A Beekeeper in a Magical World

Hua Mi gazed at the tainted lake waters, calmly contemplating. Facing the power of a curse was not unfamiliar to him. In the past, at the Ashen Graveyard, he manipulated swarms to combat a vampire's curse, even unexpectedly acquiring a new bee species.

The current curse stemmed from the abyss, bearing familiar traits and scents. He had experience in battling such curses, knowing how to counter and maneuver against their forces. Crucially, he had ample reasons and motivation to undertake this task.

Abandoning the Blackwood Forest equated to abandoning all his efforts thus far and the lives of the seven small creatures. However—

As Hua Mi locked eyes with the figure before him, doubt crept in. "How do I know if what you're saying is true?"

"Your suspicion is reasonable." The centaur's deep voice exuded an inherent credibility that clashed with his words. "Perhaps I am deceiving you. Consider this possibility. Whether to accept the test or not, I only want to hear your final choice."

Intuition assured him that the centaur meant no harm, yet an inexplicable discomfort lingered toward this character. Did highly intelligent races bear this innate arrogance? Perhaps a sting from the Painful-Truth Bees would teach him some manners.

"Reminder: whatever your decision, it must be made quickly." The centaur interrupted his musings. "This forest is constantly under the curse's assault. You can see it…"

Hua Mi followed his gaze. The redhead pseudo-flower spirit cowered behind vines, wings drooping like withered leaves, visibly weakened—clearly not accompanying the luminous paper man.

"I have witnessed the death of a pseudo-flower spirit along with her habitat, vanished from this world," the centaur gazed skyward, his tone echoing his melancholic gaze, "but I can still hold on…"

Although claiming so, the pseudo-flower spirit's voice sounded as faint as a mosquito.

The centaur shook his head, addressing Hua Mi, "Are you backing out?"

The centaur race was intelligent and well-traveled, traits that Hua Mi didn't doubt. If he had to convince him further…

"Watch closely," Hua Mi said. He retrieved two Gifted Nectar Pills, chewed, and swallowed them. His mental strength began to replenish.

Standing by the pond's edge, he focused, manipulating two fierce fire bee swarms, gathering them layer upon layer.

His concentration intensified as he directed the swarms toward the water's surface. The centaur's gaze sharpened.

However, Hua Mi was too preoccupied to heed his reaction, recalling his experience combating the vampire curse in the graveyard. He knew that despite the swarms making direct contact, the real battle relied on his mental strength, demanding utmost focus.

At this moment, the swarm became an extension of himself. The cylindrical formation of fierce fire bees approached the water's surface.

Before contact, a surge of intense cold enveloped him, akin to icy waters invading his mental space. The swarm touched the water, creating ripples like a dragonfly landing.

The pond's black traces surged like a scent-luring shark, striking violently.

Intense cold—black streaks emerged like icy serpents, freezing his mental strength and diminishing the pills' restorative effects.

One bee was instantly consumed by the black flames, triggering a chain reaction—second, third, fourth…

The black flames swiftly spread through the swarm, reducing the outer fierce fire bees to ashes.

In disarray, this curse proved sharper and more potent than the vampire's curse in the graveyard. Yet, Hua Mi's mental strength had undergone a transformation.

He focused on the swarm, molding it into a giant hand, igniting pale flames. The pale fire hand grasped the black flame serpent, disintegrating it into black flame-like shards that scattered in the air.

What seemed like a duel between pale and black flames was, in fact, a battle between a beekeeper and an abyssal curse.

An anxious atmosphere radiated from the pond's center, spreading outward. The centaur, usually composed, exhibited a rare disturbance in his tranquil thoughts.

His profound pupils mirrored the cloaked figure gripping the black flames—an image etched deeply into his mind, a rare moment that rivaled his extensive journey's impact.

But it had been enough. He intended to halt this seemingly insane act.

Initially, it was merely a test of this human's determination.

Now, this cloaked figure not only proved their resolve to combat the curse but also revealed unforeseen abilities.

To hold out against the abyssal curse for so long.

However, as the centaur moved forward, the cloaked figure raised another hand. Countless pale flames emerged, surging toward the black flames.

Two additional pale fire bees joined the fray.

The situation quickly tilted in favor of the pale flames, encircling and consuming the black flames.

Eventually, the emerging black flame was thoroughly extinguished. The remaining cursed energy shrunk into a bundle, sinking to the pond's bottom, no longer recklessly rampant.

