Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System - Chapter 196: Black Mist Danger (GT Bonus)

A big thank you to Yoake, Lloyd_the_Devourer, 27315K, rvilla6532, Zephyrus, Ammathred, and TheBerlinWolf for the Golden Tickets!

Your support truly means a lot and keeps me motivated to keep writing and improving the story. Every ticket and every bit of encouragement helps this journey grow stronger.

Thank you for being part of this adventure! 🔥

Vikram believed that their feelings should all be equally complex right now.

He had originally thought the same, but remembering his daily Plant Essence generation, a surge of confidence ignited within him.

’After I spent 15k, how much Plants Essence I have.’ He murmured and so he opened the system, and the number of Plant Essence was as he expected; even after building the observation room, he still had 2580 points.

Vikram couldn’t help but smile; with the daily generation of Plants Essence, nothing can stop him to develop his territory in the same way as Cameron Town.

Without rushing, he pushed open the territory’s door and went outside.

Compared to the two previous fierce disasters, this Black Fog didn’t bring him anything different.

It wasn’t even as shocking as creatures no longer dropping resource boxes.

Even now, outside the territory, none of the three felt anything amiss.

With doubts, the three returned to the territory.

“What’s going on? This disaster doesn’t seem to have any dangers?” Anjali tilted her head, confused.

“Yeah, it didn’t make any changes.” Sophia nodded with her.

Divya crossed her arms and stated confidently, “It definitely isn’t that simple, and it’s already night, so we can’t see anything even if there is something.”

Vikram nodded; he thought the same. Logically, since this disaster was called Black Fog, then literally, it was likely a disaster that affected vision.

It was early morning now, so it was normal not to see any problems.

However, very quickly, following this line of thought, he suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility.

Thinking of this, he said nothing, ignoring the doubts of the two behind him, and walked out of the territory again.

This time, he didn’t just rely on his naked eyes to observe but summoned the system.

[Disaster Black Fog: A foggy threat, capable of obscuring 50% of Survivors’ vision. Zombies are enhanced in the Black Fog, and the Black Fog is inherently poisonous.]

[Warning: Current Black Fog toxicity is 5%. If left unchecked, prolonged exposure to the Black Fog for twenty days will lead to the host’s death.]

Just two short descriptions, yet they made cold sweat stream down Vikram’s back.

He knew it wasn’t as simple as described; one had to know, according to the previous extreme cold’s pattern, this disaster would definitely become more terrifying week by week.

If just 5% toxicity could be fatal so quickly, what if it was 50%?

Would they die in two days?

—

Late at night, outside the Wasteland World, there was a deathly silence.

At a time when most Survivors should have been resting, Vikram was still standing outside the territory.

A chilling wind blew through him, snapping him out of his daze.

The feedback from the black mist given by the system made him feel somewhat at a loss.

With an uneasy heart, he returned indoors.

The system scanned, and these black mists were not completely blocked from the outside world just because the territory was located within a mountain.

Having stayed indoors until now, the three of them hadn’t noticed anything amiss, but it had already been an hour since the black mist began.

The visibility inside the territory was noticeably dimmer, even with the lights on.

By this point, Vikram had no desire to sleep.

This natural disaster was truly pervasive; if he didn’t expel this black mist, how could he dare to stay in the territory for long?

A faint uneasiness lingered in Vikram’s heart.

Without wasting any more time, he immediately called out, “System, is there any way to expel this black mist from the territory?”

For a brief moment, there was silence, then, a familiar voice responded.

[Ding! Suitable solution detected.]

A panel appeared before his eyes.

[Recommended Plant: Void Purge Vine]

Grade: Purple

Type: Environmental Purification Plant

Description: A high-tier plant capable of absorbing corrupted particles, toxins, and abnormal energy such as black mist. It stores the absorbed matter temporarily and expels it outside the territory through directional discharge.

Capabilities:

• Rapid absorption of black mist within a designated radius

• Continuous purification of territory air

• Can compress and eject corrupted substances outside the boundary

• Effective against unknown environmental hazards

Vikram’s eyes lit up slightly.

“This… is exactly what I need.” Without hesitation, he moved to purchase it.

But the moment he looked at the price, his expression froze.

[Price: 30,000 Plant Essence]

“…Thirty thousand?”

A bitter smile appeared on his face. For this, he needs to wait ten days.

“System… do you have any cheaper option?” he asked immediately.

There was a brief pause before the system replied.

[Ding! Alternative solution available.]

[Utilize the existing unit: Storm Mage Sprout.]

Following that there was also a system mocking tone, as always.

