A Beekeeper in a Magical World

"T-this must be a blessing from the Mother Goddess!" Canister Fire Dude looked at the pale flame in his palm with reverence. "Only the Mother Goddess can bestow such a flame!"

"The Mother Goddess's... blessing?" Hua Mi's thoughts wandered.

Mother Goddess, Fire Seed, Temple, Blessing...

Could that power, more mystical than magic itself, be what they call a blessing?

He already knew there were some blessing-type magics in this world, commonly known as buffs that granted positive enhancements to targets.

But the "blessing" here was evidently more advanced than those conventional blessing spells.

The temples in this world seemed to be more than mere symbols or decorations.

What puzzled Hua Mi was why this blessing seemed to affect only the bees.

As a deity revered by the Fire Dudes, shouldn't the blessings primarily target their followers?

The little bees weren't even indigenous to this world!

Thinking about this, Hua Mi had a subtle feeling, and a few previously unexplored questions popped into his mind.

Was it really just a coincidence that he crossed over to this world with bees? Why specifically this world?

And what about the blue bee that granted him extraordinary abilities? Where did it come from?

He vaguely felt that perhaps it was because of the bees' uniqueness in this world that they gained the temple's "favor."

However, with too little information at hand, speculating here was futile.

In any case, let's be pragmatic. If blessings existed in this world, it seemed like he had found another way to evolve the bees.

Based on the current information, the Temple of the Fire Seed possessed the power of blessings, bestowing strength upon the bees.

"If the Temple of the Fire Seed can grant the bees the ability to produce Azure Fire, would finding other temples grant different corresponding abilities?"

This mode of evolution seemed far more advanced than mutagenic catalysts.

Temple—Hua Mi etched these words into his mind.

He needed to pay more attention to this term in the future.

Under Hua Mi's control, the Azure Fire Bee slowly approached the nearby wall. Even before the flame touched the surface, a section of the wall showed signs of melting. When the flame finally made contact, within a few seconds, it melted a pit.

"Good firepower."

Hua Mi turned to see Canister Fire Dude cowering in the corner, looking at him fearfully, the fire within his metallic body trembling uncontrollably.

"Don't be afraid; this isn't the flame of your Mother Goddess, just looks like it."

Hua Mi reassured him.

Then, he sat cross-legged on the watchtower, touched his ring, and took out his notebook and pen.

Carefully sensing the Azure Fire Bee's attributes, he recorded them in his notebook.

[Azure Fire Bee]

"Evolved from scouting bees blessed at the Fire Mother Temple. Comparable in size to scouting bees, presenting a white body with black fine lines on the abdomen. It inherits the sharp senses of scouting bees but cannot establish sensory connections with them.

Complete with honey sacs, poison glands, stingers..."

At this point, Hua Mi paused for a moment, pondering.

Firstly, the Azure Fire Bees were capable of normal honey collection. However, their unique magical power might have an effect on the honey brewed—something yet to be observed.

Secondly, the poison glands, under the influence of their own magic, could produce venom with a fire attribute—a name could be given, perhaps "Fire Poison."

In other words, the Azure Fire Bees could not only unleash Azure Fire to burn enemies but also inject Fire Poison...

Internal and external application—what a delight!

[Lifespan: 1]

[Reproduction: 0.8]

[Productivity: 1]

[Attack Power: 10]

[Defense Power: 1]

[Vitality: 2]

[Speed: 1]

[Collection Ability: 1]

[Combat Ability: 8]

Assessed as a [Level 4 Bee].

The downside was its slightly low reproductive capacity, which meant that in a natural state, the number of bee colonies would remain at a relatively low level.

After recording the information of the Azure Fire Bees, Hua Mi mentally delved into the magic box under the black robe, selecting two regular bee colonies for the Azure Fire Bee's template transformation.

"If the Azure Fire Bee colonies are managed well, it could significantly enhance combat capabilities... Let's transform two for now."

Then, he transformed another scouting bee.

"Now, let's find a way to get some flower seeds."

The distance from here to the flower fields was too far, and he couldn't precisely control the Slice-Through Bees to dissect ovaries and extract seeds.

Big movements would lead to discovery.

The notebook mentioned that the Mother Goddess's blessings primarily grew around the temples, indicating that there might be similar places elsewhere.

He could look along the way.

If not found, he believed the safest way would be to directly ask the Fire Dude King.

According to the notebook, although the Fire Dudes considered this flower a gift from the Fire Mother, they didn't treat it as an untouchable sacred object. In specific situations, they even consumed it as part of a ritual to communicate with the Mother Goddess.

