Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World-Chapter 219: Thatch, Trees, and the Windstorm

Kim Haru remembered he’d been planning to cover the fruit trees with a layer of thatch for warmth. Without delay, he asked Go Okrim to fetch some from the granary.

Before leaving, Go Okrim retrieved Little Cinnamon from the apple tree and brought it along.

There was no way he could carry much in one trip, so he made use of Little Cinnamon’s "hamster space."

Little Cinnamon’s cheek pouches were already mostly filled with fruit, but after two trips, it managed to transport all the thatch from the granary to the orchard.

After his mission was accomplished, Little Cinnamon scurried back to its nest to nibble on its stockpile and calm its nerves.

Kim Haru and Go Okrim worked together, fumbling through the process of wrapping the old orange tree in thatch. Neither of them had ever done this kind of thing before, and their efforts were hilariously clumsy. The relentless wind didn’t help either—just as they managed to tie a few pieces of thatch to the tree trunk, the wind threatened to blow it all away again.

It wasn’t until the old orange tree extended a branch to hold the thatch in place that they managed to stop it from flying off.

After that, the two humans and one tree cooperated more efficiently. Kim Haru pulled the thatch from his backpack and laid it over the old orange tree, the tree used its lower branches to press the thatch down, and Go Okrim tied it all together with rope, securing it tightly.

After what felt like an eternity, the thatch "coat" was finally complete.

"Feeling warmer now?" Kim Haru asked.

The old orange tree nodded in satisfaction.

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As for the other orange trees? Forget it. Judging by how they were enthusiastically "dancing" in the strong wind, they clearly weren’t bothered by the cold at all.

Kim Haru then went to check on the chestnut tree, which didn’t need thatch either, nor did the apple tree. However, the lemon tree mentioned it felt a little cold.

Thus, Kim Haru and Go Okrim began wrapping the lemon tree in thatch.

Having gained experience from the previous attempt, Kim Haru directly asked the lemon tree to extend its branches and assist with the process this time. With its help, they managed to complete the task much faster.

Afterward, Kim Haru learned from the fruit trees that the windstorm was likely to last two to three days. Once the wind subsided, the fruits on their branches would undergo some changes.

For the fruit trees, producing virus-free fruits edible by humans like Kim Haru was seen as creating the "useless" batch. After the windstorm, these "useless" fruits would start to fall off naturally, eventually being reabsorbed by the tree roots as nutrients to replenish the mutated fruit trees’ energy. Otherwise, leaving them exposed would be wasteful.

On the other hand, there were also "useful" fruits, such as those prepared for reproduction or for use as weapons.

These "useful" fruits were not edible by humans, nor would they fall off. They would remain on the branches throughout winter, continuing to grow. When spring come, the fruits meant for reproduction would drop to the ground to sprout into new saplings, while the weapon fruits would stay on the branches.

Upon understanding this pattern, Kim Haru immediately knew what he needed to do.

During the windstorm, he needed to prepare enough manpower to ensure the timely harvest of the "useless" fruits. This was also why the fruit trees had informed him of this detail.

As for manpower? What could be more suitable than the hamster tribe, just like Little Cinnamon?

Without delay, Kim Haru headed directly from the orchard to the safe zone.

The safe zone was already bustling early in the morning. The damage caused by the windstorm to the Pyeongseong Safe Zone was far greater than the impact on Kim Haru’s farm.

Kim Haru’s small farm was surrounded by towering trees and nestled in the mountains and forests. The few buildings there were constructed using the system’s technology, making them exceptionally sturdy. With the windstorm sweeping through, the only noticeable aftermath was an increased amount of fallen leaves and debris—there was no significant damage.

The safe zone, however, was a different story. Without the mountain forest plants to shield them from the wind, and without the farm system’s advanced technology to ensure the stability of buildings, the safe zone was left in shambles. When Kim Haru arrived, he saw the area littered with debris, with some rooftops even blown off entirely.

The sky hadn’t fully brightened yet. If it weren’t for the storm, Kim Haru would still have been sound asleep. He thought he was up early, but the people in the safe zone were even earlier.

From the moment the wind began to pick up, the safe zone’s alarm had sounded once. Now that the wind showed slight signs of subsiding, groups of three or five people tied heavy objects to themselves and ventured outside to retrieve scattered belongings.

Tables, chairs, quilts, pots, and pans were scattered everywhere. Lightweight items like clothing were even more widespread, strewn across the area. Read new adventures at novelbuddy

Although this was Kim Haru’s first time encountering such a windstorm, it was an annual occurrence for the residents of the Pyeongseong Safe Zone. Most of their possessions were marked for identification, and particularly valuable items were stored securely in places where the wind couldn’t reach. As long as the items didn’t blow beyond the safe zone’s walls, they were relatively easy to recover.

Even if they couldn’t retrieve their own belongings right away, after the windstorm passed, unclaimed items would be gathered into a central location for people to reclaim later.

The Safe Zone Commander’s building remained relatively sturdy. Apart from the wind blowing papers and other items into disarray indoors, nothing had been swept outside. When Kim Haru arrived, the staff was busy reorganizing the documents that had been scattered by the storm.

"Mr. Kim, why are you here so early?" Pyeongseong Safe Zone Commander, Moon Baein, looked surprised upon seeing Kim Haru.