In just a few minutes, nearly twenty thousand bees were lost. The vanguard bees were on the brink of collapse.

Thanks to prematurely consuming two Gifted Nectar Pills, Hua Mi's mental strength endured. However, the chilling sensation from the curse debilitated his mental resilience, despite the surplus mental strength.

He received a telepathic message from Little Red: "I feel much better now."

But he understood it was merely a temporary containment of the curse rather than a complete cure.

Hua Mi turned to the centaur. "How about now?"

"Beyond my expectations… Are you an alchemist?"

"Sort of."

"Your recent actions are impressive."

The centaur strode to the pond's edge, glancing into the water. "It seems you not only resisted the abyssal curse but also suppressed it. This buys us more time."

Hua Mi sat down, gazing at the coiled black mass in the pond's depths. "So, have you decided to help remove the curse?"

"That was my initial plan. I was merely testing your determination earlier," the centaur calmly stated. "I cannot stand by while countless creatures in this forest perish. So, my choice aligns with yours from the beginning. I'll bear the consequences alongside you."

With a hint of sarcasm, Hua Mi remarked, "Is this always your approach?"

"As centaurs, we are born loners, preferring to wander the wilderness, unlike your kind," the wise centaur, detecting the irony, remained unfazed. "So, disliking my approach is expected. It's okay; we don't need to be friends because that's not the goal. We have one purpose—to expel the curse from this forest."

"For the Blackwood Forest…"

The humanoid light shadow softly spoke before dispersing into dots of light.

"It's not the Forest Spirit?" Hua Mi inquired through their mental link.

"No, it's just a spark left by the Forest Spirit," Little Red clarified. "The real Forest Spirit isolated itself to avoid the curse. Hence, it cannot appear now."

That explained it. But hiding indefinitely wasn't viable.

If the Blackwood Forest died, how could the Forest Spirit survive?

"Can you connect with it now?" Hua Mi asked suddenly.

"I can, but I can only convey brief messages," Little Red replied.

"That'll suffice.

Help me ask it a question…"

Time was running out. Each minute's delay might empower the curse further.

He controlled two pale fire bee swarms floating above the pond, addressing the pseudo-flower spirit, "Tell the Forest Spirit it can begin."

"We must hurry; there's a lot of preparation, and some materials are hard to acquire," the centaur glanced at him. "Though you've gained us some time, there's still a considerable risk we might run out of time. Be mentally prepared."

Hua Mi tapped his cloak, saying, "Honestly, your method sounds unreliable. Let's try mine first."

The centaur appeared puzzled, "You have a plan?"

"Yeah, just thought of it, and it requires only one material."

"Tell me more."

"Before that, could you do me a favor… How fast can you run?"

The centaur was an exceptional mount. Carrying Hua Mi, they returned to the Beekeeper's Hut in just over ten minutes.

Hua Mi gathered all the pale fire bees from the greenhouse and returned to the Spirit Realm in the same time span.

"How do you plan to do this?" the centaur asked.

Buzz—

A bee swarm appeared before him.

"Do you mean…" the centaur began.

"This is the only material I need," Hua Mi stated. "I'll use the method I thought of earlier to completely resolve the curse here."

The previous clash had given Hua Mi insight into the curse. It was not invincible. As long as there was a life bar, even a god could be defeated. He would exhaust it!

Moreover, now was the curse's weakest point. It was time to strike while it was vulnerable.

"Even for you, this is impossible," the centaur's disappointment surfaced. "Resolving the curse won't be that simple."

This pond symbolized the Blackwood Forest's core, and the curse entrenched within was hiding at its base, beyond reach.

That was the first challenge.

Secondly, even with a sufficient bee swarm, his mental strength couldn't hold.

"I think simpler methods are often the most effective," Hua Mi countered. "But my mental strength alone might not suffice, so I need to borrow your mental power."

Hua Mi swallowed a few more Gifted Nectar Pills and handed some to the centaur, explaining their ability to boost mental strength.

Though the centaur complied, he remained puzzled about "borrowing mental strength."

Time was scarce. Every passing minute meant a potential strengthening of the curse.

Without further explanation, Hua Mi controlled two pale fire bee swarms, hovering above the pond. He turned to the pseudo-flower spirit, "Inform the Forest Spirit we can proceed."