Novel Full Chapter 71: Kindness In Wasteland
Chapter 71: Kindness In Wasteland
At noon, the sun hung high in the sky, yet it offered no warmth to Vikram as he stood motionless in the frozen wasteland.
At this moment, his entire focus was locked onto the two Crimson Creatures before him.
Crimson Giant Lizard (Blue) — mutated, brutal, and nearly devoid of pain.
The two massive lizards crawled low across the snow, their tongues flicking in and out as their cold, predatory eyes remained fixed on Vikram. Their thick limbs pressed into the frozen ground, advancing steadily without hesitation.
But Vikram did not rush to kill them.
This time… he wanted to test his team.
He calmly raised his hand and signaled toward three of his units, Archer Sprout, Water Mage Sprout, and Light Mage Sprout.
“Let’s see what you can do…”
At the same time, he took out a necklace from his bag, a sharp, fang-shaped pendant, and slowly placed it around his neck.
The moment it settled against his chest…
The two giant lizards froze.
Their movements halted instantly.
Vikram could clearly sense it, fear.
Even though these were Crimson Creatures that had lost most of their rationality, under absolute suppression from the necklace, a rare flicker of clarity appeared in their maddened eyes.
They instinctively began retreating.
Step by step, they moved backward until they were about five to six meters away from him.
Only then did the madness begin to return to their gaze.
However, this time, they no longer dared to approach him.
Vikram took a single step forward.
The two lizards immediately retreated again.
“About a six-meter suppression range…” he murmured. “This necklace’s passive ability is quite powerful.”
His lips curved slightly.
“Finish them.”
The command was directed at the Archer Sprouts.
Without hesitation, both Archer Sprouts raised their bows.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows streaked through the cold air like piercing rays of light.
One after another, they struck the giant lizards with precise accuracy.
The creatures hissed violently, their bodies twitching as arrows embedded into their scales and flesh.
Yet they could not advance.
The invisible suppression field from the Wolf Tooth Necklace held them firmly at bay.
Nor could they retreat effectively.
Under continuous fire, their instincts failed them, instead of fleeing immediately, they hesitated just long enough to seal their fate.
Within moments, one of the giant lizards collapsed first, its body riddled with arrows.
The second struggled for a few seconds longer…
Then it too fell heavily onto the frozen ground.
Silence returned to the battlefield.
Only the cold wind and the faint creaking of snow remained.
Vikram stood there, looking at the two fallen beasts and the scattered spoils around them.
A sense of control, effortless and overwhelming surged within him.
“Both Archer Sprouts are terrifying…” he muttered. “They’re even more dangerous than Guardian and Warrior Sprouts. Killing exquisite-grade creatures feels no different from slaughtering chickens.”
But what Vikram didn’t fully realize was this, it wasn’t just the Archer Sprouts’ strength.
The Wolf Tooth Necklace had completely controlled the battlefield.
By preventing the giant lizards from approaching, it turned them into stationary targets.
And under relentless ranged attacks… They never even got the chance to fight back.
Vikram lowered his gaze toward the spoils scattered across the frozen ground.
Aside from some miscellaneous building materials, his eyes quickly locked onto two faintly glowing fragments.
Two Crimson Shards.
“Good… looks like my luck isn’t bad today.”
“If every Crimson Creature drops one, I might even be able to gather another orb before they disappear.”
Without wasting time, he turned and continued forward in search of his next prey.
Not long after, his steps slowed… then stopped completely.
Before him lay a small patch of woods, and beside it, a partially exposed lake, now frozen solid under the −30°C cold. A thick layer of ice covered its surface, reflecting the pale winter light.
“This place has a great location… water, shelter, and cover.”
“No wonder creatures are gathering here.”
According to his detection system, there were four creatures nearby. In the current situation, where creature numbers had dropped drastically, this was practically a jackpot.
He carefully checked their approximate positions and moved forward, quietly stepping through the woods.
Just as he was about to reach the marked area.
Bang!
A loud explosive sound echoed through the forest.
The next moment a wild buffalo came flying out of the trees and crashed toward him.
Vikram didn’t even flinch.
With his current physique, he casually raised his hand and swatted it aside mid-air.
The massive body was knocked off course and slammed heavily onto the ground beside him.
He glanced down.
The buffalo… was already dead.
Frowning slightly, he turned his attention toward the direction it had come from.
Before he could take a step, “Don’t touch it.”
A sharp, aggressive voice cut through the cold air.
“That’s my prey. Try laying a hand on it and see what happens.”
A well-built Survivor stepped out from the woods, his expression full of hostility.
“Survivor…?”
Vikram’s eyes narrowed slightly.
According to his Creature Detection, there shouldn’t have been any humans nearby. That was precisely why he had entered this dense forest without caution.
“Did the system glitch?”
At that moment, the detection interface in his mind still showed a red dot ahead, clearly marking the presence.
Then, a system prompt appeared:
[Creature detection only identifies larger creatures exposed in the environment. Targets hidden by structures or dense cover cannot be detected.]
Vikram blinked.
“…Why wasn’t I told something this important earlier?”
Then he paused.
“No… actually, the Wolf Spirit Ruins were the same. I didn’t detect anything until I entered.”
He muttered softly, finally connecting the dots.
“I’m talking to you!”
“Are you deaf? You think I won’t cut you down in one swing?”
The Survivor, thinking Vikram was ignoring him on purpose, grew increasingly furious.
