Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 65: Paradise Or Devil’s Den

The three of them stepped past the gate and walked a short distance inside before finally stopping.

None of them spoke for a moment.A strange pressure lingered in the air.

They had only intended to step in briefly... yet after crossing the boundary, an indescribable uneasiness began to creep into their hearts.

Akshay shifted his weight awkwardly, still limping from the thorn wounds on his leg. The pain had lessened, but the cold and fear together made his face look pale.

Abhay glanced back at the gate subconsciously. It was already sealed again, the living vines resting silently as if nothing had happened.

He swallowed. "Big Brother... maybe we shouldn’t go any further."

Abhishek did not reply immediately. His sharp eyes moved slowly between Vikram and the surroundings, calculating something in his mind.

The plan he had whispered earlier suddenly felt... childish. This place didn’t feel like an ordinary lone survivor’s shelter at all. It was like a devil den.

Akshay forced a weak laugh, "Brother... my wound suddenly hurts again. Maybe we should just sit here for a while and then leave before dark."

"Yes... yes," Abhay quickly followed, nodding repeatedly. "We only came to ask for help. Since Second Brother has already been released, we shouldn’t trouble him anymore."

Their tone was still polite, but their bodies had already begun to angle slightly toward the direction they had entered from.

Abhishek finally stepped forward half a pace and spoke with a respectful expression.

"Brother Vikram... Thank you for showing mercy just now. We are already very grateful. But we suddenly remembered that our own shelter still has unfinished matters. If we stay out too long, it might cause problems for our companions."

He paused deliberately.

"So... we were thinking... Perhaps we should head back soon."

The three of them exchanged quick glances.

Their earlier greed had already faded, replaced by a quiet urgency.

Right now, they did not want shelter. They did not want supplies. They only wanted one thing, a chance to leave safely.

"Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Weren’t you all eager to come in when I didn’t open the gate earlier?"

Vikram finally spoke, his tone calm and almost lazy.

"I haven’t even shown you around my home yet. Why rush off?"

Before the three could even react, his figure blurred.

A gust of wind brushed past them.

The next instant, Vikram was already behind Abhishek. His hand shot out like iron claws, gripping the back of Abhishek’s collar and lifting him effortlessly into the air like a helpless chick.

Abhishek’s feet left the ground.

Panic instantly exploded across his face. He kicked and struggled wildly, but Vikram’s grip was immovable — like being caught in a steel trap.

"I-I’m sorry, big brother! Please spare me!" Abhishek cried hoarsely. "I was fooled by them... I only followed along! If you let me go, I can tell you everything about the Brown Wood Shelter... all their secrets!"

No matter how he twisted, the hand holding him did not budge in the slightest.

At that moment, Abhay and Akshay finally realized the terrifying truth.

Leaving... was no longer an option.

The speed Vikram had just displayed was something they had only ever seen from the strongest leaders in large survivor groups.

But fear soon turned into desperation.

Abhay exchanged a glance with Akshay.

A silent signal passed between them.

Fight.

Without warning, the two suddenly lunged forward together, machetes flashing in the dim light as they aimed straight for Vikram’s back — one toward his neck, the other toward his heart.

Cold killing intent filled the air.

Yet... Their bodies abruptly froze mid-motion.

For a split second, even they did not understand why they had stopped.

Only Abhishek, dangling helplessly in Vikram’s hand, saw what truly happened.

A figure had moved.

A small, slender, half-plant silhouette streaked between Abhay and Akshay like a green phantom — so fast that the human eye could barely register it.

The Warrior Sprout landed lightly a few steps ahead, its vine-woven blade already lowered.

Scarlet droplets slowly slid down the edge of the leaf-steel sword.

Silence.

Then, a thin red line appeared across both men’s throats.

Their expressions were still fierce... still locked in the moment of attack.

With a dull "puch" sound, their heads slipped from their necks and fell to the ground.

Their bodies remained standing for a heartbeat...

before collapsing heavily into the frost-covered soil.

They had died so quickly... they had not even realized death had come.

Abhishek’s pupils shrank violently.

His entire body went limp in Vikram’s grasp, cold terror flooding every corner of his mind.

"Now I’m really curious about the true strength of the Brown Wood Shelter."

"The chat channel praised it like some legendary fortress... and the members turn out to be nothing but fools."

Vikram dusted his hands casually after tossing Abhishek onto the frozen ground.

"Not even basic strength... how disappointing."

Abhishek, however, wasn’t listening anymore.

His trembling gaze was locked on the vine-forged blade in the Warrior Sprout’s hand.

The sprout gave the weapon a light flick. A thin arc of blood scattered across the cold air... some droplets landing directly on Abhishek’s pale face.

In his vision, the small plant warrior was no longer a creature — it was a silent executioner slowly approaching him.

His throat tightened.

His body refused to move.

All he could do was shut his eyes and wait for death.

One second.

Five seconds.

Ten.

Nothing happened.

Heart hammering violently, Abhishek cautiously opened one eye.

What he saw next shattered his already fragile sanity.

