A Beekeeper in a Magical World

Two human figures dashed ahead, screaming for help.

Chasing them from behind was a flat, multi-legged creature.

Resembling a giant spider, its skin had a rocky texture. Six flying legs moved like bayonets, swiftly advancing and making crisp "dadada" sounds upon contact with rocks, splashing gravel along the way.

"It's a Stone-Skinned Spider," Hua Mi recognized immediately.

This was a level three monster, known for its formidable defensive capabilities.

Named for its "stone skin," its shell was many times tougher than actual stone, making it difficult to penetrate with regular attacks.

Not to mention its sharp pincers, potent venom, and the ability to spin silk webs.

What puzzled him was how this creature, usually found in internal mountainous areas, ended up in the outskirts.

Those two adventurers clearly hadn't anticipated encountering the Stone-Skinned Spider here.

Their panicked escape indicated they were ill-prepared to face such a high-level creature.

They ran; it pursued.

But two legs couldn't outrun six.

The distance was closing in.

One of them cursed, abruptly turned around, and flung a gleaming weapon backward.

The projectile hit the spider precisely, causing it to instinctively shrink its body, slowing down.

Before it was over, the weapon exploded upon contact, engulfing the spider in a sudden burst of flames.

For a moment, the two reflected hope in their eyes, as if seeing a glimmer of salvation.

Yet, in the next moment—dadada.

Before the flames dissipated, the Stone-Skinned Spider burst out, moving much faster than before, its body unscathed, even appearing smoother than earlier.

The two screamed and turned to flee.

"Giggle—"

The spider opened its mouth, spewing a pristine silk thread that instantly entangled the legs of the attacker.

He fell face-first to the ground.

His companion hesitated, seemingly pondering whether to stop and help.

But the spider's next target was already in sight. It spat out another thread.

The person struggled like an insect, bound by the limbs, writhing on the ground.

In his desperate struggle, he caught sight of a tent on the rock wall. Clearly artificial, he disregarded any occupants, yelling, "Help, someone up there, please help!"

"Kerfuffle—"

Creatures ranking as level three magical beasts often possessed some level of intelligence.

The Stone-Skinned Spider immediately turned its gaze toward the tent and swiftly crawled up the rock wall as if on level ground.

With no time to waste, Hua Mi dashed out of the tent, utilizing a swarm of bees to propel himself into the air.

He popped a few honey pills into his mouth.

In the dark, his body emitted a sacred glow.

The two bound individuals below were astonished.

What in the world? An angel?

Why is it glowing?

Despite the predominant atheism in most human nations of the western continent, people still yearned for miracles and the mystical. If it meant saving their lives, they could become believers on the spot.

Midway up the climb, the Stone-Skinned Spider stopped, seeing its prey depart from the nest. It repeated its earlier tactics, spraying a thread of silk toward the suspended human.

Hua Mi, however, remained still and faced the silk thread head-on.

In the eyes of the two below, the "angel" with the holy glow seemed just as ensnared as they were.

But upon closer inspection, the silk thread hadn't touched Hua Mi's body. It was repelled by a barrier composed of flying insects.

"Ignite."

Huff—

The furious bees obeyed their master's command, bursting into pale flames that instantly engulfed the silk thread.

"No wonder the silk of a Stone-Skinned Spider is of such high quality."

Even the dominant azure flames failed to immediately destroy it; the silk seemed almost like metallic threads.

The silk of the Stone-Skinned Spider contained rich magical elements, serving as excellent alchemical material, and found various other uses, such as crafting protective garments.

Though resilient, it couldn't withstand prolonged burning from the azure flames.

The silk slowly melted away; its destruction was just a matter of time.

Within the fiery circle, Hua Mi held a compound bow, fully drawn.

But it wasn't an arrow strung on the bowstring.

It was... a beam of light!

Indeed, a light beam shaped like an arrow!

In the astonished gaze of the two below, a loud "bang" resonated as the bowstring released, sending the light arrow hurtling forward.

Faster than any arrow they'd seen.

It almost instantly reached its target, effortlessly piercing the Stone-Skinned Spider's body, pinning it to the rock wall.

"This way of aiming is much easier."

The radiant light transformed into particles, dissipating quickly.

The Stone-Skinned Spider also fell weakly to the ground.

