Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 32: Wolf Spirit Lord

Patting the slightly messy corners of his clothes, Vikram stepped toward the ruin.

The ancient stone gate towered almost three times his height, its weather-worn surface covered in moss and indecipherable carvings.

On both sides stood solemn wolf-headed statues, silent guardians that had watched over the ruins for countless years.

With a steady push, Vikram forced the heavy gate open. A low creaking sound echoed into the darkness, and a dim passage slowly revealed itself.

Faint daylight spilled inside, forming trembling patches of light and shadow on the cracked stone walls.

A stale, ancient smell rushed into his lungs, damp earth mixed with the rot of fallen leaves.

He frowned slightly, then adjusted his breathing and stepped forward.

Soon the narrow passage opened into a vast inner hall resembling a ruined palace. Towering stone pillars stood at the four corners, holding up a ceiling carved with the terrifying image of a giant wolf staring down upon intruders.

At the center lay an altar-like platform, upon which an empty throne rested in eerie silence.

Behind Vikram, Guardian Sprout, Warrior Sprout, and Healer Sprout had already entered the hall.

The three small figures instinctively spread out, Guardian Sprout taking a forward defensive stance.

Warrior Sprout gripping its tiny blade with fierce readiness, while Healer Sprout hovered slightly behind, its gentle green glow pulsing softly.

Suddenly, a stone door on the side wall rumbled open. A pack of Wolf Spirits rushed out in tight formation.

Their synchronized steps and low growls made the entire hall vibrate with hostility.

Vikram quickly scanned them through the system.

All were Rare-grade.

He didn’t even bother to raise his sword immediately. Instead, he took half a step back, calmly allowing his Plant Warrior team to take the frontline.

The moment the wolves lunged forward, Guardian Sprout charged first, smashing its shield against the ground. The impact created a shock that staggered the leading Wolf Spirit, disrupting the pack’s rhythm.

Before the wolves could regain balance, Warrior Sprout darted in like a flash of steel-green light.

Its blade swept across joints and throats with frightening precision, exploiting every opening Guardian Sprout created.

Two wolves fell almost instantly.

The remaining spirits attempted to surround them.

At that moment, Healer Sprout’s central bud bloomed slightly, releasing drifting green particles that wrapped around its allies.

Guardian Sprout’s cracked bark-like arm regenerated visibly, while Warrior Sprout’s movements became even sharper and faster.

Encouraged by the support, Guardian Sprout began fighting even more aggressively,

shield-bashing one wolf into a pillar, then pinning another down with twisting vines that erupted from beneath its tiny feet.

Warrior Sprout followed mercilessly, leaping high and driving its blade straight through a wolf’s skull.

Only then did Vikram step forward, delivering occasional precise strikes whenever a wounded wolf tried to escape or counterattack.

Compared to the relentless assault of his Sprout team, his own movements felt almost secondary — more like control than combat.

Within a few short minutes, the coordinated pack of Wolf Spirits was reduced to silent corpses scattered across the ancient floor.

The hall returned to stillness.

Soft green light flickered gently from Healer Sprout as it drifted around the battlefield, healing minor scratches on Vikram’s hands and stabilizing the other two Sprouts’ energy.

Vikram calmly gathered the fallen Wolf Spirit remains into his backpack. Through the system’s information, he confirmed again that these creatures, despite their humanoid stance and tactics, were still classified as edible beasts.

The ruins had already yielded considerable supplies in such a short time.

But just as he prepared to advance deeper, a sudden chill crept up his spine, an instinctive warning sharper than any sound.

As if responding to his intrusion, a lone Wolf Spirit slowly stepped out from the massive stone doorway directly opposite him...

Wolf Spirit Lord: Purple — the commander of the Wolf Spirit Ruins, possessing power overwhelmingly stronger than other Wolf Spirits.

Special Ability: Wolf Summon — can summon all weaker Wolf Spirits within the surrounding area.

Vikram’s heart began to beat faster as his gaze locked onto the massive figure slowly emerging from the opposite stone doorway.

This Wolf Spirit was completely different from any he had encountered before. It resembled a terrifying werewolf from Earth movies, especially when Varun Dhawan became werewolf, he even cheered for it, bit here, it was towering, savage, and radiating an oppressive aura.

By quick estimation, it stood well over two meters tall. Its broad silhouette cast a massive shadow across the ancient stone floor, almost filling the entire passageway.

Its facial structure was grotesquely fierce.

Half of its face seemed occupied by long, jagged wolf fangs that gleamed faintly in the dim light.

Each breath it exhaled carried a deep, rumbling growl that echoed like distant thunder inside the ruin hall.

Lowering his gaze, Vikram noticed its limbs ending in monstrous claws, each curved talon as sharp and cold as forged daggers.

Dense gray fur covered powerful, tightly coiled muscles that shifted beneath the skin like living steel.

In the Wolf Spirit Lord’s golden eyes, there was almost no trace of intelligence, only pure, unfiltered bloodlust.

Vikram instinctively tightened his grip on his weapon. Yet retreat never crossed his mind.

He had traveled this far into the ruin precisely to witness its strongest guardian.

Turning back now would only plant fear inside his own heart.

He straightened his posture and glared back with equal ferocity.

Behind him, Guardian Sprout lifted its shield high, its tiny wooden frame radiating stubborn defiance.

Warrior Sprout stepped forward half a pace, blade angled downward in a silent challenge.

Even Healer Sprout drifted closer, its glowing bud pulsing brighter as if preparing for a desperate battle.

