Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 22: Wolf Guards

This enormous ancient structure stood like a boundary between two worlds.

On one side stretched a vibrant green grassland, full of life and movement.

On the other side lay a desolate sea of yellow sand, where harsh winds howled endlessly across jagged rocks and barren dunes.

The ruins themselves were ancient beyond measure.

Massive stone walls, cracked by time, were covered with creeping moss and weathered marks from countless years of wind and sand.

Even without understanding their origin, Vikram could easily tell that this place was extremely old.

What impressed him most was the magnificent architectural style.

Towering stone pillars and wide arches were carved with intricate patterns and mysterious symbols. Despite centuries of erosion, the ruins still radiated an aura of mystery and authority.

Vikram quietly activated the system scan.

[Wolf Spirit Ruins: (Purple) Contains powerful enemies but also abundant resources. Defeat the strongest creature within the ruins to obtain an additional Ruin Treasure Chest]

[Note: This secret realm will disappear in one month.]

"Purple-grade ruins..."

Vikram’s expression immediately became serious.

He frowned slightly, carefully considering the situation.

"This is clearly a special resource point... basically a dungeon. If I could clear everything inside, the rewards would definitely be huge."

If these ruins had been blue-grade, Vikram wouldn’t have hesitated at all.

He would have charged straight inside. But purple-grade... That was an entirely different matter.

His gaze shifted back to the creatures guarding the entrance. The system panel appeared again.

[Wolf Spirit Guard: (Blue) Elite force of the Wolf Spirit Ruins. Responsible for eliminating enemies approaching the ruins.]

[Wolf Spirit Guard: (Blue) Elite force of the Wolf Spirit Ruins. Responsible for eliminating enemies approaching the ruins.]

[Wolf Spirit Guard: (Green) Core guard unit of the Wolf Spirit Ruins. Responsible for eliminating enemies approaching the ruins.]

Vikram narrowed his eyes slightly. The situation was troublesome. Even the three guards outside the ruins included two blue-grade elites.

If he acted carelessly, the noise might attract even stronger creatures from inside the ruins.

"According to the system description... there’s a high probability that a purple-grade epic monster is inside."

"And right now, I have absolutely no understanding of epic-grade creatures. If I rush in blindly..."

"...I might just die inside those ruins."

Vikram exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. But his eyes soon focused back on the three guards standing outside.

"Still... These three small monsters outside are another story."

They were standing roughly one to two hundred meters away from the ruins, clearly patrolling the outer perimeter.

If Vikram acted quickly, he could eliminate them before anything inside was noticed. Then retreat immediately. The risk was manageable.

And three guards meant three potential treasure chests. Vikram’s lips curved slightly.

"That’s worth the risk."

Vikram stomped the ground, and his body shot forward.

With a powerful push, he leaped off the slope, his body soaring through the air. Midway down, he twisted slightly to stabilize himself before landing steadily on the flat ground below.

There was no cover here.

The moment Vikram’s feet touched the ground, the three Wolf Spirit Guards immediately noticed him.

The creatures Vikram had encountered before, whether wolves, hyenas, or deer, were merely animals whose physical abilities had been enhanced.

But the beings standing before him now were something entirely different. They were true monsters.

The Wolf Spirit Guards had towering, burly bodies covered in thick gray fur. Their muscles were sharply defined beneath the fur, each movement revealing frightening physical strength.

Their claws were long and curved like daggers, reflecting a chilling metallic sheen.

Their limbs were swollen and powerful, clearly capable of tearing apart ordinary prey with ease.

Their faces remained that of wolves, yet their eyes glowed an eerie golden color, revealing both intelligence and cruelty.

Their noses were broad, and every breath carried the strong scent of a beast.

Unlike ordinary wolves that ran on four legs, these Wolf Spirits stood upright, walking on two legs like humans.

Each one stood nearly as tall as Vikram himself. Just standing there, they emitted a heavy oppressive aura.

