NOVPUBThe queen ant shrugged, 'Do you want some? We have plenty of it, we're getting tired of it. If you want it, feel free to take it.'
Kim Haru naturally wouldn't just take it without thought.
He grabbed a chunk of it and planned to bring it back to the Pyeongseong Safe Zone's logistics department, so they could discuss how to trade with the Antharion Giant Ants for mutual benefit.
This trip was a huge success!
When Kim Haru returned to the Starlight Armored Bug breeding facility, Go Okrim was already waiting there.
Go Okrim immediately noticed the two ants that Shin Woncheon and Chung Hwangeun were holding, and from the looks of it, he knew that the mission had been accomplished.
"As expected of you, Hyung, I knew there's nothing you can't handle."
Kim Haru ignored the constant praise from this person who always showered him with compliments and asked, "Are we going back to the Pyeongseong Safe Zone now, or are you staying here for another day?"
Go Okrim was stunned. "Are we going back?"
"Yes." Kim Haru nodded. "There are still things left unfinished."
The strange boundary between the two halves of Gokmul County's still hadn't been explained, and after the cooperation was settled, he still had to return the two ants and check if there were any other things to discuss with the queen ant.
Kim Haru couldn't guarantee that if someone else took on the role of mediator, the ants wouldn't chase them away.
"Then I'll wait for you here," Go Okrim said, realizing that time was still on their side, and his thoughts were beginning to stir.
Kim Haru didn't mind and, after reminding Go Okrim to stay safe, took the two ants and a clump of sugar syrup back to the Pyeongseong Safe Zone.
Moon Baein had been waiting for Kim Haru's update.
He never expected things to go so smoothly, and on top of that, there was an additional unexpected gain.
"Hahahahaha, Mr. Kim is indeed the lucky star of our Pyeongseong Safe Zone!" Moon Baein was ecstatic.
...
As the winter weather grew colder, Kim Haru's first year in this world was drawing to a close.
The collaboration with the queen ant went smoothly without any surprises.
Within just a few days of signing the contract, the construction speed in the Pyeongseong Safe Zone had significantly increased.
The ants showed no fear of the freezing winter and icy ground, laying solid foundations for the houses.
As for the upper parts of the buildings, the tireless worker ants, who feared neither hardship, fatigue, nor cold, worked non-stop, to the point where the speed of human cement mixing couldn't keep up.
In addition to the critical role the ants played in building houses, they also revamped the underground drainage system of the Pyeongseong Safe Zone.
As the queen ant conveyed to Kim Haru, 'Your human drainage system is far too simplistic. It doesn't match the effort we Antharion Giant Ants have put into reconstructing your houses.'
Since the ants were willing to carry out the renovation, there was no reason for the Pyeongseong Safe Zone to oppose it.
Even the heating pipelines inside the Greenhouses were replanned by the ants.
Thus, before the New Year arrived, the entire Pyeongseong Safe Zone underwent a major transformation, from underground to aboveground.
The ants' sugar syrup unsurprisingly became a huge hit in the safe zone.
Several trading markets designated specific areas for humans and ants to exchange goods.
Humans traded various food items with the ants for sugar syrup.
The ants had long grown tired of the sweetness of sugar, but most of their skills were focused on construction, leaving them lacking in the ability to source food for their colony.
As a result, the ants readily accepted the various flavors of food offered by humans. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Of course, normal, virus-free food was especially favored.
Some clever people skipped trading raw ingredients and instead prepared dishes, seasoning them to create flavors vastly different from sweetness.
These dishes, with their diverse aromas, made the ants even more enthusiastic.
In short, the process of interacting with these Antharion Giant Ants became increasingly harmonious.
Both the humans in the safe zone and the ants found satisfaction in their cooperation.
However, as for the clear dividing line running through Gokmul County, splitting it into two halves, Kim Haru and the others couldn't uncover any clues about its origin.
Kim Haru even asked the queen ant, but she claimed the ants also had no idea why such a boundary existed.
They merely felt an instinctive reluctance to cross it.
Anyway, the half of the city they occupied was sufficient for the ants to build their envisioned underground kingdom.
If necessary, they could expand in the other three directions; there was no need to venture into the other half of the city.
Thus, the dividing line remained as it was.
Unable to pinpoint the exact reason, and since this dividing line posed no harm to the humans, Kim Haru and his group decided not to investigate further.
At most, they instructed the patrol team to remain vigilant when patrolling near the line and to keep an eye out for any unusual activity.
Thus, the division of Gokmul County into two halves was established: the left city belonged to the humans, while the right city was the domain of the Antharion Giant Ants.
Go Okrim made a trip to Gokmul County, and though it wasn't entirely without gains, he retraced the path he and his zombie brother had once walked.
Along the way, he found some items tied to their shared memories and even unearthed an old family photo from his former home.
He carefully brought these items back to his dormitory on the small farm.
"Brother, I'm living very well now. It's almost New Year, and I'll make sure to light a firework for you," Go Okrim said with a smile as he carefully placed the photo in a prominent spot.
After leaving the dormitory, Kang Hose was already waiting outside.
