Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System - Chapter 73: Maid Sophia (Golden Ticket Bonus)

Chapter 73: Maid Sophia (Golden Ticket Bonus)

Vikram felt slightly awkward.

With Sophia sitting in front of him, their bodies were in constant contact due to the limited space.

To make matters worse, his body reacted instinctively, his dragon started to wake up, something he had no control over.

“…Focus,” he muttered inwardly, forcing his thoughts away from anything inappropriate.

To distract himself, he quickly opened her status through the system.

Name: Sophia

Strength: 8 | Speed: 20 | Stamina: 8 | Reaction: 15

His eyes lingered on one detail.

“Speed… 20?”

That was abnormally high compared to her other stats.

Even her reaction was decent.

“No wonder she managed to run this far…”

“If her strength was even slightly higher, she might’ve been able to fight back instead of running.”

After a brief pause, Vikram spoke.

“So, Sophia… how did you end up in that situation?”

Sophia remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, in a soft voice, she began to speak, “I… received an invitation from Brown Wood Shelter a few days ago.”

“At first, I wasn’t sure whether to go or not. I had heard mixed things… some said it was strong and reliable… others said it was dangerous.”

She tightened her grip slightly on her clothes.

“But surviving alone is too hard… So I decided to at least go and take a look.”

Her voice trembled faintly as she continued, “When I got close to their territory… I saw something.”

Vikram’s eyes narrowed slightly, “There was a couple… a man and a woman. They were also being invited in, just like me.”

“At first, everything seemed normal. But the moment they got close…”

Her voice faltered.

“Brown Wood Shelter members suddenly attacked.”

“They killed the husband right in front of her… without hesitation…”

Her breathing grew uneven.

“And then… They looted everything he had… And… they started…”

She stopped for a moment, clearly struggling to continue.

Vikram didn’t interrupt.

“…they started violating the woman… right there… before dragging her inside.”

Silence fell for a moment.

Only the sound of the wind and the hum of the bike remained.

Sophia’s hands trembled slightly, “I was hiding behind some rocks… I saw everything…”

“I… I was so scared… So I ran.”

Her voice lowered further, “But they noticed me… They didn’t want anyone to know what they were doing…”

“And… they also wanted…”

She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to.

“They sent those three after me… Amit… Ajit… and Aarav… I just kept running… I didn’t even know where I was going…”

“If you hadn’t come…”

Her voice broke slightly.

“I…”

She didn’t continue.

But the meaning was clear. She would not have survived, or dragged back to their shelter to become a plaything.

Vikram remained silent for a moment after hearing her story.

But, he already knew about this all, after all, he has an agent there, so he knew almost many things, except for a few secrets.

As the bike sped forward, Sophia’s brows slowly furrowed in confusion.

In front of her… there was nothing.

Only two massive hills stood ahead, completely blocking the path. There was no visible entrance, no road, not even a gap.

To her eyes, Vikram was heading straight toward a crash.

“Boss… where is our shelter?” she asked, her voice filled with confusion.

“Don’t worry,” Vikram replied with a faint, mischievous smile. “You’ll see soon.”

He leaned forward slightly as he spoke, his body naturally pressing closer due to the limited space.

Sophia instinctively leaned back a little under his weight.

At first, Vikram felt awkward… But gradually, that awkwardness faded. And in its place, enjoyment settled in.

Sophia also noticed this closeness. Yet instead of discomfort, she didn’t resist it.

In her mind, she had already made a decision, from the moment he saved her, he had become her master, and she… his maid.

To her, serving him was natural.

And she had already realized something important during their earlier conversation, Vikram lived alone.

There was no one else in his Shelter. No competition. No one to interfere. That thought made her feel… oddly at ease.

—

As the bike approached the hills, the world in front of her suddenly distorted.

A faint illusion shimmered in the air. And then, an entrance revealed itself. The hidden gate silently opened.

The bike passed through.

Sophia felt a brief dizziness, as if she had crossed into another space entirely.

Then, her eyes widened. Her lips parted in shock.

The cold… vanished.

Completely.

A gentle warmth wrapped around her body. The harsh wasteland outside felt like a distant illusion.

What replaced it, was something she could barely comprehend.

At the center stood a towering Treehouse, majestic and powerful, radiating a faint purple aura.

And through the gate she passed, there are vines spread naturally. Thornvines, Bloodvines, Spikevines. They looked harmless, like ordinary plants… Yet carried an invisible danger beneath their calm appearance.

A well-built shelter structure stood nearby, clean and organized.

Further ahead, a glowing greenhouse nurtured lush crops under soft purple light.

There was even a fish pond, its surface clear and calm despite the freezing world outside.

Everything worked in perfect harmony.

To Sophia, this wasn’t just a shelter. It was… A paradise.

“This… this is our shelter?” she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.

Vikram shook his head. “No.”

Sophia froze. Then… Are there others here too? Then why he said he lives alone. But before she could ask.

Vikram spoke again, “This is our territory. All of this… belongs to us.”

“…What?”

Her mind went blank.

Seeing her stunned expression, Vikram felt a faint satisfaction.

He reached out and gently held her face. Before she could react, he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Sophia was startled for a moment…

But then, she slowly closed her eyes. And responded quietly.

After that brief yet intimate kiss, Vikram’s mind flickered for a moment. Divya’s face appeared in his thoughts. A slight guilt rose in his heart…

But only for a second. He quickly suppressed it.

This was the Wasteland. Survival came first. Emotions could wait.

“Come,” he said calmly, shifting his focus. “I’ll show you around.”

There wasn’t much to show at the Iron Bay.

