A Beekeeper in a Magical World

Life had returned to him.

His heart thumped anew, a hint of color touching his cheeks.

He sat up, pressing against his temples, his brows furrowed.

Hua Mi didn't immediately speak to him, allowing him a moment to recover while cautiously observing him.

He was alive.

But who knew if he was still himself.

Carter and Hilia were concerned about Col who had fallen, asking if he was alright.

Col stood up, gesturing above with a sign of reassurance and then shouted, "Carter, can't you steer the boat more steadily?"

"...," Carter didn't bother to engage in trivial conversation.

Nevertheless, this accident further proved that the mist here was harmless to the body.

The eerie blood lines within the mist seemed oblivious to him, automatically veering away upon his approach.

"It's just too foul."

Col, sensitive to smells, nearly fainted from the stench.

"I'll help you up..."

Before Carter could finish, Col dashed towards a nearby large tree, swiftly climbing up, settling back onto the branch, gazing at the resurrected Clark. "What happened to him? Didn't he die?"

Clark sighed, "Close call. Luckily, I had an ace up my sleeve; otherwise, I'd have been finished here. Dying in a two-star adventure site would be a debacle."

He retrieved a bottle of Thunder Blossom Honey from his storage ring, pouring a large gulp into his mouth.

Then, he pulled out a small bottle filled with lightning, inserting his entire hand inside.

Furious thunderous energy flowed into him, causing every hair to stand on end.

Clark savored it, closing his eyes as his heartbeat strengthened, breathing evened out, his complexion visibly recovering, and some abrasions quickly healed.

A few seconds of charging and Clark was back in full health.

However, Hua Mi noticed the two small holes on his neck only shrank, not fully healed.

Clark seemed oblivious, relieved, smiling as he extended his hand in greeting to Hilia and Carter, then courteously acknowledged Col perched on the branch.

"...," always maintaining etiquette even in such situations.

Whether it was bravery or naïveté remained unclear.

Seeing him composed, Hua Mi inquired, "Who attacked you?"

Clark took a deep breath, "If I'm not mistaken, it was a vampire affiliate."

Beside them, Col asked in confusion, "What's a vampire affiliate?"

A commendation for Col's inquisitive nature silently crossed Hua Mi's mind.

"It's a type of vampire spawn," Clark's expression grew serious, touching his neck, "I suspect it might be related to the vampire beneath Blackcastle Ruins."

Carter's expression shifted, "Has it truly emerged?"

Clark shook his head, "Not necessarily. The formation of a vampire affiliate is rather unique, more akin to a pact. Perhaps, taking advantage of a momentary lapse in the unicorn's vigilance, coincidentally finding a suitable host nearby, the vampire could transmit the pact's information."

Host...

Like a soul?

The soul of that reanimated corpse.

Perhaps, during its escape, it carried the vampire's pact energy.

"What did the vampire affiliate who attacked you look like?" Carter inquired.

"A frail young man," Clark recalled, "He had a girl accompanying him."

"Little Ford, it must be him."

"But what's his objective?" Clark glanced downward, "Regardless of his intentions, we should stop him before he completes his plan. What do you think?"

...

As the airship approached the center of the graveyard, the bloodlines below became denser.

Each line dragged a luminous orb, swiftly converging in a particular direction.

"Is he absorbing the remnants of the undead here? Can a vampire affiliate do that?" Carter was unfamiliar with this knowledge.

"The curse origin of vampires, essentially, roots from a pact between the vampire progenitor and the abyss, granting them lordly power. As undying beings, vampires can forcibly gather weaker remnants of the undead. It's not surprising for a vampire affiliate, via a secondary pact, to inherit this summoning ability," Clark explained.

"If that's the case, it's even worse. The undead remnants here possess stronger power than regular spirits."

"Is there something special here?" Curious Col continued his questioning.

Hilia explained, "The Ashen Graveyard is, in fact, an ancient battleground. Long ago, the renowned Ashen Knights besieged a malevolent dragon here. Though they ultimately succeeded in killing the dragon, almost all of the knights perished. Meaning, those resting here are mostly dragon-slaying heroes..."

Before she finished her sentence, a hoarse roar echoed from the front.

Deafening.

Hua Mi felt his head buzz.

Fortunately, his mental strength was high, coupled with the calm robe, he quickly regained focus.

The airship proceeded cautiously.

Soon, a bizarre sight appeared before them within the encirclement of gravestones.

In the middle of the graveyard, a semi-transparent milky white spirit slowly took shape.

It was an image of a colossal dragon, only its upper half present, floating in mid-air.

Beneath the dragon soul stood a figure, arms outstretched.

A frail body entwined by blood-red threads.

The orbs continued to converge towards him, and the dragon-like spirit was intricately connected to his body.

"Is that Little Ford? How did he end up like this?" Carter couldn't fathom the intricacies.

"We'll think about that later. He's absorbing the undead energy here. If left unchecked, his strength will grow, especially with the remnants of the dragon's aura. Once fully absorbed, his power might rival that of the vampire progenitor's within a short span. If that happens, it'll be too late. We have to stop him," Clark looked gravely at everyone. "I suggest attacking the dragon soul first; this task is on you."

With that, Clark released a flying carpet and leaped from the airship.

"You're not planning to help?" Col was puzzled.

"I'm an observer, adept at observing and surviving, not fighting. Joining in would only burden you," Clark chuckled. "But don't worry; I won't flee. I'll discreetly monitor the target's movements and weaknesses, providing you with intel promptly."

...

"The airship's too conspicuous; we should split our attack," Hilia proposed, looking towards Hua Mi, evidently seeking his opinion.

"Don't rush," Hua Mi deliberated for a moment before saying, "Let's probe first."

The advantage of his swarm attack lay in its mysterious and unpredictable nature.

Why confront head-on when you can play deviously.

Today, he'd showcase their capabilities.

He directed Carter to halt the airship behind a tree.

Hua Mi closed his eyes, first controlling a scout bee to fly above the target, surveying the entire battlefield.

Through the bee's perspective, he could better assess and control the situation, almost like a game's viewpoint.

He immediately noticed another figure beside the dragon soul.

A young girl, despite the cold weather, was dressed in a thin white nightgown.

That should be the mayor's daughter, Theresa.

Seated on a gravestone, wearing red shoes, she swung her feet back and forth, her gaze fixed on Little Ford and the dragon soul's direction.