Its six legs upturned, sporadically twitching.

Yet, it evidently lacked the strength to flip over.

Within a few short seconds, it ceased all movement.

The shiny, bulging eyes lost their luster.

The Stone-Skinned Spider was dead.

Under the cover of night, remnants of the melted silk fell gently like blossoming white lotuses—a mirage caused by the fractured silk that hadn't completely burnt and fell innumerable pieces.

Hua Mi descended slowly to the ground.

Approaching the two bound individuals...

---

Mordu was widely acknowledged as the city of culture, boasting the most advanced underground sewer system.

However, the smell inside wasn't any better than other sewers.

Carter had to pop a mouth freshener to alleviate the discomfort in his stomach.

To be honest, he wasn't sure whether the foul odor came from the flowing sewage beside him or from the odor of the vagabond guiding him.

Such was the reality of Mordu; it seemed bustling under the sunlight yet concealed its unknown darker side.

Permanent residents in the sewers, like the one in front of him, weren't a rarity.

Recalling the image of the bard—a charming and bright figure—it was hard to imagine him hiding in such an environment for so long.

Of course, there was nothing strange about it if it meant saving his life.

But...

Carter reflected on the clues along the way and felt that something wasn't quite right.

Upon contemplation, it seemed overly smooth.

Almost deliberate...

"We're close. Just ahead."

The vagabond interrupted his thoughts.

His lantern emitted dim light, revealing an iron-barred door ahead.

The sewage flowed directly through the circular iron-barred door, dropping slightly before entering the next area.

Beside the iron door was a left turn.

The vagabond stood at the turn, unkempt long hair covering his eyes.

But Carter sensed the gaze behind that hair.

As he was about to ask something, he suddenly heard an eerie sound behind him, like something viscous peeling off.

He turned abruptly.

A figure slowly emerged from the side wall.

It was a person with black cloth covering their face and a small braid pointing upward.

Clad in a black skin-tight suit, they held a peculiar jet-black short blade.

Carter's pupils contracted as he immediately recognized.

"Kunoichi..."

Swoosh—

A glint flashed, and the blade in the figure's hand swiftly sliced his throat.

"Hmm?"

The figure in black frowned

, seeing the mage vanish in front of them, replaced by a torn paper figure.

"Humph, didn't expect such caution... but do you think you can run far?"

The practitioner of the paper clone technique wouldn't stray too far.

The vagabond hesitated to step forward, speaking in a garbled manner, "Ma-mast-er... I've d-done as you s-said. You s-said the G-Guild would—hic—keep their promise, r-right, Mast-ter?"

The black-clad individual glanced at him, tossing a pouch of coins.

Then, their figure dissolved into the darkness, leaving a final warning:

"Remember, keep this a secret."

"Absolutely, absolutely... hehe."

The vagabond placed the lantern on the ground, eagerly opening the pouch.

"Hehehe, striking it rich..."

He picked up two gold coins, his eyes behind the unkempt hair glowing oddly. He held a coin near his mouth.

Before he could bite into it—

The coin suddenly transformed into two beetle-like creatures. Without a moment for the vagabond to react, one wormed its way into his throat, and the other pierced through his palm.

"Ah..."

He couldn't even utter a scream, losing his ability to make a sound.

His eyes bulged, hands desperately clawing at his throat, dirty nails leaving bloody streaks on his neck.

Plop—

The vagabond plunged into the sewage, struggling briefly before weakly floating, drifting along with the flow.

The underground sewers returned to their serene quiet, filled only with the sound of water.

The lantern continued to emit a dim yellow light, quietly illuminating the surroundings.

---

"Huff—huff—"

Carter moved quickly in the darkness based on memory.

He cast a small spell to suppress any sound of his footsteps.

Suddenly, a cold chuckle resonated from the darkness ahead.

"Crafty little mouse, where do you think you're going?"

Carter abruptly halted.

With a flick of his hand, a glowing sphere floated before him, illuminating the area around him.

A masked figure emerged slowly from the darkness.

Their eyes were heavily smudged with black paint. Too much whites, making the black parts of their eyes seem small.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're one of the 'Ten Shinobi,' right? Never thought I'd meet a mysterious ninja face to face. The Guild Leader truly holds me in high regard."