If it could be eaten, it should be allowed to be given away as well.

"Where should I go next?"

Hua Mi looked at the map, lost in thought.

He actually wanted to go to the other side.

The problem was, Canister Dude might not be able to accompany him there since both sides were at war.

"It's possible," Canister Fire Dude said, "as long as I keep quiet, no one will know I'm from this side."

"...Really?"

...

Guided by Canister, Hua Mi bypassed the war zone and arrived at the other side.

Through bustling streets and alleys, no gifts from the Mother Goddess were found on the roadside. Finally, they reached a location marked on the map as "Blacksmith Shop."

The map indicated mostly significant areas like certain temples or squares, only this "shop" stood out, possibly for some special reason.

This blacksmith shop was located in a remote area, surrounded by a deserted zone. Its appearance was as plain as it could get—a cubic structure entirely made of dull metal, lacking the shiny allure of other buildings, giving off a somewhat oppressive vibe.

Clang-clang-clang—

Rhythmic sounds of ironworking echoed from inside the shop's entrance.

"He's been alive for over a thousand years," Canister said, "he was already the most famous blacksmith in the city before it fell."

Over a thousand years...

The species in this world lived for hundreds, even thousands of years, which was bewildering for humans.

"I wonder if we can brew honey for longevity in the future..."

Hua Mi pondered as he followed Canister into the interior of the blacksmith shop.

A rush of hot air hit them.

The interior was even rougher than its exterior, almost resembling a cave.

A vast space filled with a pungent sulfur-like smell, the floor and walls covered in solidified lava-like formations. The ceiling was black, dangling corroded pillars resembling a cavern landscape.

At the far end of the room stood a colossal Fire Dude blacksmith, nearly five to six meters tall, his head almost reaching the ceiling, his body corroded and worn out, appearing rougher than the "lava

" on the ground.

The fire within him flickered like a candle in the wind, dimming and brightening, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing.

However, the colossal hammer in his hand still blazed with roaring flames, pounding heavily on a large metal ingot before him. It seemed he had infused most of his fire into the hammer.

Yet, inexplicably, his body was bound by several thick, dark chains, rendering him immobile.

"Why does he have chains on him?" Hua Mi asked from the entrance.

"Because he made a mistake," Canister replied, "it was a few hundred years ago, I don't know the specifics of what he did wrong, but it was severe. I guess it might have offended the King."

"Even after making a mistake, they allow him to continue smithing here?"

"Because his forging skills are unparalleled; we need him. The Demonslaying Sword of King Lulu, it was crafted by him.

"Do you know about the Demonslaying Sword? It's our Fire Dude's pride, it's currently planted in front of the temple."

Hua Mi immediately recalled it.

When he controlled the scouting bee to fly towards the temple, it seemed he indeed saw a structure on the ground resembling a hilt. It was black and inconspicuous, mistaking it for some kind of mechanism at that time, paying it no mind.

So, it was a sword stuck there.

But why was a sword stuck there?

"The Demonslaying Sword is forged from the rare anti-magic metal, capable of severing almost any magical effect. Also, it's quite heavy.

"Because of the anti-magic properties, it can't be lifted using magical power, only relying on one's strength. For over a thousand years, only the mighty King Lulu could wield it."

"So why is it planted in front of the temple?"

"King Lulu sacrificed himself to protect the city during the Abyssal invasion. He safeguarded the Fire Seed and eventually fell in front of the temple, and that's when the Demonslaying Sword was placed there.

"It symbolizes protection, just like the Mother Goddess, guarding our city."

Maybe because it's too heavy to be pulled out by anyone. Hua Mi mentally quipped.

While speaking, they had already approached the colossal blacksmith.

The blacksmith's massive hammer paused slightly, seeming to glance at Hua Mi before the hammerhead descended heavily.

Sparks flew.

The blacksmith made some screeching sounds.

Canister translated for him.

"He's asking what a human is doing here." Canister replied vaguely, "Do you have any questions to ask him?"

Hua Mi asked if a alchemist had visited here before.

"No, he says you're the first outsider to come here after the city fell," Canister translated, adding, "I think he's not lying; if any outsider had come before, it'd have been widely known, even if they came from this side, we would have heard about it."

That makes sense.

But it's strange.

The notebook clearly recorded the author's visit to this city, describing every detail accurately. Even this secluded blacksmith shop was specifically marked on the map.

After a moment of silence, the blacksmith spoke again, translated by Canister, "However, I can provide you with a name—Alyss."