Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System

Chapter 99: The Most Coolest Guy – James

The last Armored Zombie roared as it pushed through the horde. It was different from the others, faster, heavier, more aggressive. By now, Raghav, Imran, and Neha had been fighting continuously, their breathing heavier, their movements just slightly slower. Fatigue had begun to set in.

“ROOOOOAAARRR!!”

It didn’t charge in a straight line. It shifted, forcing its way through the side, breaking the rhythm they had maintained so far.

“Hold it!” Raghav shouted.

Imran stepped forward, but his stance wasn’t as firm as before. “Trying—!”

“BOOOOOOM!!!”

The impact hit harder than anything before. The shield dented visibly this time. Imran’s feet slid back, his arms trembling under the force as the ground cracked beneath him.

For a moment, their formation faltered.

The Armored Zombie forced itself forward, slipping past the shield just enough to create an opening. Its massive arm swung toward Raghav.

“RAGHAV—!!”

“I SEE IT!” Even with exhaustion creeping in, Raghav reacted instantly. He adjusted his footing mid-motion, forcing his balance back into place. At this distance, there was no second chance.

He locked onto the center mass.

“THOOOOOOM!!!”

The launcher fired.

The projectile slammed directly into the zombie’s chest.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!”

A massive explosion tore through it. The entire upper body was blown apart instantly, fragments scattering across the battlefield. The shockwave pushed nearby zombies back, clearing the space around them.

Raghav lowered the launcher slowly, breathing heavily. Imran eased his shield down, his arms still tense from the strain, while Neha exhaled and lowered her guns.

All Armored Zombies had been eliminated. But none of them relaxed.

“Move,” Raghav said and without wasting a second, they turned and sprinted toward Isha’s position.

Deepak turned back and headed toward the wall, quickly climbing up to resume support from above and handle the remaining zombies from range.

—

Meanwhile, on the wall, James was laying down, calm and unbothered, as if the chaos below didn’t exist. And from the beginning, he was just eating apples continuously.

He took a bite. Crunch. Sweet. Crisp. His other hand rested steadily on the trigger of his sniper, the Viper-X Longshot. Through the scope, the battlefield slowed down for him. With his enhanced vision, everything became clear and precise.

Every zombie’s movement appeared slower and predictable, and even distance no longer mattered, he could see everything perfectly.

Berserker Zombies, twenty-five of them, were scattered across the advancing wave, fast and erratic. But to James, they were no different from normal zombies through the Viper-X Longshot.

He chewed calmly, adjusted his aim, and controlled his breathing with perfect precision.

“BOOM.”

The rifle roared. The recoil pressed into his shoulder, but his body didn’t move. Through the scope, he saw it clearly, the bullet cutting through the air and striking a Berserker’s skull. Entering very calmly but existing very violently. The head snapped back, and the body collapsed mid-run.

He took another bite. Crunch.

“BOOM.” Second shot. Another Berserker fell. This one tried to zigzag, but James had already calculated its path. The bullet met it exactly where it would be.

James took another bite of his apple. Crunch.

“BOOM.” A third Berserker dropped. For him, this wasn’t a battle, it was games just like the previous wave.

His finger moved only when necessary, and his every shot was a kill.

Even at nearly one kilometer, his accuracy didn’t drop. If anything, it improved. Distance gave him time, to read, to predict, to end.

One Berserker leaped over others.

“BOOM.” Shot mid-air.

Another burst forward with sudden speed. The bullet pierced straight through its eyes, and it died instantly.

James swallowed and adjusted his scope slightly. A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

“If I had this every time…” he murmured softly, “…I wouldn’t need anyone else.”

For James, elite zombies didn’t matter. He believed he alone was enough for hundreds of them. All he needed was the Viper-X Longshot in his hands. If Isha had assigned him more than just the Berserker targets, he would have wiped out all the elites before they even reached the gate. It would have taken only a hundred bullets.

He even disdained when he saw Raghav, Imran and Neha were struggling against the Armored Zombies.

For him there were only two competitors, one is Pooja, but in reality she was not his competitor, he even didn’t want to go near her.

And another was Rohit, who was currently helping Isha.

While thinking, he took another bite, fired another shot. And another Berserker fell. One by one, they disappeared from the battlefield in silence.

Because every time James pulls the trigger, one Berserker needs to die, since he can’t miss his shot.

—

Meanwhile, while James was having the easiest time, someone else was enjoying it even more.

Pooja, She wasn’t just fighting, she was playing.

