Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World-Chapter 206: The Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree (Part 2)

The Level 3 ability users who had narrowly avoided becoming ice sculptures looked at the polar-like scene around them, their disbelief etched across their faces.

None of them had expected that it wouldn’t be the Phantom Flame Phoenix Tree they’d meticulously prepared for, but instead the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree! And it wasn’t some immature sapling either. Judging by its power and the intensity of the cold, this was undoubtedly a fully mature specimen!

Roh Baekjin looked at Kim Haru who are standing exactly where he had been when they surrounded him. He hadn’t moved an inch. Meanwhile, the people who had tried to trap him had either fled or fallen. The roles of predator and prey had been completely reversed in an instant.

"Mr. Kim, we were wrong." Roh Baekjin immediately lowered his head and apologized to Kim Haru.

If he could, Roh Baekjin wouldn’t mind kneeling before Kim Haru. The only problem was that his legs were already frozen solid.

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Yes, even though the Level 3 ability users present had resisted the intense cold and avoided being turned into ice sculptures on the spot, they weren’t in much better shape. Without exception, their feet, where they contacted the ground, were encased in thick blue ice. For the most powerful among them, Roh Baekjin, the ice had reached his calves, while for others, it had climbed as high as their waists.

A moment’s delay, and they’d all be completely frozen.

Even though their hands were still free, none of them dared to recklessly break the ice encasing their bodies.

Hearing Roh Baekjin apologize, the others hurriedly lowered their heads and followed suit. "We’re sorry. We were out of our minds. Mr. Kim, please be magnanimous and spare our lives."

Everything had happened so quickly. From the moment Kim Haru had been stopped to the point where the Haneulsae trading team members were begging for forgiveness, not even ten minutes had passed. It was almost laughable in its absurdity.

Even Kim Haru was a bit taken aback by how fast things had unfolded.

Yet, no matter how quickly it had all transpired, it didn’t lessen the severity of what the Haneulsae trading team had done.

Kim Haru’s expression remained impassive. "And if I don’t let you go, then what?"

As he spoke, the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree beside him moved slightly, its leaves rustling, sending the remaining Level 3 ability users into a panic.

Fortunately for them, the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree wasn’t targeting them. Its long, narrow leaves stretched toward Kim Haru instead, like slender fingers, gently poking at his waist.

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Kim Haru’s stoic expression immediately cracked.

…You just poked my ticklish spot!

He reached out and smacked the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree’s leaves lightly, muttering, "Stop messing around."

Couldn’t it see there were still enemies here? It needed to act more serious and not ruin his image.

No matter how softly Kim Haru spoke, the confined space amplified everything, making it crystal clear to Roh Baekjin and the others. They also saw the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree’s small gesture in perfect detail.

And the clearer they saw and heard, the more hopeless they felt.

This man had such a good relationship with the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree. Even if they wanted to fight back, what chance did they possibly have?

Roh Baekjin’s gaze swept over his teammates who had been turned into ice sculptures, then over the despair on the faces of the remaining Level 3 ability users. Gritting his teeth, he channeled all his ability into his legs.

With a series of sharp cracking sounds, the ice around Roh Baekjin’s calves shattered and fell to the ground.

Unable to maintain his balance, Roh Baekjin dropped heavily to his knees.

"Captain!" one of his subordinates cried out in shock.

"Captain Roh!"

"Roh Baekjin, what are you doing?"

"Captain, stop!"

The Level 3 ability users cried out in alarm.

Roh Baekjin’s expression was filled with agony. When the ice shattered from his calves, the flesh and blood on them broke apart as well, falling to the ground in chunks. Now, looking at his legs, only bare bones remained. Even those bones were riddled with fractures, as though a mere touch would cause them to snap into pieces, just like the shattered ice.

It was only thanks to Roh Baekjin’s immense power that his bones had remained intact. Anyone slightly weaker would have lost their entire leg under the same circumstances.

Ignoring his mangled legs, Roh Baekjin crawled forward and prostrated himself on the ground, his forehead slamming hard against the frozen surface. "Please, Mr. Kim, spare their lives."

The Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree’s ice wasn’t just about freezing people. For ability users, being frozen might have meant they could survive as long as they were thawed in time. But the ice from the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree wasn’t ordinary—it was the coldest substance in the world that was capable of freezing even the soul.

If he delayed even slightly in saving them, every one of his team members would either be permanently crippled or worse. When the frozen space was lifted and the external temperature rose, they would either melt into puddles of water or shatter into fragments, leaving nothing behind—just as his calves that had been reduced to bare bones.

Faced with the lives of so many team members, Roh Baekjin had no choice but to sacrifice his own legs, terrified that Kim Haru might think their apology lacked sincerity.

Kim Haru: "..."

Honestly, Kim Haru was stunned.

He hadn’t expected the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree’s ice to be so devastating. That man’s legs were now reduced to nothing but two skeletal remains. This wasn’t a game; it had happened right before his eyes, catching him entirely off guard. It was horrifying.

Fortunately, Kim Haru’s mental resilience had been strengthened by the many horrors he’d encountered in this zombie infested world. Otherwise, he might have been paralyzed with fear. As it stood, the sudden shock just left him momentarily speechless.

Roh Baekjin’s kneeling gesture snapped Kim Haru back to his senses.