With the mutated apple tree's consent, Kim Haru wasted no ti and began marking the area for the apple trees to grow.
After confirming that the apple tree could grow 20 to 30 saplings, Kim Haru designated a space adjacent to the orange trees.
When Go Okrim returned with the Nicaraguan Blood Sucking Vine, Kim Haru stopped him to assign a new task. "If you have so ti over the next two days, clear this area of debris with Gong Liangbai and expand the fence. We're going to plant apple trees here."
Go Okrim imdiately agreed. "I'll bring him over first thing in the morning. It'll take us till noon at most to finish."
Kim Haru then introduced the mutated apple tree and the Little Hamster to Kang Hose, the person he had just ntioned. "He's a new mber of the farm who arrived during the winter. He brought a cat and a dog with him and isn't much of a talker. Don't be alard when he cos by tomorrow."
This reassurance was naturally directed at the shy apple tree, as the bold little hamster certainly wouldn't be bothered.
With no further concerns at the apple tree, Kim Haru moved on to check on the trio of orange trees.
Over the winter, the orange trees had absorbed enough nutrients to not only survive the cold weather but also thrive.
They now looked as refreshed as soone waking up fully rested.
The spring temperature posed no discomfort to the orange trees.
Kim Haru, with Go Okrim's help, removed the straw from the trees and stored it in the system's backpack.
Until more straw was available, it was better to save what they had.
The lemon tree and chestnut tree were in good condition, just like the orange trees.
However, the lemon tree, upon hearing about the apple tree's plans to expand its planting area, insisted on expanding its own territory as well.
Kim Haru allocated a patch of land for the lemon tree to grow freely.
Additionally, the lemon tree made a small suggestion regarding fertilizer.
It preferred sothing more fernted and sour.
Before Kim Haru could decide whether to agree, the lemon tree was suddenly struck by a branch of the orange tree!
One of the puppet orange trees controlled by the main orange tree seed to have gained a personality of its own.
Its branches trembled and flailed as if throwing a tantrum, before finally assuming a posture resembling a scolding middle-aged woman, hands on hips and ready to bargain.
The intensity was palpable.
Even Go Okrim and Kim Haru instinctively stepped back a bit.
The two humans watched in astonishnt as the orange tree began gesturing furiously at the lemon tree.
Without a plant spirit to interpret, they had no way of understanding the intricate "plant language."
However, it was clear from the scene that as the orange tree scolded away, the lemon tree's branches drooped lower and lower, as if it were a child being reprimanded.
Kim Haru and Go Okrim exchanged bewildered glances.
Neither of them could figure out what the lemon tree had done to offend the orange tree.
Once the orange tree finally finished scolding the lemon tree, it waved dismissively at Kim Haru before departing from the puppet tree.
Kim Haru slowly approached the lemon tree. "...Are you okay?"
The lemon tree shook its branches timidly.
Later, when Kim Haru ntioned changing the fertilizer specifically for the lemon tree, its branches shook violently in refusal, as if the tree would perish if even a second's delay occurred.
Kim Haru: "..."
Now he finally understood what the orange tree had been reprimanding the lemon tree about earlier.
Well then, these matters between plants weren't sothing a human like Kim Haru could ddle in.
Since the lemon tree adamantly rejected any special treatnt, he decided not to proceed with it.
He didn't want to risk the poor tree being ostracized by other mutant plants for receiving preferential care.
Who knows?
Maybe the lemons, already sour, would gain an additional bitter taste from all the stress.
By the ti Kim Haru finished handling the orchard, the entire afternoon had passed.
On his way back to the small farm, Kim Haru decided not to use the teleportation device.
He wanted to take his ti walking, hoping to discover sothing fresh and useful along the way.
Naturally, Go Okrim followed him.
However, by the ti they arrived back at the small farm, they hadn't found anything except shrubs, grasses, and trees.
Kim Haru wasn't disappointed, though.
It was only the first day of spring.
The crops that thrive in this season might still be buried in the soil, just sprouting roots, with no visible shoots above ground.
As they stepped onto the farm's property, Cresent imdiately noticed them and began barking loudly.
Following Cresent's barks, Kang Hose rushed over, his face filled with exasperation. "Mr. Kim, you're finally back!"
Kang Hose was a ss.
His clothes were torn in several long, claw-like slashes, unmistakably made by sharp claws.
His hair was disheveled, and mud streaked his face and body.
In short, he looked utterly defeated.
Kim Haru glanced at Cresent, only to notice a patch of fur missing from his easily squishable butt.
If it weren't for the area's natural white color, he might not have spotted it at all.
A sense of unease crept into Kim Haru's mind.
"What happened to you? What's going on?" he asked.
While asking, Kim Haru's eyes swept over the farm, surveying the surroundings.
The ducks in the pond had all huddled together in the center, forming a tightly packed yellow mass.
It was impossible to count if any were missing at a glance.
However, since Little Nugget and Sir Peckington stood guard near the pond, appearing relatively calm, Kim Haru assud the ducks were fine.
But... where was Fuzzball?
Kim Haru quickly noticed this anomaly.
Not only was Fuzzball missing, but Luna was nowhere to be seen either.
Upon closer inspection of the claw marks on Kang Hose, their height didn't match what Cresent could reach.
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