The three small companions, though vastly inferior in size, also fixed their gazes on the towering enemy without a hint of retreat.

For a brief moment, the ancient ruin fell into complete stillness.

The two sides began to circle slowly, each measuring the other.

Vikram had come all this way to understand the true combat power hidden within these ruins.

The Wolf Spirit Lord, on the other hand, had only one instinct, to tear apart the intruder standing before its throne.

Truthfully, neither side was completely confident.

This was the first time Vikram had ever faced a monster of such overwhelming presence. Even with his strengthened physique and his loyal Sprout team beside him, a faint chill still crept along his spine.

And the Wolf Spirit Lord, seeing Vikram effortlessly wipe out so many of its subordinates, no longer dared to treat this human as ordinary prey.

Its golden pupils narrowed, becoming cautious and calculating.

For several tense minutes, neither side moved.

Only the cold wind slipping through cracks in the ruins and the faint dripping of water broke the silence.

Finally, the Wolf Spirit Lord could no longer restrain its predatory instinct. It began to step forward slowly, each heavy footstep echoing like a drumbeat in the vast hall.

As the distance closed, a violent aura mixed with wild savagery surged toward Vikram. The oppressive pressure felt almost tangible, sending an involuntary chill crawling down his spine.

"But whether I can beat it or not... I have to try," Vikram muttered inwardly. "Otherwise, all this growth would be meaningless."

Behind him, Guardian Sprout tightened its shield grip, wooden vines creaking faintly. Warrior Sprout lowered its stance, blade angled forward like a silent predator ready to spring. Healer Sprout drifted closer, its soft green glow pulsing faster, as if sensing imminent danger.

"ROAR—!"

Without further warning, the Wolf Spirit Lord launched the first strike. A gigantic claw, larger than Vikram’s entire head, tore through the air with a violent whistle.

As the claw swept down, a thick, metallic smell of blood assaulted Vikram’s senses, a scent that spoke of countless slain creatures.

He reacted instantly, twisting his body and rolling twice across the stone floor, barely escaping the lethal arc.

The Wolf Spirit Lord did not recklessly pursue. Instead, it withdrew half a step, circling with eerie patience, waiting for a better opening.

Seeing this, Vikram steadied his breathing and tightened his grip on his Iron sword. His mind raced, calculating the chances of victory.

"Speed... slightly slower than mine. Strength... still uncertain. I need to test it."

With a sudden burst of resolve, Vikram took the initiative. His body lunged forward, blade flashing in a sharp silver arc.

CLANG—!

The full-force strike collided directly with the Wolf Spirit Lord’s crossed claws. A violent shockwave rippled outward as steel and bone met.

For a moment, the two figures were locked in place, a raw contest of power and will.

Warrior Sprout darted to the side, searching for an opening to flank. Guardian Sprout moved in a semicircle, shield raised, ready to intercept any sudden counterattack. Healer Sprout hovered behind Vikram, its glow intensifying in quiet preparation.

Just as Vikram began to think the stalemate would drag on and considered retreating, the Wolf Spirit Lord’s fang-filled mouth curled into a disturbingly sly grin.

A cold warning flashed through Vikram’s mind.

"Not good...!"

The resistance it had shown earlier...

was merely an act.

In truth, holding back his sword had cost it almost no effort.

The moment Vikram’s stance loosened ever so slightly, the beast exploded into motion. The muscles along its arms swelled grotesquely.

One massive claw clamped down on the Iron sword, locking it in place like a vice. The other arm rose high into the air, veins bulging beneath thick fur.

Then, powered by terrifying strength, the blood-stained claw came crashing down toward the weapon in Vikram’s hands.

A suffocating killing intent engulfed him.

For the first time since entering the ruins,

a clear trace of fear appeared in Vikram’s eyes.

He knew, if this blow connected, his weapon would be knocked away... And in the next instant, he himself would become nothing more than shattered flesh beneath those monstrous claws.

Seeing the fear flicker across Vikram’s face,

the Wolf Spirit Lord’s savage grin widened further.

In its mind, the scene of this intruder being crushed into pulp... Was already beginning to unfold.

Just as the surging claw strike was about to smash down on him, Guardian Sprout suddenly rushed in from the side, its vine-bound shield expanding with a creaking sound.

"Bang!"

The giant claw collided with the wooden shield, producing a dull, explosive shockwave.

Even so, the terrifying force still pushed Guardian Sprout several meters backward, its tiny body sliding across the stone floor before barely stabilizing itself.

Seizing that fleeting moment when the Wolf Spirit Lord’s momentum was disturbed, Vikram immediately rolled sideways, his body gliding across the ground and swiftly escaping the core of the attack range.

Warrior Sprout instantly followed up, darting forward with its blade raised, forcing the Wolf Spirit Lord to adjust its stance and momentarily halt its pursuit.

Behind them, Healer Sprout’s soft green light flickered, quickly easing the shock damage Guardian Sprout had just suffered.

The Wolf Spirit Lord froze for a second, clearly bewildered by this sudden coordinated resistance. Its golden eyes flicked between Vikram and the three plant companions, as if reassessing the threat.

Vikram briefly considered retreating from the ruins entirely, but the beast’s cunning had already shown itself.

During the earlier clash, the Lord had subtly shifted its position to block the only exit.

If Vikram wanted to escape, he would first need to outmaneuver it.

The Wolf Spirit Lord seemed to sense his intention. It let out a low sneer and remained planted before the gate like an immovable wall.