Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 12: Divya

With 120 Plant Essence in hand, Vikram was indeed a bit overconfident.

After all, his daily net income was 25 Plant Essence, and yesterday he had planted Aquaheart Root, Warrior Sprout, Lightfly Vine, and two Thornvines. Today, they would mature naturally since he had not used any Growth Acceleration on them.

Once matured, they would also begin producing Plant Essence.

So, in his eyes, 864 Plant Essence did not look particularly costly.

However, at this moment, he had not realized that the system’s current suggestions were only based on improving the Warehouse.

If he were to apply similar upgrades to the Treehouse itself, the cost would be far higher, perhaps even thousands of Plant Essence would not be enough.

Most of these upgrades only improved quality of life and did not directly strengthen resistance against large-scale natural disasters.

Vikram decided to prioritize securing the Warehouse first, because it stored many important items.

What he wanted most now was for the acid rain to stop quickly so he could begin hunting again.

Many resources that could not be mined directly would likely be obtained from loot boxes dropped by creatures.

With nothing urgent to do for the moment, and unwilling to remain idle, Vikram decided to properly sort and digest the blueprints and materials he had acquired over the past few days.

Sewing Kit ×1

Antipyretic ×2

Cold Medicine ×3

Bandage ×1

Small Medical Kit ×1

Copper ×4

Fabric ×8

Rubber ×6

Cotton ×5

Fabric Sofa Blueprint

Iron Pot Blueprint

Simple Stove Blueprint ×1

Wooden Ladder Blueprint ×1

Hunting Bow Blueprint ×1

Rainwater Collector Blueprint ×1

Stainless Steel Water Tower Blueprint ×1

Animal Trap Blueprint ×1

Looking at these various materials, he decided to organize the medical supplies first, then the raw materials, and finally the blueprints.

Sewing Kit: Used for emergency wound suturing, an essential item for wilderness survival.

Antipyretic: Used to reduce fever and relieve high-temperature symptoms.

Cold Medicine: Treats common colds and relieves symptoms such as coughing and nasal congestion.

Bandage: Used to dress wounds and prevent infection.

Small Medical Kit: Contains basic medical supplies such as disinfectant and gauze; ideal for treating minor injuries.

Vikram neatly arranged these medical supplies in one of the bedrooms inside the Treehouse, ensuring they could be found quickly when needed.

After placing the medical supplies, various manufacturing materials such as copper, fabric, rubber, and cotton were also placed in that same room.

The bedroom, which was currently unoccupied, temporarily became his storage room.

That was precisely why he wanted to complete the dedicated mountain warehouse as soon as possible.

Finally, it was time to allocate the production order for the various blueprints.

Before starting, Vikram glanced outside the Treehouse canopy.

The Guardian Sprout stood near the edge of the territory, shield-arm slightly raised, as if still on silent patrol despite the acid rain having weakened. Noticing Vikram’s gaze, it turned its wooden head slightly and tapped its shield once against the ground.

A dull thud echoed.

Vikram smiled faintly.

"Good work."

He then shifted his attention to the newly planted sprouts.

The Aquaheart Root’s leaves had already grown thicker, faint veins pulsing with a soft blue light. The Warrior Sprout stood more upright than before, its vine-like limbs slightly more defined. The Lightfly Vine clung quietly along a branch of the Treehouse, faint luminescent specks gathering within its buds.

Seeing everything stable, Vikram finally focused on the blueprints.

He carefully studied each one, considering how to use the materials and tools at hand to create these items.

He decided to start by making the Hunting Bow and Animal Traps, as these were the most urgently needed.

Especially now that he had obtained the Warrior Sprout.

With the Guardian Sprout acting as a tank and the Warrior Sprout serving as the main attacker, what he lacked was ranged suppression and support. The Hunting Bow would allow him to contribute without exposing himself recklessly.

As soon as the acid rain stopped, he planned to start hunting.

Current material demands could only be met through treasure chests dropped by various prey.

Next was the Stainless Steel Water Source, to ensure a supplementary water source.

However, what Vikram hoped. He wanted to connect the Aquaheart Root directly to the Stainless Steel Water Tower, allowing a fixed amount, perhaps five liters per day, to be stored automatically.

He had not yet found a way to link the Aquaheart Root’s purification output to the Water Tower.

Still, once the infrastructure was complete, the Water Tower could be installed within the Treehouse structure itself.

Then there was the Simple Stove. The Treehouse had limited open flame space, and although ventilation was better than his dug-out warehouse, he still needed to plan carefully before installation.

For now, roasting meat over a campfire was enough.

As for the Fabric Sofa and Wooden Ladder, he decided to postpone them.

"First I’ll upgrade the bed. Comfort comes from sleep, not decoration."

Only after upgrading his bed would he consider making a sofa.

Finally, he opened the Hunting Bow blueprint.

"Do you want to craft a Hunting Bow? Cost: Wood ×5, Rubber ×1."

"Yes."

As the button was pressed, a brand-new Hunting Bow appeared in his hand.

The bowstring was taut and evenly tensioned. The bow body was smooth and well-balanced, without visible flaws or cracks.

Vikram nodded in satisfaction.

Just as he was about to test the draw strength.

[Divya: Vikram, are you there?]

After thinking for a while, he remembered that she was the female seller who had sold him corn seeds last time.

Speaking of seeds, Vikram had originally wanted to plant the corn seeds beside the Treehouse, but he gave up on that idea because of the acid rain.

