Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System-Chapter 27: Territory Upgraded

He had originally planned to wait until tomorrow and hunt and gather enough materials to upgrade the defence of his Treehouse since he also saved many Plant Essence Points.

But he hadn’t expected such an unexpected harvest.

"Went out hunting and killed three people along the way."

Now, the supplies in Vikram’s bag were equivalent to the combined amount of eight or nine Survivors. If he hadn’t brought so few things when he left, he wouldn’t have been able to carry it all in one trip.

---

Standing beneath the massive banyan Treehouse, Vikram opened the Plant Life System.

After a short moment of calculation, he decided to immediately strengthen the defensive structure of the Treehouse.

[Iron ×120]

[Stone ×200]

[Wood ×100]

[Plant Essence Required: 120]

"Upgrade Treehouse Defence."

The moment the command was issued, Plant Essence particles burst out from the Treehouse Core.

A faint white light spread across the trunk of the giant banyan tree.

The thick bark began to slowly transform, becoming darker and tougher, forming a natural armor-like surface around the tree.

The enormous roots beneath the Treehouse tightened and expanded, gripping the surrounding earth more firmly.

Several supporting roots extended deeper underground, strengthening the entire structure’s stability and load-bearing capacity.

Even the branches above thickened slightly, forming a wider protective canopy, making the Treehouse far more resilient against external attacks.

The entire structure now looked less like a simple living tree and more like a natural fortress grown from the land itself.

---

Next, Vikram turned his attention to the Water Tower beside the Aquaheart Root.

The root network was already connected to the mountain pond 248 meters away, and clean water continued flowing through the underground vine-like root system.

But the storage structure itself still required reinforcement.

If enemies attacked or a future disaster damaged the tower, his entire water system could collapse.

[Steel ×40]

[Stone ×120]

[Plant Essence Required: 80]

"Upgrade Water Tower Structure."

A soft glow surrounded the stainless steel tower.

The metal surface began to reorganize and thicken, forming reinforced layers around the tank.

The base structure connected to the Aquaheart Root became much sturdier, with stone and steel supports locking the tower firmly into the ground.

Inside the tower, the internal space expanded slightly.

Water storage capacity increased from 200 liters to 400 liters, while the connection to the Aquaheart Root remained stable and protected.

Now even if strong impacts occurred, the water tower would not easily crack or split, ensuring a stable water supply for the Treehouse.

---

Finally, Vikram walked toward the main entrance of his territory.

Nearly 50 meters of the entrance was already guarded by the Thornvine cluster, which had grown into a dense natural barrier.

The twisting vines overlapped with each other, their thick thorns hidden among the leaves.

From a distance, the vines simply looked like ordinary harmless plants, quietly spreading along the ground.

But Vikram knew that the moment an enemy tried to cross them, the vines would instantly awaken and bind the intruder like living chains.

Interestingly, whenever Vikram himself walked through the vines, they quietly separated like a gate, allowing him to pass before closing again behind him.

However, the remaining 50 meters of the entrance still lacked protection.

That gap was unacceptable.

Vikram immediately opened the system again.

[Iron ×50]

[Stone ×100]

[Plant Essence Required: 60]

"Construct Iron Defence Wall."

A bright white light flashed across the ground.

The iron ingots floated into the air, melting and reshaping under the influence of Plant Essence.

Within moments, a solid iron wall nearly three meters tall rose from the earth.

The wall stretched across the entire unprotected 50-meter section of the entrance.

Its surface was smooth but thick, reinforced by a stone base deeply embedded into the ground.

Now the entrance of Vikram’s territory formed a layered defensive line.

One section consisted of the living Thornvine barrier, quietly disguised as harmless vegetation.

The other section consisted of a solid iron wall, cold and unyielding. Together they sealed the entrance almost completely.

He then walked toward the Aquaheart Root.

Originally, he had already planned to upgrade it earlier. However, because of the unexpected encounters with Amit, Tej Pratap, and Dushyant, the matter had been delayed.

Now that everything else in the territory had been stabilized, Vikram finally had the time to focus on it.

He opened the system panel and looked at the current status.

