They had even begun to develop a meticulous plan and were about to put it into action when Divya and the others suddenly appeared in the group chat.
[Divya: Sorry everyone, Anju and I are fine. We were in a rush yesterday and forgot to contact you all.]
[Radhika: Really? Thatâs great! You guys were so quiet, it scared us to death.]
[Geetanjali: Yes, I thought my plan to have you hide in place had led to your arrest.]
[Divya: No, Geeta, thatâs not true. We really did get a lot of time thanks to your method, and we should thank you properly.]
[Bobby: By the way, how were you guys rescued? Did any member of the group help you?]
The conversation inevitably turned to the reason why they were rescued.
However, neither of them rushed to answer, and even the dim-witted Anjali looked up at Vikram.
Vikram nodded, signaling them to tell the truth. [Anjali: We were rescued by Vikram.]
[Bobby: Wow, Vikram, youâre amazing! You didnât say a word, but youâre really helpful.]
[Geetanjali: 666666, Iâm a ruthless 6-counting machine.]
[Radhika: Looks like I wasnât wrong to call you "Big Boss" all this time. You really step up when something happens. Next time Iâm in this situation, Big Boss Vikram, remember to come to my rescue!]
When everyone heard that Vikram had rescued the two, the others congratulated them on their escape, except for one person who said something different.
[Sunny Dalal: So, Anjali, youâre in Vikramâs Territory now?]
[Anjali: Yes.]
[Sunny: What about Divya?]
Sunnyâs true purpose has finally been revealed: she wants to know if Divya has also been abducted by Vikram.
[Anjali: Right next to me.]
Sunny Dalal was stunned. He didnât think much of natural disasters, but at this moment, he felt like the sky had fallen.
[Radhika: Hahaha, Sunny Dalalâs heart is shattered.]
Lying in bed, he thought about it over and over again, but in the end, he still couldnât believe that Divya had joined Vikramâs Territory.
Undeterred, he got up and sent a message in the group chat.
[Sunny Dalal: Is it possible that Divya and Anjali have been kidnapped, and the people talking to us now are members of the Savage Wolf Shelter?]
The sudden news interrupted their pleasant conversation with their group members.
[Sunny Dalal: Theyâre trying to gain the trust of our group members so they can profit from it.]
[Geetanjali: Youâre really crazy! Even if two group members were actually captured by Savage Wolf Shelterâs men, you still think itâs better than Vikram taking them away, right?]
[Sunny Dalal: Just in case, Iâm just being cautious for the group. They can just take a picture as proof; itâs no big deal.]
While he was still indulging in his fantasies, little did he know that Vikram was overjoyed. He thought to himself, "How could I forget to give this little rascal a good whack after bringing her back?"
Divya sighed and rubbed her forehead, realizing she hadnât had much contact with this group member named Sunny Dalal.
At most, they had a conversation in a group chat. She didnât know why he suddenly started pestering her, and that pestering lasted for more than a month.
She had been terribly troubled by this for a long time, but there was nothing she could do. Even if Divya ignored her, she would still come looking for him.
"Letâs just get rid of this idiot," Vikram said, leaning closer to Divya.
Unexpectedly, the word "idiot" seemed to trigger Anjaliâs nerves, instantly arousing her, and she shouted at the same time.
"Get out of the way. Iâm talking about the biggest idiot in the group. Youâre just a little idiot at best." Vikram was interrupted, but he didnât forget to curse her as well.
"Hmph, thatâs more like it."
"Tsk tsk tsk, hopeless." Vikram clicked his tongue as he looked at Anjali, who was still in a daze.
He brought Divya in his lap, and put his lips on her, "Snap!" A sound came from Vikramâs left wrist. Finally, the two took their first photo together in the wasteland.
[Vikram: I have a big baby, would you like to see it? @Sunny Dalal ]
Sunny Dalal still held a sliver of hope, precisely because Vikram hadnât spoken up yet.
Now that Vikram, who had been lurking for a long time, had suddenly surfaced, an ominous premonition lingered in Sunny Dalalâs mind.
