Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

"The ducks have been drifting down the river, heading north. And it just so happens that the black pigs are also up north. How about coming with me, sir? We can take some people and go catch them together." Do Seungjin's eyes lit up at the thought of catching animals. "I'm not even sure what type of animals you want to raise, and it'd be unfortunate if we brought back the wrong ones."

"Besides, you've been cooped up in the safe zone for a while now. It's a good time to get out and stretch a bit."

Do Seungjin was confident in his ability to keep Mr. Kim safe. He'd been to the northern territory, where the mutated black pigs roamed, several times already. Even if there were dangers, he'd mapped them out clearly. This time, he planned to bring others along too, so Kim Haru would just need to stand by and observe. Do Seungjin would handle anything that required action.

Kim Haru felt a little bit tempted.

He didn't see himself as a fragile glass sculpture that needed to be strictly guarded. And besides, there was always the system to rely on.

"Then should we gather some people?"

"I Got it!" Do Seungjin clapped his hands in excitement. "I'll call a few research members who are skilled at identifying animals. If there's anyone you'd like to bring along, sir, just say the word."

Kim Haru thought for a moment and decided to bring Go Okrim along.

Since Kim Haru had brought him back from Gokmul County, Go Okrim hadn't left the small farm or the Pyeongseong Safe Zono. This outing didn't seem particularly dangerous, so it would be a good chance to let him have a bit of fun.

Maybe, on the way, they could even pick out a few good-looking zombies to bring back as "zombie-bots."

It didn't take long for their team to gather at the entrance of the Animal Research Institute, ready to depart.

Of course, Kim Haru didn't forget to inform Jang Dojang so they wouldn't worry or jump to conclusions if they couldn't find him. Jang Dojang, while not thrilled at the thought of Mr. Kim going on such a risky outing, couldn't say much when he saw Kim Haru was determined. Besides, Do Seungjin and the others assured him they'd guarantee Kim Haru's safety.

Not that he could have stopped him even if he wanted to.

The only person who could convince Kim Haru otherwise was the Safe Zone Commander, who was currently caught up in negotiations—err, bickering—with the Haneulsae Trading Team.

Their group soon exited through the north gate, heading first towards the river.

They took two vehicles in total: a modified van for the people in the lead, and a large truck with an open bed, driven by two members from the Animal Research Institute, following behind.

The truck was, of course, intended for transporting animals, and the large bed in the back still had traces of blood from the last black pig they'd hauled.

"Most people with space-type ability users can't carry living animals in their spaces, and those who can aren't from our Pyeongseong Safe Zone. We've only heard about them, possibly from the Huimang Safe Zone," Do Seungjin chatted as they traveled, trying to keep Kim Haru entertained. "But trucks like this guzzle gas, and with the current fuel situation, every drop counts. I have no idea how we'll haul any huge mutated animals back once we're out of gas."

"I've heard the Huimang Safe Zone is researching ways to harness energy from crystal cores," another researcher chimed in, catching onto the topic. "If they manage to use crystal cores as a fuel replacement, we might still be able to drive."

"I wonder how long that'll take."

"Even if they figure it out, the technology would probably be expensive. Who knows how long before we'd see it here in the Pyeongseong Safe Zone."

"Hey, you're forgetting Mr. Kim's here with us! With his agricultural skills, we could trade for resources like that eventually, right?"

"That's so true! Haha, it won't be long before our Pyeongseong Zone is thriving, and it'll all be thanks to Mr. Kim."

Kim Haru: "…"

Ahem, maybe they were praising him a bit much.

They continued their idle chat until the truck came to a sudden stop.

"What's up?" Kim Haru glanced out the window but didn't see any zombies or mutated animals blocking the road. Why had they stopped?

Do Seungjin explained as he got out of the truck, "This is the area where we spotted that flock of mutated ducks last time. The noise from the truck might scare them off, so we'll go the rest of the way on foot. We'll leave the two vehicles here with a few people to guard them. Once we've caught something, we can drive over to load it up."

Kim Haru nodded in understanding and got out of the truck.

As soon as he stepped into the open wilderness, he felt a cool breeze wash over him.

Winter was certainly approaching.

"We'll follow the river upstream," Do Seungjin led the way at the front. "There's a patch of vegetation up ahead. If that flock of ducks is around here, they'll probably head there to forage for food."

Of course, the "vegetation" Do Seungjin referred to was the dry, withered, non-mutated type, yellowed and brittle. Even though it was dead, the size of the area still made an impact, with small bugs or animals scurrying within it.

Kim Haru hadn't noticed this detail yet. As he followed Do Seungjin forward, he was taken aback at the sight of the dry vegetation and was about to ask about it when he saw Do Seungjin make a shushing gesture.
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He motioned for everyone to squat down slowly.

Kim Haru looked in the direction of Do Seungjin's gaze and saw a flock of ducks swimming over from across the river.

How to describe it? The ducks came in shades of pure white, mottled, and black. Their shapes were similar to the ducks from his previous life—flat bills, long necks.

Except...