"Ding! Congratulations, Host, on becoming the first Survivor in the Wasteland World to light up a lamp!"
"Achievement Unlocked: Wasteland's New Radiance."
"Achievement Gift Pack ×1 received."
Vikram had barely taken a proper look at the plant grow light he had just activated when the system's mechanical notification interrupted his thoughts.
"Achievement…?"
"Gift pack…?"
"There's actually such a reward?"
His slight irritation vanished the moment the reward box appeared before him.
"Hehe… System, open it quickly."
A soft flash of white light spread outward.
Congratulations on receiving:
• LED Ceiling Light ×1
• LED Desk Lamp ×1
• High-Grade Electrical Wire ×300 meters
• Diesel ×10 liters
• Diesel Generator ×1
Vikram blinked in surprise, then slowly smiled with a hint of indifference.
"A generator… but I really don't need this anymore."
Ever since awakening the Plant Life System, his dependence on conventional technology had gradually faded. Warmth, illumination, purification, even defence — living plants now fulfilled most of the functions that machines once provided.
Compared to cold metal devices, plant-based systems felt more stable, silent, and secure. They blended naturally into his territory without drawing unnecessary attention.
"Well… these can be traded later," he muttered.
Without wasting time, he carried the newly obtained equipment into the small decoy Shelter beside the towering Treehouse. Though modest in appearance, the structure was practical and intentionally inconspicuous — perfect for storing surplus supplies.
He placed the generator and wires neatly into the warehouse area, deciding not to trade them immediately. If he suddenly released such items into the market, it would only attract unwanted curiosity. Remaining low-profile was still his safest strategy.
After finishing the storage, he took a slow look around.
The warehouse, once cluttered and dim, now felt more organized. Piles of resources were stacked methodically, leaving clear walking space between them. The faint ambient glow produced by the territory's plant illumination system softly outlined every object, making the interior appear calmer and more structured.
Vikram stood quietly for a moment, arms folded.
Then he pursed his lips slightly.
"Technology is useful… but living systems are better."
After enjoying the gentle warmth and natural light radiating from the Treehouse's plant network, he began planning his next routine adjustments.
The Lightfly Vine and internal bio-luminescent growth nodes would handle most of the Shelter's illumination cycle. He decided to maintain a 12-hour active light phase to support both plant growth rhythm and his own daily activities.
Unlike artificial lamps, the plant-light system required no fuel, no wiring maintenance, and almost no energy anxiety. Its brightness could be controlled directly through his thoughts, creating a perfectly balanced living environment.
With this natural lighting network in place, Vikram felt an increasing sense of confidence.
Machines could fail. Fuel could run out.
But as long as his plants continued to grow… his territory would continue to live..
He moved out the fabric sofa he had made earlier and the high-grade carpet provided by the system, placing them in the living room, and the Shelter finally began to feel like a home.
Other furniture, such as the bed, tables, and chairs, were also moved one by one from his small room into the Shelter.
Of the three rooms and one living room he had originally dug, two were now used for storing miscellaneous items.
The largest room became his bedroom.
"Phew!" Vikram wiped a bead of sweat.
"Everything is starting to get on track."
"All that's left is to accumulate 120 Plant Essence, then exchange them for a smart greenhouse."
Yes, Vikram's crops hadn't been planted yet.
"Are you kidding? With this temperature, how could he dare to plant anything directly? Even potatoes, which are easy to grow, would just die without a sound."
The seeds he had weren't cold-resistant varieties; they needed at least 7-8 degrees Celsius to germinate.
Not to mention that after germination, the temperature required for subsequent growth would need to be even higher…
Next day, early morning.
Vikram sat on his bed, clenching his fists excitedly.
"Yes! My Plant Essence are finally back in the triple digits!"
"Would you like to spend 120 Plant Essence to purchase: Smart Greenhouse?"
"Yes!"
Following Vikram's affirmative answer, the system immediately responded to his request.
Two items appeared in his backpack: a pure white greenhouse and its core control terminal.
He took the greenhouse to the Shelter's cultivated land, chose a suitable spot, and placed it on the ground.
The greenhouse's frame was made of lightweight but sturdy materials, forming a semi-circular dome structure, with a transparent plastic film covering the frame, completely enclosing the cultivated land.
His gaze shifted to the control terminal. This device was about the size of a book, with a smooth, metallic appearance and only a small display screen.
At this moment, data flickered on the screen, showing the greenhouse's status and functions.