---

Aquaheart Root (Blue)

Type: Resource Purification Plant

Status: Level 3

Upgradeable: Yes (after Level 10)

Daily Plant Essence Generation: +20

Level Up Requirement:

• Continuous water absorption

• Binding new water sources

• Plant Essence infusion

Plant Essence Cost:

• Level 1 → Level 5 : +60 Plant Essence per level

• Level 6 → Level 10 : +120 Plant Essence per level

Upgrade Requirement:

• Level ≥ 10

• 500 Plant Essence

Description:

A subterranean purification plant that connects to underground water veins.

Current Functions:

• Detects underground water sources

• Purifies contaminated groundwater

• Produces 11 liters of clean water per day

• Root network connected to mountain pond (248m)

Role:

Long-term water security plant.

---

Vikram did not hesitate.

"Upgrade."

Plant Essence instantly flowed from his body into the Aquaheart Root.

He upgraded it directly from Level 3 to Level 7, consuming 360 Plant Essence.

The moment the upgrade completed, the ground around the plant began to tremble slightly.

The thick blue roots buried beneath the soil expanded rapidly.

Several new roots split outward like veins, burrowing deeper underground and strengthening the connection with the mountain pond.

The main root thickened noticeably, becoming almost as wide as a human arm.

The faint blue glow flowing through the root veins grew brighter and more stable, indicating a stronger purification process.

The water flowing toward the Water Tower also became steadier.

Clear water droplets continuously condensed and flowed along the roots, forming a stable underground channel feeding the tower.

The system panel updated.

---

Aquaheart Root (Blue)

Type: Resource Purification Plant

Status: Level 7

Upgradeable: Yes (after Level 10)

Daily Plant Essence Generation: +30

Level Up Requirement:

• Continuous water absorption

• Binding new water sources

• Plant Essence infusion

Upgrade Requirement:

• Level ≥ 10

• 500 Plant Essence

Current Functions:

• Detects underground water sources within a wider range

• Stronger purification capability

• Produces 20 liters of clean water per day

• Root network firmly connected to mountain pond (248m)

• Expanded underground root coverage

Role:

Advanced water security and purification plant.

---

Satisfied, Vikram nodded.

With the Aquaheart Root strengthened, his water system had become even more reliable.

Next, his gaze moved upward toward the Treehouse canopy, where the Lightfly Vine was integrated.

He opened the panel.

---

Lightfly Vine (Blue)

Type: Utility Illumination Plant

Status: Level 3

Upgradeable: Yes (after Level 5)

Daily Plant Essence Generation: +13

Level Up Requirement:

• Night activity within territory

• Energy absorption from moonlight and ambient energy

• Continuous operation time

Upgrade Requirement:

• Level ≥ 5

• 120 Plant Essence

Description:

A bioluminescent plant integrated with the Treehouse.

Current Function:

• Generates controllable internal lighting

• Can be dimmed or brightened through thought

• No fuel required

Future Potential:

• Territory illumination

• Signal light for navigation

• Insect attraction system

Role:

Internal lighting system.

---

Because the Lightfly Vine had been operating every night since it was planted, it had naturally grown to Level 3.

Vikram injected additional Plant Essence to accelerate its development.

The vine immediately began glowing brighter.

Thin luminous tendrils spread further across the Treehouse branches, and several clusters of glowing pods formed along the vines.

Each pod emitted a gentle blue-white glow, resembling dozens of tiny floating fireflies.

Within minutes, the vine completed its evolution to Level 5.

The Treehouse interior instantly became brighter and more evenly illuminated, while faint glowing vines even extended slightly outside the canopy.

The system panel updated again.

---

Lightfly Vine (Blue)

Type: Utility Illumination Plant

Status: Level 5

Upgradeable: Yes

Daily Plant Essence Generation: +20

Current Functions:

• Full internal illumination of the Treehouse

• Adjustable brightness through thought

• External ambient lighting around the Treehouse perimeter

• No fuel consumption

Future Potential:

• Territory-wide lighting network

• Long-distance signal beacon

• Insect attraction and ecological support system

Role:

Treehouse illumination and night support system.

---

Under the soft glow of the Lightfly Vine, the territory looked calm and stable.

Water flowed steadily from the Aquaheart Root, light shimmered through the Treehouse canopy, and the strengthened defenses surrounded the entrance.

