Wizard: Starting with Symbiosis with Algae

Lynn was holding a blade of grass, and before he could examine it closely, he was pricked by an inconspicuous thorn on the grass's downy hairs.

He gasped, staring at the tiny bead of blood that had appeared on his fingertip, and frowned.

Lynn asked himself honestly, and realized that he had given Edranor grass to eat and drink these past few days.

Light exposure time, nutrient solution concentration, and air humidity are all precisely controlled.

He hasn't been sleeping like he did a few days ago; the only thing missing is playing music for the Edranor Grass at set times.

Lynn shook the roots of the grass.

The groundwater and soil are still normal.

But brother, why did you die so quickly? What went wrong? Say something.

He was in great shape yesterday.

Lynn pulled out a plant encyclopedia from the academy, scrolled down the table of contents, and found a simple description of Edranorus grass near the back.

"Edrano grass: growth cycle, to be added. Specific uses, to be added."

...Alright then. Two "to be supplemented" entries right off the bat. This encyclopedia is really easy to compile.

He patiently continued reading.

"Commonly found on cliffs in deserts, snow-capped mountains, polar regions, and plateaus. 12-20cm in length. The mature fruit has a very minor magical effect."

Note: This plant is easily scratched. Do not ingest if you are below the level of a third-level wizard apprentice. Do not place wounds on Edranor grass.

Lynn looked at the staring gaze, her feelings somewhat complicated.

Do not place the wound on it.

Before long, the wound began to itch, and the pain slowly seeped into the bone.

Lynn pinched his wound, the pain subsided temporarily, and he went through the entries one by one.

The growth cycle and specific functions are still to be supplemented, and that is the content of his research project.

Their habitat spans deserts, snow-capped mountains, polar regions, and plateaus—places that normal people would never go.

That's probably why no one has ever systematically studied this herb.

At the same time, this seems to suggest that its growth is related to environmental factors, and rather extreme ones at that.

If it can grow in extreme environments, why does it rot in suitable environments?

Lynn closed the illustrated guide, got up with questions in his mind, and headed towards the storage room.

He rummaged through a corner and pulled out a black bag, taking out a withered Edranor plant inside. Its leaves were badly shrunken.

He placed the withered plant on the table, and next to it, he placed the two still-living plants in his hand, the three plants lined up in a row.

The difference is obvious when compared.

The dead plant had dry, thin roots, but its branches were still quite plump.

The two surviving plants, however, were not very vigorous, with their root systems remaining slightly moist and elastic.

but

Lynn stared at the withered grass for a long time.

How come the one that died looks like it's growing even better?

It's so weird.

Lynn measured it with a ruler and found it to be 17.3cm. If it hadn't shrunk, this guy was almost at the limit of his species.

He hesitated, wavered, and then suddenly clapped his hands.

It was his absence of more than a month that caused this difference.

It's difficult to make a definitive judgment about exactly what happened.

But it's most likely related to the environment.

...

Lynn paused for a moment

Research must be done, and even weeds must be saved.

[Selected: Edranorophytum.]

[Observed characteristics: Photosynthesis, magical respiration—consuming a small amount of magical energy to produce a large amount of oxygen...]

[Whether they coexist]

"Yes."

Lynn grinned.

Just like the sweat bug, the potential for complex behavior in the Adrano grass is not directly reflected in its traits.

He needs to think about it some more.

Just then, the communicator rang.

"Mr. Lynn, your order of Muscle Ripper serum has arrived. Would you like it packaged, drunk now, or refrigerated before use?"

The so-called Muscle Tearer is a drug developed by the Alchemy Academy that tears muscles. When combined with sleep and plenty of nutrition, muscle mass can grow rapidly.

Lynn casually replied, "Later, please pre-deposit it for me. I have something else to do."

The potion isn't urgent. The Edranor herb matter isn't finished yet.

……

Inside a spacious and bright room.

Professor Aigard stood on the podium, addressing the forty or fifty new students in front of him as he explained the important points.

Logically, this task should have been done by Melsu, but Melsu has already submitted her thesis and is busy with the development of their planet, so she doesn't have much free time.

Aigarde also wanted to soak up the youthful vibe among young people.

"In order to obtain more abundant resources, we must look outward."

"Of course, this has nothing to do with the new students. All room and board are free for the three-year program. Children, enjoy these three happy years and grow to your fullest potential. Any one of you who reaches Level One Apprentice and learns a spell within two years can join our research team..."

"Anyone who becomes a second-level wizard apprentice within a year can become my assistant."

...

Lynn stood by the door, listening patiently as Aigard made empty promises.

He sought out Professor Egard because the professor was old and knowledgeable. Asking him about Edranor herbs should yield some information not listed in the bestiary.

But he can't directly ask "how to plant" or "how to breed".

That kind of question is so unprofessional. He's a student researching Edranorus herbs, and he comes to the professor asking for a ready-made answer, only to turn around and use it to publish a paper? Just thinking about it makes me lose face.

We need to look at it from a different angle. From a practical standpoint, asking about its origin and source is perfectly reasonable.

After the students around the professor dispersed, Lynn stepped forward.

"Professor, I just wanted to ask you, where did the little ironmen find the Edranor grass?"

The professor looked up.

"It should be marked in the book," the professor said.

"I want to ask about those two plants. I've already read the book; although not many people study them, there are still annotations."

"The little iron men were discovered in the desert, and in a non-oasis environment."

Lynn pondered for a moment.

Desert, not oasis. In other words, this grass can survive in completely arid, bare sand.

At the same time, it can grow in snow-capped mountains and polar regions, with an absurdly large temperature range.

There are regional differences in magical environments in this world. Lynn was well aware of this.

For example, the periodic cold waves on the planet Dune can cause the temperature to drop below freezing within a few hours.

If such periodic climate activity also exists in the desert, then the distribution range of the edranorophyte would make sense.

Moreover, isn't the desert the very place where the little iron men were unearthed?

The two clues converged, and Lynn began to have a clearer idea in her mind.

Departure, contact Joe directly to depart.

Instead of nitpicking the wording in the guidebook, why not go and see it for yourself?

"Professor, I have another question," Lynn asked. "Do we have any means to temporarily or permanently increase body size?"

He hadn't intended to ask this question. It had nothing to do with the research on Edranor grass, and the Academy seemed to be very tight-lipped about information in this area; he had searched through the database for a long time but couldn't find a single relevant piece of information.

The professor was surrounded by several students asking questions and couldn't free up his hands for the moment.

Lynn waited a moment, then, realizing she probably wouldn't get any results today, quietly said thank you and turned to leave.

Just as I took a step, the professor grabbed my wrist from behind.

The professor leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Lynn, you're almost a third-level wizard apprentice, right? Actually, advanced applications of meditation might help you increase your physique. You'll need to find some creatures to help you train."

Lynn was stunned for a moment.

Is meditation related to body shape?

He then lowered his voice and asked, "What core?"

The professor replied

"The core of the Iron Man."

"Isn't Iron Man supposed to be small? What does this have to do with being gigantic?"

Before the professor could answer, a group of freshmen who had just finished class rushed in through the door.

The professor released his grip, resuming his standard expression as he addressed the students, young and old, and said in a clear voice:

"Alright, kids, one at a time. Feel free to ask any questions you may have."

"Lynn, you can go ahead now, I'm busy here."

"Okay, Professor."

Lynn stepped out the door, his fingertips throbbing with intense pain in his left shoulder; he was shocked.

Suddenly a notification appeared in front of him

[With the combined effects of the Edranorian herbs and the lamb, their bodies became stronger.]

[Agility +0.01]

What does it mean?