Webnovel Author In The Apocalypse World

Seeing the living room settle into a state of peaceful coexistence, Kim Haru felt much more at ease.

To ensure safety, he moved the Starlight Armored Bugs—susceptible to being eaten by the chickens or ducks—along with their box to the kitchen. Similarly, the Ginseng Spirit's white radishes were kept separate from Little Snort and Big Snort to prevent them from being eaten. Finally, Kim Haru closed the door separating the kitchen and living room, further ensuring security.

"Hyung, the noise outside is getting louder," Go Okrim said, his face filled with worry.

Indeed, as time passed, the sounds outside grew more intense. The roaring wind sounded like an angry giant, even more ferocious than the gale that had come before winter. Kim Haru could hear the sharp clatter of ice shards hitting the wooden cabin. Even though he trusted the system-built cabin's quality, the sound made him worry whether the cabin could withstand the storm.

To reassure himself, Kim Haru sought confirmation from the farming system: System, the cabin won't get smashed through, right?

The system didn't respond but instead caused the words [Level 1 Wooden Cabin] to flash on his interface.

Kim Haru didn't need to look to know what it meant. The cabin's detailed description explicitly stated that the system-built structure couldn't be damaged by anything other than the host voluntarily dismantling it.

Alright, I just wanted to double-check. Kim Haru reassured the seemingly indignant system. We're entrusting the lives of the entire farm to you, okay?

He patted Go Okrim on the shoulder. "Don't worry. As long as we stay inside, we'll be fine. Get some rest early."

Go Okrim nodded his head and walked through the door connecting the living room to the staff dormitory, heading to his room.

Leaving the animals in the living room under the care of the Ginseng Spirit, Kim Haru washed up quickly and retreated to his bedroom, burrowing under the blankets. Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire

The Ginseng Spirit: "..."

So you're just taking advantage of the fact that I don't need to sleep like humans, huh?

...

The next morning, Kim Haru woke up earlier than usual.

Opening his eyes, he immediately noticed that something was off about the light in the room.

Even in the middle of winter, it shouldn't be this dim at this time of day.

Curious, Kim Haru pulled open the curtains and peered outside. What he saw instantly jolted him fully awake.

The view outside his window was completely obscured, tightly sealed by a thick layer of frost that looked freezing to the touch.

He tried to push the window open but couldn't budge it.

It seemed the ice had formed a thick crust, blocking all light from entering the house.

When Kim Haru entered the living room, he saw Go Okrim already sitting on the sofa.

"Hyung, you're up! Good morning," Go Okrim greeted with a wave. "It was the Ginseng Spirit who opened the door for me."

Kim Haru nodded, not minding that detail.

"What's the situation outside?"

Hearing this question, Go Okrim's face fell. "Hyung, our house is completely sealed in ice. The Ginseng Spirit said it tried to extend a root through the door gap, but it couldn't squeeze out. The ice outside must be incredibly thick."

Kim Haru's brow furrowed deeply.

When it had snowed before, he worried about the house being buried, but after a few snowfalls without issue, he had let his guard down. Now, they were entirely encased by an ice storm. Thankfully, he had brought all the animals into the cabin earlier. If the chicken coop or pig pen had been buried, the food supply inside might not have lasted long enough.

"Open the door and see if the heating can melt some of the ice. Boil water in the kitchen and pour it over the ice," Kim Haru instructed, thinking of the simplest solution. "We need to clear the ice at the entrance as quickly as possible."

The fire-type zombies they'd relied on before were no longer available, and none of the animals present had any heat-producing abilities. Kim Haru could only hope that the ice formed overnight wasn't too difficult to chip away and that they could break through it before the cabin ran out of breathable air.

Go Okrim immediately dashed to the kitchen.

The Ginseng Spirit, not being physically strong, continued to oversee the animals in the living room, feeding them and preparing to take on cooking duties if clearing the ice took too long.

Kim Haru grabbed the pickaxe provided by the system and began chipping away at the ice.

As soon as the pickaxe struck the ice for the first time, a sense of relief washed over him.

Thank you, system.

The pickaxe was incredibly effective, breaking off large chunks of ice with every swing. At this rate, it wouldn't take long to clear the ice outside.

"Hyung, the water's ready!" Go Okrim called out as he carried a steaming bucket of water, quickly pouring it over the ice.

"Crap!" The moment Go Okrim saw the result, he let out a frustrated exclamation.

The ice's extreme cold surpassed their expectations. When a large basin of boiling water was poured over it, instead of melting the ice, it froze on contact, forming a new layer and making the ice even thicker.

Disheartened, Go Okrim felt defeated.

Kim Haru hadn't expected this outcome either, but he didn't blame Go Okrim.

"No worries. Go check all the windows and ventilation points in the house. See if any are damaged or blocked. Leave this to me," Kim Haru instructed.

Go Okrim nodded and turned to leave.

Kim Haru picked up the pickaxe provided by the system and continued chipping away at the ice by the door. The newly frozen layer from the hot water wasn't too thick, and it easily broke off. Behind it, a large chunk of the older ice fell away as well.

Thanks to the system-enhanced tool, it took less than half an hour for Kim Haru to break through the ice at the door, creating a large opening that let in sunlight.