Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System - Chapter 86: Upgrade Begins

Chapter 86: Upgrade Begins

Vikram opened his interface and initiated a call. After a brief pause, it connected.

On the other side, inside the shelter, Sophia appeared. She was already awake, standing near the preparation area, her expression calm but attentive.

“Yes, Master.”

Vikram spoke directly, without wasting time. “I’m inside a ruin. We’ve secured the area for now. There are a large number of materials here—prepare the warehouse. I’ll start sending items back.”

Sophia’s eyes flickered slightly, but she didn’t interrupt. “Yes, Master. I’ll clear space and organize the storage.”

“Also,” Vikram added, his tone firm, “prioritize metals. High-grade ones.”

“Understood.”

She paused for a moment, then asked softly, “Master… are you safe?”

Vikram glanced briefly at the mutilated Zombie Leader on the ground, then at his Sprout Team already moving into action.

“I am.”

“Then I’ll be waiting,” she said quietly.

The call ended.

Back in the ruin, the work had already begun. The Sprout Team moved with precise coordination—vines digging into the walls, pulling apart metal structures, while sharp tools and blades cut through joints and seams with efficiency.

“Clang—! Crack—! Tear—!”

The sound of extraction echoed throughout the area as metal plates were ripped out, support beams dismantled, and chunks of rare materials separated and gathered.

Alex and the others followed behind, collecting everything into storage packs and moving quickly, not wasting a single piece.

“Careful! Don’t damage that one!” Chandan shouted as he picked up a dense metal slab.

“Over here, more material!” another survivor called out.

Even Sunil was forced to work. Though his face was stiff and his movements cautious, he didn’t dare slack off under Vikram’s watch.

Vikram stood at the center, observing everything.

The battlefield had turned into a harvesting ground.

After several hours of nonstop work, most of the valuable materials had been stripped from the ruin. Metal plates, structural cores, rare alloys—everything worth taking had been dismantled.

Through continuous transfers, all of it was sent back to his territory, where Sophia efficiently received and organized everything into storage.

Vikram didn’t take everything for himself. He deliberately left a portion of the materials behind.

After all, these people were now his subordinates. Rewards were necessary. Loyalty had to be maintained.

When the gathering was finally complete, Vikram turned his attention back to the center of the room.

The Zombie Leader still lay there, reduced to a limbless, grotesque torso.

Yet, it was still alive.

Its neck twitched unnaturally, its rotten mouth opening and closing as it let out low, disturbing growls. Even without limbs, it dragged itself forward inch by inch, trying to reach the group.

Vikram glanced at his subordinates.

“Does anyone want to finish it?”

The question was casual—but the meaning was clear.

A chance.

An achievement.

Chandan’s eyes lit up for a moment. He stepped forward, gripping his weapon tighter. This was the boss monster. Killing it would mean recognition.

But as he got closer, he froze.

The Zombie Leader’s hollow, ruined face turned slightly toward him. Its jaw stretched open unnaturally, letting out a wet, guttural sound as it inched forward.

“Grrrr… aaaah…”

That grotesque movement, that instinctive hunger, hit him harder than expected.

Chandan’s expression changed. His steps slowed. Then he backed away, quickly. He shook his head.

“I… I’m good…”

The others burst into light laughter.

“Just now you wanted it so badly!”

“Go on, hero!”

Chandan scratched his head awkwardly, clearly embarrassed. Vikram watched the scene with a faint smile.

Cowardly—but honest.

Even in that miserable state, the Zombie Leader hadn’t lost its aggression. It still crawled forward, dragging its ruined body, driven purely by instinct.

Without another word, Vikram stepped forward. He placed his foot firmly on its bloated back, pinning it down. Then he raised his saber and drove it straight into its head.

“THUD!”

The blade pierced deep into the skull. Dark, thick blood oozed out immediately, staining the edge of the Epic-level weapon.

But Vikram didn’t stop.

He twisted the blade once, twice, several times—grinding it through the rotten flesh to ensure complete destruction.

The Zombie Leader’s body trembled violently for a few seconds, then went still.

Completely still.

Only after confirming it had no movement left did Vikram pull the saber out.

The next moment, the corpse began to disintegrate like ash, fading away before their eyes.

Leaving behind, only a purple-gold treasure chest.

The room fell silent.

Vikram stepped forward and casually picked it up, placing it into his bag without hesitation.

Sunil Kumar noticed everything. His eyes lingered on the chest for a brief moment—then quickly lowered.

He didn’t dare to ask.

Because deep down, he knew, if he showed even the slightest greed, his fate would be no different from that Zombie Leader.

As Vikram had expected, a system notification rang out in everyone’s ears, a deep mechanical voice echoing within their minds.

[Congratulations, Warriors. You have defeated the Zombie Leader.]

For a brief moment, silence followed, and then another notification appeared.

[Achievement unlocked: Title — Zombie Killer (Blue)]

[Effect: Damage dealt to zombie-type and dark-type creatures +15%. Reaction speed +5% when facing pack-type enemies.]

[Intimidation effect on low-grade zombie creatures (chance to reduce their attack intent)]

[Passive Aura: When fighting zombie monsters, the host’s killing intent will be slightly amplified, increasing battle focus and resistance to fear-type roars.]

A faint blue light descended, enveloping Alex, Chandan, and the other survivors. Their bodies glowed briefly as the title integrated into them, their expressions turning excited. Even Chandan, who had been frightened moments ago, now looked thrilled.

