A Beekeeper in a Magical World

Hua Mi sure knew what he was doing.

In front of Hilia, Hua Mi kept his emotions in check.

He first inquired about the progress at their alchemy workshop, learning they'd picked a location and construction was underway. It seemed it'd be finished soon.

"Alyss still needs some time to perfect the magic array. Maybe it'll coincide nicely."

That's a side note.

Hua Mi adjusted his tone and told Hilia, "Your alchemical talent is exceptional. With guidance, you'll achieve even greater feats."

Hilia's eyes lit up at his words.

It was clear; this alchemy master intended to mentor her.

"Alchemy Master" Hua Mi took the opportunity to assign her the next task: creating Water Spirits.

Quantity: 5 pieces.

A Water Spirit could purify a significant area.

He estimated that five in the Falling Petals River would suffice.

"This is a rather simple alchemical creation, used to purify water sources."

Hua Mi handed her a neatly written note with the formula for creating Water Spirits.

"The materials are mostly easily obtainable in the market. As for the Deep Diving Magic Fish's eyeballs, you can find them in the 'Witch's Eye' lake."

Hilia took the note with the alchemical formula, feeling thrilled. For an alchemist, this was as precious as gold bars.

"He even told me where to find the materials; it's so thoughtful... meeting an alchemy master like this is such incredible luck. I must make the most of this opportunity."

Hilia was both excited and moved.

"Also, this is for you."

Hua Mi handed her a bottle of Graceful Honey, explaining its enhanced alchemical properties, enabling her to refine faster and better.

"This will cause an alchemist frenzy."

Hilia thought. She knew the value of this honey and felt incredibly honored to have a bottle.

After expressing her determination and loyalty, she hurriedly left to begin creating Water Spirits.

This was her first official task since "joining the fold," and it had to be done perfectly.

"Taking on an apprentice isn't an easy task," Alyss pointed out bluntly. "Doing it yourself and teaching others are two different things; you've got yourself into quite a mess."

From her tone, it seemed she was speaking from experience.

Perhaps she'd taken on an apprentice before, but the outcome wasn't favorable.

"Alchemy primarily relies on talent and understanding. It doesn't need hand-holding. So, it's not much trouble."

Hua Mi stored the peculiar crystal into his ring. Seeing Alyss still lingering, aware of her continued interest in the computer, he decided to educate her further. It could boost their rapport.

Today was a day for spreading knowledge.

...

Hua Mi thought that, even with the formula, Hilia would take at least a few days to create the Water Spirits.

However, to his surprise, within a day, she appeared before him with five sparkling and translucent Water Spirits.

The Water Spirits emitted a pure magical energy.

Probing into them, it felt like a spring flowing across the surface, refreshing.

These five Water Spirits were of remarkably high quality.

"Not bad," praised Hua Mi. "Alchemy's essence lies in extrapolation. I hope in creating the Water Spirits, you've gained a deeper understanding of material fusion and magic intervention."

With that said, Hua Mi casually picked a few more challenging alchemical formulas for her to work on and left her to it.

After dealing with some affairs in another realm, Hua Mi carried the five Water Spirits and returned to Earth.

...

Upon returning to Earth, it was noon.

Without delay, Hua Mi rode his bicycle towards the Falling Petals River.

He'd already selected the spots for release.

Through a section of the Falling Petals River in Huayu Town, he spaced out the five Water Spirits, aiming for maximum purification effect.

As for whether the magical power would have the desired effect, even Hua Mi wasn't sure.

But it was worth a try.

The Falling Petals River marked the initial step of Huayu Town's revitalization plan.

Arriving at the first release point, Hua Mi found a river segment starting within Huayu Town.

The river emitted a strong stench, with a grayish hue and lots of foam on the surface.

There weren't significant pieces of garbage visible here because the town had installed barriers to isolate incoming rubbish.

However, the primary cause of river pollution wasn't visible to the naked eye; thus, the barriers had limited effectiveness.

After parking his bike and ensuring no one was around, Hua Mi summoned a Water Spirit from his ring and dropped it into the river.

The Water Spirit shimmered under the sunlight, making a gentle splash as it sank.

Though small in size, its density was substantial, akin to a lead ball of ping pong ball size.

Given its unique nature, the water flow wouldn't impact it much; instead, it would smoothly pass over the surface.

So, there was no worry about it being swept away by the current.

"Even magical power needs time to take effect; there's no rush."

Hua Mi waited for a while, observing for any anomalies. Not finding anything, he rode to the next release point.

Passing an old wooden bridge spanning the river, seldom traversed due to its long neglect, Hua Mi noticed a lone figure not far from the bridge's bank. The figure wore a conical hat, held a fishing rod, and sat quietly by the contaminated waters.

Fishing in the Falling Petals River was a rarity nowadays.

Even if one caught something, it would likely be polluted and cause stomach issues.

The person, known as Huacheng, was one of the town's notable simpletons.

Hua Mi had played with him in childhood, remembering him as a bright kid.

But something happened later, an accident perhaps.

Some said he had a fever that damaged his brain; others claimed he fell, resulting in his condition. Regardless, he'd been simple ever since.

Quite harmless, he just enjoyed fishing.

As Hua Mi passed by, he glanced into Huacheng's bucket nearby, finding a few plastic fish replicas.

Huacheng lifted his head, revealing a grin akin to Luffy's from One Piece.

"Brother... fishing," he exclaimed.

This juxtaposition of his smile against the backdrop of the polluted water made for a striking image.

After a moment of silence, Hua Mi replied, "Hmm, I wish you catch a big one."

Huacheng tilted his head, grinning, "Everyone's gone, but you're here."

"..."

Yes, many people had left Huayu Town.

Understandably so.

The environment wasn't suitable for settlement anymore.

But this situation wouldn't last.

I will restore Huayu Town to its former vitality...

No, more than that.

Huayu Town will become something out of a fairy tale.