A Beekeeper in a Magical World

Chapter 2: The Moonlit Flowers

Plop!

Cough, cough...

Hua Mi stumbled to his feet, shaking off the dust and scanning his surroundings in the rustic wooden cabin.

The place appeared to be abandoned for quite some time. It contained only a table, a wooden bed, and was covered in a layer of dust. Various glass containers, pottery, and books were scattered around haphazardly.

"Have I crossed over?" Hua Mi murmured to himself.

He pinched himself to confirm that this wasn't a dream. The pain was real. He inspected his hand, and the spot where the blue bee had stung him was no longer painful, but there was a faint blue mark around the wound.

With a sense of wonder, he raised his hand and drew a simple oval in the air. Just like that, a "wormhole" filled with psychedelic colors appeared in front of him, quickly expanding into a portal large enough for one person to pass through.

Hua Mi took a deep breath and stepped through.

In the next moment, he found himself standing on soft ground with a familiar buzzing sound in his ears. He was back in his own flower field.

"Incredible!" Realizing he could travel between the two worlds, Hua Mi felt exhilarated.

This time, the portal didn't immediately disappear, seemingly under his control.

Taking a moment to compose himself, he traveled back to the small cabin.

Not sensing any immediate danger, he decided to familiarize himself with this environment first.

Hua Mi approached the only wooden table in the cabin and examined the items on it.

Most of them were transparent glass products resembling test tubes and beakers, along with some pottery jars. The substances inside the jars had long since turned into black sludge, making it impossible to identify their original contents.

The scattered books had also become lumps of pulp, impossible to open, but their original appearance was still recognizable.

Among the rubble, one particular black leather-bound book stood out.

Hua Mi wiped off the dust and found that its surface was still glossy, as if it were brand new.

The first page contained a line of distorted text that seemed to be written in a language not found on Earth. Strangely, Hua Mi could understand it as if it were his mother tongue. Perhaps it was a gift from the blue bee.

"Could this be a notebook left behind by the owner of this cabin?" Hua Mi wondered. He was beginning to suspect that he had entered a magical world.

The presence of alchemy tools and containers in the cabin hinted at the owner being an alchemist, a legendary figure.

The notebook itself seemed to be enchanted, as it remained unaffected by decay, supporting his suspicions.

Hua Mi perused the notebook and found its contents to be quite simple, providing information about materials, fauna, and flora based on regions.

The introductory section discussed the location of the cabin, which was located in the "Black Witch's Forest."

Shortened to the "Black Forest."

"So, this place is a forest," Hua Mi concluded and eagerly wanted to explore.

The cabin was filled with dust, triggering his allergies. It had two doors, one in the front and one at the back.

Without much thought, Hua Mi walked toward the door that was closer to him.

Creak...

As the wooden door swung open, bright sunlight bathed him, and he felt as if he were soaking in a warm spring. After his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he beheld a fairy tale-like scene.

The backyard was a flower garden, overgrown with pristine white flowers with crescent-shaped petals. Over time, they had grown wild, breaking through the wooden fence and spreading into the depths of the forest.

Hua Mi opened the notebook and quickly flipped through its pages until he found a drawing of the white flowers he was looking at. The caption read "Moonlit Flowers: Blossom during the Water Flowing Moon, peak during the Water Abundant Moon, wither during the Water Waning Moon, and perish during the Ice Age. They emit a faint fragrance and absorb the essence of the moon, making them easy to nurture. They can be used to observe the fluorescence in darkness, a basis for concocting sleep-inducing elixirs and other hypnotic magic pills. They can also neutralize the effects of some potent magic drugs, such as Mutation Inducers."

Indeed, magical crops. Hua Mi, being a beekeeper and a native of Huayu Town, had a special affinity for flowers. The sight of this flower sea left him in awe.

Although the garden was overrun by weeds, it only enhanced the beauty of the Moonlit Flowers, highlighting their elegance and purity.

