Chapter 72: Helping A Desperate Beauty - Sophia (Power Stone Bonus)
Vikram imdiately 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 n 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 co from...?"
Despite what had just happened earlier, where his kindness had nearly cost him, Vikram still chose to act.
When he saw the fleeing woman, especially her fragile state, he couldn’t just stand by.
At the back of his mind, a stray thought even surfaced, a maid... wouldn’t be a bad addition to the territory.
Not for anything improper, just soone to handle small tasks, give a massage to him, and manage daily chores.
And besides...although his relationship with Divya was still unclear. He had no intention of crossing any line for now that would make him feel guilty later.
Without hesitation, Vikram rushed forward, his Sprout Team following closely behind him.
---
Seeing Vikram approaching at high speed, the woman’s face instantly lit up with relief.
Although she was slightly confused by the strange figures behind him, none of that mattered right now.
To her, this ant only one thing, her life... and her dignity... might be saved.
On the other hand, the three n chasing her slowed down, their expressions turning grim and irritated.
---
Within monts, Vikram reached them.
He stepped forward and positioned himself between the woman and the three n, shielding her behind him.
"You three..." he said calmly, without even looking at them, "Go back the way you ca. Otherwise, things won’t end well for you."
At that mont, his attention briefly shifted to the woman behind him.
She was undeniably beautiful.
Her figure was slender yet well-proportioned, with a natural elegance that stood out even in such harsh conditions. Her long hair was slightly disheveled, and her torn clothes revealed glimpses of pale skin beneath and little part of her breasts, giving her an appearance that was both vulnerable and striking.
Compared to Divya, her beauty carried a more mature charm, sweet, ripe, calm, refined, and quietly captivating.
Just by seeing her, awoken a desire into the male to desperately ta her, dominate her, and make her scream his na while she lay beneath him.
For a fleeting mont, even Vikram felt a stir of instinct in his lower body...
But just as quickly, he suppressed it. This was not the ti.
He turned his gaze back toward the three n.
---
The three Survivors stood in a loose formation.
The one on the left, Ajit, had a lean but muscular build, his eyes sharp and restless like a hunting dog.
The one in the middle, Amit, appeared slightly bulkier, his posture steady but cautious, as if he was the more rational one among them.
The one on the right, Aarav, had the most striking presence, tall, with cold, calculating eyes and a faint smirk that hinted at confidence in his own strength.
Their details appeared instantly in Vikram’s vision:
Ajit — Strength: 16 | Speed: 16 | Stamina: 15 | Reaction: 15
Amit — Strength: 16 | Speed: 16 | Stamina: 17 | Reaction: 15
Aarav — Strength: 18 | Speed: 15 | Stamina: 14 | Reaction: 20
"They’re stronger than the usual survivors..." Vikram thought, "...but nothing special."
However, Amit’s expression shifted slightly.
It wasn’t Vikram who made him hesitate.
It was what stood behind him.
The Plant Sprouts.
They didn’t look human at all, yet they stood there with weapons in hand.
A blade... a shield... bows drawn tight... around them.
And most unsettling of all, their eyes. Cold. Focused.
Like predators staring at prey. A chill crept up Amit’s spine.
For a brief mont... He actually felt the urge to turn around and leave.
But then Amit rembered the terrifying eyes he had seen back in their Shelter... and forcibly steadied himself.
anwhile, Aarav stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Vikram as he spoke in a threatening tone, "Don’t ss with us. You don’t know who we are. We belong to Brown Wood Shelter. If our boss finds out soone interfered in our business, he’ll destroy you... and your Shelter."
Hearing this, Ajit’s confidence imdiately rose. He smirked and added, "Yeah, and you’ll have to compensate us too... for wasting our ti."
Vikram looked at them calmly, his expression completely unchanged. Their threats ant nothing to him.
"This is the last ti I’m saying it," he replied flatly. "Leave quietly... or today will be your last day in the Wasteland."
Aarav’s lips curled into a cold smile. "Oh? And what exactly will you do?"
