others exchanged glances, then focused even more intently on the grass beneath their feet.

Since their attempts to break into the cliff had led to no progress, they couldn't afford to ignore any clues now.

If the changes in the grass were more apparent near the cliff, could it be related to whatever was inside?

With this thought in mind, everyone examined the grass even more carefully.

When the strange phenomenon Jang Dojung had mentioned happened again, not just him but everyone watching the pasture saw it too.

This grass… wasn't actually withered!

The withered state was a disguise, a form of mimicry meant to deceive them!

The grass was transmitting resources to something—or someone.

Seeing this phenomenon clearly, everyone had the same thought pop into their minds.

Just as they were about to trace the roots of the grass to find the "center," they noticed a new change occurring in the pasture.

At first, only the tips of the grass trembled slightly.

Soon, the entire field of grass began to shake, spreading rapidly from a small patch near the cliff's edge to the surrounding areas.

The tremors grew stronger and more synchronized.

Despite being nothing more than soft blades of grass, the vibrations exuded an overwhelming momentum—like a thousand horses galloping forward!

"Everyone, be careful!"

"Fall back! Something is coming out!"

"It's underground!"

"Watch for cracks!"

As the entire Biryong Plain shook with a thunderous force, the ground began to rise with the Biryong cliff as its center.

Cracks spread across the plain, splitting it into deep ravines.

Under such power, the vast plain seemed as fragile as torn paper, unable to resist at all.

Not to mention the people standing on it.

The sound of car engines roared closer, accompanied by the shouts of Shin Woncheon and Ryu Hyunwoo.

They had arrived just in time, bringing reinforcements from Pyeongseong Safe Zone!

Shin Woncheon's group had traveled day and night without rest, their hearts filled with growing anxiety over Kim Haru's safety.

The entire team had been tense throughout the journey, and just when they were finally about to arrive, they encountered the drastic transformation of the Biryong Plain.

The changes happened too quickly and on too large a scale.

The three vehicles barely managed to escape the destruction, struggling to break through.