Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System - Chapter 223: Amazing Light Mage Druid

Except for Ginny, all four were Survivors whose physiques had exceeded thirty-five points.

Putting everything else aside, if these people could join his Shelter, they would immediately form a combat-ready force.

He wouldn’t even need to train them much; they could take on exploration missions with him.

Thinking of this, Vikram’s gaze towards them was filled with eagerness.

However, when he saw their somewhat dejected expressions, he frowned again.

“What’s with those expressions, everyone? The danger has been dealt with. Are you not planning to join my Shelter?”

As he spoke, Vikram’s face involuntarily turned cold, and he glared at the five of them.

If these people weren’t planning to join his Shelter, Vikram wouldn’t have bothered to spare a glance at whether they lived or died.

He had wasted a pile of bullets and risked his life to save them this time.

But now, their expressions were like this, making it hard for him not to suspect they were going back on their word.

Harry waved his hands repeatedly, quickly trying to explain himself.

“No, no, no, Brother Vikram, you’ve misunderstood. Brother Vikram extended a helping hand to save our lives; we have no way to repay him. Of course, we are willing to join Brother Vikram’s Shelter and develop together.”

“Then what’s with your long faces?”

Vikram considered his temper to be quite good; even when encountering a Survivor who bothered him, he would at most kill them with a single strike, not bother to get angry.

But now, after all his effort, these people were still showing him such gloomy faces; anyone would be in a bad mood.

“Because…” Harry began hesitantly.

Just as Vikram was about to demand an explanation from Harry.

Ron reached out and interrupted Harry.

“Brother Vikram, I’m sorry. It’s not their fault; it’s that I can’t join your Shelter anymore. Please don’t blame the other four.”

Vikram heard Ron’s words and turned his head slightly to look at him.

At this moment, Ron’s face was ashen, and his steps were unsteady; he looked to be in a very bad state.

At the same time, he also noticed Percy behind Ron.

He hadn’t seen this Survivor in the villa before, and now he was fiddling with something behind Ron’s back.

His eyes were slightly red, and he was mumbling something, but Vikram couldn’t hear it clearly from too far away.

Realizing that he might indeed have misunderstood, Vikram immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his expression softening considerably.

“Oh, how so?”

To his surprise, Ron didn’t speak but instead turned around directly, revealing the gruesome injury on his back to Vikram.

“Brother Vikram, I’ve been infected by the zombie virus. It’s not that I don’t want to follow you… it’s just that I no longer have that opportunity.”

Ron took a deep breath, his voice weak and trembling.

Looking at the horrific wound, Vikram raised an eyebrow.

He then summoned the system again and scanned Ron. The previous scan had only shown physical information, but this time the result clearly displayed the words: [Infected with Zombie Virus].

“Brother, don’t move around. There must still be a way to save you. I’m almost done squeezing out the infected blood,” Percy’s slightly tearful voice came from behind Ron as soon as he turned around.

Vikram showed no expression, but the other five all looked utterly heartbroken.

“Don’t waste time,” Ron said. “You all hurry back with Brother Vikram. Then I can still find a more dignified way to die myself.”

“Do you really want to watch me turn into one of those monsters?” Ron pointed at the zombies lying on the ground and roared at them.

Then he turned to face Vikram.

“I’m sorry, Brother Vikram. I really can’t join your shelter anymore. But these companions of mine are all top-notch. I’m entrusting them to you. I hope you’ll treat them well.”

Looking at his younger brother, he added softly, “Percy, when you enter Brother Vikram’s Shelter, you must be honest and obedient. Do you hear me?”

With that, Ron turned around and began walking away alone, his back looking forlorn, as if he intended to find a quiet place to end his life.

Seeing this, the four others’ eyes turned red. They choked up with emotion, but no one stepped forward to stop him.

Because they knew that stopping him would be meaningless.

Unbeknownst to them, Vikram, who had witnessed the entire scene, merely pursed his lips.

Having seen enough of the drama, he finally spoke up, calling loudly to the gradually departing Ron:

“Hey! Where are you going? Are you coming back for dinner tonight?”

“Brother Vikram, what are you trying to say?” Ron asked in confusion. The others beside him also looked puzzled.

Instead of replying, Vikram turned toward the Light Mage Druid and said calmly, “Lighty, save him.”

“Li~ Okay, Vik,” Lighty replied in her soft, bell-like voice and floated gracefully toward Ron.

The group stared in bewilderment at the small, luminous girl. They couldn’t understand what this delicate-looking child could possibly do.

But the next moment, their eyes widened in shock.

Lighty gently placed both of her small hands on Ron’s injured back. Suddenly, a brilliant, pure white light began to bloom from her palms. The light grew brighter and brighter, like liquid sunlight pouring out, illuminating the dark surroundings with a sacred, warm glow.