Then he turned his head slightly toward Amit and said coldly, "Go. Bring the girl here. We’ll fucked her right here in front of him... and then kill him."
The mont those words fell, the woman behind Vikram trembled, a chill running through her entire body.
"Bro... Aarav... those things behind him look dangerous..." Amit said hesitantly, pointing toward the Plant Sprouts.
Aarav imdiately snapped at him, his voice filled with contempt, "You coward... spineless idiot. What dangerous? They’re just decorations. Nothing more."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Ajit, go. Bring her here. After I’m done, you’ll get your turn."
Ajit’s eyes lit up instantly. A twisted, eager grin spread across his face. "Thanks, Brother Aarav..."
He stepped forward, his gaze shifting toward Vikram with hostility.
"Kid... last warning. Stay away from her." He dragged a finger across his throat, signaling death.
Behind Vikram, the woman’s expression turned pale.
At this mont, she no longer believed he could save her. Worse... she felt she had dragged him into danger as well.
"You should go..." she said urgently, her voice trembling. "Run away. Leave
here. They won’t do anything to you."
As she spoke, she pulled out a small dagger from her side. Even in fear... She had already decided to fight to her last breath.
Seeing the woman’s reaction, Vikram felt a faint sense of satisfaction. At least... his decision to step in hadn’t been wasted.
anwhile, Ajit walked forward with a twisted, lustful grin, his eyes fixed greedily on the woman.
"Haha... First I’ll tear your clothes, and then I will humiliate your two big white rabbits, while biting them. And in the end, I will plunge my hot rod deep in your—"
His voice suddenly stopped in mid-sentence. For a mont, no one understood what had happened.
Amit, Aarav, and even the woman looked at him in confusion.
Ajit stood there... frozen.
Then, his head slowly slid off his neck.
Thud.
It hit the ground and rolled slightly in the snow.
Only then did they notice Warrior Sprout standing beside where Ajit had been.
Its blade was still extended.
Blood dripped steadily from its edge. Silence fell.
A suffocating, terrifying silence.
"How... how is that possible...?" Aarav muttered, his face pale. "How can that thing... be this strong?"
"Boss... I told you..." Amit’s voice trembled as fear overtook him. "I told you those plant things were dangerous... but you said they were just decoration... now we’re going to die because of it..."
Vikram looked at them indifferently.
"I already warned you twice," he said calmly. "You chose to ignore it."
To him... They were already dead n. He gave a slight signal to the Warrior Sprout... then completely lost interest in them.
Instead, he turned toward the woman.
Behind him, panic erupted.
"Boss! Boss! We were wrong! Please don’t kill us!" Amit dropped to his knees instantly, his voice shaking uncontrollably.
Aarav, who had been arrogant just monts ago, now looked completely broken.
"Brother! Big brother! Please spare us! It was his idea!" he shouted, pointing at Amit. "He forced ! I didn’t want to do anything! I swear!"
"You bastard! You’re the one who said to bring her!" Amit scread back, crying. "You’re the one who wanted to, don’t drag
down with you!"
"Please! We’ll do anything!"
"We can be your dogs! Your slaves! We’ll listen to everything you say!"
"Just don’t kill us... please... please..."
Their voices overlapped, desperate, ugly, and filled with fear.
But Vikram didn’t even glance at them again. They were no longer worth his attention.
He stepped closer to the woman and gently lifted his hand, touching her cheek.
"What’s your na?" he asked softly.
"S... Sophia..." she replied, her voice trembling slightly, yet her face flushed faintly.
Strangely, when Vikram touched her, she didn’t feel violated. It was not humiliating. There was no disgust. No fear.
Instead... A soft warmth spread through her chest. And a deep blushing appeared on her face.
"Beautiful na... for a beautiful face," Vikram said quietly, his fingers brushing lightly across her cheek.
Then his gaze shifted slightly.
There was a wound between her nose and cheek. From afar, it wasn’t noticeable... but up close, it slightly marred her appearance.
