Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 4: Survival Platform
Vikram returned to his bedroom. On the way, he stopped by the small chicken coop.
The chicken glanced at him... then at the Guardian Sprout standing nearby. After a brief pause, it tucked its head under its wing and lazily went back to sleep.
Vikram sighed.
"Did I really bring back a lazy chicken..."
He shook his head.
"Oh right. I haven’t checked the Survival Platform’s chat channel yet."
Sitting on the wooden bed, he took out an apple and a handful of berries. As he ate and finished half a bottle of water, he opened the global chat interface.
As expected, the messages were chaotic.
"Where exactly is this? Were you all captured and brought here too?"
"Damn it, what kind of joke is this? I was taking a shower when I was dragged here to play this damn Wasteland survival game. If I find out whose prank this is, I’ll make him wish he was dead."
"Has anyone seen my child? She’s 6 years old, a girl with a round face, wearing a pink dress and a single ponytail. Please, kind-hearted people, help me find my child."
"Does anyone have water? I’m in a desert, dying of thirst! I’ll trade my stone pickaxe for water!"
"Where were all of you thrown? Why am I floating on the sea surface as soon as I was born? Someone save me..."
"Damn it, why did they only give three pieces of bread? It’s not even enough for one meal. Are they bullying me because I’m strong?"
The chat scrolled rapidly.
Vikram glanced at the apple in his hand. Had no one else found fruit trees?
Or... had they found them but didn’t dare to eat them?
After all, in the wild, most berries were poisonous. Without identification, few would risk their lives on an unknown fruit.
The messages continued to flood in.
Each one made Vikram’s heart grow heavier.
His own day had felt almost game-like.
Yet at the same time, countless people were already facing death. He clenched his jaw. But there was nothing he could do.
He couldn’t even guarantee his own survival yet.
In this environment, calmness and composure were the only real advantages.
The online population counter at the bottom corner displayed a staggering number: 8,000,000,000.
Vikram’s pupils contracted slightly.
Everyone. Everyone on Earth had been dragged into this Wasteland World.
Switching to the trading market, he saw chaotic listings everywhere.
Sand in exchange for water. Dirt in exchange for food. Absurd offers.
But perhaps the ones posting them were already desperate, clinging to whatever scraps they had left.
Vikram quietly closed the interface.
He rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
"It’s already like this... and the disaster hasn’t even started."
The first acid rain would arrive in three days.
"I wonder how many people will still be alive after it ends."
The room was silent.
The faint rustling of leaves outside was the only sound.
With mixed emotions — melancholy, unease... and a faint anticipation for tomorrow — Vikram lay back on the wooden bed.
His eyelids grew heavy.
His thoughts blurred.
Soon, he drifted into sleep.
—
What he didn’t know was this:
If he had not awakened the Plant Life System... If he had not found the apple tree... If he had not been able to identify the berries...
While the Wasteland System can identify creatures, it lacks the ability to provide detailed analysis.
He might have been among those desperate voices in the chat. Most wild berries in this world were poisonous.
Without identification, few dared to try. And perhaps...
Those who had found edible fruits chose not to reveal it. In the Wasteland, information was just as valuable as food.
---
"Cluck-cluck, cluck-cluck!"
Accompanied by the crowing of a wild chicken, Vikram finally got up from the wooden bed, rubbing his lower back.
"Sleeping on this bed is actually pretty good," Vikram muttered, stretching his stiff shoulders. "But if I have enough Plant Essence later, I should upgrade it."
"Speaking of which, I think I heard something in the middle of the night. Was it the Plant Essence arriving?"
He opened the system and found that his Plant Essence was already at 22.
The upper-right corner of the Survival Platform displayed: 6:30 AM, 3rd December, with a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius.
December was clearly the coldest month on Earth, yet here it was still over twenty degrees. Thinking that this was the Wasteland World with various natural disasters, he felt relieved. At least for now, the temperature wasn’t a problem.
He picked up his axe and stepped outside, immediately noticing that the sky was thick with dust, spreading overhead like dark clouds. "The dust in the sky seems to be getting denser."
Combining this with the mysterious voice that spoke of the first natural disaster, Vikram couldn’t help but suspect that the approaching acid rain was connected to the gathering dust.
But that wasn’t something he could worry about right now. "Right now, the most important thing is my own precious life."
Yesterday, due to time constraints, he had started chopping trees not far from the shelter.
Vikram thought and decided that from now on, he would go further to chop trees and dig for stones, even if it took more time.
After all, if a sudden open space appeared at the foot of the mountain, anyone passing by would immediately suspect someone was living there.
With less than two days left until the acid rain began, he needs to prepare sufficient food and materials for himself.
