A Beekeeper in a Magical World

As the words fell, ripples suddenly danced across the water's surface.

The next moment, the pool surged outward, forming a recess in the center, revealing that inky black curse energy.

Almost simultaneously, the swarm of azure fire bees darted out like the wind, a morphing giant hand seizing the exposed portion before the water settled, yanking it out.

Although still connected to the water below, most of the curse energy had been surrounded by the azure fire bees.

Two groups of azure fire bees, ablaze with white flames, encased the cursed energy within layers.

One could see the black flames darting and weaving within the white fire.

When some azure fireballs' surface was breached by the black flames, Hua Mi swiftly directed another group to fill the gap.

More than twenty swarms of azure fire bees.

In total, over two hundred thousand azure fire bees, all aimed at depleting its energy! Hua Mi fixed his gaze on the fireball, mental energy rapidly depleting.

Even if they couldn't eradicate it entirely, they had to drain it as much as possible, buying more time for their subsequent actions.

The effect of bestowing honey seemed insufficient.

He seemed to hear a piercing, continuous scream echoing in his mind.

Hua Mi diverted some focus, commanding a swarm of blood-sucking bees toward the centaur, enclosing it.

"?!—Don't move!" Hua Mi succinctly stated, "I need your mental energy."

With the centaur's intelligence, not much explanation was needed; with one sentence, he comprehended Hua Mi's intention.

He stood there, willingly acting as a power bank, allowing the blood-sucking bees to gather on his bare upper body, emitting that eerie magical field.

Tiny siphoning magical fields ultimately converged, drawing energy from the centaur and continuously channeling it to Hua Mi.

Hua Mi immediately sensed a surge of pure energy entering his body, his mental strength rapidly replenishing.

"Truly the perfect fusion of strength and intelligence."

Temporarily free of immediate concerns, Hua Mi focused on combating the curse.

In short—a battle of attrition!

Even if it didn't kill it, they had to exhaust it.

Mental energy continuously gathered from the centaur, the azure fire bees replenishing in turn...

The entire process reached a dynamic equilibrium.

Hua Mi vaguely felt his resistance dwindling.

The eerie screams in his mind also diminished...

Amidst the relentless confrontation, Hua Mi seemed to lose his sense of time and space temporarily.

As if suspended in a void.

In his field of view, only that mass encasing the cursed energy within the azure fireball remained.

When he emerged from his absolute concentration, he realized that most of the azure fire bees had withered—aside from one that, like the blood-sucking bees, underwent a mutation in its struggle against the curse—a matter he set aside for now.

Regarding the curse energy, only a tiny strand resembling a darting eel remained in the pool.

Success.

This minuscule energy wasn't a concern; the forest's self-purifying abilities could likely eliminate it.

The process had gone even smoother than he imagined.

His mental state was decent, enough to feel like he could do it again.

"The centaur power bank is quite handy."

Hua Mi turned to the "power bank," noticing the latter kneeling on the ground, panting heavily, despite standing motionless throughout, his contribution crucial to the smooth "purging."

As he moved to help, a radiant figure appeared in mid-air.

Hua Mi shielded his eyes, glimpsing a silhouette within the radiance.

The figure waved its arm, a beam shooting into the pool, evaporating the remnants of the curse energy.

The radiance dissipated, and the figure descended.

It was an imposing female figure over two meters tall, with green skin, adorned in an exquisite emerald gown, trailing behind, her jet-black hair cascading down to her waist.

She gracefully approached the Pseudo-Flower Spirit, cradling her.

A radiant glow emanated from her palm, restoring the Pseudo-Flower Spirit to full vitality.

The Pseudo-Flower Spirit immediately fluttered its wings, circling the Spirit of the Dark Forest joyously, then flew towards Hua Mi, settling on his shoulder affectionately.

"Thank you, and you, Mr. Centaur."

"No need to thank me..."

The centaur laboriously replied, attempting to rise but faltering, finally surrendering, laying on the ground.

...

The Spirit of the Dark Forest conveyed the utmost gratitude to them.

"You've saved the Dark Forest, and on behalf of the myriad creatures here, I extend my thanks."

A disembodied voice echoed around them.

A radiant glow descended upon them, merging within.

Hua Mi felt a warmth in his chest, followed by a comforting flow spreading throughout his body.

"You've received the forest's blessing; whenever you're within its bounds, you'll exhibit greater charm, and your life force will continue to replenish."

Charm was one thing, but continuous life force replenishment? Wasn't that like automatic healing, as in legends?

A divine skill!

Hua Mi sensed it; his body was slowly recovering.

Gradually, even for his mental strength, it was imperceptible without careful attention, unrealistic to rely on this passive healing in battle.

Yet, from a daily perspective, it was fantastic.

Leaving aside pros and cons, within the Dark Forest, he wouldn't starve even without food, simply sitting, allowing his body's energy to replenish automatically.

"Additionally..." The Spirit of the Dark Forest addressed Hua Mi, "I extend an invitation on behalf of the Dark Forest. Would you be willing to become its guardian?"

What did being a guardian entail, did it pay?

Before Hua Mi could contemplate, the Pseudo-Flower Spirit, already excited, encouraged, "Quickly agree! It's a great honor; nobody would refuse such a title!"

Just an honor?

That sounded fine.

As long as it didn't involve extra work or limit his freedom, accepting this title wouldn't be an issue.

The perks mattered less.

Honors were all about the prestige.

Like being "The Swordbearer of Brass City," stacking titles during introductions to assert dominance.

After some thought, Hua Mi asked, "Apart from me, are there any other guardians within the Dark Forest?"

"Currently, you're the only one," the Pseudo-Flower Spirit replied, "Other guardians either left the forest or perished."

...

Why did it feel so desolate?