Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 21: Easy Hunting

But before Vikram could deliver the finishing blow, the hyena suddenly rolled sideways.

Despite its shattered ribs, its pain-deadened body still reacted with terrifying ferocity. Twisting its head sharply, it opened its jaws wide and lunged again, attempting to bite Vikram’s arm.

Vikram tried to dodge, but the hyena’s teeth still grazed his forearm, leaving a shallow row of teeth marks.

However, Vikram didn’t hesitate for even a moment.

He raised his left foot and kicked the hyena’s shoulder with full force.

"Woof!"

The pressure on his arm instantly disappeared as the hyena’s body was sent flying several meters away, tumbling across the ground.

But the Crimson creature was still relentless.

Before Vikram could make another move, the hyena sprang back to its feet and charged again, crossing the distance in a blink.

This time, Vikram had no intention of playing around anymore.

As the hyena lunged forward, Vikram’s left foot shot out, tapping the hyena’s head just enough to disrupt its balance.

The beast staggered for a split second. In that instant, Vikram raised his right foot and stepped down hard on its neck.

"CRACK!"

The powerful stomp completely severed the hyena’s spine.

With its spinal cord broken, the commands from the brain could no longer reach its limbs.

The Crimson Hyena collapsed helplessly on the ground, its body flailing wildly but without coordination.

Vikram looked down at the still-struggling creature and calmly gave the order.

"Finish it."

The Guardian Sprout immediately rushed forward.

With a powerful swing, it smashed its shield directly into the hyena’s skull.

At the same moment, the Warrior Sprout leaped into the air, its vine-blade glowing faintly.

"Swoosh!"

The blade sliced cleanly across the hyena’s neck.

A head as large as a bucket flew into the air, and the hyena’s miserable life came to an abrupt end.

Behind them, the Healer Sprout quickly waddled toward Vikram.

Soft green light spread from its leaves as it began releasing healing particles.

Within less than a minute, the teeth marks on Vikram’s arm faded completely, leaving no trace behind.

Seeing the enemy fall, the little sprouts immediately became lively.

The Warrior Sprout excitedly swung its blade several times in the air as if celebrating. The Guardian Sprout thumped its shield proudly on the ground.

Even the Healer Sprout waved its leaves happily, scattering glowing healing particles like tiny fireworks.

The system notification soon appeared.

[Items obtained: Physique Fruit ×1, Steel ×5, Iron ×4, Latex ×5, Crimson Shard ×1]

At the same time, another system message appeared.

[Congratulations on defeating a Crimson Creature Hyena with the assistance of your Guardian Sprout, Warrior Sprout, and Healer Sprout.]

[Reward: Plant Essence +30, Spikevine ×3 (Green), Thornvine ×2 (Blue)]

Seeing the rewards, Vikram nodded with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, the three sprouts gathered around him.

The Guardian Sprout stood beside him like a proud bodyguard.

The Warrior Sprout poked the hyena’s corpse curiously with its blade.

And the Healer Sprout circled around Vikram once, as if checking whether he had any other injuries left to heal.

"So exhilarating!" Vikram exclaimed after hunting the hyena.

It had only been a few days since his last hunt for a Crimson Creature, but unlike the previous time—when he mostly relied on support—this time he had fought it directly himself, and the battle could only be described as completely overwhelming.

If Vikram hadn’t deliberately held back to test his abilities, he could have killed the hyena even faster.

After all, he still had his Sprout Team.

The sheer, unmatched power flowing through his body made Vikram unable to suppress the excitement rising in his chest.

This had been a Refined-grade creature, yet he hadn’t even drawn his sword.

He had used nothing but his fists to beat the hyena like a dead dog. The most astonishing improvement, however, was his reaction speed.

Although the four attributes looked similar numerically, the reaction stat produced the most obvious change.

Speed, strength, and stamina were still within Vikram’s previous understanding of physical ability.

But enhanced reaction speed felt like an entirely new world.

When the hyena had first lunged toward him earlier, Vikram’s concentration had sharpened instantly.

In that moment, the hyena’s movements and the surrounding environment seemed to slow down drastically.

It was as if the entire world had briefly entered slow motion, allowing him to calmly observe the creature rushing toward him.

That was why he had dodged so easily.

Even the hyena’s follow-up attacks appeared sluggish in Vikram’s eyes.

Despite knowing no martial arts whatsoever, Vikram had completely dominated a blue-grade Crimson Creature purely through his improved physique.

"The medicinal effects haven’t fully been absorbed yet," he murmured.

"My body should still improve slightly over the next two days."

He touched his abdomen.

Previously, Vikram’s physique had only been considered well-proportioned, but after consuming the Primal Evolution Fruit, his body had changed noticeably.

A clear six-pack had formed across his stomach. The flesh on his arms was no longer soft.

His biceps bulged slightly, and when he flexed his arm, sharp muscle lines appeared beneath the skin.

Each muscle fiber seemed carefully sculpted, revealing the natural beauty of strength.

Yet unlike the exaggerated bulk of a bodybuilder, Vikram’s physique remained balanced and natural.

When he wore clothes, he looked almost the same as before.

"It took less than ten minutes from leaving the Treehouse to killing the first prey today. Normally it could take an entire day just to find and kill one creature."

"Of course, the improvement in my physique helped a lot... But the system’s Creature Detection function helped even more."

With the detection ability acting like a radar, Vikram no longer needed to wander blindly.

"With this function, gathering the materials needed to build my farm beds might only take one day. And during that time, I can also collect more Crimson Shards."

Behind him, the Guardian Sprout proudly carried its shield as if guarding a victorious commander.

The Warrior Sprout hopped excitedly around the hyena’s corpse, occasionally poking it with its vine-blade.