[You idiot monkey, after possessing a fully operational Storm Mage Sprout with wind manipulation, environmental control, and mist-dispelling capabilities, you have chosen to overlook it entirely while searching for external solutions.]

[Combat-type Sprouts are not decorative ornaments, or companions for livestock amusement, nor are they intended to exist solely for visual satisfaction or idle deployment, they are for help the host in various situations.]

[Analysis indicates a 100% availability of a suitable unit within immediate range, yet a 0% utilization rate, suggesting a highly inefficient decision-making pattern.]

[Before requesting system assistance, consider reviewing currently owned assets, as they are, in fact, designed for functional use rather than passive existence.]

[Storm Mage Sprout’s purpose includes dispersing environmental hazards such as mist, which directly correlates with the present scenario.]

[Host has successfully ignored the most obvious solution while seeking a costly alternative, confirming suboptimal resource awareness and mildly disappointing operational judgment.]

Continuously hearing the mocking of the Plant System, Vikram’s ears were nearly going to bleed.

Although he accepted that he was wrong here and overlooked his Sprouts, the Plant System was so vicious.

“How did I forget about that…?”

The Storm Mage Sprout specialized in environmental control. Dispelling mist, clearing air, manipulating wind, this was exactly within its capabilities.

Without wasting another moment, Vikram quickly headed toward the open area of the territory.

There, the Storm Mage Sprout was happily playing with the sheep and the goat, occasionally releasing tiny bursts of wind that made them wobble around.

“…”

Vikram stood there for a moment, speechless.

A powerful mage…playing like a child. He let out a breath and walked forward.

“Stop playing. We have work to do.”

The Storm Mage Sprout turned toward him, its eyes blinking innocently.

“Vik, what do I need to do?” Stormy asked, tilting its head slightly, its voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

Vikram looked at the slowly spreading black mist around the territory and spoke seriously, “Use your wind control. Disperse all this black mist and push it out of the territory. Don’t let any of it linger inside.”

Stormy blinked once, then nodded obediently. “Okay, Vik.”

In the next moment, a gentle breeze began to form around the Storm Mage Sprout. The air slowly stirred… then accelerated.

Within seconds, the soft wind turned into a controlled current, sweeping across the entire territory. The black mist, which had been silently spreading, began to tremble under the pressure.

The wind didn’t scatter randomly, it moved with precision, gathering the mist together and forcing it outward.

Wave after wave, the currents pushed the dark fog toward the edges of the territory.

The dim atmosphere gradually brightened. The suffocating feeling in the air disappeared.

And within just a few minutes, all the black mist inside the territory was completely cleared. The air returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

Vikram let out a slow breath and gently patted Stormy’s head. “…Good job.”

Hearing the praise, Stormy’s eyes lit up with joy. Without any hesitation, it happily ran back toward the sheep and the goat, as if nothing had happened.

There, the Ice Mage Sprout was also present, quietly standing nearby. Occasionally, it released faint chills into the air, forming tiny frost patterns on the ground, while watching Stormy play.

The sheep huddled together, slightly confused, while the goat continued bleating, unfazed.

Vikram stood there for a moment, watching the scene.

Just moments ago, this same little mage had cleared a dangerous black mist from the entire territory. And now… It was back to playing like an innocent child.

But these are the things which make his atmosphere peaceful.

With the crisis temporarily averted, Vikram lay on his bed. While Sophia, Divya and Anjali were laying beside him.

—

However, in a place Vikram couldn’t see, a conspiracy concerning him was quietly underway.

“How is it? Have you found out? What’s the background of that group?”

“Don’t tell me that after all these days, none of you have even figured out the situation of our new neighbors.”

In a smoke-filled room, a bald man flicked the cheap cigarette in his hand, asking with contempt in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, Boss, aren’t you confident in our efficiency?”

“This kid drives an RV every day when he goes out; it’s hard not to notice him.”

“Although we haven’t snuck into his territory yet, we’ve basically confirmed the number of members inside.”

The man, who looked nearly forty, explained fawningly, extending three fingers, “Including the three pretty girls and a child by his side, there are only five members in total.”

“Bang!” A loud noise echoed through the room.

“You’re saying that the six subordinates I sent to collect protection fees couldn’t even beat five people, and three of them were women and one was a child?”

The bald man casually snuffed out his cigarette on the wooden coffee table, glaring at the man who spoke.

Apparently, this explanation did not convince him.

“I… I really only saw five people come out of his territory; no one else appeared.”

“As for how they dealt with the six brothers, Boss, don’t forget he even has a RV.”

“Wouldn’t it be strange if someone like that were very weak?”