Vikram, however, remained still.

No blue light touched him. Because his reward was different. A deeper, richer glow appeared—purple mixed with a faint golden hue.

[Achievement unlocked: Title — Zombie Conqueror (Purple)]

[Effect: Damage dealt to zombie-type creatures +30%. All attributes +10% when facing boss-type or leader-type undead.]

[Enhanced Intimidation: Mid and low-grade zombie creatures may hesitate, slow down, or lose coordination in your presence.]

[Passive Aura: Fear Immunity against zombie-type mental effects. Killing intent greatly amplified, granting heightened focus and battle clarity.]

[Zombie Suppression: After killing a zombie-type boss, the host can suppress nearby zombies for a short duration, weakening their coordination and preventing group-based actions.]

A powerful aura surged around Vikram for a brief moment before fading, but the change remained. He could feel it clearly—sharper senses, stronger control, a natural dominance over the undead.

Then the final notification appeared.

[Ruin clearance condition fulfilled.]

[Host may choose:]

[Option 1 — End exploration here. Zombie Ruins will permanently disappear.]

[Option 2 — Advance to High Tier Epic-Level Dungeon: Zombie Lord Dungeon. This dungeon has only one clearing opportunity. Failure or retreat will cause the dungeon to vanish forever.]

The moment it appeared, everyone froze, shock, excitement, and fear mixing together.

A High Tier Epic Dungeon.

And only one chance.

Yet Vikram remained calm. He turned and looked at them.

“If anyone wants to come with me, you can. As for those who don’t, go back to the Shelter and wait. After I clear this, I’ll return.”

Alex clenched his fists. He wanted to go more than anyone, but his gaze shifted briefly toward Sunil, then toward the direction of their shelter.

Responsibility weighed on him. If he left, things could go wrong. Alex lowered his head slightly, “…Boss, I’ll stay back.”

Vikram glanced at him for a moment, then nodded—no judgment, no disappointment. Everyone else followed. No one dared take the risk.

One by one, they left the ruin. Soon, only Vikram remained.

Silence returned.

In front of him, a new gate slowly materialized, dark, heavy, and radiating an ominous aura. He stared at it calmly, already knowing that beyond it lay no ordinary dungeon.

This was the real challenge. But Vikram did not move immediately.

Instead, he waited.

Because he knew there was still one thing left—the reward from his Plant Life System. And from experience, that reward was always the best.

Soon, the familiar system voice echoed again in his mind.

[Congratulations, Host, for defeating the Zombie Leader and eliminating a large number of zombies with the assistance of your Plant Sprout Team.]

[Rewards Obtained:]

• Plant Essence +5000

• Demonvine Seed (Purple) ×5

• Mage Seed ×3 (Purple)

• Phantom Sprout ×1 (Purple)

• Assassin Sprout ×1 (Blue)

• Medium Growth Acceleration ×6

The rewards appeared one by one before his vision. Vikram glanced through them calmly.

“…Not bad.”

But not amazing either.

Compared to the previous ruin, the rewards felt slightly underwhelming. Still, he didn’t complain, because the true value of this ruin had already been extracted: materials and a stronger team.

He shifted his gaze toward his Sprout Team.

Every single one of them stood upright, fully restored, no injuries, no fatigue. Their energy was at its peak.

Then, a glow began to appear. Soft at first. Then brighter.

One by one, each Sprout began emitting light.

Vikram’s eyes sharpened slightly, “Leveling up…”

The massive amount of experience gained from the battle was finally being absorbed.

—

After the glow completely faded, the transformation was complete.

The aura around the Sprouts stabilized, their presence noticeably stronger, sharper, and more refined.

Vikram immediately checked the most obvious improvement, his Archer Sprouts.

Both of them had jumped directly from Level 1 → Level 4.

A massive leap. Their updated panel appeared before him:

—

[Archer Sprout (Blue)]

Type: Ranged Offensive

Status: Level 4

Growth Potential: High

Upgradeable: Yes

Daily Plant Essence Generation: +21

Physique:

Strength: 24

Speed: 31

Stamina: 30

Reaction: 30

Level Up Requirement:

• Combat / Support Experience ×50

Upgrade Requirement:

• Plant Essence ×150

• Combat Experience ≥50

Description: A mobile ranged plant warrior born from the Plant Life System. Its body is formed from flexible vine-fiber muscles and reinforced hollow bark channels, allowing faster projectile generation and improved structural durability. It excels in battlefield suppression, precision targeting, and coordinated ranged support.

Abilities:

• Thorn Arrow Shot — Fires hardened thorn-tipped arrows with improved density and rotation. Now capable of deeper penetration, increased accuracy, and minor internal tearing after impact.

• Rapid Vine Volley — Significantly boosts firing speed for a short duration. Arrows now maintain better trajectory stability, allowing sustained suppression even against moving targets.

• Piercing Focus Shot — Charges a high-density vine arrow before release. This shot has strong penetrative force, capable of targeting weak points such as eyes, joints, or skulls. Effective against high-defense or boss-type enemies.

• Territory Regeneration — Inside the Host’s territory, regeneration speed is increased.

Now also restores minor structural damage to weapons and improves stamina recovery rate.

Role: Mid-range damage dealer and precision execution unit. Provides sustained pressure, disrupts enemy formations, and delivers critical strikes at key moments—especially effective against weakened or exposed targets.