Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

The more Hwa Jian talked, the angrier he got, though he knew his own limitations. Going out there to confront them would be suicide, so he focused on holding down the fort, securing the doors, and activating the shop's defense systems, just as the boss had instructed. No one was getting inside on his watch.

Kim Haru followed Hwa Jian's gaze toward the instigators.

Amid the chaotic crowd, the seven of them stood out.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Seven people, each with a different hair color—red, green, yellow, purple—but no normal black. To top it off, these bright exotic colors adorned the heads of the seven burly men, and their hair wasn't short and practical, but semi-long, some even brushing their shoulders.

Kim Haru: "…"

My eyes. They hurt.

This isn't an anime world. What's with these rebellious hair colors? Calling them "edgy" would be an insult to actual edgy styles! They're like a rainbow. Who knows? Maybe they call themselves something like the "Power Ranger Gang."@@novelbin@@

At the moment, the seven of them were flitting around like oversized rabbits, sometimes brawling at the forefront of the fight, sometimes on the sidelines, persuading more people to join their cause. Their promises were sweet enough to draw people in: "Once we take over this shop, you'll never have to fight for vegetables again. Two pounds per person every day—no, make that four! Eat your fill. You'll be able to grab oranges at will, eat one, toss one—no more scraping and sharing a single bite with five other people, only to be left wanting more!"

"Come on! We outnumber them now. Victory will be ours! Who wants oranges? Who wants life-saving food? Follow me, charge!"

Amazingly, even with such crude slogans, they managed to entice people. Kim Haru saw people actually hesitating and then switching sides, joining the fray.

He couldn't help but wonder if, in the face of food, people's brains in the apocalypse had been half-eaten by zombies.

Watching the numbers grow on the other side, Hwa Jian's anxiety mounted. "Boss, maybe you should just store all the food on the shelves in your space storage, then leave. If it's just the building left, the losses shouldn't be too bad."

"I don't know when Han Gwonhee will get here. I hope he come here quickly."

But Kim Haru didn't move.

Run? What a joke.

Kim Haru was mild-mannered, but that didn't mean he was someone you could push around. In his past life, he can guarding a big inheritance money against his distant, greedy relatives, proving he wasn't the kind of person to be easily bullied.

Even in the game, Kim Haru was known as a "big boss" by others.

Retreat? Run away? Such words didn't exist in Kim Haru's vocabulary.

"Don't worry, they can't break down the door," he reassured Hwa Jian.

This wasn't empty talk—this shop had already been fused with the farming system, which came with a built-in protection mode. Once the door was shut, no one—not even the so-called "King of Heaven"—could break in.

Not even a nuke would blast it open.

As for the noisy crowd outside, Kim Haru wasn't about to let them keep causing a scene.

"Stay here," he told Hwa Jian, then stepped out, casually closing the door behind him.

The troublemaking Power Ranger Gang spotted him the instant he appeared. Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

They exchanged a quick look, then charged at him without a word!

"Bam!"

"Bam!"

"Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam!"

Seven resounding thuds, each followed by a figure flying backward and crashing to the ground.

Instantly, the whole area fell silent as a grave.

Kim Haru scanned the crowd, pleased with the newfound quiet.

To him, these people were just human-shaped targets waiting to be dealt with. And even if they were merely targets, he preferred them to be quiet, well-behaved ones.

"Not bad." He patted Little Oakie at his side and praised it, "I'll reward you with some fertilizer when we get back."

He'd assumed the "Farm's Blessing" skill wasn't of much use, but here it was proving valuable. Fortunately, Little Oakie, with its combat abilities, had shown up—saving him the cost of buying tools from the system store.

Little Oakie's branches and roots twitched with delight.

Everyone nearby instinctively took a big step back!

They stared at the tree that had suddenly appeared, recognizing it at once as the Phantom Flame Phoenix Tree, which is ranked tenth among all the mutant plants! Even though this tree lacked leaves, that didn't stop them from identifying it. Those agile branches and roots—anyone who had ever seen them would remember them vividly, even in their nightmares.

Phantom Flame Phoenix Tree: when it strikes someone, they might feel fine at first. But from the second day onward, the "Phantom Flames" part of its name comes into play. It drags its victims into a hellish experience, making them wish for death but unable to die, and to live is pure agony.

That alone wouldn't have secured its place as the tenth-ranked mutant plant; its ghostly nature is indescribable in words!

Everyone's gaze fell on the seven people who had been flung back. They hadn't yet realized the severity of the situation.

Then, they looked back at that Phantom Flame Phoenix Tree, and deep regret filled them for their earlier recklessness.

This Phantom Flame Phoenix Tree might not have fully matured, but that didn't lessen its fearsome presence in the slightest.

The crowd stepped back again, putting even more distance between themselves and the tree.

Kim Haru's gaze swept over them, lingering on those who had chosen to join the Power Ranger Gang's side.

He called Hwa Jian out and instructed, "Take note of those people. They are permanently banned from entering Green Basket Vegetable Shop. Effective immediately—and for life."

A bolt from the blue!

Everyone who heard Kim Haru's words—every last one of them—was stunned. Especially those he had pointed out; regret was written all over their faces, and they began to plead.

"Sir! Sir! It wasn't my idea; it was him—he's the one who tempted me!"