Although he believed his Treehouse would not corrode easily, he still had no confirmation of how long it could withstand continuous acid rain.
After all, even though it was Purple-grade, that didn’t necessarily mean it possessed natural defensive abilities.
As for the Thornvine, it was planted in the open entrance area. He had no idea how long it could endure under corrosive rain.
Preparation was essential.
Vikram opened the Plant Life System interface and switched to the Store tab.
"If the acid rain is really coming, there must be something here to deal with it..."
A new category had appeared: [Disaster Response]
He tapped it. Several options unfolded before his eyes.
Basic Defensive Mechanisms
Leaf Resin Coating (Green) – 25 Plant Essence
A plant-derived protective resin that can be applied to wooden structures. Provides minor corrosion resistance against acidic environments.
Duration: 48 hours.
Root Reinforcement (Green) – 30 Plant Essence
Strengthens the root network of the Treehouse or other plants, increasing structural stability and resistance to environmental damage.
Moisture Barrier Moss (Blue) – 60 Plant Essence
A special moss that forms a thin protective membrane over surfaces. Reduces acid rain damage by 30% within covered areas.
Vikram’s eyes moved downward.
The next section made his breathing slow slightly.
Advanced Defensive Mechanisms 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Ironbark Evolution (Purple) – 180 Plant Essence
Evolves the Treehouse’s outer bark into acid-resistant Ironbark. Significantly increases corrosion resistance and durability.
Canopy Rain Shield (Purple) – 220 Plant Essence
Temporarily forms a dense bio-membrane above the canopy. Greatly reduces acid penetration.
Duration: 72 hours.
Thornvine Hardened Mutation (Blue) – 140 Plant Essence Upgrades Thornvine to Acid-Resistant Thornvine. Increases durability and entanglement strength.
Vikram looked at the numbers silently.
His current Plant Essence: 22.
"...Not even enough for basic resin."
He exhaled slowly.
"Looks like I need to expand production."
He switched tabs.
Special Seeds (Offensive / Utility)
His eyes narrowed.
Sword Grass Seed (Blue) – 120 Plant Essence
A sharp-edged grass species. Mature blades are harder than steel and capable of cutting low-grade mutated creatures.
Sporeburst Mushroom (Blue) – 150 Plant Essence Releases toxic spores when disturbed.
Effective for area denial.
Healing Herb Cluster (Blue) – 130 Plant Essence
Produces medicinal leaves that accelerate minor wound recovery.
Ironwood Guardian Sapling (Purple) – 260 Plant Essence Evolves into a semi-mobile tree guardian. High durability. Moderate combat capability.
Sunflare Bloom (Purple) – 300 Plant Essence
Absorbs sunlight and releases concentrated heat energy. Effective against cold environments and certain creatures.
The prices climbed higher and higher.
Some seeds were even locked, with requirements exceeding 500 Plant Essence.
Vikram closed the interface slowly.
He glanced at his current balance again.
Plant Essence: 22.
"...How am I this poor?" he muttered bitterly.
After staring at the high-priced items for a while, he reopened the Plant Life System.
"Is there any other way to strengthen my defenses besides spending Plant Essence?"
The system remained silent for a few seconds.
Then it responded, its tone faintly mocking.
[With your current Plant Essence reserves... even dirt might be out of budget. Alternative crafting methods are available.]
[Recommendation: Acquire Leaf Resin Coating.]
[Alternative Method 1:]
Berryleaf Sap ×500
Poplar Wood ×50
Plant Essence ×5
Can be combined to create:
Crude Resin Barrier (Temporary – Green)
Provides 15% acid resistance.
Duration: 24 hours.
Vikram’s expression stiffened slightly. Five hundred leaves? He scrolled further.
[Alternative Method 2:]
Silverleaf ×50
Hardwood Trunk ×20
Plant Essence ×10
Can be combined to create:
Reinforced Thorn Shield (Temporary – Blue)
Integrates with Thornvine. Increases vine durability and provides 30% acid resistance.
Duration: 72 hours.
Vikram stared at the screen.
If the acid rain disaster began, he definitely wouldn’t be able to go outside freely — at least not without specialized protective equipment. That meant he had to stockpile enough food to sustain himself for at least a week.
He also needed to gather Berryleaf Sap and Poplar Wood. That wouldn’t be difficult, since both materials were available within his territory.
He had also seen Silverleaf growing near one side of the hill yesterday while surveying the area.
The only real obstacle was the Hardwood Trunk. The White-grade Stone Axe couldn’t cut that type of tree. He would need iron tools for that.
He decided to gather all the other materials first. Once he found iron, he would deal with the Hardwood.