After everything was finished, Vikram stood silently at the center of his territory and looked around.

The strengthened Treehouse fortress, the reinforced water tower, and the dual-layer entrance defense, all of it made his territory feel far safer than before.

Then he thought, what to do with the Territory Core, which he had taken from Amit’s house.

Vikram first took out one Territory Core and cautiously brought it close to the Treehouse Core.

The moment the two came near each other, the Treehouse Core reacted immediately.

The faint purple glow surrounding the core brightened, and the system panel suddenly appeared with updated information.

---

Treehouse Core (Purple)

Type: Territory Authority Core

Status: Stable

Level: 1

Upgradeable: Yes

Level Up Requirement:

• Territory Core ×1

Upgrade Requirement:

• Treehouse Core Level ≥ 10

• 500 Plant Essence

• Treehouse Upgrade Required

Description:

Due to unknown reasons, the original Territory Core mutated into a Treehouse Core. It is the evolved authority core of the territory, responsible for controlling territory buffs, plant bindings, structural stability, and system integration.

Territory Area Buff:

• Effective Range: 4×4×4

• Creature stamina recovery +15% within territory

• Treehouse durability +15%

Daily Maintenance Requirement:

• −50 Plant Essence

Warning:

Failure to supply maintenance energy may result in instability. Severe instability may cause collapse and disappearance.

Role:

Central authority structure that governs the territory and maintains the stability of all bound plants and systems.

---

Seeing the system confirmation, Vikram immediately merged the Territory Core into the Treehouse Core.

A pulse of purple light spread outward.

The Treehouse Core leveled up instantly.

The panel was updated.

The overall structure remained the same, but several key values changed.

---

Treehouse Core (Purple)

Type: Territory Authority Core

Status: Stable

Level: 2

Upgradeable: Yes

Level Up Requirement:

• Territory Core ×2

Territory Area Buff:

• Effective Range: 4×5×4

• Creature stamina recovery +20% within territory

• Building durability +20% within territory

---

Previously, the durability buff only affected the Treehouse itself.

Now the buff applied to all buildings inside the territory range. Vikram did not hesitate. He immediately used two more Territory Cores.

The Treehouse Core absorbed them again. A deeper purple light flashed through the trunk of the banyan tree.

The core reached Level 3.

After that, Vikram continued upgrading. He used four Territory Cores to push the Treehouse Core to Level 4.

When he checked the next requirement, he raised an eyebrow.

The next upgrade required: Territory Core ×8

"Exponential growth... of course."

Still, the improvements were already obvious.

Vikram opened the updated system panel to check the current changes.

---

Treehouse Core (Purple)

Type: Territory Authority Core

Status: Stable

Level: 4

Upgradeable: Yes

Next Level Requirement:

• Territory Core ×8

Upgrade Requirement:

• Treehouse Core Level ≥ 10

• 500 Plant Essence

• Treehouse Upgrade Required

Territory Area Boost:

• Range: 11 × 12 × 11

• Creature stamina recovery +30% within territory

• Building durability +30% within territory

Daily Maintenance Requirement:

• −50 Plant Essence

New Function Unlocked:

[Multi-person Shelter Warehouse]

Your Treehouse Core has granted access to a shared Shelter Warehouse.

This warehouse functions similarly to the Survival Platform’s backpack, but with far greater capacity and accessibility.

Features:

• Shared storage space for all authorized Shelter members

• Large-scale item storage independent of personal backpacks

• Secure storage protected by Treehouse Core authority

• Can be accessed anywhere within the territory range

Role:

Central authority system controlling territory stability, plant binding, building durability, and shared storage infrastructure.

---

Seeing the panel, Vikram’s eyes lit up slightly.

"A territory warehouse..."

Until now, his personal backpack space had always been a major limitation.

But with this new function, the Treehouse Core had effectively created a massive storage system for the entire shelter.

Till now, he was using the newly created warehouse for many things, but he couldn’t put important items there.

But now, he can put the important items here.

Opening the warehouse that came with the Treehouse Core, it was still a simple, light blue interface, just like the backpack, with a total of 50 slots.

"It’s not too much. If I put all my supplies in, it’ll be full immediately."

He glanced at his original supplies...