Wizard: Starting with Symbiosis with Algae

Chapter 78 Teammates—No, fellow inmates

In the empty classroom, the pale white light of the fluorescent lamps cast a dull glow on the seats.

Lynn brought his paper documents to the front of the stage. Wizards have great technology in every way, but when it comes to things that need to be archived, physical materials are essential.

Having both online and offline archives is quite troublesome.

However, Lynn now understands that if the apocalypse comes, these materials are the hope for preserving the flame and turning the tide.

Well, it's better than dying silently.

, 7

Lynn looked up; apart from Professor Egard, the lecture hall was empty. The old professor sat alone in the middle of the third row, holding a steaming cup of black tea, looking as if he were attending a private concert.

Lynn waved and said, "Professor Aigard, good afternoon. May I ask where the other professors are?"

,"Hold on."

Aigard put down his teacup, clapped his hands, and the moment the applause rang out in the empty classroom, rows of blue phantoms lit up one after another on the seats above the classroom.

The humanoid figure, constructed by remote projection magic, solidified and sat in its seat.

Formal wizards are that busy; using remote projection for review saves them the time spent traveling back and forth.

Moreover, many people may not even be on the Wizarding World's home planet.

Lynn took a deep breath and turned to the first page of the document.

"Good afternoon, professors. The title of my paper is... 'A Study on the Growth of Edranolol under... Environment'."

"Edranor grass has a significant self-inhibiting growth property, and can only complete its growth cycle normally under the dual conditions of continuous magical interference and physical influence."

,

Lynn finished reading her prepared speech without much nervousness.

After all, a graduation thesis, especially one required for a first-level apprentice, is essentially a standardized training exercise designed to teach apprentices how to ask questions, design experiments, and draw conclusions.

Most first-level apprentices' papers are just reinventing the wheel and have little value; as long as the format is correct and the method is correct, it's fine.

However, that was the usual situation; the rows of blue phantoms sitting above the classroom seemed quite interested in Lynn's research.

Lynn was overjoyed.

Was my chosen topic a good one?

The phantoms swayed slightly and whispered among themselves, but the sound was blocked in one direction, so Lynn below the stage couldn't hear any of their discussion.

He waited anxiously.

After a few minutes of discussion, Aigard, on behalf of all the other professors, said, "Very good, Lynn apprentice, your workload and work attitude are satisfactory. Professor Skinner, Dean Quentin, now I will ask him some applied questions according to procedure."

A blue phantom leaned forward slightly, gesturing for Aigard to step back. "No, Aigard. I'll do it myself." Aigard obeyed.

The man coughed twice, and after everyone had their attention, he asked, "Apprentice Lynn, which of your research findings has the greatest theoretical or practical value? Why?"

Lynn paused for two seconds, his gaze falling on the conclusion he had repeatedly circled on the data. He looked up and answered calmly, "The most valuable conclusion is that, based on experimental data, the survival rate of Edranor in special environments such as magical upheavals, physical stimuli, and potion immersion is more than three times higher than the control group. This means that, theoretically, it is possible to establish a life support system in highly radioactive areas that does not rely on external protection. For pioneering wizards who need to perform missions in high-risk environments, this is an application that could potentially directly improve survival rates."

"However, its drawbacks are also quite obvious... First is the price; a bottle of Fire Potion costs 3 magic stones..."

""

Lynn spoke fluently and confidently, remaining calm despite the large audience of prominent figures. He smoothly explained the drawbacks and possible solutions.

The illusory figures in the classroom all nodded slightly.

"Very good, Lynn, overall it's not bad. However, I think you need to make some improvements in your choice of potions. In my experience, fire and ice potions are not the best choices. You could try Frostflower potion, a low concentration, about 3-6%. Did you not consider this, or..."

"Yes, Professor, I do have some shortcomings in alchemy."

The blue phantom turned to Aigard, a hint of approval in its voice, "I believe this research has some value. The specific parameters can be studied further later. For a Level 1 apprentice's thesis, which doesn't involve collaboration with other colleges, to achieve this level under such limited conditions is quite remarkable."

Aigard nodded slightly.

"Well then, professors," another illusory figure stood up, taller than the others beside him, with a loud voice, "we congratulate apprentice Lynn on his official graduation."

Lynn pulled out his notebook and added a few more strokes to the title page. It was a memo he had written in shorthand symbols that only he could understand. After finishing, he closed the notebook and put it back in his pocket. "Thank you, professors, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to listen to my presentation."

