Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 77: Another Ruin

Facing Vikram’s feigned indifference, Sunil Kumar did not reply immediately. Instead, he suddenly sent a message that made Vikram pause.

[Sunil Kumar: Brother Vikram, does your Shelter have the strength to eliminate exquisite-grade creatures?]

"Huh?" Vikram was slightly surprised. He had thought his question might have annoyed Sunil Kumar, but this unexpected reply reignited his interest.

He quickly responded.

[Vikram: What do you mean by that, Brother Sunil? Has your Shelter encountered some trouble? If you need help, I can assist.]

After a brief pause, Sunil Kumar replied honestly.

[Sunil Kumar: I won’t hide it from you. All the building materials I’ve been selling were dug from a structure near my Shelter.]

He then went on to explain everything in detail.

A strange structure had suddenly appeared near his Shelter. At first, he was extremely cautious and didn’t dare approach it. But after observing for some time and confirming that there was no immediate danger outside, he carefully explored it.

Inside, he discovered that the entire structure was made of various metals—iron, steel, stainless steel, and even some materials he couldn’t recognize. All the materials he had been selling were extracted from the outer parts of this structure.

However, after days of mining, the easily accessible outer layers had nearly been exhausted. When he attempted to venture deeper, he encountered a serious problem.

The interior was filled with zombie-like creatures.

"Zombies..." Vikram frowned slightly as he read.

He immediately understood the situation and replied.

[Vikram: So you want me to go deeper into that structure with you?]

[Sunil Kumar: Yes. We don’t necessarily need to reach the deepest part. Even going a bit further inside would allow us to obtain a much larger amount of materials.]

[Sunil Kumar: If you’re willing to cooperate, we can split everything fifty-fifty.]

Vikram didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he asked the key question.

[Vikram: If the materials are from the walls, why didn’t those monsters attack you before?]

Sunil Kumar replied without hesitation.

[Sunil Kumar: I’m not completely sure, but it seems they can’t leave the building. They only move inside.]

Vikram’s eyes narrowed slightly as he read this.

A structure made entirely of metal, filled with monsters inside, but relatively safe on the outer layer...

"Ruins, absolutely must be ruins" he muttered to himself.

"The Wolf Spirit Lord was also like this... are all ruins guarded by Epic-level monsters?" Vikram muttered, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

He hadn’t forgotten his last exploration at all. The moment he thought about it, his heartbeat quickened. The rewards from that time were still vivid in his mind—one gold-grade item and four purple-grade pieces of equipment. Even now, it felt unreal.

More importantly, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind. What if there was another hidden layer inside this ruin as well?

Just imagining it made him feel a surge of anticipation.

According to the system, the previous ruins were only Epic-level, yet they had already caused a huge stir across the region because of the treasure chest.

Now, judging from Sunil Kumar’s description, this metal structure was clearly far more special than the Wolf Spirit Ruins.

At this moment, Vikram’s body trembled slightly with excitement. Sunil Kumar only saw it as a place to mine materials, but Vikram understood its true value.

To him, this was no different from a treasure falling directly from the sky. On the other side, Sunil Kumar became uneasy seeing Vikram’s long silence.

[Sunil Kumar: Brother Vikram?]

He couldn’t help but wonder if he had revealed too much.

Vikram snapped out of his thoughts and quickly adjusted his expression before replying.

[Vikram: Then how did you determine the grade of those monsters?]

Sunil Kumar responded honestly.

[Sunil Kumar: I’m not entirely sure. I tested them using an exquisite-grade compound bow."]

[Sunil Kumar: Their flesh is similar to exquisite-grade creatures, and arrows can pierce them, but...]

[Vikram: But what?]

[Sunil Kumar: Like I said, they look like zombies, and their vitality is the same. I shot several arrows into one, and it still kept moving.]

Vikram’s expression immediately turned serious.

[Vikram: Are you sure?]

[Sunil Kumar: Absolutely. I even hit its heart once, and it was still fine. I only managed to kill it after destroying its head.]

Hearing this, Vikram fell silent again.

The excitement that had just filled him cooled down instantly.

This wasn’t just about strong monsters anymore. These creatures didn’t follow normal rules. Even fatal injuries like piercing the heart were ineffective. They had to be destroyed in a specific way to be killed.

That made them far more dangerous than ordinary creatures.

[Sunil Kumar: I’ve told you everything I know. So, Brother Vikram... do you have the confidence to deal with them?]

Vikram stared at the message, his thoughts rapidly shifting.

A strange idea suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Could this also be part of the Wasteland’s disasters?

Compared to natural disasters like acid rain or extreme cold, the terror of zombies came from something entirely different. It wasn’t just environmental pressure—it was a direct, relentless threat to life.

Then again, thinking about everything he had experienced so far, it didn’t feel strange anymore.

Acid rain, extreme cold, extreme heat, poisonous fog, radiation...

With so many disasters already existing, a zombie-like threat didn’t seem impossible.

In just a short exchange with Sunil Kumar, Vikram felt like the scope of this world had expanded once again.

He didn’t think the Wasteland World would be so considerate as to lock a large-scale disaster like zombies inside a single structure forever.

If something like that spread, it would be far more terrifying than any natural disaster they had faced so far. Especially now, when most Survivors still relied on cold weapons, a zombie-type threat would bring unimaginable consequences.

Silently memorizing this crucial information, Vikram made his decision.

