Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World-Chapter 347: Spring Awakening at the Orchard
Regardless of who initiated the contact, once scratched, an ordinary person would undoubtedly turn into a zombie.
That kind of outcome was the last thing Kim Haru wanted to see.
So, unless ordinary people gained some kind of protection against zombie scratches or a cure for the virus was discovered, Kim Haru had no plans to tell the public, "Zombie robots are amazing! Everyone should try them!"
The spicy and aromatic hotpot was the perfect way to usher in spring, warming everyone to the core and banishing the lingering chill of winter entirely.
Kim Haru changed into lighter clothing and asked Go Okrim to accompany him to the orchard for a look.
Kang Hose didn't go with them.
He still felt uneasy about the zombie-bots and frequently checking on them no matter what he was doing.
Kim Haru decided it was best to leave him behind to keep an eye on things.
The now much smaller Snowball No. 1 and the other Cryo Wolf, they weren't suited to follow Kim Haru around either.
He worried they might get lost along the way or accidentally stepped on.
If he didn't notice, things could turn disastrous.
Even Fuzzball wasn't keen on following him, opting instead to stay at the cabin to watch the ducklings swim.
Kim Haru glanced at the little ducks happily paddling in the middle of the pond.
He discreetly pulled Ginseng Spirit and Little Nugget aside and instructed them, "While I'm gone, keep an eye on Fuzzball. It seems a little bit too interested in the ducklings, and I wouldn't be surprised if it tried to grab one for fun. The ducks are still young and fragile—they can't handle that kind of rough play."
The Ginseng Spirit patted its chest in assurance, promising to take care of it.
Little Nugget nodded its head cautiously and keeping a vigilant eye on Fuzzball.
With everything settled, Kim Haru felt at ease and used the teleportation device to travel with Go Okrim to the orchard.
Yes, after the zombie-bots were defrosted, the teleportation skill became usable again.
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Therefore, Kim Haru didn't forget to remind Go Okrim to approach the Nicaraguan Blood Sucking Vine about cooperation.
Go Okrim needed the Nicaraguan Blood Sucking Vine to disguise his second ability, especially since the teleportation skill couldn't be used during the winter, and any lies he had told before might have been exposed.
Go Okrim hadn't forgotten either.
As soon as they arrived at the orchard, he prioritized handling that task.
Fortunately, finding the Nicaraguan Blood Sucking Vine wasn't difficult, as it grew widely across the mountains and forests.
This wasn't because its domain was vast or its abilities strong, but because it easily coexisted with other mutated plants.
It didn't hinder other plants from catching prey and could even assist immobile ones in trapping food.
This complementary relationship made it highly compatible with other plants, allowing it to naturally claim vast areas as its habitat.
While Go Okrim went to handle the Nicaraguan Blood Sucking Vine, Kim Haru ventured into the orchard alone.
The surrounding puppet orange trees didn't look much different from autumn, except for the absence of fruit.
Only the green leaves remained on the branches.
Kim Haru scanned the area briefly and then headed toward the mutated apple tree.
His priority was not because he was worried about the apple tree but because he was thinking about the Little Hamster, who lived with it.
Little Hamster had spent the winter hibernating alongside the mutated apple tree.
Kim Haru wondered if the experience had affected it in any way.
When he reached the apple tree's location, it was still in its invisible state.
However, upon sensing Kim Haru's presence, the air rippled faintly and the mutated apple tree revealed itself.
On the branch closest to Kim Haru, Little Hamster was waving its tiny front paws in greeting.
After a winter's rest, Little Hamster showed no signs of lethargy.
In fact, it looked fluffier, possibly from growing extra fur for warmth.
The little hamster seemed even rounder than it had before winter.
Kim Haru breathed a small sigh of relief.
He extended his hand, allowing Little Hamster to hop onto his palm.
After rummaging through his system backpack, he pulled out some leftover dried sweet potatoes and handed them to the hamster.
As Little Hamster happily nibbled on the treat, Kim Haru asked, "How was your winter?"
Little Hamster its cheeks puffed with food wnr nodded its head enthusiastically.
Behind it, the mutated apple tree spread its dense branches to reveal the cozy nest Little Hamster had lived in all winter.
The nest had been arranged warmly and comfortably by the duo.
Even Kim Haru felt a sense of coziness looking at it.
There were distinct areas for sleeping, eating, and even a tiny space for relieving itself.
Everything was perfectly organized.
It seemed Little Hamster had enjoyed a very good winter.
"Alright then, you two continue having fun. We've got lots of new friends at the farm now. I'll bring you over to meet them in a few days," Kim Haru said as he placed Little Hamster back onto the mutated apple tree. "By the way, Little Apple, would you mind growing some more apple trees? I want to expand the orchard."
Kim Haru had already learned that these plants had the ability to control puppet plants.
However, whether they were willing to cooperate depended on their own preferences.
The apple tree nodded, showing no sign of disagreement.
It hadn't done this before because it found it too troublesome.
Being naturally shy, the mutated apple tree had always been content just managing itself.
Most issues were usually handled by the Little Hamster, such as dealing with mutated birds eyeing its apples or removing damaged leaves.
The mutated apple tree left all of that to Little Hamster.
As such, it had never considered controlling additional puppet plants before—far too much hassle.
However, now, with this human around, it decided it could leave all the responsibility to him.