The cabin was surrounded by tall trees, much larger than those on Earth. Their crowns were lush, but due to their spaced arrangement, they didn't block the sunlight.

What surprised Hua Mi the most was the exceptionally fresh air in this place. Breathing the unpolluted air after being accustomed to industrial pollution felt like entering a fairyland. It was the purest natural aroma, enhanced by the fragrance of the Moonlit Flowers.

Hua Mi greedily inhaled the air. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure flitting among the flowers, collecting nectar.

It was a small earth bee.

Presumably, it had hitched a ride on him.

The activity level of bees was highly affected by their environment, and the excitement of this bee was evident. In contrast to its lethargic state in its previous environment, the difference was clear.

Clearly, the environment here was perfect for beekeeping and honey production.

"It seems like the Moonlit Flowers are in full bloom right now, as per the notes. This should be the 'Water Abundant Moon' here."

Their calendar months seemed quite different from Earth's.

However, despite the ideal conditions for beekeeping, he hadn't seen any bees around. This suggested that there might be no bees in this world.

Hua Mi had a sudden idea: What would honey made from the nectar of the Moonlit Flowers taste like? Would it carry magical effects from this mystical plant?

It seemed highly plausible.

Hua Mi's mind raced, and a plan began to take shape. He would start beekeeping in this world, producing various types of magic-infused honey, just like an alchemist! Always seeking superior flowers and honey, just like a mountaineer challenging higher peaks.

Hua Mi's thoughts wandered, envisioning the most wondrous developments.

After all, thinking didn't cost anything.

Action was necessary!

Hua Mi confidently drew a wormhole and returned to his flower field.

"Yue, what a polluted atmosphere," he remarked. In his eyes, the creatures of this world lived a pitiable existence compared to his.

The sudden appearance of the bees startled them, and they prepared to defend themselves, but upon seeing their beekeeper, they relaxed and resumed their honey-gathering missions.

Hua Mi realized a problem. It was daytime, and bees had a specific routine; they worked during the day and rested at night. At this moment, they wouldn't return to their hives.

"I'll have to wait until night," Hua Mi decided. Bees didn't behave like dogs, and to some extent, beekeepers had to rely on the biological rhythms of their bees.

However, something magical happened. When Hua Mi gazed at the bee swarm and thought about them returning to their hives, a sudden surge of electricity seemed to rush through his brain, and, with a "Bzz," a connection was established with the bees' collective consciousness.

It was a fascinating experience. In this state, he could precisely locate each bee within the swarm, sense their conditions, whether it was the queen bee, male bees, or worker bees - they were all under his control, as if they were an extension of his body.

"Back to the hive," Hua Mi transmitted the command via his thoughts, and the bee swarm instantly ceased their honey-gathering and flew back to their hives. It took just a few seconds for them to return.

"This is incredible," Hua Mi marveled at his newfound ability. With this skill, he could become the world's greatest beekeeper.

Ignoring the natural behaviors of bees, he could make them go wherever he wanted. Beekeeping was now a breeze.

"Some people gain superpowers from spider bites and become Spider-Man, and I gain superpowers from bee stings. Shall I call myself Bee-Man?" Hua Mi contemplated. The name was a bit too cute and lacked gravitas.

Unfortunately, compared to spiders, bats, and other creatures, bees were generally seen as diligent and adorable little beings.

But he realized that he could only control one group of bees at a time, and attempting to control multiple groups would be too taxing on his concentration.

As the bee swarm returned to their hives one after another, the buzz gradually quieted down, and the tranquility returned to the flower field.

Without wasting time, Hua Mi got to work!

There were only thirty hives, a task he could handle by himself.

During the process, Hua Mi decided to experiment with his teleportation ability. Anything he carried with him could be transported, whether it was inanimate objects or living creatures, like bees.

However, the teleportation was limited to specific areas - his flower field and the alchemical cabin on the other side. If he ventured beyond his flower field or the cabin, he couldn't create a "wormhole."

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