Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 263 First Journey in the Wilderness

The afternoon wind swept across the wasteland, carrying dry dust and the faint scent of distant vegetation.

Lorin determined the direction, his gaze lingering for a moment on the outline of the gray-blue mountain range in the northwest, before turning to the more pressing issue at hand.

Find a suitable campsite before dark.

"This way." Rowling slung his backpack over his shoulder, picked up the incubator, and gestured for Ellie to follow. "See that dried-up riverbed? Follow it upstream; you can usually find a water source, even if it's just a seepage point."

Ellie looked in the direction Rowling pointed and saw a winding, gravel-strewn ditch appearing and disappearing among the weeds.

She quickly followed Luo Lin's footsteps, clutching her small cloth bag tightly in her arms.

Baha took off from the rock and hovered low in front of the two, its six eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Walking on the dry riverbed, with its uneven pebbles underfoot, was much more strenuous than on flat ground. Ellie was able to keep up at first, but after about half an hour, her breathing became noticeably rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She bit her lip and persisted without uttering a sound.

Noticing her strain, Rowling slowed his pace. "Regulate your breathing, inhale through your abdomen, and let your steps follow the rhythm of your breath."

"When hiking in the wilderness, endurance is more important than speed."

Ellie tried to do it, took a few deep breaths, and felt a little better.

"Mr. Rowling, are we... going to keep walking like this?"

"Is there a faster way?"

"In the wilderness, using magic or moving at high speed rashly can easily disturb things that shouldn't be disturbed, and it can also easily expose your whereabouts."

Rowling explained, while his gaze swept over the terrain on both sides of the riverbed.

"Walking may be slow, but it's the safest way."

"Once your stamina and familiarity with the wilderness improve, we can try some auxiliary lightness techniques."

"Now, let's get used to it."

He stopped, squatted down, grabbed a handful of mud from the edge of the riverbed, and rubbed it between his fingertips.

"Soil moisture is increasing."

"The water source shouldn't be far away."

Sure enough, after walking about a mile, the riverbed gradually became deeper, and some drought-resistant low shrubs began to appear on both sides.

The air felt a little more humid.

Not far ahead, at the foot of a rock wall, the faint sound of dripping water could be heard.

Rowling gestured for Ellie to stop, and went forward to check on her first.

At the bottom of the rock wall, there is a small depression where clear water droplets are slowly seeping out from the cracks in the rock, accumulating in a shallow layer in the stone hollow below.

The water was clear, but Rowling did not take any water without careful consideration.

He took out a small silver probe and inserted it into the water.

The surface of the probe showed a faint silver sheen, but did not change color.

"The water is fairly clean, with no obvious toxicity or pollution." Rolin put away the probe. "But water from the wilderness is best boiled before drinking."

"Take some for later use."

He took out a folded water bag and carefully collected the leaking water droplets.

Ellie also took out her water pouch and helped out.

As he fetched water, Rowling's ears twitched slightly. He raised his hand to signal Ellie to be quiet.

A rustling sound came from the bushes not far away, accompanied by the soft munching sounds.

Rowling handed the water bag to Ellie, then quietly moved closer and pushed aside the bushes.

Several small creatures, about the size of rabbits, with yellowish-brown fur and two prominent incisors, were gnawing on a juicy root.

Upon seeing Rolin, they were startled and let out short chirps before disappearing into the burrow.

"It's a ground rat, a low-level demonized creature. It's timid by nature, and its meat is decent, but it's not much of a threat."

Rowling walked back and said to Ellie.

"Their presence indicates that there are no large predators nearby for the time being, which is a good sign for camping."

Ellie breathed a sigh of relief; just a moment ago, she had also gripped the small cloth bag tightly in nervousness.

After collecting enough water, the two continued swimming along the riverbed for a while, until they found a relatively open flat area with a rocky back and a good view in front of them.

"Let's set up camp here." Luo Lin put down his luggage and began to survey the surrounding terrain. "The rock walls can block the wind, and the slightly higher ground can prevent dampness and allow for observation."

"Ellie, go and gather some dry firewood. Don't go far, stay within sight."

"Remember, only pick up completely dry, dead branches; don't pick the green ones."

"Okay." Ellie put down the cloth bag and carefully began to gather firewood nearby.

Rolin then took out several thin stone slabs engraved with simple warning and insect-repelling runes from his package and buried them around the camp in specific locations.

Then he took out a small, portable folding alchemy stove.

This is a simplified version of the one recorded in Master Veranika's notes, suitable for use in the wild. It is powered by energy crystals and can provide a stable source of heat.

When Ellie returned with a small bundle of firewood, Rowling had already set up the stove and was pouring water into the pot to boil it.

"Fire—don't we need to start a fire?" Ellie looked at the metal stove that was emitting heat even though it had no flames, with some curiosity.

"Alchemy furnaces are more stable, have no open flame, are less likely to be exposed, and are easier to control the temperature," Rolin explained. "In the wilderness, a small fire can be seen from miles away."

"We should try to avoid unnecessary attention."

Ellie nodded as if she understood, and put the firewood aside.

"And this firewood—"

"For backup. Use only if the alchemy furnace runs out of power or is damaged, or if an emergency fire is needed."

As he spoke, Luo Lin took out a few pieces of dried meat and some hard flatbread from his package.

"Keep it simple tonight: meat jerky soup and toasted bread."

He skillfully shredded the dried meat and put it into boiling water, then cut a few slices of dehydrated vegetables that he carried with him and threw them in as well.

Soon, a scent that blended the aroma of meat with the fresh scent of plants filled the camp.

Ellie sat on a flat rock next to him, watching Rowling busy himself. Her stomach growled twice, and her face flushed slightly.

Rowling glanced at her, said nothing, and simply handed her a piece of the hot bread.

"Eat slowly. In the wilderness, food should be chewed thoroughly to aid digestion and conserve energy."

The two ate their simple dinner in silence.

The meat soup was bland and the bread was dry and hard, but in this desolate wilderness, the hot food brought real warmth and satisfaction.

The sky gradually darkened.

The real starry sky began to emerge against the leaden gray backdrop, clearer and brighter than it had been seen in human towns, but also colder and more distant.

Luo Lin tidied up the tableware and turned the alchemy stove to the lowest keep-warm setting, providing a little light without being too conspicuous.

"I'll keep watch for the first half of the night, and you keep watch for the second half," Rowling said to Ellie. "Keeping watch isn't about being idle; you have to listen with your ears, smell with your nose, and observe the movements in the darkness with the corner of your eye."

"Wake me up immediately if anything seems amiss."

Ellie was a little nervous: "I—can I?"

"It has to start eventually," Rowling said calmly. "I'll keep watch for now; you should take this time to rest."

I'll wake you up in the middle of the night.

Ellie nodded, spread out a simple sleeping blanket, and lay down, clutching her small cloth bag.

But she clearly had trouble falling asleep, her eyes wide open, staring at the unfamiliar starry sky above.

Roland sat on a high rock at the edge of the camp, leaning against the rock wall, his gaze slowly sweeping across the surrounding wasteland that had sunk into darkness.

The ears caught the sound of the wind, the faint howls of beasts in the distance, and the subtle chirping of insects nearby.

The power of [Silent Dust Star] quietly operates, settling and analyzing all the subtle movements within its perception range, filtering out meaningless background noise, and leaving only signals that may be threatening or abnormal.

This is a fundamental skill for wilderness survival, and also an extension of the wizard's perception training.

Time passed in silence.

The alchemical furnace emitted a faint heat and orange glow, enveloping the camp in a small, warm halo.