Wizard: Starting with Symbiosis with Algae

Lynn considered many ways the Iron Man could survive.

Consciousness is uploaded, a brain in a vat, or it learns and evolves gradually, eventually blending into the streets and alleys of human society and astonishing everyone.

In the infinite possibilities of the magical world, these paths are not mere fantasy.

But the reality is much harsher.

Perhaps the plague came too suddenly. The Iron Men simply didn't have time to evolve. They might have been forced to discard all unnecessary structures and become tiny creatures within a few years, or even a few months. Those who failed to complete their metamorphosis were driven to the brink of extinction by the crystallization of the Iron Plague, forced to fight for control of beast bodies, parasitize, and barely survive.

The metal monster in front of us, mixed up with the Oasis Vanguard, is proof of their relationship.

This monster, which combines parts of the Iron Man's body and the Oasis Vanguard, likely existed around the same time as the Oasis Vanguard appeared.

It was too short.

Lynn shook her head slightly.

However, in the face of the current crisis, these inferences seem irrelevant.

The fused monster was a giant crab with a metallic sheen and a height of over four meters.

Part of the Iron Man's body coalesced into a shapeless mass of biological tissue, protruding from between the raised carapace on its back.

In the center of that pool of flowing silvery substance, several pairs of eyes gleamed.

"Coo coo... Wizard?"

"Are you wizards? Human wizards?"

It was exhaling bubbles from its mouth, and its silver pupils revealed a complete madness.

It shook its body, closed its eyes, and the surrounding magnetic field was distorted at that moment.

Lynn saw below that several apprentices who had just begun to recover were experiencing simultaneous tremors in their magical circuits, their healing interrupted.

Although these apprentices had a relatively abundant reserve of magic, the biological dizziness and discomfort caused by the chaotic magnetic field still surged up like a tide.

What's more, they were also carrying wounded soldiers. Their situation was critical.

Lynn vaguely heard their conversation.

"We need to get to the highlands."

"It's not a fast runner. Maybe it can be saved once it gets to higher ground."

……

On the enormous stone table, Lynn withdrew his gaze. Joe was carefully placing the "block of dirt" into the metal box he carried with him.

He was somewhat surprised; the "block-shaped soil" was much lighter than it looked.

"Should we go down?" Joe closed the box and looked up at the open space below.

The team of twenty people is struggling to hold on. "If they can't handle it, the three of us probably can't either."

Lynn nodded. He had intended to help with something he could easily do.

Before completely severing his identity labels as "Explorer" and "Crash Liability Person" in the wizarding system and incidentally raising his reputation score back to 100, he had already made up his mind to be a good person first.

Moreover, the enormous magnetic field emitted by the fused creature made his skin slightly tingle.

If the iron content of the organism itself is sufficient...

"Joe, that giant crab is likely to pose a threat to us."

Joe, holding the armrest of his wheelchair, also felt a chill run down his spine.

Magnetic field. Ferrous properties.

Lynn's judgment was correct.

Qiao simply obeyed the order.

"Shall we go down now?"

Yes, now.

Klein, who was standing nearby, had just finished recording all the environmental footage of the murals and the Iron Man ruins into his device when he looked up and saw the two of them already brushing the dust off their bodies, preparing to jump down.

It's so difficult to climb up here, shouldn't we stay a little longer?

He coughed lightly, interrupting their actions.

"We just got here, and we're already going back down?"

"I think we can wait a little longer. Although I've finished my work, the situation below is still unclear. It seems... something is coming."

Based on past experience, Klein's hunch is likely correct.

But the squad below is losing more and more combat personnel.

Their spells struck the iron man, but they barely left a scratch, and screams of agony filled the air.

Lynn didn't hesitate for long.

"Yes, but Klein, we have to go down."

……

The three had barely landed on the ground and hadn't even had time to steady themselves when footsteps came from the direction of the cave entrance. Several small synthetic beings appeared at the entrance: Iron Man and Oasis Vanguard, standing on crab claws, each about two meters tall.

These two two-meter-tall composite beings in front of us are far inferior to the colossal creature in the distance, but it should be noted that for creatures like the Oasis Vanguard, fifty centimeters is considered a giant.

The one that Lynn coexisted with was about 45cm in diameter.

The one now crawling at the feet of the Iron Man has swelled to over 1.5 meters tall, or even larger.

For every doubling of a living organism's size, its energy consumption increases by the cube of its radius. What energy source sustains these synthetic entities to support their enormous size?

