HLM – Chapter 782 The Glowworm Cave

Porter turned around and saw that the one who cried out was the staff member watching the monitor connected to the camera vehicle. His heart tightened immediately, and he shouted, “What’s wrong? What did you see?”

“I’m not sure, boss—come and look! I think… I think we’ve found something incredible!” the man exclaimed excitedly.

Porter and his team of engineers hurried over. The 21-inch high-definition monitor displayed a dim green image, filled with countless flickering white dots. Ahead of them were four or five streaks that looked like white silk ribbons, glimmering faintly—like a dense night sky.

Due to technical limitations, these civilian camera vehicles showed night-vision-like footage when their lights were off. The background appeared dark green, with no color differentiation—everything else was either white or black.

From the screen, they couldn’t tell what the underground cavern looked like exactly. But everyone present was an expert in engineering, and they quickly began speculating.

“Could it be flashing mica? Looks beautiful.”

“No, that can’t be right. Without a light source, how could mica glow? Even if there were light, it would need fluctuating brightness to flicker like that. I’d guess…”

“It’s a glowworm cave!” said the white chief engineer, who had clearly seen a lot. “I once helped with an exploration at the Te Anau Glowworm Caves—this is exactly how it looked on the camera!”

Hearing that, Porter gasped. “My God… we can’t be that lucky, can we? To find a glowworm cave here?”

A glowworm cave, as the name suggests, is a cavern where glowworms gather—usually located within limestone caves. Such environments are moist and warm, ideal for glowworms to breed and survive.

These caves are quite rare worldwide and are one of New Zealand’s premier tourist attractions. Even within the country, glowworm caves aren’t particularly common.

“I’ve seen one at Lake Taupō in the North Island,” Porter continued. “That place was like a dream!”

Lake Taupō is New Zealand’s largest lake, covering 650 square kilometers, surrounded by complex terrain and diverse wildlife.

However, the Te Anau Glowworm Caves are even more famous—they were developed earlier, have extraordinary natural conditions, and are equipped with well-designed facilities. The cave’s entrance lies right on the lake surface, and visitors must transfer to small flat-bottomed boats to enter.

It wasn’t hard to confirm whether this was indeed a glowworm cave. The camera vehicle had a light source—it hadn’t been turned on earlier for fear of disturbing any unknown dangers inside.

One of the engineers grew impatient. “What are we waiting for, then? Turn on the lights! Let’s see what’s really down there!”

Porter waved his hand firmly. “No. This is an uncharted area. Who knows what effects the light might cause? We could trigger unknown consequences—or even a chain reaction. We can’t risk it.”

“Then how can we confirm what kind of cave it is?”

“Of course, we’ll have to turn on the lights—but that’s not for us to decide. Call Mayor Wang. Let him make the decision,” Porter said.

That was indeed the most responsible approach. Visiting a glowworm cave involves strict rules: Stalactites and stalagmites lose their color and structure when touched—they’re fragile and must never be handled. Visitors must remain quiet to avoid disturbing the glowworms’ delicate ecosystem.

Additionally, smoking, photography, and video recording are strictly prohibited—the sudden appearance of bright light can harm or even kill the insects.

Upon receiving the call, Wang Bo hurried over. On his way, he did some quick research on glowworm caves in New Zealand.

Strictly speaking, such caves shouldn’t be called glowworm caves, because the luminous creatures inside aren’t true glowworms—they’re Arachnocampa luminosa, or “fungus gnats.”

Glowworms (family Lampyridae) are beetles, with over 2,000 species worldwide, found mostly in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. New Zealand has about fifty species of its own.

The glowing fungus gnat, however, belongs to the order Diptera (true flies). It’s slightly larger than a glowworm, prefers damp, dark caves, and emits light that makes the ceiling sparkle like a starry night.

Because of this, any place where these gnats exist is often developed into a tourist attraction due to its stunning and mysterious appearance.

The name glowworm cave stuck partly because it’s easier for tourists to understand, and partly because it adds a sense of romance.

After all, everyone knows what a glowworm is—but few have heard of a “fungus gnat.” And since “gnat” or “fly” sounds unpleasant, no one in tourism would dare use the insect’s real name.

Moreover, foreigners—especially Westerners—have a special fondness for glowworms. To them, standing in the cool night air beneath a galaxy of twinkling lights, surrounded by dancing glowworms, is one of the most romantic experiences imaginable.

Wang Bo wasn’t sure whether this was truly a glowworm cave. The “Lord’s Heart” system hadn’t provided him with details of any underground caves, and the sand table model didn’t show one either. He hadn’t even known such a cave existed on his land.

After driving about two kilometers southeast from the lakeside beach, he arrived at the site where Porter and the team were waiting. As soon as he got out, Porter asked directly, “Should we turn on the lights to confirm it?”

Even though lighting the cave wouldn’t cause mass death among the gnats, it could have unpredictable consequences. Porter, being cautious, had called Wang Bo so that the landowner himself could decide.

Wang Bo thought for a moment and asked, “If we don’t turn on the lights, there’s no way to identify the cave, right?”

The chief engineer replied, “No—there’s another way. Someone could go down in person. The human eye can tell instantly whether it’s a glowworm cave or not.”

Wang Bo asked, “And what’s the standard for judgment?”

That question itself implied his willingness to go. Porter grabbed his arm. “Hey, brother, are you crazy? You don’t have to risk your life for this—it’s too dangerous!”

Wang Bo laughed. “Don’t worry. What danger could there be? The most dangerous creature I’ve encountered in New Zealand so far is a bee. Come on, tell me—what’s the standard?”

The chief engineer shrugged. “There isn’t one. When you see it—if it is a glowworm cave—you’ll just know. Your brain will tell you.”

Wang Bo chuckled. “That’s not an answer—that’s philosophy.”

Porter stepped in to explain. “No, he’s right, Wang. If it’s really a glowworm cave, the moment you see it, you’ll understand. You’ll just know.”

“All right then,” Wang Bo said. “I’ll go down and take a look. Anyone want to join me?”

“What? Without a light source? Are you insane?” someone cried out. “Fungus gnats live in total darkness! Other than their own glow, there’s no light at all—you won’t see anything down there!”