Meanwhile, the Healer Sprout quietly walked beside Vikram, releasing soft green particles that refreshed everyone after the fight.

Glancing at the blinking indicators on the biological detection interface, Vikram immediately began moving toward the next target.

Soon, a faint cry reached his ears.

"Meeehh~~"

Vikram stopped for a moment.

He looked ahead and saw a creature grazing among the grass, "A sheep..."

He sighed slightly. "But unfortunately...it’s still a Crimson Creature."

Vikram had actually been considering bringing some docile, breedable creatures back to his territory for quite some time.

After all, sustainable production was something every qualified Shelter should achieve.

He didn’t even expect to encounter special creatures like Pinku again. Even if he could only bring back some chickens, ducks, or fish, it would already satisfy him.

However, the reality of the Wasteland World was far harsher.

Most ordinary animals had already been replaced by Crimson Creatures.

Just two days ago, Vikram had personally witnessed a horrifying scene, an ordinary wild buffalo being torn apart by another buffalo that had mutated into a Crimson Creature.

"I hope the mutation caused by the acid rain disappears someday," Vikram muttered.

As he spoke, his arm muscles tightened.

He raised his hunting bow, drawing an arrow smoothly.

The muscles in his arm and shoulder gradually bulged as he pulled the bowstring back. Veins rose beneath his skin, and the bow slowly bent until the string was stretched like a perfect full moon.

At the optimal moment, Vikram loosened his fingers slightly.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot forward with a sharp whistle, slicing cleanly through the air toward the sheep grazing in the distance.

"Thud!"

The arrow struck the sheep directly in the head.

The terrifying force drove the arrow straight through its skull, leaving a fist-sized bloody hole. The sheep’s body was even carried several meters backward by the impact.

The fallen sheep struggled weakly for a few seconds before finally lying still.

The arrow’s precision and power had spared it much suffering.

Soon, the familiar notification appeared.

[Obtained: Cotton (Green) ×3, Bandage (Green) ×2, Crimson Shard ×1]

"Just one arrow..."

Vikram looked down at his own hands in mild surprise.

Even he had underestimated the strength of 22 strength points.

When fighting Crimson Creatures, this level of strength didn’t feel particularly obvious.

Their lack of pain sensation allowed them to keep fighting even after sustaining serious injuries.

For example, when he had punched the Crimson Hyena earlier, a normal creature would have been crippled instantly.

Yet the Crimson creature had continued fighting as if nothing had happened.

But against ordinary creatures, the difference was overwhelming.

Even Rare-grade creatures could hardly withstand his full-power attack.

Coming back to his senses, Vikram shook his head slightly.

He decided not to use arrows again for the time being.

Killing the sheep had been easy, but because his Sprout Team hadn’t participated, the Plant Life System hadn’t given any rewards.

That was a waste.

With the help of the Creature Detection System, Vikram planned to clear all monsters within a 15-kilometer radius today.

Behind him, the Guardian Sprout, Warrior Sprout, and Healer Sprout were already following closely.

---

This time, Vikram headed west.

With light steps, he moved quickly through the forest and grassland. After nearly an hour of travel, he finally arrived at his destination.

This place was located near the outer edge of his territory’s exploration range.

Looking into the distance, he could clearly see another stretch of land.

That direction was also roughly where Vikram had first spawned when he arrived in this world.

Two completely different lands stood side by side.

The land where Vikram’s territory existed was lush and vibrant, filled with trees, flowers, birds, and buzzing insects.

But the other side... It looked like the end of the world.

Endless yellow sand stretched across the ground, fierce winds howled through the air, and sharp, jagged rocks protruded everywhere.

That barren region was the most apocalyptic place Vikram had seen since arriving in the Wasteland World.

Fortunately, he hadn’t foolishly chosen to place his Treehouse Core there.

Otherwise, his situation might have ended up the same as Rohan, the survivor he had traded with earlier.

"Speaking of which... It’s been a long time since our last trade. Rohan hasn’t sent any messages. I wonder if he survived the acid rain..."

Vikram fell silent for a moment. He had no intention of contacting him now. Sometimes, it was better not to confirm certain possibilities.

After all, Rohan had left a rather good impression on him.

The man had been honest and straightforward.

Whenever they traded, Vikram was even willing to give up a bit of profit, simply because dealing with someone honest was far more comfortable than negotiating with people who schemed behind your back.

Slowly, Vikram pushed those thoughts aside.

The real reason he had come so far today was something else.

According to the Creature Detection System, there were three creatures gathered together nearby.

Normally, Crimson Creatures rarely stayed close to one another.

Their bloodthirsty nature usually made them attack anything nearby, even their own kind.

So three creatures gathering in the same place clearly suggested something unusual.

As Vikram moved closer to the blinking dots on the detection screen, he noticed a small hill ahead.

The hillside was covered with fresh green grass, swaying gently in the wind like soft waves across the earth.

Crouching low, Vikram slowly climbed the slope.

Once he reached the top, he carefully laid himself flat on the grass, using the terrain to conceal his presence.

From this vantage point, the land below was completely open.

On the flat plain below, three figures could be seen clearly.

To Vikram’s surprise, they were standing upright on two legs.

The three figures had distinct humanoid shapes, and they appeared to be talking among themselves.

Seeing this, Vikram’s pupils narrowed slightly.

"Are these... The natives of the Wasteland World?"

It was not a strange conclusion.

Less than two hundred meters behind those three figures lay the boundary between the two regions.

One side was the lush green land where Vikram stood.

The other side was the barren yellow desert.

And right at the boundary between those two worlds, stood a massive ancient structure.

The building looked extremely old, its stone walls weathered by time, yet its towering shape still carried an oppressive sense of history and mystery.