His shouting finally snapped Vikram out of his thoughts.
Vikram looked at him, then at the buffalo… then sighed.
With a casual flick of his hand, he grabbed the dead buffalo and tossed it toward the man.
“Take it. And get lost before your dad gets annoyed.”
The buffalo shot forward like a cannonball.
The previously arrogant Survivor didn’t even have time to react before being slammed backward.
Vikram had always considered himself a reasonable person. Since the buffalo was indeed someone else’s prey, he had no intention of claiming it.
Although the Survivor’s attitude had been foul, it was still within reason. Vikram wasn’t so cruel as to kill someone over a few harsh words.
What he needed now was no longer food.
On the contrary, the treasure chests dropped by hunted creatures were far more valuable.
“I’ll just hunt somewhere else…”
There were still three other prey signals nearby. There was no need to waste time arguing.
After tossing the buffalo back, Vikram turned and walked away without hesitation.
“Stop!”
“Who told you that you could leave?”
“You messed with my prey and now you think you can just walk away?”
The Survivor, who had just gotten back on his feet, immediately shouted, blocking his path again.
Vikram stopped.
“Are you blind?” he said coldly. “Didn’t you see I already gave it back?”
His tone now carried clear impatience.
“Who knows if you secretly took something from it?” the man sneered. “Open your backpack. Let me check.”
As he spoke, he casually raised the long blade in his hand, pointing it straight at Vikram.
In the Wasteland World, a Survivor’s backpack was their lifeline. No one would ever allow another person to inspect it. This demand alone revealed his true intention. He wasn’t just being cautious. He was trying to rob Vikram.
Vikram’s expression gradually darkened.
The warmth in his eyes disappeared, leaving behind only a cold, emotionless gaze.
“Then come… take it yourself.”
He let his arms hang loosely by his sides, palms slightly open, as if completely defenseless.
“Hmph, at least you’re smart.”
The man’s expression shifted instantly from hostility to greed.
“You know how to lose a little to save your life. Otherwise, you’d be dead today~”
Smiling smugly, he stepped forward, even humming lightly under his breath.
“Don’t blame me,” he added casually. “This world is messed up. If you don’t prey on others, you won’t survive.”
Vikram’s lips curved faintly. “Thanks for the reminder… I understand now.” The moment his words fell, the man suddenly froze.
A dizzy sensation overwhelmed him. His vision spun… And in the final instant of his life, he didn’t even understand what had happened.
A headless corpse collapsed onto the snow. Blood spread silently, staining the white ground crimson. Standing before it, Vikram showed no trace of pity.
His Wasteland life until now had been too smooth.
Too comfortable. He had still held onto a trace of goodwill toward unfamiliar Survivors.
But that kindness… Only invited greed.
In this world, hesitation is a weakness. This Wasteland was like a monstrous beast, devouring lives without mercy.
And for those who wanted to survive within it. Ruthlessness… It was no longer a choice.
The Guardian Sprout calmly raised its blade, still stained with fresh blood, and showed it to the Water Mage Sprout.
Without a word, the Water Mage Sprout lifted its hand, releasing a gentle stream of water that washed away every trace of blood.
Immediately after, the Fire Mage Sprout stepped forward and released a faint burst of flame, drying the blade to a clean, polished shine.
The entire process was smooth, efficient… almost ritualistic.
If that Survivor hadn’t been blinded by greed, he might have noticed these strange plant beings standing beside Vikram.
But unfortunately, he never even got the chance.
The Guardian Sprout’s strike had been so fast that he hadn’t even seen the blade before his head left his body.
Vikram bent down and checked the drops from the corpse.
Aside from some useless scraps, the only valuable items were the meat from earlier… and two Crimson Shards.
“I didn’t expect such an unexpected gain… this saves me a lot of effort.”
He casually picked them up.
It was worth noting that most of the items the man carried were half-eaten food and torn rags. Combined with the condition of his clothes, Vikram finally got a clearer understanding of how ordinary Survivors were living in this world.
“Come to think of it… I’ve never really seen anyone in the group chat openly asking for food.”
Something felt off.
From what he had learned through Abhishek, even members of the Brown Wood Shelter weren’t living comfortably.
“Does that mean… everyone in that small group is actually among the stronger or wealthier Survivors?”
“At the very least, they don’t have to worry about basic survival like food…”
After thinking for a while, he still couldn’t arrive at a clear conclusion. Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it further.
He looked up at the sky. It was still early.
“Better continue hunting.”
—
Time gradually passed, and the sky slowly began to dim.
“Although I’m still a bit short of forming a second Crimson Orb… today’s gains are already quite good.”
Vikram brushed the dust off his clothes casually.
Even though hunting itself wasn’t difficult for him anymore, the physical movement still left traces of dirt and fatigue on his body.
This trip had taken him farther from his territory than ever before.
And after collecting nearly eight Crimson Shards, it was finally time to return.
Just as he was about to move—
“Ahhh! Help!”
A sharp, desperate scream cut through the cold air from behind him.
Vikram immediately turned around.
With his enhanced physique, his eyesight had improved significantly. Even from a distance, he could clearly make out the scene unfolding on the hillside behind him.
A woman… Running for her life.
And behind her, three men chasing relentlessly.
Vikram frowned slightly.
The terrain around him was mostly flat and open.
Logically, there was nowhere for people to suddenly appear from.
“Where did they come from…?”