The radiance was so intense yet gentle that it seemed to drive away the chill of the wasteland itself. Golden particles danced in the air around her hands as the purifying light sank deep into Ron’s wound. The dark, infected veins visible beneath his skin began to fade rapidly, dissolving under the holy energy.

Ron’s body trembled. “Brother Vikram… what is she doing?” he asked, his voice shaking as he guessed something but dared not believe it.

Vikram stood with his hands on his hips, a confident smile on his face. “She is saving your life. Don’t worry. As long as she is with us, no one can infect us with the zombie virus.”

“You… you mean… she can cure the zombie virus in my body?” Ron’s voice cracked with disbelief, his whole body trembling with emotion.

Not only Ron, but the four people beside him were completely stunned.

Harry Potter’s eyes widened in utter shock, his usual calm leadership demeanor cracking completely. Draco Malfoy stood frozen, his arrogant face replaced by pure astonishment, mouth slightly open. Percy Weasley’s eyes filled with fresh tears, this time of hope rather than sorrow. Ginny Potter covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes shining with disbelief and awe.

They had gone from the depths of despair to overwhelming shock in mere seconds. Each of them stared at the glowing Lighty with mouths agape, large enough to fit an egg. Their minds struggled to process what they were witnessing, a tiny plant-like girl was actually curing the incurable zombie virus right before their eyes.

As the purifying light continued to work, a cooling sensation swept through Ron’s entire body. The sharp, bone-deep pain in his back, which had felt like a maggot gnawing at his bones, began to diminish rapidly. The wound itself started to close at a visible speed, the torn flesh knitting together as if time itself was reversing.

“It’s really true… I’m definitely fine now,” Ron whispered in disbelief. He gently touched the wound on his back. Although a faint scar remained, the black, infected blood had completely vanished.

“It actually works!”

Witnessing this miraculous scene, not only Ron but the other four were stunned into silence. Their eyes widened in utter astonishment, mouths agape.

Especially Percy. Seeing the infection completely reversed, he almost wanted to press his face against Ron’s back to confirm it. After verifying that no black liquid indicative of zombie infection was visible, he bowed deeply to Vikram several times.

“Brother Vikram, thank you for saving my brother. If you don’t mind, I’ll also recognize you as my elder brother from now on. In the Shelter, I promise to listen to you in everything.”

Ron and Percy clearly had a very deep bond. Seeing that his brother was truly safe, Percy smiled through his tears.

Not only him, Ron jumped three feet high in joy.

“Hahaha! This is great! I don’t have to die!” The undisguised look of despair on his face vanished completely as he laughed uproariously, looking up at the sky.

Immediately after, as if remembering something, he rushed toward Vikram with the speed of a hundred-meter sprint.

While Vikram was still wondering what he was going to do, Ron hugged him tightly.

“Brother Vikram, you are truly my lucky star! We’ve only met twice, and you’ve saved me twice already.”

“Brother Vikram… no, Big Brother Vikram! From now on, you are my true elder brother. This life of mine was given by you. From now on, if you tell me to go east, I will never go west. Even if you ask me to die in your place, I would be willing!”

Hugging Vikram tightly, Ron made a solemn vow with a serious expression.

He enjoyed the hug, but Vikram suffered.

As a straight man, Vikram only wanted soft, fragrant hugs from women. He was already disgusted by a man like Ron hugging him so intimately. Furthermore, these five were survivors living in poor conditions. Forget about showering, even washing their faces daily was probably difficult. The mixed scent of sweat and corpse odor in such close proximity was an unforgettable experience.

Despite being very satisfied with Ron’s declaration of loyalty, Vikram still couldn’t help but pinch his nose.

This made Sophia, Divya, and Anjali secretly giggle from the side.

“Get off! Get off!” Vikram said, pushing him away. “I don’t swing that way. Hurry up and get in the RV. We’re driving back to the shelter immediately.”

“Alright, stop with these mushy words. It’s getting late.”

Ron, realizing his actions, scratched his head and gave a silly chuckle. He then saluted Vikram loudly and said, “Yes, Big Brother Vikram!”

Having two little fanboys felt pretty good, but it was getting dark, and staying here was clearly not a good option.

Vikram collected all the dead zombie bodies on the ground into his backpack.

Everyone got into the RV together.

Although the RV was originally designed as a seven-seater, after removing most of the seats earlier, there was now sufficient space for eleven people.

The journey of over two hundred meters took less than a minute.

But Vikram wore a troubled expression on his face.

Even though the Phantom Druid had cleared all the zombies that came near the RV, there had been so many of them that the vehicle was now covered in numerous scratches and dents. The once clean and sturdy exterior was badly scarred in several areas.

Looking at the off-color, scratched-up body of his beloved RV, Vikram felt a wave of disappointment.

“Sigh~” He let out a soft sigh.

“Today’s losses were indeed a bit heavy.”

He rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on, but then a small smile spread across his face as he thought of today’s gains.