Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 20: Primal Evolution Fruit

With over 500 Plant Essence available, Vikram opened the System Store.

His eyes immediately locked onto the item that had been haunting his thoughts for days.

Its price was 200 Plant Essence.

Without hesitation, he pressed the purchase button.

[Ding. Purchase successfully. Obtained: Primal Evolution Fruit ×1]

The Primal Evolution Fruit lay quietly in Vikram’s palm.

Unlike ordinary fruits, its appearance was extremely unusual.

The fruit was roughly the size of an adult fist, its surface covered with deep blue skin threaded with faint silver veins, resembling tiny rivers flowing across its surface.

Under the light, those veins occasionally shimmered, as if starlight was trapped beneath the skin of the fruit.

The fruit itself seemed slightly translucent, and when Vikram rotated it slowly in his hand, he could faintly see dense, luminous pulp moving within, as though it contained concentrated vitality.

A faint cool aura surrounded it.

Bringing it closer to his nose, Vikram noticed there was almost no smell, only a subtle refreshing sensation that cleared his mind.

Without hesitation, he took a bite.

The moment his teeth pierced the skin, rich juice burst out, flowing across his tongue.

The flavor was strangely refreshing—slightly sweet, slightly cool, and filled with a natural vitality that spread through his body the instant he swallowed.

Vikram quickly finished the entire fruit.

Soon after, the familiar system notification sounded.

[Plant Essence +80]

As the fruit was digested, a warm current spread throughout his body.

It started in his chest and quickly flowed through every muscle, bone, and nerve.

Vikram could clearly feel every cell in his body awakening.

His breathing deepened.

His heartbeat grew stronger.

Strength surged through his limbs, while his senses became sharper.

He clenched his fist.

Power instantly gathered in his arm.

Vikram swung his fist forward.

"Whoosh!"

The punch cut through the air with a clear burst of wind, strong enough to make the loose fabric on his sleeve flutter.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"So strong... I feel like I could punch a cow to death with this strength."

His gaze moved to his character panel.

Host: Vikram

Strength: 12 +10

Speed: 12 +10

Stamina: 14 +10

Reaction: 13 +10

The increase was massive.

Even Vikram himself was slightly stunned.

Sitting quietly on the latex bed, he closed his eyes and carefully felt the subtle changes happening inside his body.

The Primal Evolution Fruit was still working slowly, continuing to strengthen his body.

"Awesome..."

"At this rate, I might really be able to wear my underwear on the outside soon."

Vikram chuckled to himself.

Lying back comfortably on the newly upgraded bed, he began planning tomorrow’s tasks.

After all the recent spending and gains, he now still had 452 Plant Essence remaining.

And he had already decided where these points would go.

Upgrading the Aquaheart Root.

The reason he bought the Primal Evolution Fruit first instead of upgrading the Aquaheart Root immediately was simple.

Consuming evolution-type items returned a portion of Plant Essence, allowing him to strengthen his body without significantly delaying the Aquaheart Root’s upgrade.

For Vikram, improving his personal combat strength was just as important as developing his territory.

After all, no matter how strong the Treehouse became, if the owner himself was weak, everything could still collapse in an instant.

Before going to sleep, Vikram suddenly remembered something.

The Thornvine Seeds and the Healer Sprout he had just obtained were still in his backpack.

"If I plant them now, they’ll grow overnight."

"By tomorrow morning, that’s more Plant Essence for me."

Without wasting time, he walked outside the Treehouse.

First, he planted the four Thornvine Seeds beside the existing Thornvine barrier near the entrance. The soil trembled slightly as the seeds sank into the ground.

Thin dark green vines immediately began spreading beneath the soil, slowly intertwining with the surrounding roots. Small thorn-covered shoots emerged from the surface, quietly entering their growth phase.

Although they had not matured yet, the young vines were already tough and slightly flexible, their tiny thorns glinting faintly under the moonlight.

The Thornvine defense line at the entrance was becoming denser and more intimidating.

After finishing with the Thornvines, Vikram walked a little closer to the Treehouse and planted the Healer Sprout near the base of the banyan tree.

Unlike the other combat sprouts, the Healer Sprout had a very gentle appearance even in its early stage.

A small pale-green bud emerged from the soil, surrounded by several soft leaves that emitted a faint mint-like glow.

A subtle fragrance spread around it.

Just standing nearby made Vikram feel as if the fatigue in his body had eased slightly.

"This thing really feels different."

Satisfied, Vikram returned to the Treehouse and soon fell asleep.

---

December 16th

Temperature: 16–20°C

The next morning, the first thing Vikram did after waking up was to check on the Healer Sprout.

Overnight, the sprout had grown considerably.

The once tiny bud had now become a knee-high plant-like creature with several wide, soft leaves extending from its small body. At its base were two small root-like legs, allowing it to slowly walk just like the other sprouts.

At the center of its leafy body, a small glowing bud pulsed with a soft emerald light.

Every few seconds, faint green particles drifted from its leaves, dissolving gently into the air.

The little sprout slowly waddled around the base of the Treehouse. Occasionally it stopped beside the Guardian Sprout and Warrior Sprout, touching them lightly with its leaves as if checking their condition.

Standing nearby, Vikram felt a faint warmth spreading through his body, and the fatigue from yesterday’s hunting seemed to fade slightly.

Seeing this, Vikram immediately opened the system panel.

[Healer Sprout (Blue)]

Type: Support / Recovery Plant Unit

Status: Level 1

Upgradeable: Yes

Daily Plant Essence Generation: +12

Description: A mobile support plant that channels natural vitality through its leaves and roots. It can follow allies in battle and provide continuous healing support.