While Vikram carefully observed them, the three Wolf Spirits also noticed him immediately.

But strangely, they only roared from a distance and did not advance.

It seemed that as long as Vikram remained outside the ruins’ territory boundary, they had no intention of attacking first.

However, Vikram had no intention of letting them off. He wasn’t naive enough to pity monsters. Without hesitation, he initiated the attack.

With practiced ease, Vikram drew an arrow from his quiver and placed it on the bowstring.

His muscles tightened as he pulled the string back.

A moment later, he released his fingers.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot forward like a streak of lightning, slicing through the air and heading directly for the heart of one Wolf Spirit Guard.

The creature clearly didn’t recognize the weapon Vikram held.

It stood still at first, watching curiously as Vikram raised his bow.

But when the arrow suddenly flew toward it, the Wolf Spirit’s body jerked violently to the side. Its speed exceeded Vikram’s expectations.

Even though it reacted only when the arrow was about to hit, it still managed to dodge the fatal strike at the last moment.

The arrow slammed into the ground behind it. The near miss instantly ignited their fury.

The three Wolf Spirits let out deep, savage roars, their golden eyes blazing with killing intent. All three charged forward simultaneously.

Six razor-sharp wolf claws tore through the air toward Vikram at the same time.

But just as the claws were about to reach him, the Guardian Sprout suddenly rushed forward.

With a heavy stomp of its root-legs, it raised its shield and slammed it directly between Vikram and the charging monsters.

"Clang! Clang!"

Two of the wolf claws smashed into the shield, sparks flying as the impact echoed across the plain.

The Guardian Sprout was pushed back half a step, its tiny body trembling under the force, but the shield held firm, blocking the deadly attack.

At the same moment, the Warrior Sprout leapt forward.

Its vine-blade flashed through the air, striking one of the Wolf Spirits across the thigh and forcing it to retreat half a step.

Meanwhile, Vikram calmly drew another arrow.

With his 22 points of strength, the bowstring bent instantly into a full arc.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot forward again. This time, one of the Wolf Spirits failed to dodge.

"Thud!"

The arrow slammed straight into its shoulder, driving the shaft deep into the flesh. The Wolf Spirit staggered a step and let out an enraged roar.

Vikram calmly stood to one side of the battlefield, already drawing another arrow.

Seeing the opening, the Guardian Sprout immediately rushed forward and smashed its shield into the creature.

"Bang!"

The Wolf Spirit lost its balance. In the next moment, the Warrior Sprout leapt into the air. Its vine-blade flashed downward.

"Swoosh!"

The blade cut cleanly across the Wolf Spirit’s neck. Blood sprayed as the creature collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

From the side, Vikram lowered his bow slightly and nodded.

"Good."

But the battle wasn’t over yet. The remaining two blue-grade Wolf Spirits saw their companion fall and immediately erupted in rage. Their golden eyes burned with killing intent.

"Grrrr!"

Both wolves charged forward at the same time.

One attacked the Guardian Sprout, claws slashing wildly.

"Clang!"

The shield blocked the attack once again, the Guardian Sprout firmly holding its ground like a living wall.

The other Wolf Spirit tried to circle around the Guardian Sprout and attack from the side.

But before it could move far, "Whoosh!"

Another arrow flew from Vikram’s bow.

The arrow struck the wolf’s ribs, forcing it to stumble and abandon its attack.

Seizing the opportunity, the Warrior Sprout rushed forward and repeatedly slashed at the creature’s legs, its vine-blade leaving several deep cuts in the wolf’s thick fur.

At the same time, the Healer Sprout remained slightly behind them, scattering soft green particles that drifted through the air and settled on the battlefield.

The glowing particles slowly restored the stamina of the fighting team, keeping the Guardian and Warrior Sprouts in peak condition.

Standing calmly at a distance, Vikram continued to fire arrows whenever an opening appeared, each shot forcing the wolves to hesitate or retreat.