The Warrior Sprout had already turned away.

It trotted toward another plant unit standing a short distance away — a slender sprout with smooth blue-green leaves and a softly glowing crystal bud at its crown, like a tiny staff formed from living water.

The Water Mage Sprout.

The Warrior Sprout chirped sharply, waving its blade in an annoyed manner.

As if understanding perfectly, the Water Mage Sprout lifted its vine-like arms. A clear ribbon of water spiraled out from the glowing bud, flowing over the blade with delicate precision.

The blood and dirt were washed away instantly.

The steel-leaf edge regained its cold, clean sheen.

The Warrior Sprout nodded in satisfaction... then marched toward yet another sprout.

This one was shorter but stockier, its leaves edged with faint ember-red veins. At its core flickered a tiny flame like a living heartbeat.

The Fire Mage Sprout.

Another sharp chirp.

A small burst of warm orange flame bloomed from the Fire Mage Sprout’s palms, gently sweeping across the wet blade. Within moments, steam curled upward — the weapon dried perfectly.

The Warrior Sprout lifted the blade toward the dim sky, admiring it like a proud soldier polishing his sword.

It even gave a small triumphant squeak, clearly pleased.

For the sprouts, this was nothing more than routine.

But for Abhishek...

His mind had already gone blank.

He could still barely accept the existence of a blade-wielding plant.

But water-casting... flame-controlling... obedient living entities moving under a single man’s silent command?

What kind of monster had he walked into? What kind of territory was this? What kind of person was Vikram?

His lips trembled uncontrollably as he looked up.

Vikram was standing there, smiling faintly, calm, relaxed... almost amused.

That gentle expression felt more terrifying than any roar.

"B-Big brother..." Abhishek finally croaked, dragging himself forward on numb limbs.

"What must I do for you to let me live? I can work... I can carry... I can be your ox or horse..."

His forehead nearly hit the soil as he bowed desperately.

"You won’t gain anything by killing a poor man like me... please... spare my life..."

"No rush... first enter the Shelter," Vikram said calmly.

As he spoke, his gaze briefly shifted toward the Fire Mage Sprout and the Water Mage Sprout, giving them a subtle signal.

The Fire Mage Sprout instantly understood.

It hurried toward the two headless corpses lying near the gate. Tiny embers pulsed beneath its leaf-veins as if it were muttering complaints about the mess left behind, like a diligent caretaker silently scolding the Warrior Sprout for dirtying the territory again.

A moment later, it opened its mouth. A concentrated stream of scorching flame burst forth.

The bodies blackened... cracked... and within seconds collapsed into a heap of fine grey ash.

Before even a wisp of smoke could drift away, the Water Mage Sprout stepped forward.

A spiral of clear water flowed from its glowing bud, sweeping gently across the ground. The ashes were gathered, dissolved, and washed into the soil as if they had never existed.

Everything became clean again.

Perfect. Organized. Silent.

Watching this scene, Abhishek felt both shock and relief.

Shock at how disciplined and efficient these plant beings were. They were not human... yet their coordination and execution surpassed most survival teams he had ever seen.

Relief, because he realized that if Vikram had wished, he too would have already become nothing more than drifting ash.

His legs felt weak as he followed Vikram deeper inside. They entered the decoy shelter.

What greeted him was a vast living room.

A space of nearly forty square meters might seem ordinary back on Earth, but in the brutal conditions of the Wasteland World it was almost unimaginable luxury.

His pupils widened involuntarily.

Most Survivors barely had enough room to lie down after placing a bed. Even the Brown Wood Shelter he came from felt cramped compared to this.

As they walked further in, another room came into view.

Construction materials were piled everywhere like small hills, steel, rubber, cloth, stone. Among them, blue-grade Physique and Vitality fruits lay scattered casually on the floor as if they were worthless snacks.

For a brief moment, greed flashed across Abhishek’s mind. Then it vanished instantly.

A cold realization crushed the thought before it could even grow.

One wrong move... and my head will roll.

The image of the Warrior Sprout’s blade... The Fire Mage Sprout’s cleansing flames... The Water Mage Sprout’s silent efficiency...

All of it returned like a nightmare. He lowered his gaze.

Vikram gestured toward the sofa.

"Sit."

Abhishek obeyed immediately.

The moment he sank into the soft cushions, an unfamiliar comfort spread through his exhausted body. Even in his life on Earth, he had rarely experienced such warmth and ease.

Vikram stood opposite him, arms folded, expression calm but unreadable.

"Now," he said lightly, "tell me why you came here... and everything you know about the Brown Wood Shelter."

"Word for word."

"Okay... okay!"

Fear loosened Abhishek’s tongue.

He spoke without holding anything back, their shelter’s layout... leadership structure... combat strength... food reserves... internal conflicts... future plans.

Every secret spilled out in painstaking detail. After a long while, his voice finally grew hoarse.

"That’s... that’s everything, Big Brother..."

Vikram hummed thoughtfully.

"Good. You stay here for now. I’ll be right back."