Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 39: Tricking Out Wolf Spirit Lord

At once, the Wolf Spirit Guards surged like a gray tide, swarming straight toward Vikram and his plant warriors.

And the Lord itself did not stay behind. With heavy, thunderous steps, it followed in the wake of its summoned army, ready to crush its enemy in one decisive assault.

A dozen or so exquisite-grade Wolf Spirit Guards charged forward together with the Wolf Spirit Lord. Vikram did not dare to act arrogantly. Without even glancing back, he immediately turned and sprinted up the ancient stone stairs.

Behind him, the Sprout Team moved in perfect coordination. Guardian Sprout repeatedly smashed its shield into the leading wolves, buying precious seconds.

At times, its vines lashed out like whips, hooking the legs of pursuing Wolf Spirits and sending their massive bodies tumbling down the steps.

Warrior Sprout darted through the chaos like a streak of green light, striking at ankles, joints, and exposed tendons, forcing the pack’s formation to constantly break apart.

Its small blade could not stop the wolves entirely, but its harassment slowed their momentum just enough for Vikram to widen the gap.

Meanwhile, Healer Sprout remained close to Vikram’s side, its soft emerald glow pulsing rhythmically.

Every pulse poured fresh stamina into his exhausted limbs, keeping his breathing steady and his steps powerful.

Even after such an intense battle, Vikram felt as though his body refused to tire.

The underground chamber was far too cramped and dark. Facing so many high-grade monsters there would be suicide.

He continued running upward, leaping across broken steps and shattered platforms, passing through one level after another until a faint gray light began to appear ahead.

Finally nearing the upper level, Vikram slowed slightly and turned his head to glance back.

The wolf pack was still pursuing relentlessly, claws scraping against stone, howls echoing through the spiraling corridor.

And hidden among them was the massive silhouette of the Wolf Spirit Lord, moving with unsettling restraint.

A cold sweat ran down Vikram’s back.

"What’s this idiot trying to do... hiding like that?"

He squinted, trying to track the giant figure weaving between its own subordinates.

"To call it stupid feels wrong... but to call it smart..."

He let out a dry laugh while continuing to run.

"...only a monster would think it can hide in a pack like that."

At this moment, the Wolf Spirit Lord, hidden within the pack, was secretly pleased with itself.

In its view, this tactic was flawless. As long as it blended into the pursuing wolves, it could launch a sudden fatal strike the moment Vikram showed even the slightest opening.

What it did not know was that Vikram had long since seen through this intention.

His reason for rushing upward was not only to escape the narrow, oppressive darkness of the underground hall, but also to deliberately draw these exquisite-grade minions out of the ruins.

Vikram clearly remembered that ordinary Wolf Spirit Guards had no restriction on their range of movement. The very first time he encountered them, three guards had chased him for several miles without hesitation.

If he could separate the Lord from its army, the difficulty of the battle would drop dramatically.

Soon enough, Vikram reached the upper chamber. The echo of dense footsteps behind him grew clearer and heavier with every passing second.

Instead of panicking, he leaned calmly against the cold stone wall and waited.

To carry out his plan, he was not afraid of being chased, he was only afraid they might give up halfway.

When the first silhouettes of the wolf pack finally appeared at the top of the stairs, he immediately turned and continued his "escape."

His pace was deliberately controlled. Every three steps he would glance back. Every five steps he would subtly slow down, ensuring the distance remained just tempting enough for the wolves to keep pursuing.

Guardian Sprout quickly understood Vikram’s intention. It stopped using its vines to trip the Wolf Spirits and instead focused only on shielding Vikram at critical moments, smashing aside jaws and claws whenever the wolves came too close.

Warrior Sprout also reduced its harassment attacks. It sprinted behind Vikram, occasionally slashing at over-eager pursuers, but mostly conserving strength and helping to keep formation.

At times, it even pushed or pulled the slightly slower Healer Sprout forward, allowing the glowing plant to keep up with Vikram’s rapid pace.

Meanwhile, Healer Sprout remained tirelessly at work, waves of soft green light constantly flowing into Vikram’s body.

His breathing stayed steady, his muscles light, as though fatigue itself had been erased.

After a prolonged and intense chase, Vikram finally burst through the final stone corridor.

The cold daylight of the outside world spread before him. He had reached the main entrance of the ruins.

Looking back, the two leading Wolf Spirit Guards had already lunged forward with their razor-sharp claws.

Vikram did not even need to react.

With a heavy thud, Guardian Sprout stepped in first, its sturdy shield slamming upward to intercept the attack. The impact rang out like iron striking iron, forcing both wolves to stagger back half a step.

Vikram calmly waited for the remaining guards and for the Wolf Spirit Lord hidden among them, before finally stepping completely out of the ruins and onto the white, snow-covered ground.

As he retreated into the open, he witnessed an unexpectedly comical scene.

The enormous Wolf Spirit Lord, trying to conceal its presence, had actually lowered its head like an ostrich burying itself in sand. It charged forward blindly with its head tucked down, apparently convinced that hiding its wolf face meant hiding its entire towering body.