By the time they arrived, the Healer Sprout had already parked the Universal Bike properly. Everything was neat and organized.

Then Vikram led her toward the greenhouse.

The moment Sophia stepped inside, she felt the warm air wrapping around her again.

Rows of lush vegetables stretched before her. Nearby, the chicks, Pinku, and the baby goat moved around in their small enclosure.

Her eyes softened at the peaceful sight.

“Should I sprinkle water here daily?” she asked naturally, already thinking about her duties.

Vikram shook his head. “No need. The Water Mage Sprout takes care of that.”

He pointed lightly. “You just need to feed them.”

Sophia nodded seriously, taking mental note.

Next, he showed her the fish pond. The surface of the water was calm and clear.

“You’ll need to get live fish from trades,” Vikram said. “This place will be more useful once it’s stocked.”

She nodded again.

Then he brought her to the water tank.

“You don’t need to worry about water either,” he added casually. “If it runs out, the Water Mage Sprout will handle it.”

He glanced briefly toward the direction of the Aquaheart Root.

“That thing… honestly, it’s more like a pipe now. Constant supply to the Treehouse, nothing more.”

Sophia quietly absorbed everything he said.

When they entered the decoy Shelter, her eyes lit up again.

The spacious interior alone was enough to amaze her.

“This place is already so big…” she murmured. “Where is your bedroom?”

Vikram gave a faint smile. “This isn’t my real living place.”

“It’s mainly a warehouse right now. The real one… is hidden.”

Sophia blinked. “Hidden? Where?”

Vikram didn’t answer directly.

Instead, he led her toward the Treehouse.

Standing near it, he gently held her waist, then controlled the surrounding vines.

The vines bring them inside the Treehouse.

Sophia fell completely silent.

Everything she had seen until now… Was already beyond imagination.

But this was on an entirely different level.

The interior of the Treehouse was refined, warm, and filled with a subtle sense of power and security.

For her… It was like stepping into a king’s domain.

Vikram brought her to the first floor.

“You’ll stay here for now,” he said. “No need to worry about the cold inside the Treehouse.”

Sophia nodded obediently.

Then he led her upstairs, “This is my room.”

She looked around quietly… then nodded again.

But inside her mind, a thought had already formed. As his maid… The first thing I should do… Is properly clean my master’s room.

“Come,” Vikram said, glancing at the sky outside. “It’s time for dinner before we rest.”

Sophia, who had just finished observing everything in the territory, nodded immediately.

But this time… She didn’t wait for instructions.

As a maid, she had already decided what her first duty would be.

While Vikram was about to head toward the warehouse to prepare something simple as usual, he suddenly noticed Sophia walking ahead of him.

She directly entered the cooking area near the decoy shelter.

“I’ll prepare dinner today,” she said softly, yet confidently.

Vikram paused. “…You can cook?”

Sophia turned slightly, a faint smile appearing on her face. “Of course I can, I am woman.”

Vikram raised an eyebrow… then shrugged. “Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”

But inside, he was already curious.

Sophia stepped into the warehouse space and opened the storage.

Even she couldn’t help but feel stunned for a moment. So much meat…

Stacked like a mountain.

From wild rabbits to wolf meat, venison, and even high-quality cuts of beef and lamb, everything was there.

She quickly composed herself and began selecting ingredients.

“Tonight… I’ll make something warm,” she murmured. She chose fresh beef slices, lamb meat, and newly harvested cabbage.

Then she found the hotpot base. A faint smile appeared.

“Perfect.”

Vikram leaned casually against the wall, watching her work. For the first time, he wasn’t the one preparing food.

Sophia moved skillfully.

She washed the vegetables carefully, sliced the meat evenly, and arranged everything neatly in wooden bowls.

Her movements were smooth and efficient.

Not a single motion wasted.

Vikram couldn’t help but comment, “You’re way better than me already.”

Sophia glanced at him lightly. “What did you usually eat before I came?”

Vikram scratched his head. “…Meat. Just grilled. Sometimes half-burnt.”

Sophia paused for a second… then looked at him with a strange expression. “You had all these ingredients… and you wasted them like that?”

Vikram coughed lightly, “I survived, didn’t I?”

Sophia shook her head faintly, but there was a small smile on her lips.

Soon, the pot was placed over the fire.

The hotpot base melted into the water, and within minutes, steam began to rise.

A rich, spicy aroma filled the air. Vikram’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Damn… this already smells better than anything I’ve made.”

Sophia didn’t respond, focused on the cooking.

She gently placed slices of lamb into the boiling broth. The meat changed color almost instantly.

After a few seconds, she picked it up, blew lightly, then placed it into a bowl and handed it to Vikram.

“Try.”

Vikram didn’t hesitate.

The moment the meat entered his mouth, his eyes widened.

“…This…”

The tenderness, the flavor, the balance, it was completely different from his rough cooking.

“This is insane,” he said honestly. “I’ve been wasting food all this time.”

Sophia gave a small, satisfied nod.

Next, she added cabbage into the pot.

The leaves softened quickly, soaking up the rich broth. She picked a piece and handed it to him again.

Vikram ate it slowly this time. The freshness of the vegetable combined with the spicy broth, it felt… perfect.

After so many days of just meat, this simple vegetable tasted better than anything.

Vikram leaned back slightly, watching her continue cooking.

For the first time since entering the Wasteland, he wasn’t just surviving.

He was… living properly. A faint smile appeared on his face. “Looks like bringing you here was the right decision.”

Sophia didn’t look up, but her lips curved slightly.

“That’s your luck, Master.”

Vikram chuckled.

“Yeah… my luck.”