Is it the core of the Iron Man? Or the aggregation characteristics of the Oasis Vanguard?

There must be someone with superhuman abilities involved here.

Klein tightened his expression, staring intently at the two giant crabs that were approaching at an alarming speed. His Phase Talent was prompting him in his mind.

Unfortunately, the entrance to the cave was already blocked. Wolves in front and tigers behind, moving in perfect unison.

Joe asked calmly:

"No, Lynn, we can't go back the way we came."

Lynn gave a soft snort.

How about going head-to-head with these deformable creatures in the cracks?

He wouldn't be that stupid.

"Joe, let's try a different direction."

Without a word, Joe grabbed the still trembling Klein, pushed the wheelchair, and sped along the edge of the cavern towards the twenty-man team.

The wheels of the wheelchair rattled and clattered on the gravel ground as Klein was tucked under his arm.

A chaotic yet sharp magic, omnipresent.

His senses were starting to fail again.

……

"Captain, our comrade is in great danger."

On the other side, the leader of that twenty-person squad was Dopa.

After his charge was interrupted, his teammates used the Disintegration spell in time, briefly forcing back the fused creature's attack.

She and Sephir belonged to the same family, but she was able to lead an adventure team of dozens of people deep into the homeland of the Iron Man. This experience and aura were far beyond Sephir's reach.

Dopa nervously looked around.

She lured the synthetic creatures into the hall not because the monsters were afraid to enter.

They have gone completely mad; there is nowhere they dare not set foot in.

Rather, it's because the hall is spacious and suitable for combat. At the same time, it can also receive some signals from the outside world.

She needed a breathing space to allow the team members to recover their strength.

And she remembered there should have been two clods of dirt here.

That thing can cause synthetic creatures to momentarily lose their senses.

But where did they go?

"Should we use gemification? Gemification is the perfect method to deal with such a huge monster."

The suggestion came from a young man, a second-level wizarding apprentice. His role was similar to Sephir's in that previous squad—a powerful offensive fighter.

His experience was similar; he studied diligently at home for over a decade and mastered the large-scale destructive spell "Gemification".

He joined the team after learning the spell. No one expected him to deal any damage, but he was still quite enthusiastic.

Dopa glanced at him.

The inexperienced young man had an almost religious obsession with the powerful spells he possessed.

You can't blame them; that's how the family teaches them.

"Gemification can end all magical enemies" is not just an empty phrase.

The problem is that the Iron Man's hard red and blue outer shell is itself a product of crystallization.

This is also the origin of gem-transforming magic.

Use its magic against it? What's the difference between the effect and using petrification on a stone?

"No, we have to find another way," she said in a low voice.

A crab leg swung down heavily, shattering the rocky protective net that several people had worked together to hold up.

Gem-forming is ineffective. The best way to deal with this type of giant creature is still to rely on the terrain.

The team happened to have enough members from the geology department to trigger the energy of a small earthquake, causing it to be trapped back into the crack and shattered.

If we work together, we might still have a chance of winning.

But their enemy, with his flowing features, was watching them with a smile.

Another crab leg came crashing down. It began its charge.

Dopa's gaze passed over the charging giant crab and landed on another hole. Another equally enormous figure was slowly approaching.

A chill ran through her heart.

"Gunner, Jason, take care of the wounded. The rest of you, I'll lead you out the other way. Wait for me to get ready—"

He hadn't finished speaking.

The steel crab, which had already gathered its strength, suddenly began to move its body in a non-lateral motion. It twisted its waist, swung its shoulders, and its entire torso shook violently in a way that defied the logic of mechanical structures.

The immense kinetic energy shattered all the rock barriers along the way, sending fragments of rock flying everywhere like cannonballs.

"flight?"

"How is that possible!"

"Flight of this size! Flight powered by magnetism, the kinetic energy would be terrifyingly high."

Dopa barely dodged the powerful spell he was preparing.

But she was also hit head-on by the shockwave. The magical structure in her hand collapsed instantly, and the backlash threw her to the ground.

"not good!"

Magnetic field control. Iron Man's innate magic.

Lynn had witnessed it briefly.

But its effect on flight was something he had never seen before.

The magic power and magic output intensity are completely incomparable to the Little Iron Man.

The massive body stopped, and a glimmer of hope suddenly flashed in its metallic eyes.

He seemed to be hoping that the wizards before him would give him an answer.

"Wizards, are you human?"

Its voice was low and indistinct.

Dopa shouted:

"We! We are human beings."

