A Beekeeper in a Magical World

"Who's so impulsive in front of everyone?"

Hua Mi didn't act rashly. Instead, he calmly sized up the other person.

It was a man with a peculiar dress, wearing rough clothes that exposed his arms and much of his chest. Muscular and with slightly dark skin, faint white lightning-shaped patterns adorned his wheat-colored skin.

His face bore a strange symbol, three horizontal lines intersected by a vertical stroke, drawn in black paint. A mane of wild hair concealed several thin braids.

"Hey, buddy, you heading to the Misty Peaks too? How about teaming up?" The man shook a booklet, sporting a self-satisfied grin.

Silence lingered.

Such a barbarian, utterly devoid of manners, yet so self-assured.

Who invites someone to team up like that?

Hua Mi was displeased, but he kept a neutral facade.

Seems like this guy is headed to the Misty Peaks too.

Hua Mi also noticed another similarly attired woman behind him, leaning against a bookshelf, arms folded, her eyes subtly watching their exchange.

Her attire mirrored the man's, wheat-colored skin adorned with the same lightning-like patterns. She wore bold clothing, exposing not her upper body but her agile, toned legs.

Their attire hinted at non-locals, but given Hua Mi's limited understanding of this world, he had no clue about their origins.

Regarding their team invitation, Hua Mi promptly declined. His goal was clear: enter the Misty Peaks and reach the Other Shore Tree directly.

No need to complicate this process.

With his current strength, handling a mere three-star adventure was more than feasible.

Moreover, he didn't know these two strangely dressed individuals well enough to accept their team invitation without caution.

When away from home, a wary heart was essential.

Hua Mi pretended to contemplate for a moment and calmly replied, "Sorry, appreciate the offer, but I prefer solo missions."

With that said, he didn't engage further, simply reclaimed his adventure manual from the man as he passed by.

---

Hua Mi continued forward, yet his scout bee remained attentive to the duo's movements behind him.

They were evidently displeased.

"Gotta check the almanac before heading out, always bumping into oddballs..."

Arriving at the counter, he grabbed a Motu map and paid together.

During checkout, the shopkeeper discreetly warned Hua Mi, "Sir, those two are from the 'Thunder Peak.' Not pleasant company. I'd suggest keeping your distance."

Thunder Peak?

Another place to note?

Yet from the shopkeeper's advice, steering clear of them seemed the right call.

Hua Mi didn't inquire further, merely nodding to indicate he understood, leaving an extra silver coin for the information.

Next, he visited an equipment store affiliated with the Adventurers' Guild.

Here, Hua Mi truly grasped the meaning of luxury.

Previously, his encounters in this world were limited to daily necessities, mostly in the small town of Blackstone, where prices were naturally cheap.

But in a big city like this, items involving extraordinary powers started from a few gold coins casually.

Some even sold for over a hundred gold coins.

Hua Mi suddenly felt poor.

Earning money was necessary.

Though not the goal, money was an essential means.

Most items here required magical abilities to use, something Hua Mi lacked.

However, he still intended to browse, considering it an educational experience.

Understanding the market rates would assist in better pricing his honey in the future.

Perhaps his earlier set prices needed adjustments.

Though not primarily a magic shop, this store also sold some common magical items.

Like the "Swift Potion" he'd encountered before.

There was a bottle in his ring, a result of Hillar's research efforts.

A bottle of intermediate Swift Potion sold here for five gold coins.

The effects were briefly explained—boosting one's speed and agility for a short duration.

But it came with reduced perception and resistance, not to mention toxin accumulation.

Hua Mi knew that the toxins from magical potions couldn't be dispelled by magic, leading to their accumulation within the body.

A curse of this world, indeed.

He decided against purchasing magical potions.

Items requiring magical abilities were useless to him.

But scrolls containing recorded spells could serve as self-defense.

Scrolls, being disposable, generally cost less than equipment with prolonged use.

However, some scrolls with higher-level spells were astonishingly pricey.

"Wing Flutter, Spider Web, Mage Hand..."

Various types of scrolls were available.

Yet Hua Mi's choices were limited.

Some spells were redundant for him, like Fireball, something his swarm excelled at.

While some spells were useful, they were too expensive.

Eventually, considering practicality and his financial situation, Hua Mi selected three scrolls.

The first was "Grease on the Soles," a second-tier spell scroll that temporarily increased movement speed, priced at four gold coins.

The second was "Summon Earth Golem," a third-tier spell scroll summoning a sturdy earth elemental puppet, priced at ten gold coins.

The last one was "Dragon Roar Mimicry," a fourth-tier spell scroll, a case study in human biosynthetic magic. It could release a soundwave comparable to a dragon's roar, capable of staggering or stunning opponents. It sold for twenty gold coins.

The first two were for survival purposes.

The last one balanced offense and defense, to be used according to the situation.

Totaling thirty-four gold coins.

He still had forty-one regular gold coins and one anti-magic gold coin left.

He couldn't spend all at once; some funds needed to be reserved.

Apart from scrolls, Hua Mi considered purchasing a larger space equipment.

The current ring's capacity was too limited.

Yet, he knew space equipment was expensive, especially in a big city like this.

He eyed a space ring, probing with his consciousness; it was barely double the storage of his current ring and priced at fifty gold coins.

Of course, he carried a precious anti-magic gold coin.

Hua Mi inquired the shopkeeper.

Learning that anti-magic gold coins were also valid currency here.

"One anti-magic gold coin equals a hundred regular gold coins. Do you have any, sir?"