Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

That was the only thing they absolutely could not be without.

At that point, Kim Haru understood.

The mud ring was the key to identifying them.

With Fuzzball's presence, even if the seeds were unwilling to reveal where the mud was sourced from or any important details about the crafting process, they had no choice but to tell him everything he wanted to know.

After the seeds were pushed into the white mist for the third time and came back completely unharmed, everyone—including Kim Haru—knew the plan was solid.

The villagers adjusted their own mud rings, ensuring they were securely in place.

Holding onto one another, they took deep breaths, preparing to step into the mist and finally leave the place that had trapped them for so many years.

"Let them go," Kim Haru gestured toward the seeds as he spoke to the village chief.

This had been agreed upon earlier—these captives were only used to confirm the mist's safety.

Now that they understood the function of the mud rings, the captives were no longer useful.

Bringing them along would be a burden, so it was better to release them.

Besides, once the humans left, the entire cliff would belong to the seeds.

There was no need for unnecessary slaughter.

What Kim Haru didn't say was his speculation about the seeds' true nature.

Since they had already served their purpose, it didn't matter whether the others knew the truth or not.

After all, if these "people" were seeds, they likely only functioned within the fruit.

Once outside, who knew what would happen to them?

After all, when had seeds ever grown on a plant's stem?

The seed captives were released at a distance.

Their ropes were not immediately cut, but a dull stone knife was left beside them.

By the time they managed to wear down the ropes and free themselves, Kim Haru and the villagers would have already entered the white mist.

After releasing the captives, Kim Haru, along with his owl and the multi-legged horse monster, led the way into the white fog.

The multi-legged horse monster also had an oversized mud ring on its head.

Based on Kim Haru's speculation, the multi-legged horse monster's role was akin to an "insect on the plant."

If his guess was correct, then finding the right path within the white fog would depend on this multi-legged horse monster.

Following closely behind the giant owl, Kim Haru carried Fuzzball on his shoulder and was the second to enter the fog.

Even if his guess about the multi-legged horse monster's identity was wrong, it didn't really matter.

At worst, they just wouldn't find the correct path immediately.

With so many people in their group, they could always figure it out through trial and error.

Now that the white fog's lethal threat was neutralized, what was there to fear?

Behind Kim Haru walked the village chief, supported by Koko, and further back were the remaining villagers.

Everyone was tied together with a long rope at their waists.

If the rope wasn't long enough, they simply connected additional sections.

The elderly and women walked in the middle, while the younger, stronger villagers surrounded them, staying vigilant.

Inside the white fog, visibility was completely lost.

Kim Haru glanced around but, as expected, couldn't see a thing.

He hugged Fuzzball closer in his arms and decided to simply close his eyes.

"Fuzzball, I'll leave it to you."

Knowing he wouldn't be much help in the upcoming process, Kim Haru whispered into Fuzzball's ear with a smile.

Fuzzball let out a soft "meow~" in response.

Alright, alright, you just focus on cleaning my litter box. I'll get us out of here.

Hearing the meow, the multi-legged horse monster leading the way suddenly trembled.

All of its horse-like faces, large and small, were filled with terror.

Originally, it had been planning to secretly lead these annoying humans into a dangerous area.

However, the moment it heard that terrifying meow, it instantly abandoned its devious plan, straightening its steps and marching directly toward the correct path.

Any thoughts of sabotage were completely scared out of it.

This was probably going to haunt its nightmares forever.

No one knew how long they walked in the white fog, but from time to time, Kim Haru could hear murmuring voices from the villagers behind him.

Most of the chatter came from impatient children, while the majority remained obedient, showing no doubt about the path Kim Haru was leading them on.

Not a single person tried to leave the group and walk on their own.

Kim Haru had prepared various methods to deal with troublemakers, but in the end, he didn't need to use any of them.

He felt incredibly relieved.

When the air around him started to feel dry, Kim Haru opened his eyes.

The thick, blinding white fog was gone.

Behind him, an uncontrollable wave of cheers erupted!

"Hahahaha! We made it out! We're finally out!"

"Oh my god! We actually left the white fog zone!"

"Look! This place is completely different from before. Did we really escape from this place?"

"We're finally… finally…"

The cheering didn't last long.

After the initial outburst, the villagers quickly shut their mouths.

Those who couldn't suppress their excitement simply clamped their hands over their lips.

All eyes were fixed ahead, filled with shock.

There, towering before them, stood a colossal plant—so massive it seemed to pierce the sky.

Kim Haru stared at the enormous plant for a long time, suddenly doubting his own understanding.

Unlike the others, he wasn't too surprised.

After all, he already knew the space they had just been in was the inside of a fruit.

Naturally, if there was a fruit, there had to be a plant producing it.

If an entire space could exist within the fruit, then even with some kind of compression effect, the main plant itself had to be enormous.

What caught Kim Haru off guard wasn't the plant's size, but rather how much it resembled the most ordinary kind of grass.