Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World-Chapter 356: The Search for Pollinators

More often than not, the wind either scattered the pollen to the ground or carried it to the wrong flowers.

The cross-species pollination was also problematic, as using pollen from a different plant wouldn’t work.

This explained why only the flowers at the center of Kim Haru’s melon field had been pollinated.

No matter which direction the wind came from, those central flowers were the most likely to receive pollen, making their success rate naturally higher.

The second method—animal pollination—required bees.

Kim Haru’s small farm had cats, dogs, pigs, chickens, ducks, and fish, but not a single bee.

"Gojo, Kang Hose, do you know where I can find some bees?" Kim Haru called over his two assistants to ask.

He was considering the possibility of taming a batch of bees and keeping them on the farm.

He also planned to ask the Pyeongseong Safe Zone if they needed bees as well.

Without bees, the artificial pollination was an option to help the flowers.

However, this method required a certain level of skill, with movements that needed to be light and precise.

It wasn’t a task the zombie-bots could handle.

If the farm had to rely entirely on manual labor, small-scale pollination might be manageable.

However, for large-scale fields, the time and effort required would be overwhelming.

Just thinking about it made Kim Haru feel exhausted.

In the Pyeongseong Safe Zone, however, there were more ordinary people.

Moreover, the bees in this world had likely mutated.

If they turned out to be difficult to tame, his small farm, with its many mutated plants and animals to help oversee things, might manage the risk.

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However, the Pyeongseong Safe Zone would face greater danger.

Thus, Kim Haru decided not to make the choice for them.

Whether they wanted to use bees or stick to artificial pollination would be up to them.

Of course, if the bee-taming process went smoothly, it would undoubtedly be the best outcome!

However, as soon as Go Okrim and Kang Hose heard Kim Haru mention bees, their expressions immediately turned dark.

"Kim Haru-hyung, what do you need bees for? They’ve mutated so much now—they’re nothing like the harmless bees from before the apocalypse. They’re very terrifying!"

"Yes, Mr. Kim. Those mutated bees are an absolute nightmare," Kang Hose said, recalling his previous encounter with them.

It had happened when Kang Hose was still traveling with the Caeruleus Draco Squad, migrating through the wilderness.

They passed through a withered forest without realizing that beneath the layer of dried, yellow leaves lay a massive beehive.

When the hive was disturbed, a swarm of mutated bees attacked them at an astonishing speed.

The sky darkened as the massive bees filled the air.

Even the smallest of them was larger than an adult man’s fist and the largest were as big as a human head!

Their stingers that once short, had mutated into retractable, sharp weapons tipped with venom.

Some stingers were nearly half a meter long!

To make matters worse, some of the bees could even launch their stingers like projectiles.

Their speed made them nearly impossible to dodge by people.

Coupled with a deadly rain of venomous stingers, the devastation they caused was unimaginable.

The former captain of the Caeruleus Draco Squad didn’t survive that attack.

If not for his sacrifice, the casualties in their group would have been far worse.

After briefly recounting the bee incident he had encountered, Kang Hose added, "Mutated bees are aggressive maniacs. If you’re planning to interact with them, you must proceed it with extreme caution."

Although Kim Haru had previously tamed both Starlight Armored Bug and Antharion Giant Ants, Kang Hose remained worried that the mutated bees might only have "kill" etched into their minds, which leaving no room for communication.

Hearing this, Kim Haru found himself in a dilemma.

The mutated plants and animals he had negotiated with in the past had all been intelligent, with clear needs and rationality.

If these mutated bees truly lacked clarity of thought, even his best persuasive skills would be futile.

"I’ll be careful. For now, let’s try to locate them first," Kim Haru sighed.

The blooming vines in his melon patch needed pollination, or there would be no fruit in the future.

While the mutated plants could self-pollinate, the ordinary crops on his farm couldn’t manage it on their own.

Kang Hose pondered for a moment and suggested, "There haven’t been any reports of mutated bee swarms in this area around the Pyeongseong Safe Zone. People usually spread the word when they encounter something that dangerous. You might want to post a task in the Ability User Center."

Kim Haru thought the idea was reasonable.

He already had a hunch about where he might find bees.

Kim Haru vividly remembered how he had obtained the seeds for his melon patch.

Since the black pigs had discovered those melons, studying their foraging range might lead him to a naturally growing melon field.

If those melons had successfully completed their pollination stage and borne fruit, there might be the pollinators nearby.

Whether they were mutated bees or another species, as long as they could handle the pollination, Kim Haru wasn’t picky.

He shared his thoughts with Go Okrim and Kang Hose, who both found the idea feasible.

Since Go Okrim was already planning to deliver some ducks, he was entrusted with the task of posting the job.

Go Okrim left promptly and returned just as quickly, also bringing back the day’s revenue from the Green Basket Vegetable Shop.

The shop had become a bustling hub of activity, with daily foot traffic seemingly endless.

Kim Haru’s system account had accumulated an excess of gold coins, to the point where he no longer bothered to settle the shop’s earnings every day.

Instead, he let the funds pile up and only cashing them out when he happened to have other business in the safe zone.

After all, whether it was Hwa Jian, Han Gwonhee, or even the occasional help from the Delta Squad, all employees had signed contracts with Kim Haru and wouldn’t dare commit acts like stealing or falsifying reports.