Until he found a complete solution that ensured not a single drop of acidic water would reach them, he would not sow the corn seeds.

He returned to the chat box and typed a question mark, feeling puzzled.

[Vikram: ?]

He didn’t recall having any special interaction with this Divya, so why was she sending such an abrupt message now?

[Divya: Can you trade some fever medicine to me?]

[Vikram: How do you know I have fever medicine?]

Divya briefly explained.

Roughly speaking, she had seen someone selling fever medicine earlier, but the price hadn’t been agreed upon.

At that time, she didn’t have enough stones to trade, so she asked the seller to reserve it for her until she gathered enough.

However, when she finally collected enough stones and returned, that seller had already sold the fever medicine to Vikram for a better price.

Helpless, she inquired about the buyer’s name and found him.

What she hadn’t expected was that she already had Vikram on her friend list—after all, she had previously sold him corn seeds. And during that transaction, because Vikram had haggled, her tone toward him had been somewhat impolite.

Now, she could only say nervously:

[Divya: I apologize for my rudeness last time. I hope you can be magnanimous and sell me the fever medicine.]

It was obvious that Divya rarely apologized. Her words felt stiff and awkward, almost giving Vikram goosebumps.

[Vikram: Are you the one with the fever?]

Vikram wasn’t in a hurry. He couldn’t continue digging the mountain at the moment anyway, so he replied calmly.

The other party hesitated for a long time before finally telling the truth.

[Divya: It’s not me. It’s my best friend who has a fever. It’s been a whole day already. I hope you can help her. I’m willing to pay the cost of the medicine and give you extra stones as thanks.]

She could only say nervously:

[Divya: I apologize for my rudeness last time. I hope you can be magnanimous and sell me the fever medicine.]

It was evident that Divya rarely apologized, and her words were awkward, giving him goosebumps.

It was truly a moving drama of deep friendship. But what did it have to do with him?

[Vikram: I don’t lack stones. Bring out something valuable, and maybe I’ll consider it.]

[Divya: But I don’t have any graded items left. I’ve already used the blueprints and such myself.]

[Vikram: Then there’s nothing to discuss.]

[Divya: Wait, lend me the fever medicine first. I’ll return it to you as soon as I find a rare item.]

[Vikram: That won’t do. Who knows if you’re trying to get something for nothing?]

Although extremely reluctant, Divya knew what Vikram said made sense. For the sake of her best friend, she had no choice but to grit her teeth, take off the necklace around her neck, and put it up for trade.

[Divya: This is my most important necklace. I’ll leave it with you as collateral. When I gather the items you want, I can redeem it from you, right?]

[Vikram: I don’t collect junk.]

[Divya: This was my mom’s necklace! It’s pure gold, you bastard!!]

Divya, on the other side of the screen, was practically fuming.

Her heavy breathing caused her ample bosom to rise and fall rapidly.

Divya was originally a girl from a well-off family on Earth. Although she lost her mother early, she had a father who doted on her.

From a young age, she lived a life where everything was handed to her. If she hadn’t been brought to this Wasteland World, when would she have ever suffered such indignity?

After this week of Wasteland survival, she had built a stone house ahead of many Survivors. Although she had help from her best friend, it was still something to be proud of.

She had thought she had stepped out of her comfort zone, shedding her naivety and sharpness.

She didn’t expect to encounter such a selfish person as Vikram and be immediately angered back to her original temper so easily.

[Vikram: Pure gold, huh? Well, that’s acceptable. How did you know I like necklaces the most? If you have trades like this in the future, come to me.]

Divya snorted coldly and initiated the trade.

[Trader: Divya, Item for Trade: Pure Gold Necklace, Required Item: Fever Medicine ×1 Box.]

[Vikram: Wait, before that, I have a small request.]

[Divya: What else do you want?]

Divya was already filled with anger. She was determined that if Vikram tried to take advantage of the situation and ask for more supplies, she would immediately cancel the trade.

Soon, Vikram sent another message:

[Vikram: Sister, show me your outfit.]

[...Divya: You—I—]

[Divya: Today I will ******.]

Divya could no longer suppress her anger and burst into curses.

Vikram looked at the censored insults she sent. Instead of getting angry, he simply waited with a faint smile for her to finish venting.

After a long while—

[Vikram: Are you done?]

[Divya: You idiot.]

[Vikram: ...]

[Vikram: It’s fine. I have all the time in the world to argue with you, but your best friend might not.]

[Vikram: She’s had a fever for an entire day. If it continues, it could damage her brain.]

[Vikram: It’s probably too late to find another seller now, isn’t it?]

[Vikram: You wouldn’t want your best friend to suffer in the apocalypse, would you? Be sensible, and you’ll get the medicine.]

Divya really wanted to close the chat interface, but the sight of her best friend—already delirious from the fever—made her unable to ignore Vikram’s words.

She raised her fair left arm, took a photo of the totem on her wrist, and sent it over.

The trade was completed.

Divya, her face flushed with humiliation, closed the interface while mentally cursing Vikram countless times.

She took out the fever medicine, blew on the freshly boiled water to cool it, then helped her listless best friend sit up and fed her the medicine.

Ten minutes later, seeing her best friend’s complexion improve slightly, Divya finally let out a breath of relief.

At the same time, she felt a little wronged, as if she had sacrificed far more than she ever imagined she would.