Wizard: Starting with Symbiosis with Algae

Chapter 102 Spreading Branches

"Having more teammates means having more options" is a wise saying.

Even a fully-fledged wizard needs a group of apprentices to help manage their territory and develop resources. Not to mention Sylder, an apprentice alone.

The saprophytic creature is cautious and patient; it needs a strong companion to embolden it before going hunting.

Lynn was one of the ideal targets.

Unfortunately, although Sylder wanted to recruit Lynn, Lynn didn't want to see him. This wasn't because Lynn was cold-blooded or foolish enough to ignore a useful teammate and choose to go it alone when he already had one.

It's Sylder! How come everyone except you is starting to grow thin branches on their heads?

Lynn, sensing the intense magical fluctuations, poked his head out from the hull and was utterly shocked.

Branches were attached to the apprentices' heads. The scene was so spectacular it looked like something out of a mind control device.

Lynn glanced at the 20 apprentices present and drew a conclusion. Then, he nervously counted the number of branches: "One, two, three, four—at least 25, covering all the wizard apprentices on the deck."

The branch looked like a transparent spider leg, moving along with people's movements.

Lynn couldn't see where it came from, but at such close range, anyone who wasn't blind could sense the unusual magical source residing in front of the cockpit without any other means.

The monsters gathered there into a huge mass of colorless slime, within which was a wounded wizard with extremely high magical power.

Moreover, the deck of the ship was covered in blood, and the fallen apprentices were piled up haphazardly, with only Sylder and Wolf still standing.

Everyone had wounds. A preliminary assessment suggests the apprentices weren't taken down in their sleep; their own strength was insufficient to deal with this monster. Furthermore, it's possible they were already fighting when the monster took advantage of their weakened state.

The traces of magic on the apprentices can serve as evidence.

What worries Lynn is that, in addition to controlling the apprentice, the colorless branch is continuously injecting liquid into the wizard apprentice's body.

"The apprentices were controlled, or at least affected by what was injected into their bodies."

Material changes inevitably lead to irreversible transformations. These apprentices may be being transformed into monstrous servants.

Lynn swallowed hard.

The creature was so enormous that he couldn't get a full glimpse of it. But its massive, five-colored tentacles were incredibly imposing above Sylder's head.

It constantly exhales tiny bubbles into the sky. The bubbles move forward by inhaling and exhaling air and contracting their bodies, just like a living organism.

Lynn guessed that the light, airy balloons in the sky might be its offspring, and a chill ran down his spine—this meant that this invasive creature "also possessed the ability to devour excessive magical energy."

"This is simply a highly effective weapon."

Lynn surveyed the deck.

A gust of wind blew, and the slender branches swayed back and forth.

It looks like it could break at any moment.

But no miracle occurred, and no accident happened. No one regained their senses because of this slight disturbance; they all faithfully performed their duties. The apprentice least affected was Sylder, but he wasn't much better off; he was also in danger. And he was completely unaware of it.

"Sylder couldn't see those tentacles, even though they were so close to him."

The only good news was that the cockpit was stable and the ship was heading northwest. As long as the ship hadn't sunk, he still had remedial measures. And in three to four weeks at most, the three wizard ships would meet, and even if Lynn couldn't deal with the monster for the time being, some of them could.

Lynn watched the two wizards jump off the ship, then followed Sylder listlessly, finally deciding to take a look first.

He summoned the sea lily and patted its little head.

"Sea lily, no wonder you were so wary even in such a peaceful scene. So there really is such a creature here."

Sea lilies nodded subconsciously.

In fact, it didn't understand a word, but Lynn called it out without beating it or torturing it by soaking it in water, so it was quite happy.

Suddenly, Lynn smelled an extremely pungent odor. It smelled exactly like the odor from a biogas digester.

"That smell? The Rotten Element Workshop is here too."

Lynn glanced at the boundary between the first and second floors, a place rarely trodden by the apprentices. In a sense, the Corruption Element Workshop was a great tonic for most naturally living creatures.

Looking at the two listless wizard apprentices and the little black sheep that had already hidden away, Sylder suddenly understood.

Lynn was indeed there; he was observing from the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. He didn't think he had much of a relationship with Lynn, but if Lynn was there, working with him to get things done might be the best option.

Thinking about it this way, there must be a reason why Lynn didn't show up.

Something strange is happening around him.

But Lynn couldn’t appear immediately to inform him for some reason.

"So, why is that?"

Sylder paused, in his mind, even if there had been a fight among the apprentices yesterday, it was within a controllable range.

But something felt off as soon as the sun rose this morning.

The anomaly occurred last night.

Before Sylder could think any further, Wolf circled around and found Sylder still on the ship. He called to his fellow crew members and shouted, "Friends, the power of teamwork is limitless!"

"Now some people are disobeying orders from the organization and the leadership of our great captain. What do you think we should do?"

"Kill him, kill him, kill him!"

"Exile him, exile him! He will lose his right to remain in the community!" Sylder waved his sleeve, pulling along two slow-moving wizard apprentices. He muttered, "We can't delay any longer. Let's go now."

He pieced together the three black vehicles into a long rectangular block and jumped onto it.

Lynn lay on the boat.

Wolf left satisfied after carrying out the group bullying.

Even when he was a wizarding apprentice, he had a strong aversion to shild. His nose was sensitive, and the smell of shild was strong. They were naturally at odds.

After watching Sylder leave, Lynn piloted an oasis worm to follow Sylder.

Although nothing was said, Lynn could sense any major movement from Sylder's side through the worm-dogfish system.

Outside the ship, Lynn patiently waited for night to fall.

As dusk fell, a gentle female voice rang out, and she shed her colors, transforming into a human woman.

Lynn noticed the other apprentices hiding in the shadows, including one whose skin was still changing.

Daniel, the greedy wizard.

"The iridescent hydra, a variant of the space hydra, can select and identify its own kind." "It has already selected its own kind, and you are wise enough not to land on the Forward, the ship with the longest idle time."

"so."

"Lynn, are you one of my own kind?"