Completely oblivious to the boundary of the ruins, it followed the pack and rushed straight toward the exit.

The Wolf Spirit Guards passed through the invisible threshold one after another without resistance, leaping into the snowy field.

But when it was the Lord’s turn—

"Bang!"

A deafening crash echoed. Its massive wolf head slammed violently into an unseen barrier. The colossal body swayed left and right, clearly stunned by the impact.

From the way its eyes spun wildly, Vikram could almost imagine stars circling around its skull.

He withdrew his gaze at once. There was no time to admire the dizzy boss still trapped inside.

The real danger was already upon him.

Several Wolf Spirit Guards had surrounded him, their gray fur dusted with snow, claws glinting like frost-covered blades.

Vikram inhaled deeply, steadied his footing, and gave a subtle signal. His Sprout Team immediately shifted formation, ready to engage.

The first Wolf Spirit Guard burst forward, killing intent surging like a cold tide, its claws aiming straight for Vikram’s throat.

He sidestepped lightly. At the same instant, Guardian Sprout smashed its shield forward, the solid impact striking the wolf square in the snout and throwing off its balance.

A streak of green steel followed. Warrior Sprout’s blade flashed through the air, slicing cleanly across the creature’s neck.

The Wolf Spirit Guard let out a strangled growl. Blood erupted in a dark arc against the snow, and before it could even comprehend what had happened, its body collapsed heavily at Vikram’s feet.

A second guard rushed in from behind, attempting to pin him in a deadly pincer.

But just like the first, a sharp metallic swish, a brief shrill cry... And another gray figure crumpled lifelessly into the white ground.

Snowflakes continued to fall silently around them,

as Vikram and his plant warriors stood firm, facing the rest of the advancing wolf pack.

However, the number of Wolf Spirits was still overwhelming.

Gray figures surged from every direction like a rising tide, their claws flashing coldly beneath the falling snow.

Vikram’s heart tightened. He understood clearly that at this moment he could not allow even the slightest distraction. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

More than a dozen exquisite-grade Wolf Spirit Guards were closing in.

Unlike the rare-grade wolf pack he had cut down with ease last time, this battle forced him to stay constantly alert.

But Vikram was no longer fighting as a lone warrior. He had already accepted his true role — a commander directing the rhythm of battle.

He stepped forward first, his Iron sword cutting across the air to draw the wolves’ attention.

The instant a guard lunged toward him, Guardian Sprout smashed in from the flank, its shield crashing into the creature’s ribs and disrupting its momentum.

Before the wolf could even regain balance,

Warrior Sprout’s blade descended like judgment.

A flash. A cry. Another corpse fell into the snow.

The third and fourth Wolf Spirits soon followed the same fate. One after another they collapsed, their blood staining the white ground crimson.

Fear finally began to creep into the remaining wolves. Their once-ferocious attacks became hesitant, their steps uncertain.

Sensing the shift in morale, Vikram seized the opportunity. He swiftly slung his sword behind him, drew his hunting bow, and began firing arrows with chilling precision.

Each arrow cut through the frosty air like a streak of lightning. Some pierced shoulders, some sank deep into throats, forcing the wounded guards into panic.

Meanwhile, Guardian Sprout and Warrior Sprout moved like relentless executioners, cleaning up the battlefield with coordinated strikes.

Behind them, Healer Sprout glowed softly, continuously restoring Vikram’s stamina and mending minor injuries before they could slow him down.

Soon, screams and the wet sound of tearing flesh echoed across the snowy plain. Bodies lay scattered like broken statues.

At last, only four Wolf Spirit Guards remained standing.

Inside the ruins, the Wolf Spirit Lord finally regained its senses. Seeing half its subordinates already slaughtered, realization struck like cold steel.

If Vikram finished off the remaining guards, the balance of power would shift irreversibly.

With a furious howl, it activated its summoning authority once more, calling the battered survivors back to its side.

The four wolves retreated immediately, limping and bleeding, gathering near their master like desperate shadows.

Vikram watched them regroup and calmly lowered his bow. He had no intention of playing cat-and-mouse any longer.

Without hesitation, he stepped back into the ruins.

His eyes were sharp as lightning, locked onto the towering figure ahead.

The Wolf Spirit Lord’s expression darkened, a cruel smile slowly stretching across its blood-stained muzzle.

This time, it chose to strike first.

Its massive body surged forward like a collapsing mountain, the remaining guards spreading outward to form a tightening encirclement.

Vikram’s muscles tensed. He retreated swiftly, narrowly avoiding the sweeping arc of the Lord’s claw.

Two guards attempted to exploit the opening and lunged toward his flank, but Guardian Sprout intercepted them head-on, shield ringing with thunderous force.

Before they could recover, Warrior Sprout darted in with merciless precision.

Steel flashed. Two heads fell almost simultaneously.

Blade light carved dazzling trajectories through the dim ruin, each strike pushing the battlefield closer to its inevitable climax.