He had a vague feeling that things might be as he imagined, and he couldnât help but break out in a cold sweat.
[Sunny Dalal: Forget it... I was just kidding, I wonât look at the photos.]
Even though Vikram hadnât said what he was going to see, he knew it must be a photograph.
Just moments ago, he wanted them to come forward and prove themselves, but now he was afraid to look at the truth.
[Vikram: Oh...you donât want to watch? Are there any other members in the group who want to watch? Type 1.]
---
After finding out that the maximum consumption limit for the Crimson Orb was one, and that after the next disaster there would be no further chance to obtain Crimson Fragments, he decided to acquire as many as possible. He wanted them not only for Divya and Anjali, but also for future members of his territory.
At the same time, he also wanted Divya and Anjali to start practicing fighting and killing. Currently, both of them are nothing more than decorative vases.
Since he planned to recruit many loyal members in the future, he needed to maintain the strength of his closest people. That way, even if he was not around, no uprisings or internal problems would arise.
Thanks to his Bio Detector, he could also easily search for Crimson Creatures.
"Geeta, Anjali," Vikram shouted. Hearing his voice, both of them came into the room.
"Whatâs wrong, Vikram? Is there anything we can help you with?" Divya asked, not knowing why he had called her.
"Yes, Vikram, what happened?" Anjali also asked.
"I have a few plans in mind," Vikram said after looking at both of them. Sophia also entered the room behind them.
"First of all, I want to expand our territory," Vikram told them.
"Why? We already have a large territory. Itâs more than enough for us," Divya replied.
"I know, but itâs not just for us. Itâs also for the new members I plan to recruit," Vikram told them.
"Huh? Youâre recruiting new members? Why?" Anjali asked, surprised.
"Yes, Boss. Donât you know that in the Wasteland, we canât trust anyone?" Sophia pointed out. She had nearly become a victim of misplaced trust herself.
"Donât worry about that. I will only recruit loyal members," Vikram reassured them. He then showed them the current map of the territory.
"This area will remain ours alone. Iâm going to take control of the surrounding land outside our current borders. That outer area will be where the new members will live," Vikram explained.
"Why do you need more members? We are enough here, and with your plant army, we donât even need to fear anyone," Anjali said. Having nearly become a victim herself, she didnât trust outsiders easily, only Vikram, Sophia, and Divya.
Hearing their questions, Vikram looked at the three women and answered seriously, "Because something big is coming in the future. To face it, we will need more power."
"And for that, we need more members."
"But we can think about them later. Right now, we need to take control of the territory around us."
"We will also create a large farmland there. I havenât even planted the corn I traded with you, along with many other seeds," Vikram added.
Hearing this, none of them questioned him further about recruiting new members.
Although Vikram hadnât planted many of the new seeds he had obtained, there were two main reasons. First, he was already growing and eating cabbage, and with plenty of meat available, he didnât really care about corn or the other crops for now.
Second, he simply didnât have the time to waste on farming, since he had been living alone. And also from his Plant Life System, he had also discovered that planting regular food crops or grass did not increase his Plant Essence at all.
If it increased even one point, anyone could gain massive amounts of essence just by planting corn, cabbage, vegetables, or even grass. So because of this loophole, his Plant Life System has removed this option.
But now that he planned to bring many members into his territory, he needed a large farmland. And he intended for the new members to handle it themselves, he had no intention of babysitting them.
"But first of all, I need you both to start training," Vikram said. "While youâre training, I can clear and take control of the surrounding area."
Upon hearing this, Divya naturally intended to go with Vikram, but Anjali said sullenly, "Iâm just a lousy cook. Letâs forget about fighting."
"Huh?" Divya, who was about to agree on Anjaliâs behalf, turned around and glared at her.
Even Vikram glared at Anjali after hearing that.
"Did you forget how the last time you and Divya were chased by the Savage Wolf Shelter members? If I hadnât arrived in time, you wouldnât even be here right now. Now shut up and follow me," he shouted at her.