Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

Even the strongest person in the world today would likely struggle to escape unharmed!

At first, some people suspected that the lush greenery around the area was simply normal plants cultivated by Mr. Kim—like the ones grown in fields—equally green but completely free of mutations and incapable of harming people.

And then...

Before they could even test the obvious plants in the forest, a single, inconspicuous blade of grass at the edge of the parking area instantly knocked down the person who dared to probe.

No one else even had time to react or attempt a rescue before the fallen person was swiftly dragged away by the grass—vanishing to who knows where.

It was clear—there was no coming back.

In that moment, the entire mountain before their eyes shed its peaceful disguise, revealing a grotesque and hellish reality beneath its serene surface.

From then on, those who came seeking an audience with Mr. Kim remained cautious and respectful, never daring to take even one step beyond the parking area.

Kim Haru was completely unaware of this.

But even if he had known, he wouldn't have done anything about it.

In fact, he would have been relieved.

He had no desire for constant visitors, especially strangers.

Although he didn't understand why everyone insisted on staying at the parking area, he assumed they were either afraid of getting lost in the forest or simply too lazy to climb the hill—just like him.

He didn't question it, nor did he try to change anything. Instead, he asked Go Okrim and Kang Hose to repair the area while they were fixing the road leading to the parking lot.

Go Okrim and Kang Hose, however, knew exactly why people didn't dare go any further.

To them, it made perfect sense.

Mr. Kim was not someone just anyone could disturb at will—there had to be rules.

And so, without any formal declaration, this unspoken rule became a widely known, invisible regulation throughout the entire alliance.

As for the parking area itself, after some careful maintenance by Go Okrim, Kang Hose, and the occasional contributions from others in the safe zone, it gradually became an exclusive space.

That afternoon, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the air cooled to a comfortable temperature.

Kim Haru set up his easel under the Dreamweaver's Osmanthus Tree, painting with great enthusiasm.

Although the heat of summer was unbearable, the beauty of the season was unmatched.

Like now—the layers of green surrounding the small farm were deep and refreshing, and the nearby pond was filled with blooming lotus flowers.

Perhaps due to the influence of mutated plants, the Luring Lotus, despite originating from a single mother plant, bloomed in a variety of colors—pure white like snow, soft pink like gauze, vibrant red like the sun—overlapping and uneven in height, each at a different stage of bloom, creating a breathtaking sight.

Of course, if Kim Haru ever thought to ask the Luring Lotus why it bloomed in so many colors, he would learn that it was simply trying to please him.

It had no choice—among the vast and powerful mutated plants in the area, it was the lowest-ranked and the weakest.

If it didn't make an effort to curry favor with this human, it feared it would be cast aside.

Yes, even plants could exclude and suppress each other!

But all the complex power struggles between the plants were carefully hidden from Kim Haru.

To him, everything remained a beautiful scene.

And this only fueled his passion for painting even more.

The painting of the sunset over the mountains and lotus pond was still unfinished when the bellflowers climbing along the outer wall of the wooden cabin suddenly rang crisply.

Kim Haru looked up and called out.

"Gojo, Hose, someone's coming. See if either of you is free to meet them."

From the kitchen, Go Okrim responded, "Hose, you go. I'm still washing the dishes, no time."

Kang Hose acknowledged with a simple reply, poured the last of the pig feed into the pen, and watched as Little Snort and Big Snort—who had long since finished their work—happily devoured their food.

He clapped his hands, removed the apron from his waist, and casually hung it on a small green branch.

The little branch carried the apron back to where it belonged while he took Cresent and headed down the mountain.

As for Luna, it had been enthusiastically learning from Fuzzball for the past few days and hadn't followed Kang Hose around for quite some time.

When Kang Hose arrived at the parking lot, he first patted the cluster of bellflowers blooming at the entrance.

Once the flowers stopped ringing, he took his seat in his usual spot.

"Mr. Kim is unavailable. If you have something important, I can relay the message."

The visitor showed no dissatisfaction—if anything, they quietly sighed in relief.

With great respect, they handed over a box. "These are all the crop seeds our safe zone has been able to gather. Inside, you'll find ten types of seasoning plants, eight types of fruits, five types of vegetables, and eleven miscellaneous varieties. All have been tested and are still viable. We brought them specifically for Mr. Kim."

Kang Hose took the box and opened it to inspect the contents.

As the visitor had said, they were all seeds, neatly categorized, and appeared to be of decent quality.

Kim Haru will definitely like this.

A satisfied smile spread across Kang Hose's face.

The visitor had been closely observing his expression, and upon seeing that smile, they immediately felt relieved.

Looks like this deal is secured!

Sure enough, Kang Hose closed the box. "Boseong Safe Zone, correct? We acknowledge your sincerity. This is an Alliance Token. Take it to the Pyeongseong Safe Zone and find Safe Zone Commander Moon Baein. He will oversee the qualification assessment, and then—"

"I know, I know! Then we go to the main Greeen Basket Vegetable Shope store in the Second District of the Pyeongseong Safe Zone and look for Manager Hwa Jian. He'll be in charge of opening a branch in our Boseong Safe Zone."