The professors then dispersed.

Lynn took a deep breath, put away the materials, and prepared to ask Aigard some questions about the New World quest.

Unexpectedly, Aigard stood up, placed the teacup on the armrest, and pinned a medal on Lynn's chest, engraved with the three ecological niches of grass, insects, and fungi.

"Lynn, congratulations, you have graduated from your apprenticeship."

"Without your help, I'm afraid I would have had to take a much longer and more circuitous route."

,

"It's alright, Lynn. You wouldn't believe it, your information has made my recruitment process much easier. Just for the first round of the Wizarding World Parade, we recruited 200% more people than we did three years ago. I can take at least three months off. I should be thanking you."

""

The college's domestic admissions are held every three years, but each college conducts its own independent process. In theory, an ordinary person with a grand dream can apply to join a wizarding college every single day.

"Professor, what should I do with my body...?"

"Professor Skinner and I are pioneer wizards of the same caliber, and Dean Quentin is an even more remarkable figure; his name is engraved on the monument of merit in the Pioneer Center Tower. When the medals are awarded, I'll introduce you to him, and you'll have no shortage of resources in the future."

,

Aigard was overwhelmed with pleasure at the thought of his wonderful leisure time, which he could devote himself to tackling his research project.

He glanced at Lynn and suddenly realized what Lynn wanted to ask.

"Lynn, I have faith in you. As for dealing with the recruitment failure, I've told you before that we need to recover lost ground. I believe you'll survive even on that other planet,"

"Professor, do you have any specific information about that world?" Lynn slowed his pace.

Aigard pulled a palm-sized ceramic card from his pocket. "You come with me to the Problem Wizard Control Center. There are some people who have made 'mistakes' there. You can get information and then make contact with your fellow inmates beforehand."

The punishment for causing the trainees to crash was to explore a new world.

But, fellow inmates.

The fact that those two words came out so casually from Aigard's mouth made Lynn a little flustered.

The distance between hero and prisoner is so short.

From pioneers on a wild planet to file numbers in a control center, the difference is only a fine line.

It's a bit strange.

But what Aigard is doing is not—" Lynn suddenly raised his head and asked in a low voice, "Isn't this illegal?"

'

Aigard smiled slyly.

"No, child. This is allowed."

"Furthermore, your dune planet, according to the Frontier Center's survey, is extremely valuable. Our probes have discovered a large amount of ancient crops deposited underground. At the very least, it's a valuable source of energy. The biological resources, namely your worm, are also quite valuable."

"After you receive the medal, someone will come to you to discuss development matters. The academy will charge a witnessing and protection fee."

"In short, Lynn, your contribution is much greater than you think."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming lighter: "By the way, the scaled pike you submitted is also of great value, for a breakthrough..."

At this point, Aigard stopped abruptly. His lips moved, but he swallowed the rest of his sentence.

The value of this pike is something that Lynn cannot yet be told.

At least not now. He patted Lynn on the shoulder and said awkwardly, "Anyway, focus on your own things."

""

"—Okay, Professor."

Aigard brought Lynn to the center of the city.

This is the most bustling area of ​​Mirror City, with all sorts of wizarding buildings standing on both sides of the street, and towers and domes reflecting different lusters under the sunlight.

Next to the double helix and pea sculpture, a rather ornately decorated large canteen stands quietly on the street corner.

Lynn vaguely remembered that she had eaten steak on the side of this restaurant before.

At that time, he had just arrived in Jingdu and was not in a good mood. Everything was still unfamiliar to him.

It seems like a fertilizer truck also passed by that day.

He was sitting by the window when he took a deep breath of ammonia.

Aigard pushed open the cafeteria door, and the doorbell rang.

"Eat first, you'll have the energy to see your fellow inmates. It's downstairs, don't rush."

Problem Wizard Control Center, Room 45.

The control room is located deep underground in front of the cafeteria; the elevator takes a full two minutes to descend to reach the actual entrance.

The air was fresh, the environment was quiet, and the blue straight-line pattern was somewhat similar to that of a hospital.

At the door of Room 45, a uniformed administrator called out to the people inside: "The world you are going to has already been explored by a group of wizards. It is a world rich in resources. Although it is quite difficult, strictly speaking, you are not being punished, but rather going to make a contribution."

"The truly antisocial elements have been eliminated. You are pearls covered in dust, gold waiting to be washed clean; have faith in your abilities."