As his fingers touched that injured spot, Sophia suddenly broke down.
Tears welled up and began falling uncontrollably. Her body trembled as soft sobs escaped her lips.
All the fear... the pain... she had been holding back, finally overflowed.
Since the mont she had been chased, she had endured injuries, desperation, and terror.
And the worst wound... Was on her face.
"Don’t worry..."
Vikram imdiately pulled her into his arms, gently hugging her. He wiped her tears and softly rubbed her back, trying to calm her down.
At that sa mont, two short screams echoed behind him. Then silence.
Vikram didn’t even turn around. He already knew the Guardian Sprout had finished its work.
"For such a beautiful face... even the slightest wound is unacceptable," Vikram said softly, his gaze shifting toward the Light Mage Sprout.
Until now, the Light Mage Sprout had done absolutely nothing.
But finally, it had its mont.
The Light Mage Sprout stepped forward. A faint golden glow began to gather around its small body, like particles of sunlight condensing into form.
It raised its hand.
A gentle beam of warm, radiant light flowed out, enveloping Sophia completely.
The light was soft, filled with a comforting warmth, like standing under morning sunlight after a long, cold night.
Sophia froze. She felt it instantly.
The stinging pain across her body began to fade.
The wounds on her arms... her shoulders...
And finally, the injury on her face.
Under the golden light, the torn skin slowly knit back together. Bruises faded. Scratches vanished.
Even the smallest marks disappeared without a trace.
Within monts, her skin was restored completely. Smooth. Flawless. As if she had never been hurt at all.
Sophia instinctively touched her cheek, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"...It’s gone..." She looked at the Light Mage Sprout, completely stunned.
At the sa ti, the Light Mage Sprout jumped slightly in place, clearly excited.
For the first ti... It had done sothing aningful.
anwhile, behind them, the Fire Mage Sprout stepped forward and released a controlled burst of flas, reducing the three corpses to ash within seconds.
Imdiately after, the Water Mage Sprout followed, washing the area clean with a smooth flow of water, leaving no trace behind, not even a drop of blood.
To Vikram, this was routine.
But to Sophia, it was nothing short of unbelievable.
Her eyes lingered on the Sprouts, filled with awe.
These plant-like beings... Their power... their coordination... their obedience...
Everything about them felt unreal.
Vikram didn’t worry about the loot, Guardian Sprout has already took everything clean. And from here Vikram found 5 Crimson Shards. He can now create a Crimson Orb and even have three extra piece.
---
Vikram turned back to her. "Well... there’s a position open in my territory. A maid. If you—"
He paused slightly.
Even he felt a bit awkward saying it so directly. "...Yeah, okay."
Sophia answered almost instantly, without hesitation.
For her, this was already a far better fate than anything she had witnessed in the Wasteland. She has seen how the woman beca a re plaything in the Shelters.
Compared to what could have happened... Becoming a maid was nothing.
"Good." Vikram nodded, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. He then signaled the Healer Sprout.
Among all his units, the Guardian and Healer Sprouts were the most intelligent.
The Healer Sprout understood imdiately.
Without a word, it vanished.
A few minutes later, it returned, bringing the Universal Bike.
"You... have a bike?" Sophia asked, her voice filled with surprise and curiosity.
"We have many things," Vikram replied casually.
He stepped forward and sat on the bike.
But before he could say anything, the entire Sprout Team had already climbed on behind him.
Vikram froze for a mont, "...These guys..."
There was barely any space left. Only a small gap remained in front of him.
He couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed, silently cursing the Sprouts for taking all the space without waiting for instructions.
Sophia noticed this.
A faint blush appeared on her face.
After a mont of hesitation... She carefully stepped forward and sat in front of him.
Her back pressed lightly against his chest.
For a brief second, both of them stiffened slightly.
But neither said anything.
Vikram simply reached forward, started the bike, and the engine roared to life.
As the vehicle surged forward across the frozen wasteland, carrying them back toward his territory.
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