With Vikram providing long-range pressure, the Guardian Sprout holding the frontline, and the Warrior Sprout delivering relentless attacks, the two remaining Wolf Spirits were gradually pushed into a disadvantage.

Under the constant pressure of the team’s coordinated assault, the ferocious wolves were slowly being cornered.

The battle had now completely become a coordinated team hunt.

Under the continuous pressure from Vikram and the Sprout Team, the two remaining Wolf Spirits gradually began to lose their rhythm.

"Whoosh!"

Another arrow shot out from Vikram’s bow.

The arrow struck one of the wolves in the thigh, forcing it to stagger and slow down.

Seeing the opportunity, the Guardian Sprout immediately rushed forward and smashed its shield hard into the creature’s chest.

"Bang!"

The heavy impact knocked the Wolf Spirit backward.

Before it could recover its balance, the Warrior Sprout dashed forward and slashed its vine-blade across the wolf’s neck.

"Swoosh!"

A deep wound opened across the creature’s throat.

The Wolf Spirit tried to retaliate, wildly swinging its claws, but the Guardian Sprout stepped forward again, firmly blocking the attack with its shield.

At the same time, another arrow from Vikram pierced through the wolf’s eye.

"Thud!"

The Wolf Spirit’s body stiffened for a moment before collapsing heavily to the ground.

Only one Wolf Spirit remained.

Seeing its two companions die in quick succession, the last wolf let out a furious roar.

"Grrrrr!"

Its golden eyes burned with rage as it suddenly charged forward recklessly.

The wolf lunged straight at the Guardian Sprout, claws slashing violently.

"Clang!"

The shield blocked the first attack, but the sheer force pushed the Guardian Sprout half a step back.

The Warrior Sprout immediately seized the opening and leapt onto the wolf’s back, stabbing its vine-blade repeatedly into the creature’s shoulder.

"Stab! Stab!"

The Wolf Spirit howled in fury, trying to shake the Warrior Sprout off.

But before it could succeed, "Whoosh!"

A final arrow from Vikram flew through the air.

"Thud!"

The arrow pierced directly into the wolf’s throat.

The creature staggered forward several steps before collapsing to the ground, its body twitching briefly before finally becoming still.

The battlefield fell silent.

Three Wolf Spirit corpses lay scattered across the grassland.

The Guardian Sprout proudly lifted its shield and stomped twice on the ground.

The Warrior Sprout waved its vine-blade excitedly as if celebrating victory.

Even the Healer Sprout bounced slightly, scattering a few bright healing particles in the air.

Vikram slowly lowered his bow and walked forward.

"Good work."

He patted the Guardian Sprout’s shield lightly, then glanced at the ruins in the distance.

"Three blue guards..."

"And they were only the gatekeepers."

He quickly collected the drops from the corpses before casting one more cautious glance toward the Wolf Spirit Ruins.

This place was clearly not suitable to stay long.

Soon, the hurried Vikram disappeared from the area.

What he didn’t know was that a figure had been crouching in a distant bush the entire time.

Everything Vikram had just done was witnessed by the figure.

Now, seeing Vikram leave, the man slowly stood up from the bushes.

His eyes stared at the direction Vikram had disappeared, filled with shock and greed.

After a moment, he quietly turned and left as well, trailing far behind. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

---

Inside a Shelter slightly larger than an ordinary stone house, two men stood facing each other.

One was a tall middle-aged man, while the other was a slightly plump young man.

Despite their different physiques, both wore gloomy expressions.

"Why hasn’t Amit returned yet? He hasn’t been eaten by a Wolf Spirit, has he?" the middle-aged man asked impatiently.

"He shouldn’t be," the slightly plump young man replied confidently.

"He’s more clever than both of us. He definitely wouldn’t approach a Wolf Spirit alone."

"He must have discovered something valuable and is still observing."

The middle-aged man frowned slightly.

"Still observing?"

"What exactly could he have found that would make him stay out this long?"