A Beekeeper in a Magical World

"Hua Mi, Abyss Scholars are all mentally unstable!"

"Don't say that, they should be seen as heroes."

"Crazy heroes!"

"To withstand the Abyss's invasion, they are too powerful!"

Ignoring the intense discussion behind her, Xiao Hong continued to explain to him, "Abyss Scholars can come from various races, but after joining the Abyss Research Association, they automatically detach from their origins and no longer belong to any other organization. They have only one goal, which is to research the Abyss."

"But does this research have a negative impact on them?" Hua Mi guessed.

"Yes, Abyss Scholars are constantly on the frontline of Abyss containment. They must have strong enough mental power to resist the invasion of Abyssal information."

At this point, Hua Mi could almost understand.

So this is what they mean by "when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss also gazes into you."

"But even with high mental strength, it's impossible to completely avoid the influence of the Abyss. Understanding the Abyss allows them to harness its power, but the cost is losing a part of their sanity, becoming somewhat... mad. That's why the mental state of Abyss Scholars always seems different from ordinary people. And those who have prolonged contact with them will also be affected by the Abyssal aura they carry..."

After this explanation, Hua Mi had a basic understanding of the Abyss Scholar profession.

It was a very unique occupation.

Different from the usual ones like mages or alchemists.

They relied on understanding the Abyss to gain power.

Simply put, the deeper their understanding of the Abyss, the stronger their personal power.

The ceiling for this profession was very high. After advancing to the rank of Grand Master, their power was comparable to mages of the Seventh or Eighth Ring, or even surpassing them.

Correspondingly, the price was also substantial.

Affected by the Abyss, their "san" values were usually significantly lower than normal, making their thoughts unpredictable.

And the Abyssal aura around them made people instinctively uncomfortable.

This was what Xiao Hong meant when she said nine out of ten people would avoid contact with them.

Not everyone could endure this kind of loneliness.

So, there weren't many Abyss Scholars on the entire Western Continent, all managed by the Abyss Research Association.

The Association regularly conducted various measurements on its members, including cognitive and Abyssal aura concentration checks. Once they reached warning levels, all information contact with the Abyss for that scholar would be suspended until all indicators returned to normal levels.

Therefore, although Abyss Scholars were the closest people to the Abyss in this world and could be considered the first line of defense, under strict institutional constraints, instances of them completely succumbing to corruption and losing control were rare, especially after the Second Abyss Invasion War. For nearly a thousand years, there had been only scattered cases of Abyss Scholars losing control.

Hearing this, Hua Mi felt slightly relieved.

Compared to individuals, he trusted a mature and comprehensive system more.

No matter how strong one's self-control was, it couldn't match the reassurance provided by a mature system.

That was why wild alchemists had a bad reputation, while those from academic institutions were respected. The latter adhered to order, while the former was chaotic.

Xiao Hong particularly emphasized not attempting to understand the thoughts of Abyss Scholars.

Alyss had mentioned in the letter that this companion was an Abyss Scholar, being straightforward about it.

But before agreeing to her, there was another thing to consider:

"Now that I have bargaining chips again."

Equal exchange, the unchanging rule of the beekeeper.

That afternoon, Alyss came to the Bee Whisperer's hut.

The Abyss Scholar did not accompany her.

"Where's your companion?" Hua Mi casually asked.

"Nearby, probably."

She seemed accustomed to this and, glancing at him, added, "Don't worry, he'll show up when the time comes."

By "when the time comes," she obviously meant when they set off.

Initially, Hua Mi found this answer a bit strange, but upon reflection, the other person was an Abyss Scholar.

Suddenly, it seemed quite reasonable.

Although he had never seen an Abyss Scholar before, it fit his imagination of this profession.

"Don't attempt to understand the thoughts of Abyss Scholars," Xiao Hong's warning echoed in his mind.

Alyss's casual attitude clearly indicated her understanding of this principle.

So Hua Mi didn't ask further.

This time, inviting Alyss over was to seek her help in upgrading and improving the magic box before heading to the Lost City.

This master architect, well-versed in various spatial magic principles, could complete a greenhouse of that size in three days, so dealing with a mere magic box should be a walk in the park.

Hua Mi envisioned two directions for upgrading the magic box.

One was [Internal Space].

With the bee colony increasing, there would inevitably come a day when it wouldn't fit anymore. So, it was wise to expand the space as soon as possible. With more space, other items could also be stored for unforeseen needs.

The other aspect was [Operation Method].

The current method was somewhat inconvenient. To release the bee colony, one had to find a place to unpack the magic box, taking at least three or four seconds, which was too long of a "casting delay."

Hua Mi shared his ideas with Alyss, asking if she could implement them.

Alyss calmly stated that theoretically, both could be achieved.

And she also offered her evaluation of the magic box: roughly designed but barely functional.

Her tone dripped with disdain for bronze.

However...

The more disdainful she was, the greater the room for improvement in the magic box.

The future was promising!

But Alyss quickly changed the subject, mentioning that gathering the materials required for expanding the internal space might take a while, and even if they were collected, the entire upgrading process would last several days.

However, improving the operation method wouldn't need additional materials. She could design a quick-access window on the magic box, allowing rapid deployment and retrieval of the bee colony without opening it.

Hua Mi had already moved the bee boxes into the greenhouse.

He handed the empty magic box to Alyss.

Alyss walked to the reserved space beside the greenhouse and placed something on the ground, stepping back.

Swiftly—

That thing expanded into a simple yet exquisite wooden house in an instant.

Following that, metallic clinks resonated as two active armors emerged in front of Alyss, each wielding a double-handed sword, standing guard before the wooden house.

"This work isn't difficult and can be completed tomorrow—provided I'm not disturbed during work."

It was a polite warning not to disrupt her.

Hua Mi nodded, indicating he understood.

After Alyss finished speaking, she entered the house without looking back.

Hua Mi noticed a sign hanging on the wooden door, inscribed with Elven characters, likely reading something like "Alyss's Temporary Workshop."

"So convenient."

Hua Mi couldn't help but admire.

But it must be challenging to achieve, requiring both resources and technology.