A wide, almost unhinged smile spread across her face as flames flickered around her fingers.

“Ahh… finally something fun!” she laughed.

Her eyes locked onto a group of Rot Spreader Zombies slowly advancing, their bloated bodies leaking dark fluid. She raised her hand dramatically, striking a pose.

“Crimson Flame—First Bloom!”

A wave of fire burst forward, spiraling outward like a blooming flower. It engulfed three Rot Spreaders at once. For a split second, they stood still. But the next moment.

“FWOOM!!!” They ignited completely.

Their swollen bodies turned into fuel, erupting into intense flames that spread to the surrounding normal zombies.

They screamed together, as multiple zombies burned together, collapsing into charred remains.

Her team behind her cheered for her.

“Nice one, Pooja sis!!”

“Again! Again Pooja sis!”

Pooja laughed louder. “Of course~!” She spun lightly as flames gathered again in her palm.

“Blazing Spiral Dance!” She twisted her body and released a rotating stream of fire that swept across the battlefield like a flaming whip.

Everything it touched burned. A Rot Spreader tried to push through, but the moment the flames touched it.

Its body burst, scattering burning fluid across nearby zombies and turning them into moving fire sources.

“HAHAHAHA!!” Pooja threw her head back, laughing wildly, “This is too easy!”

She struck another pose, raising her hand high as flames condensed, compressed, and intensified.

“Inferno Drop!” She slammed her hand downward.

A concentrated fire blast struck the ground, erupting upward like a pillar and swallowing two more Rot Spreaders instantly. Their bodies didn’t even have time to react, they were gone, reduced to ash.

Her team clapped and shouted from behind.

“Leader Pooja is unstoppable!”

“Burn them all, Pooja sis!”

“Send them to hell Pooja sis!”

Pooja grinned, breathing slightly heavier, but her excitement only grew. Her eyes scanned the battlefield. Only a few Rot Spreaders remained.

“Trying to hide?” she smirked.

One of them attempted to move behind normal zombies, trying to blend in and escape. But she saw it.

“Final Ember—Execution Flame.”

She flicked her finger. A small spark shot forward, landing directly on the Rot Spreader’s chest. It erupted from within. Flames consumed it instantly, spreading outward and taking down everything around it in a chain reaction.

Within seconds, all Rot Spreaders were gone, completely burned out of existence.

As the last Rot Spreader burned into nothingness, Pooja exhaled lightly and lifted her gaze. Her eyes shifted toward the Leaper Zombies. Dozens of them were already closing in, their bodies crouching and springing forward in rapid bursts.

No one was intercepting them yet.

She clicked her tongue. “Troublesome.”

Without wasting time, she raised her hand and gave a quick signal toward the wall.

James saw it immediately and nodded, calm as ever.

There was only one Berserker left in his scope. He took a bite of his apple, crunch, then adjusted his aim slightly.

“BOOM.” The final Berserker’s head snapped back, its body collapsing instantly, finishing the last Berserker zombie.

He swallowed and shifted his scope. Now his focus moved to the Leapers, dozens of fast-moving, unpredictable targets.

But to him, they were still just playing targets. He steadied his breathing again.

“BOOM.” One Leaper dropped mid-jump. Another was pierced through the chest before it could land.

—

Meanwhile, Pooja had already moved.

Her figure darted across the battlefield, flames trailing behind her like a comet. She reached Vikrant’s position in seconds.

He was already preparing another shockwave.

“BOOM!”

A wave burst out, disrupting two Screamers and breaking their rhythm. But they weren’t dying fast enough. Pooja crossed her arms and looked at him.

“How many have you killed?”

Vikrant stiffened. “…One.” He scratched his cheek slightly, embarrassed.

Pooja blinked, “Huh.”

For a moment, it looked like she might explode at him. But instead, she sighed, “Fine.”

She cracked her knuckles lightly as flames began to gather again. “You just disrupt them. Break their screams.”

She pointed forward, “Leave the rest to me.”

Vikrant nodded quickly. “Okay… sister.” There was no hesitation in his tone.

After all, no one argued with Mad Fire. Especially him, since valued his life.

Ahead, the Screamers opened their mouths again.

“SKREEEEEEEEEEE—!!!”

The sound began to rise, but before they screamed properly.

“BOOM!” Vikrant struck again. A shockwave burst out, and their voices broke mid-scream.

Pooja stepped forward, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

“Now… let’s burn properly.”

Flames gathered in both her hands, brighter, hotter and wilder. The battlefield was about to burned again.