Wizard: I'm leveling up by AFK in another world

The morning sun was obscured by thick clouds, and a thin layer of mist hung over the sea.

A transport ship flying the silver maple leaf flag of the Gray Amber Workshop is cutting through the waves and heading towards the deep sea north of Whale City.

Claire stood on the deck, facing the crisp morning sea breeze, and tightened her standard trench coat.

He was lucky; the day after he signed the contract, the company had a ship going to the aquaculture base.

"Hey friend! The view from the sea this morning is really nice, don't you think?"

Claire turned her head and saw a young man of similar age walking briskly towards her.

He was wearing the same trench coat as Claire, sported messy red hair, had a few freckles on his face, and had an exceptionally bright smile.

"My name is Rod, a junior apprentice." The red-haired youth extended his hand familiarly. "I'm also a newly hired essence collector. I saw you sitting on the deck so early this morning, are you worried about the work ahead?"

"Claire," Claire politely shook hands with the other person, "I suppose so. After all, I've heard this job isn't easy."

"It's not just not easy, it's downright dangerous!" Rhodes shrugged dramatically. "I've heard there have been quite a few accidents in this job lately. If this industry weren't basically monopolized by giants like Gray Amber Workshop, it would have been on the capital's front page long ago."

"If the assessment period wasn't approaching, I wouldn't have come to this godforsaken place to take a gamble."

"Assessment period?"

"The initial apprenticeship assessment is less than three months away." Rod scratched his head with a bitter face. "My mental strength is still far from enough. I can't afford the potions, so I can only take this high-risk job to make quick money."

Claire thought for a moment: "Actually, so am I."

"Really! I knew it! There's no such thing as a random encounter; we're destined to meet..."

Their shared plight quickly brought them closer.

They strolled around the deck, enjoying the sea breeze.

Rhodes chattered incessantly throughout the journey, sharing the gossip he had gathered. From which proctor accepted bribes to which dish in the base's mess hall was the worst, he seemed to know everything.

About two hours later, a huge building on the sea came into view.

It was a steel fortress built on a ring-shaped reef. In addition to the towering walls and military-style towers, there were also many large pipes extending into the seabed, highlighting the extraordinary nature of this building.

The fact that Gray Amber Workshop calls this thing a "breeding farm" is somewhat shameless.

The transport ship slowly docked.

A middle-aged manager with a gloomy face greeted the newcomers at the dock. After giving them a brief speech, he had them taken to the dormitory to be assigned beds.

Pushing open the door, a damp, musty smell hit her. The room wasn't big, containing four iron-framed beds, two narrow tables, and a wardrobe, stirring up unpleasant memories for Claire.

Rod cheered and grabbed the top bunk by the window.

"Amazing! I can't believe I can see this view from here!" Rod exclaimed excitedly, pressing his face against the glass.

The dormitory is located on the second underwater level, and through the thick glass windows, you can see the schools of fish swimming outside.

Claire hesitated for a moment, but still chose the lower bunk of Rhodes and put her luggage down.

Squeak.

The door was pushed open again, and two people walked in.

They were all shirtless, their exposed skin displaying an unhealthy pallor.

There are obvious gill slit marks on its neck, and the back of its hands and spine are covered with a layer of fine blue scales.

Clearly, these are two superhumans who have undergone bloodline modifications.

"Hi everyone! My name is Rod, and this is Claire," Rod greeted them warmly. "From now on, we're all roommates, so let's look out for each other!"

The slightly taller of the two raised his head, his vertical pupils coldly sweeping over Rhodes and Claire, without saying a word.

The other person also looked up, and Claire saw his face clearly. She realized that the two looked about 70 or 80 percent alike, and should be brothers.

The one who looked slightly younger, like the younger brother, also had a somewhat gloomy look in his eyes, but he gave off a much better vibe than his older brother.

He glanced at the enthusiastic Rod, opened his mouth as if to say something, but immediately shut his mouth after his brother gave a cold snort, and lowered his head to pack his luggage.

The atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward.

"Uh... okay, I was just saying hello, nothing more." Luo Deqian chuckled twice, but naturally received no response.

Fortunately, not long after, a rapid ringing broke the stagnant atmosphere.

The middle-aged manager had instructed that everyone should gather in the lobby upon hearing the bell to tour the future living and working areas.

The two brothers silently got up and walked out of the room one after the other, without saying a word to Claire and the others.

As he watched their figures disappear at the end of the corridor, the smile on Rod's face vanished instantly.

He leaned closer to Claire and lowered his voice: "Claire, we need to stay away from those two guys."

"How so?"

"Actually, I saw them on the ship." Rod squinted. "There was a seabird that landed on the railing, and the older brother casually swung his hand, and the bird was sliced ​​in two by a blade of water."

"The way he looked at that dead bird was exactly the same way he looked at us just now."

Rod paused, then added, "And I smelled it. They had a fishy smell... not the smell of the sea, but the smell of blood, and it wouldn't wash off."

"These two guys definitely have murders on their hands, and more than one."

"I understand," Claire nodded. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Let's go see where we'll be working from now on." Rod regained his carefree smile and patted Claire on the shoulder.

The two left the dormitory and joined the large group of visitors.

The interior of the Grey Amber Workshop is extremely complex, resembling a giant underwater labyrinth.

However, most of the work areas are not open to new employees like Claire, who don't even have the chance to catch a glimpse of them from afar.

The person leading the tour was an old man who was missing an arm; he was said to have been the head coach of the collection team.

The old man only showed them some of the dining and entertainment areas before heading to the breeding area where they worked.

"This is the inspection cabin. You must undergo inspection before each dive or after each ascent to ensure you are mentally sound and free of viruses or contaminants."

"This is the equipment room. Everyone has their own locker. The company provides basic wetsuits; please take good care of them, or you will have to pay for them yourself if they are lost or damaged."

"This is the infirmary... but I suggest you don't go in. Otherwise, your paycheck for the month will be pitifully long."

"at last……"

The old man led the group to a huge, circular metal gate. Through the heavy portholes, they could see the dark, deep sea outside.

Countless enormous black shadows appeared and disappeared in the darkness, while specks of eerie blue light dotted the seabed like stars.

"This is the aquaculture area," the old man said, pointing to the porthole. "Look, it's quite beautiful, isn't it?"

"Please note that each person must submit five qualified Primal Tide Essences each month. This is the minimum requirement."

"One less, half the month's salary deducted. Two less, all salary deducted. Three less... I doubt anyone would want to pay to work for them, right?"