Iron Man squinted, weakly surveying Dopado.

"Then! Does our tribe have...small...small ones?"

Dopa was very confused; the other person's words were gradually becoming illogical.

"What?"

"I am the stable one, the tribe, they..."

Dopa waited, the madman's eyes swaying back and forth between confusion, fear, and hope.

Like an elderly person on their deathbed, caring for their descendants.

Unfortunately, the time for warmth is so short-lived.

Before long, it descended into utter madness, its enormous body beginning to indiscriminately attack everything around it.

"Kill! Everything! Those creatures that come near your homeland!"

"Eliminate them!"

Dopa propped herself up and stood up, and the apprentices behind her quickly bandaged her wounds.

This team only has cohesion when it surrounds those who are capable of fighting in Dopa.

But Dopa didn't know how to deal with that monster either.

"His armor is too thick!"

"Our spells have absolutely no effect on him!"

The situation is becoming increasingly critical.

and so.

What should I do?

Dopa paused for a moment, then rallied the crowd and began to evade.

...

"Joe, watch your sides."

"I'll take down this big one."

"Okay, Lynn."

Lynn also entered battle mode, with all creatures activating their full potential, even the scaled pike circling around him.

An ordinary Oasis Vanguard that tried to sneak over in the chaos was shoved away by his fist. Immediately afterwards, his fist landed on the two-meter-tall synthetic creature.

Several consecutive strikes, each punch landing squarely. Although the opponent's shell was a composite of metal and carapace, under Lynn's current terrifying attributes, each punch left a dent. This little guy's size was already considered enormous among the Oasis Vanguard, but it was nothing compared to him.

Moreover, the flying rod attack was effective. Several streaks of blue lightning shot out from behind Lynn. High-temperature arcs of electricity traveled along the metal shell, crackling and burning the internal magical circuits. The synthetic creature's enormous pincers swung towards Lynn.

But it was a beat too slow.

With his agility continuously increasing, Lynn dodged the attack and grabbed the base of the claw with his other hand. Frost magic flowed into his joint through his palm, freezing the claw as it spread along the metal shell. Then, with a twist, he bent the crab claw, which was thicker than his waist, out of shape.

"Joe! This is yours and Klein's!"

Lynn shook off the synthetic creature that had lost its balance and charged toward Dopa without looking back.

The bigger one is still there.

Its chaotic state will not last long.

Take advantage of his illness to kill him.

....

Someone spotted Lynn arriving.

"It's reinforcements! Reinforcements have arrived!"

Lynn stretched out a vine and swung herself over.

To be honest, he didn't think he could change much with Iron Man's magical power.

At most, they could use the scaled pike to dig a larger tunnel.

He should be the one calling for backup right now.

There were only three of them.

Unexpectedly, someone in the crowd recognized him.

"It's Lynn! The Lynn who led the three of them to explore the planet."

"They're a three-person team now! We're saved!"

Amidst the hopeful gazes of the crowd,

Lynn swallowed his words, the crowd's gaze so intense.

He was too embarrassed to refute it.

Of course, he wouldn't make any promises.

Prioritize crisis management.

"..."

The two teams approached each other.

They were very concerned about Lynn and Joe's fighting abilities.

If we change the configuration, let the inferior and medium-sized horses here fight against the 2m fusion creature.

Then let Lynn Joe and the top-quality horse here battle against this biggest one.

They have a chance to run.

"We'll have to give it a try."

Lynn manipulated the pike, infused it with a small amount of magic, and sent it gliding past the Iron Man.

The Iron Man was in pain and spun around in place.

The trainees who were paying attention to the Ironman's movements showed delight.

"It works! What kind of spell is that?!"

"I can't see it at all. Is that Lynn's weapon?"

"If we use that spell a few more times, and we attack together, we can win!"

Not only ordinary students, but also those who have never experienced a crisis.

Even Dopa, the experienced team leader, thought so.

Lynn, it's all up to you now.

"Be careful to dodge, we'll assist Lynn in a quick attack."

"Victory and survival belong to us."

With everyone united, the spells and formations came together once again.

They believed they could handle a completely insane guy.

After all, they are wizards destined to explore the stars and the sea.

..

Just as everyone was celebrating, Klein, who was in very poor condition, opened his eyes and shouted.

"Lynn, is there anything else coming? Don't go over there yet."

Lynn stopped in his tracks as a large amount of rubble, some as high as 2 meters, rolled down from the roof.

Around the mural with its scattered rubble, wild grass swayed incessantly.