"The world there requires you to have stronger environmental resistance. To prevent you all from dying there, we have provided you with specialized training, including but not limited to gravity adaptation and low-temperature adaptation..."

,

Upon seeing Aigard arrive, he glanced at Aigard's identification and nodded, then turned to the room. "Alright, everyone, be alert, a big shot has arrived."

The warden, who was making empty promises to the prisoners one second, became extremely respectful to Aigard the next.

Lynn followed Aigard into the observation room, then turned her head upon hearing this.

He glanced at the old man beside him.

Isn't that the old man playing chess in the park?

Could he possibly be older than the dean?

Lynn was unsure of the administrator's attitude towards the dean, and couldn't continue the comparison.

He could only silently reflect on his previous attitude towards Aigard and found that he seemed to have been quite respectful, which made him breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"Jasper Novak," Aigard's voice interrupted Lynn's thoughts, "stop, I'm not some big shot."

"No problem, Professor. And who is this gentleman next to you?"

“My junior, a young man who is neither humble nor arrogant.” Aigard stepped aside to make way for Lynn. “I brought him here to meet the people under his supervision. Lynn, this is your senior, Jasper Novak, who graduated ten years ago with a major in bio-engineering. A fourth-level wizard apprentice.”

"Hello, senior." Lynn greeted him politely.

Jasper glanced at him and replied, "Very energetic."

Lynn straightened his chest.

Aigard is right. Knowing Aigard's identity for so long, he has never tried to curry favor with him. Clearly, he is a young man with a humble spirit.

This valuable quality must be maintained.

"No problem, Professor Aigard," the administrator glanced at the magic monitoring instruments on the wall, "One hour is fine with you, but I'm worried about them having problems if it's longer. The suppression device here is constantly running, and too much time could damage their bodies."

The mirror in the observation room was one-way. Lynn stood in front of the door, hastily observing the other prisoners inside through the glass.

Most of them are humanoid creatures with one head and two arms; at least from this angle, they don't look particularly special.

If he couldn't go into the room to communicate face-to-face, separated by one-way glass, he couldn't even sense the other person's magical fluctuations.

However, it's not bad if you can make a judgment based on appearance and sound.

Overall, there aren't many people with strange appearances.

There was a human with obvious wolf-like characteristics, his eyes gleaming, but Lynn could tell that this kind of wildest creature was also the most obedient.

Like elves in Western fantasy worlds, their outward appearance and inner nature are often opposites. He is a third-level wizard apprentice, according to the report.

It's possible that the wild influence of meditation has made it too vulnerable to survive in human society.

Another guy, with a lizard head, was breathing fire and spouting nonsense at his normal neighbors, having a great time.

"This is the flame of a true dragon!"

'

"Do you still dare to eat my little cake?"

This one is also a level three wizard apprentice, and it seems that the mutation was also caused by meditation.

The report stated that she made a mistake after seeing the gold coins, causing the spaceship to crash. Extreme greed was her primary symptom.

There may not be much malicious intent, but releasing them would be a big problem.

But considering the intensity, he's a good teammate.

Among the crowd, there were also some people who quietly squatted in the corner, neither interacting with anyone nor causing any conflict.

Lynn looked at the information and found that most of them were level two apprentices, with only one being a level three apprentice.

His name is Rawls, he's a mechanics specialist, and his crime is fetishism.

They all seem to be normal people?

Are all the madmen and gamblers from the wizarding world out there?

Or are they all faking it?

As he was thinking this, a voice suddenly came to his ear.

The buzzing sound resembled the call of some kind of animal.

The sound came from a small fly diagonally behind him!

It was hidden behind Lynn in a corner he hadn't noticed earlier.

The person who was transmitting the message looked perfectly normal.

"Young man, hello, would you like to help me escape?"

'

"Or do you want to be my subordinate?"

Such meticulous handling. Lynn turned around abruptly, thinking there was some formidable character involved.

Unexpectedly, the man's eyes flashed, and the surrounding wizard apprentices became alert.

She pushed him away in disgust, pointing her knife and fork at his shoulder.

Two sharp sounds.

He was bleeding profusely and muttered to himself for a short while before the fly crashed.

Lynn heard him say haltingly, "Time is of the essence, we must hurry!"

""

"Help me!"

Your blood has sprayed three meters away, and you're still thinking about escaping from prison?

Lynn couldn't hold back any longer.

Besides, who the hell are you? Why should I save you?

The nearby administrator shouted, "Still causing trouble, Sylder? You're finished!"