Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

For now, their growth rate was so rapid that the water tank that Kim Haru had initially prepared was no longer sufficient.

The tank was crowded with fish jostling against each other.

Occasionally, one fish's spines would poke another, and since none of these spiky fish were pushovers, their tempers would flare, and fights would break out in no time.

When the spiky fish fought, it wasn't a joke.

They used their spines and sharp teeth with full force.

One night, the fish suddenly started fighting, and by the time Kim Haru found out the next day, one of them had already flipped belly-up, floating lifelessly on the water's surface.

Therefore, providing these spiky fish with a larger space for farming became an urgent matter.

"Does anyone here know how to weave fishing nets?" Kim Haru asked the group.

Go Okrim and Han Gwonhee shook their heads, indicating they didn't know how, but the others had some experience.

Thus, while Kim Haru, Go Okrim, and Han Gwonhee assisted, the others took the lead and quickly got to work weaving fishing nets.

Although fishing nets seemed complex at first glance, once the basic weaving pattern was understood, the process was surprisingly straightforward.

In less than a day, the group managed to finish weaving a net large enough to cover half of the pond.

Next, the group worked together to break the ice covering the pond.

To ensure the pond wouldn't freeze solid again, Kim Haru planted the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree by the pond.

It was the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree No. 4 who is maintaining it in a state where only thin and easily breakable ice would form even during freezing temperatures.

Once the ice was cleared, Kim Haru led the group in spreading the fishing net across the pond.

The net formed a pocket-like section in the pond, occupying one half of its area.

The other half of the pond was left for the Luring Lotus, which naturally entered a dormant state during winter.

After securing the net, Kim Haru released the spiky fish into the pond.

Having suddenly transitioned from the confined space of the small tank to the expansive area of the pond, the spiky fish appeared momentarily stunned.

Only the ten spiky fish provided by the system started swimming freely without hesitation.

Seeing this, the other fish gradually realized their newfound freedom and scattered in different directions—only to be intercepted by the net.

After several attempts to venture beyond the net, the fish seemed to understand that they couldn't go any farther.

They eventually settled down and began swimming comfortably within the netted area.

Kim Haru scattered some fish feed into the pond, which quickly attracted the spiky fish.

Already accustomed to being fed by humans, they eagerly swarmed to devour the food.

The fish feed wasn't particularly elaborate—it consisted of cooked white rice mixed with finely chopped vegetables and meat, occasionally supplemented with shrimp shells and other scraps.

The spiky fish were not picky eaters.

In fact, Kim Haru had consulted the animal research institute and specifically asked Do Seungjin about the dietary needs of the large spiky fish.

Do Seungjin explained that the frozen large spiky fish didn't actually require food.

They consumed large amounts of food during the spring, summer, and fall, relying on their stored reserves to sustain them through the winter.

As for the newly hatched larvae, they survived by feeding on the microorganisms and other material attached to the large spiky fish's body

At the animal research institute, the large fish and the larvae were in their current state of existence.

The large fish remained encased in ice, while the fry, still within their icy enclosure, had grown from just one centimeter to a mere two centimeters.

The other researchers refrained from interfering, worried that their inexperience might accidentally harm the precious larvae they had worked so hard to nurture.

"So, you're saying if I hadn't been feeding them three meals a day, these fish wouldn't have grown this fast?" Kim Haru felt slightly wronged.

He had rushed to weave the fishing net, fearing the limited space of his tank might stifle the fish's growth or even harm them.

Do Seungjin chuckled. "It doesn't really matter, does it? At least the fish are growing quickly. Now you can find a reason to enjoy a nice meal, right?"

What else could Kim Haru do but continue with his efforts?

At the institute, they planned to delay any artificial intervention in the spiky fish farming until the end of winter when the ice encasing the large fish would naturally melt.

By that time, the fish farming efforts at Kim Haru's small farm pond would likely have gathered enough experience to be of use.

While Kim Haru was focused on his fish farming, the Greenhouse frames in the safe zone had all been constructed.

The only task remaining was installing the glass panels.

"Aside from installing the glass, you'll need to consider a heating system," Kim Haru said during a tour of the Greenhouse frames led by Moon Baein. "At my place, the heating is integrated with the wooden cabin, so it's not something you can replicate. You'll need to rely on a hot water circulation system or a furnace for heating. The necessary pipelines should be laid in advance."

"But we don't have enough Fire-type ability users," Moon Baein hesitated.

"Burn coal," Kim Haru suggested.

Being from another world, he didn't instinctively rely on ability users to solve every problem.

"There aren't any coal mines near Pyeongseong Safe Zone," Moon Baein replied, shaking his head.

He had considered this option before.

If coal mines had been available, the winter in the Pyeongseong Safe Zone wouldn't be so unbearably cold.

Burning firewood wasn't a feasible alternative either.

In the post-apocalypse world, people didn't even dare to use wooden products for fear of attracting mutated plants, let alone burn wood for fuel.

"There's Starlight Armored Bug," Kim Haru pointed out. "Feed them with withered plants."