It could wirelessly control the entire greenhouse's operations, including temperature, humidity, and lighting, and the grow light Vikram had just bought was already incorporated into it.
With everything ready, Vikram, on the cultivated land, tried taking out cabbage seeds and sowing them.
Since he had no planting experience and didn't know the proper spacing for cabbage, everything had to be done by feel.
Carefully, he buried the seeds one by one into the soil, watered to moisten it, and then exited the greenhouse.
Patting the dirt off his legs, Vikram took out the terminal.
He found that the screen indeed displayed the words "Cabbage Seeds (Not Germinated)."
Below the text were two options:
"Smart Mode: The smart greenhouse autonomously manages vegetable growth."
"Manual Mode: The planter manually adjusts the planting environment."
"Definitely use Smart Mode. If I were to plant them myself, I'd starve to death before any vegetables grew."
Vikram unhesitatingly chose Smart Mode... As the greenhouse began to operate, the Aquaheart Root started making "gurgling" sounds.
Through the transparent cover, he could clearly see mist rising inside. Vikram couldn't tell the principle behind it, but he was impressed.
He reached his hand into the greenhouse, and the temperature inside had risen significantly within a few minutes, at least above freezing.
Before he could move away, the top of the greenhouse suddenly began spraying clear water, which misted evenly throughout the enclosure, feeling like ants crawling on his palm when it hit his hand.
At the same time, the Aquaheart Root began to operate, and the terminal clearly displayed "Ventilating..." "No wonder it's worth 120 Plant Essence? It certainly has its reasons."
Watching all this, he nodded in satisfaction.
The only thing that struck him as odd was that the terminal showed an estimated harvest time of 15 days.
Even though he had never grown vegetables before, Vikram knew that this harvest time was completely wrong.
First, he ruled out the influence of the greenhouse, because when he bought it, it didn't say it had the effect of accelerating plant growth; if it did, it certainly wouldn't be this price.
"Logically, cabbage should take about 2 months to harvest."
"Could it be that the growth cycle of plants in the Wasteland World is completely different from that of Earth?" He could only speculate in this direction.
"That's right!" He then remembered the Wasteland Survival Encyclopedia that every Survivor had.
Because this thing was really too useless; besides various observations and rules of the Wasteland World, it had no knowledge about natural disasters, so he had long since tossed it aside.
---
After a quick look at the content in the Wasteland Survival Encyclopedia, Vikram found that the description of planting in the Wasteland World was indeed similar to his guess.
The reason it's similar is because the encyclopedia describes planting in the Wasteland World as: crop growth speed increases with improvements in planting environment and quality, and crop quality does as well.
It doesn't mean that they necessarily grow faster than plants on Earth; on the contrary, if the planting environment is average, the harvest time might even be longer than for crops on Earth.
"Now with the smart greenhouse handling this, I don't have to worry at all. I just need to wait for the harvest."
"And about fertilising, I just need to teach Plant Sprout to take care of it…"
To be honest, after so many days in the Wasteland, Vikram's three urgent needs were all solved with a wooden bucket.
As for after he was done, he naturally cleaned everything up; there was no way he'd keep it.
Now that he has this need, once he builds a toilet, he can totally run it through a biogas generator set first before using it as fertilizer.
This would both provide new energy for the Shelter and fertilize the crops.
However, this is only the absolute last resort. If possible, he would, of course, want to raise some livestock directly in the Shelter to help with fertilization.
But with Crimson Creatures rampant and ordinary animals almost extinct, Vikram is powerless…
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A heartfelt thank you to GraceAetheria for taking the time to point out the mistake in my recent chapter. As a writer, I truly believe that stories grow stronger not only through imagination, but also through the keen eyes and honest feedback of dedicated readers like you. Your observation helped me notice something I had completely overlooked, and because of that, I was able to correct the issue and improve the overall reading experience for everyone.
Moments like this remind me that storytelling is never a one-sided journey. It is a shared adventure between the author and the readers who walk alongside the characters, feel their struggles, and care enough to speak up when something feels off. I deeply value this kind of engagement, and it motivates me to keep refining my craft.
If you enjoy immersive world-building, evolving power systems, survival tension, and multiverse-scale mysteries, I warmly invite you to explore my ongoing work "Beginning Of Multiverse Saga." This story is only at the start of its grand journey, and every reader who joins now becomes part of its foundation.
Once again, sincere gratitude to GraceAetheria — and to all readers who continue supporting this book.