Current Functions:

• Gradually restores minor injuries of nearby allies

• Reduces fatigue and accelerates physical recovery

• Slowly repairs damage to plant units (Guardian Sprout / Warrior Sprout)

• Emits healing particles that slightly increase stamina recovery speed

• Mobile unit capable of following the Host and other sprouts during exploration

Level Up Requirement: • Combat / Support Experience ×10

Upgrade Requirement: • Plant Essence ×150

• Combat / Support Experience ≥50

Role: Battlefield healer and recovery support unit.

Vikram nodded slightly after reading the panel.

The level up and upgrade requirements were exactly the same structure as the Guardian and Warrior Sprouts.

Looking at the three little sprouts standing together near the Treehouse, Vikram suddenly felt that his plant army was slowly taking shape.

After observing it for a moment, Vikram turned his attention to the entrance.

The Thornvine barrier now had eight vines intertwined together, forming a much more solid defensive structure.

The thick vines twisted around each other like a living wall, their sharp thorns protruding outward in dense rows.

Even a large creature would think twice before charging through that barrier.

Still, Vikram was not satisfied.

"Before the next disaster arrives... I have to complete the Thornvine defense."

But that was work for later.

Today’s goal was still simple.

Hunting.

There were only four days left before the next natural disaster.

Moreover, Vikram was eager to test the strength of his body after consuming the Primal Evolution Fruit.

He also wanted to observe the actual combat usefulness of the Healer Sprout.

Summoning the system interface, Vikram activated the Creature Detection Function.

Now he no longer needed to wander aimlessly like before.

The detection interface appeared like a radar screen in his mind.

With Vikram’s position as the center, the system could detect creatures within a 20-kilometer radius.

Every detected creature appeared as a blinking light dot, along with the exact straight-line distance from Vikram.

At that moment, several dots were blinking on the detection screen.

The nearest one was only 600 meters away.

"Perfect. Let’s test my speed."

Vikram bent his knees slightly.

His body leaned forward.

His right leg stepped back half a pace, muscles tightening like a coiled spring.

Then, he pushed off the ground.

"Whoosh!"

Vikram shot forward like a gust of wind.

His feet barely seemed to touch the ground as he glided across the grass. After a few rapid strides, he made a sharp turn with ease before gradually slowing down.

Within seconds, he stopped completely.

A grin appeared on his face.

The boost from the Primal Evolution Fruit had exceeded his expectations.

If a score of 10 represented the speed of Usain Bolt, then Vikram estimated his current speed was nearly double that.

Behind him, the three plant companions hurried to follow.

The Guardian Sprout ran with its tiny legs, shield raised as if still guarding Vikram even while moving.

The Warrior Sprout swung its vine-blade excitedly while running, occasionally stumbling but quickly regaining balance.

The newly grown Healer Sprout, however, moved the slowest.

Its small roots dragged across the ground as it struggled to keep up.

Seeing this, Vikram slowed down slightly and picked it up with one hand.

"Don’t rush."

"You’re a healer, not a runner."

The Healer Sprout swayed its leaves slightly, as if responding.

With his three small companions beside him, Vikram continued toward the blinking dot 600 meters away, ready to begin today’s hunt.

He could now cover 100 meters in just over six seconds, already approaching the speed of a slightly slower cheetah. Coupled with equally astonishing stamina, catching prey had become far easier than before. For Vikram now, it was often only a matter of a few minutes.

Following the detection signal, he soon arrived near a pile of rocks.

There, he spotted today’s experimental subject.

A hyena.

He activated the system scan.

[Crimson Hyena: ( Blue) Mutated from a refined-grade hyena affected by acid rain. Inherits all hyena attributes but has lost most pain sensation due to mutation. Cruel and bloodthirsty]

The blue-grade creature was significantly larger than an ordinary hyena. Its body was lean but powerful, and a faint bloody aura surrounded it.

The moment Vikram approached, the Crimson Hyena noticed him. Its blood-red eyes narrowed instantly, muscles tightening beneath its fur.

A low growl rumbled from its throat.

The hyena slowly opened its jaws, revealing rows of sharp, yellowed teeth, thick saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth.

Its gaze locked onto Vikram like a predator staring at prey.

Meanwhile, a short distance behind Vikram stood the three sprouts.

The Guardian Sprout planted its shield firmly into the ground, as if ready to intervene at any moment.

The Warrior Sprout held its vine-blade upright, eyes fixed on the hyena.

The Healer Sprout swayed its glowing leaves softly, releasing faint healing particles into the air.

However, none of them moved. They were all watching Vikram. Vikram had deliberately signaled them earlier not to interfere.

He wanted to test his own strength.

Seeing that Vikram remained motionless, the hyena’s ears flattened tightly against its head.

Its front legs lowered slightly. Its hind legs suddenly exploded with force.

In the blink of an eye, the Crimson Hyena lunged forward like a bullet.

Within a second, it closed the distance. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

At less than two meters, Vikram could already smell the foul stench coming from the hyena’s mouth.

Just as the hyena’s jaws snapped forward, Vikram calmly shifted his body sideways and stepped back half a pace.

The hyena’s lightning-fast bite missed completely.

At the same moment, Vikram’s body twisted. His left fist clenched tightly.

The muscles of his arm, shoulder, and waist moved together, transferring the strength of his entire body into a single punch.

The blow slammed directly into the hyena’s side.

"CRACK!"

The sound of shattering bones rang out.

The Crimson Hyena’s chest visibly collapsed inward, and its entire body was smashed violently into the ground.

Dust burst into the air.

Behind him, the Warrior Sprout instinctively raised its blade in excitement, while the Guardian Sprout stomped its root-feet as if cheering.

Even the Healer Sprout swayed its leaves faster, releasing more glowing particles.

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. It twisted its head sharply, jaws opening wide as it lunged again, trying to bite Vikram’s arm.