Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

The system's voice suddenly chimed in, and right after that, [ Basic Fertilizer ] option started flashing in front of him.

Only then did Kim Haru notice that, in the fine print on the Basic Fertilizer's description, it mentioned not only providing essential nutrients for crop growth but also the ability to shorten the crop's growth cycle.

"How much can it shorten it?" Kim Haru felt a spark of hope.

However, the system no longer responded.

Alright, time to make fertilizer!

The Basic Fertilizer blueprint was essentially a composting method. However, unlike regular ash fertilizer, it required adding system-designated crystal cores to the mix.

Kim Haru didn't know much about making fertilizer this way, but according to the system's instructions, he needed to dig a pit to create a composting pit. Suitable materials like kitchen scraps, animal and human waste, and fallen branches and leaves would be added to it.

Just as he was about to dig a pit nearby, he stopped abruptly.

Looking at the list of materials, he could already imagine the kind of smell that compost pit would produce. How could such a biochemical weapon be this close to where he slept? He quickly decided to dig it somewhere further away.

He headed straight for the wasteland.

Finally, he picked a location far from his cabin but close to both the pigpen and the newly cultivated fields.

With the compost being far enough away, the smell shouldn't be too overwhelming, and being close to the pigpen meant that Little Snort's waste could be conveniently added to the pit. Plus, fertilizing crops in the nearby fields would be easier.

Once he settled on a spot, Kim Haru began digging according to the system's measurements. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire

The composting pit would be around 2-3 meters deep and about 5 meters wide. After digging, he'd need to set up a cover using bamboo or wood to support the structure, which would help during the fermentation and fertilizer production stages.

Unlike planting crops, where the system-provided hoe worked like magic, creating such a large pit wasn't a one-swing task. Kim Haru had to dig steadily, bit by bit.

Thankfully, it wasn't particularly hard. In fact, halfway through, he was met with a tree root pushing its way into the pit.

Following it with his gaze, he saw it was one of Little Oakie's roots.

"Did you finish fixing the tiles?" Kim Haru walked over to Little Oakie's side.

Little Oakie's branches rustled, as if proudly showing off.

With so many branches and roots to work with, Little Oakie's efficiency was indeed impressive. The area above the pigpen, where plastic sheets once covered the roof, was now completely replaced with tiles. Little Oakie had also found wooden beams of suitable lengths to support the tiles in crisscrossed layers. Although the arrangement looked a bit random, it was extremely sturdy.

The roof tiles layered over each other neatly, just as well done as by a seasoned roofer.

Kim Haru was quite pleased. "Not bad at all, it's done nicely! I'm making fertilizer right now, and once it's ready, you'll get the first batch."

Upon hearing this, Little Oakie's leaves began to rustle even louder! Even though Kim Haru couldn't understand exactly what it was saying, it was clear how thrilled it was.

Little Oakie's roots pointed at the compost pit Kim Haru was digging, then at the hoe in his hands, and finally back at itself.

It even made an up-and-down motion.

Kim Haru stared for a moment, piecing it together, before realizing that Little Oakie was offering to help.

This was great news!

Without hesitation, Kim Haru handed the hoe over to the tip of Little Oakie's root and even helped it wrap around the handle.

"Alright, alright, I remember your strength is impressive. Help me dig this pit according to my specifications. After all, once this fertilizer is ready, you'll get to enjoy it too!"

When talking to a non-human, Kim Haru had no language barrier whatsoever and carefully described the system's requirements for the compost pit.

Little Oakie quickly got to work under Kim Haru's guidance.

Mutated plants were indeed incredibly strong. In the time it took Kim Haru to dig a small section, Little Oakie had finished the entire compost pit as instructed.

Not only was the pit completely dug, but Little Oakie also extended several roots to smooth out the walls and floor, leaving the inner walls perfectly flat and even. It even cleared out any dirt and debris inside, making the pit look exceptionally tidy. Watching this, Kim Haru couldn't help but feel that recruiting Little Oakie was one of his wisest decisions yet.

After finishing the compost pit, Little Oakie returned the hoe to Kim Haru, bending a root into a question mark, as if asking if this was acceptable.

How could it not be? It was absolutely perfect!@@novelbin@@

Kim Haru showered Little Oakie with compliments, practically throwing praises at it. Little Oakie seemed almost embarrassed, its branches curling in bashfulness.

With the compost pit ready, the rest of the steps were simple. Kim Haru tossed in a few crystal cores to line the bottom, followed by some nearby dead leaves. The bathroom in his basic cabin had a drainage system that would automatically feed into the compost pit, and Little Nugget and Sir Peckington also had designated spots for their bathroom needs.

After each cleanup, he would just dump the waste here.

The last thing left was Little Snort's waste from the pigpen.

Fortunately, the compost pit wasn't too far from the pigpen. Kim Haru considered digging a trench between the two.

He remembered seeing something similar back in rural areas, where the compost pit and pigpen were separated by just a wall, with an open connection in between. It didn't look too complicated structurally.

True to his word, Kim Haru got to work right away, needing Little Oakie's help once again.

Kim Haru began by using the hoe to lightly dig a shallow path from the pigpen to the compost pit. Then he let Little Oakie's roots that was burrowing underground to carve out a tunnel directly from below.