Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

Ultimately, the exact growth cycles of these crops depended on how well they absorbed fertilizer.

With growth-accelerating fertilizers at work, the plants thrived vigorously.

All the seeds planted in Kim Haru's small farm and the safe zone this time were ones he bought from the system store.

As for the seeds harvested from the mutated plants on the plains, those were distributed among the people who had accompanied him on the trip.

At first, the others were reluctant to accept them.

They all knew that if it weren't for Kim Haru, they wouldn't have even had a chance to obtain so many edible resources—forget about gathering them, they would've been lucky just to avoid a fight with the mutated plants.

But no matter how they protested, Kim Haru firmly insisted on giving them a share.

He told them it was their rightful reward.

Knowing they would refuse if he simply divided everything evenly, he even went out of his way to look up the ability squad's official regulations on distributing spoils of war to convince them to accept.

Even so, the others carefully selected only the smallest portions, leaving the majority for Kim Haru.

With fresh ingredients finally in hand, Kim Haru handed them over to Go Okrim without hesitation, expressing his desire for a fresh meal.

During Kim Haru's absence, Go Okrim and Kang Hose had managed the small farm exceptionally well.

Every morning and evening, they would make a trip to the safe zone, hoping for any news about Mr. Kim.

They had also learned about the dangers Kim Haru had encountered on his journey.

They were incredibly anxious—if not for Kim Haru's direct instructions to take good care of the farm, they might have abandoned everything to go search for him.

Now that they saw Kim Haru return safe and sound, the two of them finally breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Even without Kim Haru saying anything, Go Okrim had already planned to prepare a grand feast to welcome him back.

At the dinner table, Kim Haru's long-awaited scrambled eggs with tomatoes were finally served.

There was also a cold tomato salad sprinkled with sugar.

The tomatoes in the salad came in a variety of vibrant colors, and the tiny white sugar crystals scattered over them made the dish unexpectedly beautiful.

The bell peppers were plump and full, and Go Okrim used a steaming method to make stuffed bell peppers with meat.

The finely chopped meat was seasoned and stuffed into the peppers, topped with their green caps, and steamed to perfection.

A light drizzle of soy sauce and a sprinkle of chopped scallions were added after cooking, though the dish was flavorful enough even without the soy sauce.

Green beans, bok choy, chives, lettuce, and eggplant—every vegetable had been turned into a delicious dish.

Additionally, a generous handful of peanuts was coated with a thin layer of flour and fried to a golden crisp.

Whether as a snack or a side dish with alcohol, they were simply irresistible.

"We're missing some wine." Kim Haru stroked his chin as he looked at the plate of peanuts.

He had heard that trade caravans from other safe zones were arriving soon.

Hopefully, there would be some alcohol available at the marketplace.

As the day of the trade fair approached, the entire Pyeongseong Safe Zone was caught up in a frenzy of preparations.

Pyeongseong Safe Zone had always been considered the weakest safe zone in the region.

This was the first time they had ever hosted such an event.

In the past, even if the Pyeongseong Safe Zone had wanted to organize a trade fair, the surrounding ability user teams had never been willing to attend.

Most people believed that the Pyeongseong Safe Zone had nothing worthwhile to offer.

Furthermore, they doubted that the safe zone had the strength to maintain security.

After all, any large gathering involving trade was bound to attract attention—showing off wealth could easily make someone a target.

If the event organizers lacked the power to enforce order, the marketplace would be nothing more than a chaotic battleground.

But things were different now.

Even if the Pyeongseong Safe Zone was still seen as weak, it now possessed something undeniably valuable—real, uncontaminated food.

That alone was enough to attract numerous ability users.

As for whether these visitors were coming for fair trade or with other motives in mind, it didn't matter for now.

The important thing was that they were coming.

And once they saw the wealth of resources the Pyeongseong Safe Zone had to offer, it would be hard for them to resist making purchases.

And if anyone dared to harbor ill intentions…

Well, too bad—Pyeongseong Safe Zone was no longer the same as before.

For some time now, the entire safe zone had been working tirelessly to prepare for this event.

With the methods brought by the Caeruleus Draco Squad to enhance abilities without side effects, the Pyeongseong Safe Zone's ability users had seen a significant boost in strength.

Meanwhile, ordinary civilians, freed from constant food shortages, had more time to train and strengthen their combat abilities.

Even the elderly and physically weak had taken to mastering weapons, ensuring they wouldn't become a burden to the main force.

Proper nutrition had played a crucial role in this transformation.

Additionally, the people of Pyeongseong Safe Zone had reinforced and restructured many of their buildings.

The most vulnerable areas were equipped with traps and defensive measures.

The entire safe zone had been transformed into an impenetrable stronghold.

As for the people Kim Haru had brought back from the Biryong Plains, designated personnel were guiding them through their new environment.

Since individual housing wasn't available yet, they were temporarily housed in the communal winter shelters, with basic living supplies and food provided by the authorities.

However, anything beyond the essentials had to be earned through work, points, or crystal cores.

Surprisingly, most of these newcomers were ability users.

Only a few elderly and frail young people were ordinary civilians.