[Vikram: If the zombies are truly as you described, then I have no problem.]

Whether it was for the generous rewards hidden inside the ruins or to personally understand the nature of these creatures, he had no reason to refuse.

Seeing this reply, Sunil Kumar finally relaxed.

[Sunil Kumar: Good, then it’s settled. We split everything fifty-fifty.]

In truth, he was not worried about Vikram joining him. What he feared was Vikram refusing. The outer layers of the structure had already been mined almost completely.

Keeping the secret any longer wouldn’t bring him more benefits. It was far better to cooperate with someone strong and dig deeper.

[Vikram: Then when do we leave?]

[Sunil Kumar: The sooner the better. Even in the same region, we could still be hundreds of kilometers apart.]

[Vikram: Send me your location.]

[Sunil Kumar: (1765, 677, 212)]

Looking at the coordinates, Vikram compared them with his own position and quickly estimated the distance.

"About one hundred forty kilometers..."

Not close, but not too far either.

[Vikram: Alright, I’ll contact you when I arrive.]

After ending the chat, Vikram sat on the sofa, staring ahead absentmindedly. In front of him, Sophia had already woken up and was calmly preparing breakfast, her presence adding a rare sense of warmth to the cold and ruthless Wasteland.

"Over one hundred forty kilometers..." he muttered softly.

For ordinary Survivors, this distance would be extremely dangerous, even impossible. But for him, with his Universal Bike, it was manageable.

Still, he quickly realized the limitation.

The bike, although larger than a normal one, could not carry too many people or units. Once he brought along multiple Sprouts, the available space would be filled instantly.

And unlike tools or structures, vehicles couldn’t simply be created at will.

Which meant one thing. If he wanted better mobility in the future, the answer could only be found in ruins.

And this metal structure... was the perfect opportunity.

However, this time, Vikram had no intention of rushing in carelessly. He wanted to go fully prepared, leaving no room for mistakes.

Without hesitation, he began gathering all the enhancement resources he had accumulated so far.

From hunting Crimson Creatures and eliminating enemies, he had collected a total of fifteen fruits.

Eight Physique Fruits and seven Vitality Fruits.

Holding them in his hands, Vikram’s gaze became steady.

Before entering the ruins this time, he would push his strength to the next level.

He opened his system panel and checked his current attributes.

Host: Vikram

Strength: 36

Speed: 32

Stamina: 34

Reaction: 37

He had already consumed five Physique Fruits and three Vitality Fruits earlier. Without hesitation, he took out the remaining fruits and began consuming them again.

However, there was a limit of these.

After eating ten Physique Fruits and ten Vitality Fruits in total, the limit has reached.

Because of this, he stopped, leaving three Physique Fruits unused.

Soon, a surge of power spread through his body.

His stats updated.

Host: Vikram

Strength: 46 (36 +10)

Speed: 46 (32 +14)

Stamina: 48 (34 +14)

Reaction: 47 (37 +10)

Feeling the explosive increase in strength, Vikram clenched his fists slightly. Every muscle in his body felt more responsive, more refined, as if he had stepped into an entirely new level of physical capability.

His gaze then shifted toward the remaining three Physique Fruits... and the Crimson Orb in his hand.

After a moment of thought, he looked toward Sophia.

For a brief second, he hesitated.

But when he thought about that night, she gives her virginity, while calling him master Vikram with love, his hesitation quickly disappeared.

"Sophia, come here." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Yes, Master." She walked over obediently and stood beside him.

"Eat these."

He placed the three Physique Fruits and the Crimson Orb in front of her.

"Me?" Sophia asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes, you."

"But... how can I? I am just your maid," she said softly.

Vikram frowned slightly, putting on a stern expression.

"If I tell you to do something, then do it. Don’t question it."

"Yes, Master."

This time, Sophia didn’t hesitate. Instead, a faint warmth appeared in her eyes.

She quickly picked up the fruits and consumed them, followed by the Crimson Orb.

Until now, she had not obtained a single Physique or Vitality Fruit on her own. It wasn’t because she lacked strength, but simply because her luck had been poor.

Not even a single Crimson Shard had dropped for her.

So this moment... meant something to her. A warm energy surged through her body. Her physique began to change.

Vikram observed her panel as it updated.

Name: Sophia

Strength: 19 (8 +6 +5)

Speed: 25 (20 +5)

Stamina: 13 (8 +5)

Reaction: 26 (15 +6 +5)

Seeing her stats, Vikram felt satisfied... and slightly surprised, and even a little bit of jealousy.

Her base Speed and Reaction were unusually high. Even compared to him.

If she had consumed the same number of enhancement items as him, her overall physique might have been even more impressive.

That thought lingered for a moment, and to satisfy his ego, he did the only thing he could do. He pinned her down on the sofa and started bullying her.

Sophia gasped at the sudden action. As he entered inside her, she complained a little in her mind, how much more time did he want her? The previous night he had already taken her for so long. But she let him feel happy and enjoy her.

After enjoying her, a faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at her in his embrace.

"Good. From now on, you’ll be more useful," Sophia lowered her head slightly.

"Yes, Master," She replied in meek tone, while after dressing, went to bring the breakfast.

The atmosphere in the room settled into a quiet calm as Vikram turned his thoughts back to the upcoming journey.

The ruins. The zombies.

And whatever secrets lay deeper within that metal structure, he will unveiled all.