Wizard: Starting with Symbiosis with Algae

While resting in bed, Lynn kept looking into the depths of the cave entrance.

The river and algae flowed down the bottom of the cave, continuing until they reached the end of the road.

The direction of the water flow is clear, which means that there are other exits inside the cave, or it may be connected to other underground rivers leading to deeper underground.

He guessed that it probably led to a much larger underground system.

Moreover, the entrance to the cave where the test station is located is very small, only allowing one person to pass through sideways.

Ruby squeezed herself sideways into the hole, dusted off her clothes, and reached out her hand to Lynn.

"Slow down, it's quite slippery here."

"I will be careful."

Lynn entered the cave, a cool breeze brushing past his ears, giving him a feeling of sudden enlightenment.

He used the light in Ruby's hand to see his surroundings more clearly.

The highest point of the cave ceiling is nearly ten meters high, and the rock walls are dark black, layered and stacked, resembling the appearance of cooled lava. The widest part of the cave can accommodate the wreckage of an entire airship.

The oxygen content is higher than that of the outside environment.

It is estimated that the algae in the underground river are slowly releasing oxygen, and the bulkhead at the cave entrance is blocking the gas from flowing out, thus creating a semi-enclosed oxygen-rich zone inside the cave.

However, the concentration was not high enough to support strenuous exercise; I would still be out of breath after walking a few steps.

The two continued forward.

Ruby kept glancing back at Lynn, who splashed some water on himself, causing the blue algae to start producing oxygen. He jogged after him.

"Go down about 10 meters more, and you'll reach the spot where I grabbed the worm. Don't run. The oxygen concentration isn't particularly high."

"Okay, ma'am."

The deeper you go, the darker and more gloomy it becomes.

The sunlight filtering through the cave entrance only illuminates the first twenty meters.

The hydrogen lamp in Ruby's hand became the only light source, and the flame burned quietly inside the glass dome.

Grooves and holes eroded by water can be seen everywhere on the rock face. Some of the holes are covered with a thin layer of grayish-white fungal carpet, which should be the same type as the thick fungal carpet on the ground.

The sound of bubbles rising to the surface could be heard from time to time.

Lynn followed behind Ruby.

Ruby stopped to change into an oxygen tank when she passed a marked point that had been scorched by flames.

She took two breaths, then hung the oxygen tank back around her neck and continued walking. Lynn followed suit and put on her oxygen tank as well.

Ruby's voice came intermittently from ahead: "I discovered this cave on the day my plane crashed. And it was a stormy day too. The worms here are scurrying around inside the rock walls, unusually restless."

Speaking is not an easy thing for her either.

"Now even I, a complete novice in the world of worms, know this. Lightning brings their predators. That kind of overwhelming power would terrify anyone."

as predicted.

While Ruby was speaking, Lynn heard a faint scraping sound coming from inside the rock wall.

Lynn and Ruby exchanged a glance. Without a word, they both understood that the worms were hiding deep inside, afraid to come out, trying to avoid the flying sticks.

But throwing sticks don't appear on sunny days. The more agitated the area, the easier it is to succeed.

Now is the best time to make the arrest.

Ruby held the hydrogen lamp high, the light sweeping across a crack in the rock face.

Inside the crack, the tail end of a worm was sticking out.

This worm is quite good at cosplaying as an ostrich.

Ruby whispered:

"The Wizard's Hand"

An invisible hand grabbed the worm's tail and pulled it outwards with a sudden jerk.

The worm was dragged out whole. Ruby threw it to the ground, stepped on its tail, and pulled a leash from her waist and fastened it.

"The first one, Lynn, there's one to your left front as well."

"Okay, ma'am."

Lynn was also making his move. He saw the worm with half its body burrowing into another crevice in the rocks.

"Entwined by vines."

Green vines climbed along the rock face, entered the crevices, and entangled the segments of worms.

He took a step back, retracted the vine, and the vine twitched, pulling the worm out like a tug-of-war.

Ten minutes later, four new worms were tethered to the leash.

They were all quite large, a size larger than the ones we used to graze.

Ruby crouched down and examined their bodies; there were no wounds, and their bristles were intact.

The strange flying rod-like creatures probably didn't notice them.

They are all healthy wild worms.

"Four ropes. That makes up for some of the loss." Ruby tightened the buckles on the leashes one by one.

"But it's still very different from when I first came here. The worms from the underground river must have an origin."

Lynn thought so too.

"In that case, I will pay attention to similar places when I go out."

Lightning and flying rods are linked. Flying rods only appear during thunderstorms.

Conversely, sunny days should be safe.

As long as you pay more attention when going out on sunny days, it will be fine.

After the minor commotion caused by the flying stick attack, Lynn's ranking of the weather shifted slightly.

Sunny days moved up one spot, while thunderstorms fell to the bottom. After all, no matter what...

Lynn had to live.

I just don't know what the worms eat in these caves.

Do you want to drink plain water?

...

The morning of the first day after the flying stick attack.

The weather has cleared up.

As agreed, Ruby was supposed to go out this morning.

But as the only one capable of using cold magic, Ruby has an even more important mission.

She wanted to safeguard the achievements already made at the experimental station.

After discussing it, Lynn agreed to take full responsibility for going out.

This was also what Lynn was thinking; he wanted to go and check out the cave entrance from a few days ago.

"Ruby, I'm going to check out the river mouth on the west side."

"Go ahead. New worms are about to hatch; I'll stay here and watch the incubator."

Ruby was back at the microscope, her fingers adjusting the focus. The incubator sat at her feet, which she guarded closely; she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Despite being harassed by the flying sticks, Lynn's life didn't change much.

It's not his fault, nor Ruby's fault. There are only two people on this planet, and to survive, they have to keep hunting and raising worms.

Whether the flying rods come or not, the worms still need to be raised.

The only difference lies in one's mindset: whether one is happy or apprehensive.

Lynn walked across the red wilderness, holding onto the leash.

The sun rose from the flat, gray-blue sea, and the misty fog, bathed in sunlight, tinged pink against the red sand.

Dozens of worms followed behind him, their bristles making a rough, rustling sound as they scratched across the sand.

His expression shifted slightly, and he relaxed.

Although his life is always full of surprises, the sun shines brightly, and cloudy days are fine too. Until he gains enough strength, let thunderstorms stay as far away as possible.

After reciting the words, Lynn led the worm along the coast.

"Today's goal is to go to the hot spring we visited last time and check on the situation."

On the shallows at the estuary, the gray-black silt gleamed moistly in the sunlight.

The fungal carpet has been thinned by grazing in the past few days and will take a long time to grow back thick.