As the group ventured deeper among the trees, the air grew dense and humid. The sun's rays could barely pierce through the thick canopy, and a deep, almost imperceptible hum began to vibrate in the atmosphere, forcing every muscle in their bodies to tense.
Thunder, who was leading alongside Lusian, neighed uneasily. Blue sparks ran through his body as the beast's instinct sensed the approaching danger.
—What's wrong, boy? —Lusian whispered, adjusting the reins while carefully scanning the forest.
Then, a flash crossed the darkness between the trees.
It was so fast they could barely follow it with their eyes.
A massive bee emerged from the undergrowth and launched itself directly at the group, kicking up leaves and dust in its wake.
Thunder neighed with fury.
His body was covered in bluish light.
A lightning bolt pierced through the forest.
The bee crashed violently to the ground, writhing as electric discharges ran through its charred body.
Albert stepped forward.
His movements were precise. Calculated.
With a clean spin of his sword, he severed the creature's wings before piercing its head in a single blow.
The insect convulsed violently for a few seconds. A thick, dark violet fluid oozed from the wound while its legs twitched erratically.
Then it went still.
The veteran observed the corpse with a grave expression.
—A swarm must be nearby —he said firmly—. Individually, these bees are class C… but in groups they can reach class B.
He planted the tip of his sword into the ground, still watching the forest.
—And if a hundred of them appear… they could even bring down a high-level magical beast.
The group exchanged tense glances.
One of the knights spoke cautiously:
—We could try to capture them… their venom and stingers sell for a very good price, my lord.
Albert slowly shook his head.
—Five or six men would die before managing it. It's not worth it.
Lusian frowned, imagining how deadly a full swarm must be.
—Are they really that dangerous?
—More than they seem —Albert replied gravely—. Their venom doesn't just burn flesh… it also blocks the flow of mana.
The veteran slightly raised his gaze. His expression suddenly changed; a shadow of tension crossed his face. He stepped back in silence, as if something in his own thoughts had made him reconsider the situation.
Albert continued, discreetly pointing at the silver earring on Lusian's left ear.
—If everyone had an artifact like that, which protects against most poisons, we might consider it.
Lusian touched it with mild surprise.
—This? I didn't even know I was wearing it.
Albert raised an eyebrow.
—It's an artifact of the Douglas family. Expensive, unique, exclusive. If you inject mana into it, it activates a purification spell. It will heal you almost instantly… if any of these bees manage to sting you.
—Almost all poisons? —Lusian asked, intrigued.
—Almost all —Albert replied—. Only three are impossible to neutralize. Two are extremely rare and absurdly expensive; not even the Emperor of Ithaca would risk using them.
He paused briefly.
—The third is the most dangerous, because it acts within seconds. It paralyzes the body and blocks the flow of mana. If it hits you… you wouldn't even be able to activate the artifact.
A chill ran down Lusian's spine. He imagined his mana stopped, like a river blocked by a boulder, and a sense of alarm spread through his body.
The knights exchanged glances, aware that the forest hid far greater dangers than simple giant bees.
Silence fell again, heavy and expectant, while shafts of light filtered through the mist and branches. Every breath seemed to amplify the distant hum, reminding them that in the Cymopelia Forest, even the smallest creature could be lethal.
Albert stepped forward, and his voice echoed firmly through the trees:
—Keep your eyes open. If you hear a loud hum, do not try to fight; fall back and protect yourselves with magical barriers. We will not allow a swarm to take us down.
Lusian watched the bee's corpse and the venom still bubbling on the ground. The forest was alive… and hungry.
Thunder snorted, and a spark ran through his body. Lusian nodded, adjusting his grip on the reins.
—Let's move —he said quietly—. This is just the beginning.
While Albert and Lusian assessed the situation, the knights returned hurriedly from deeper in the forest, bringing news from the hive.
Unlike what Lusian expected, the hive only contained around one hundred and thirty bees.
In his previous world, a common hive could contain tens of thousands.
But here, the balance of nature worked differently.
Magical bees required enormous concentrations of mana to develop. And the more mana each creature absorbed, the fewer individuals the hive could sustain.
A simple rule.
A natural exchange between quantity and power.
Albert frowned upon hearing the report.
—If they all attack at once —he said gravely—, not even Thunder could protect us. We would all die.
His decision was immediate and prudent: abandon the attack.
But Lusian kept his gaze on the faint smoke rising from the hive. He remembered countless battles in the game; there, mistakes carried no weight. Here, however, every error could cost lives.
Still, the magical honey was tempting: rich in mana, capable of strengthening the body, increasing mana, and a valuable resource for potions and rituals.
Finally, he spoke calmly:
—Albert… we could do it, if we split them up.
The veteran raised an eyebrow.
—Split them?
—Yes —Lusian explained—. We attack from four different points, forming an X and keeping distance between the groups. The swarm will split and lose coordination. They'll be easier to handle.
Albert watched him in silence.
—And where did you learn that?
—I heard it in Trhuin —Lusian replied, trying to sound casual—. Some adventurers were talking about hunting similar nests.
The veteran crossed his arms.
—If you're wrong, men will die. Can you carry that burden?
Lusian swallowed. He was not used to strategies involving real lives.
—Yes —he said firmly—. If the plan fails, I will take responsibility.
Albert looked at him for a few more seconds and finally nodded slowly.
—Very well. We'll do it your way. But remember, Lusian… a strategy is worthless if you forget that lives do not reset.
The group quickly reorganized. Four assault squads, each composed of three knights and a mage. Fire would be their main tool.
Albert raised his hand, his sword already wrapped in burning energy.
—Now!
Fireballs cut through the air and exploded against the hive.
The entire forest responded with a roar of buzzing.
As Lusian had predicted, the swarm fractured into four groups.
The plan worked… until Lusian's squad received the most brutal impact.
Twenty-nine bees rushed directly at them.
Thunder neighed loudly.
A lightning burst exploded around him, spreading across the ground like a shockwave, illuminating the forest with blue flashes. Most of the swarm was instantly paralyzed, twitching under violent discharges.
Lusian, protected by his bond with his beast, remained unharmed.
But the nearby knights stepped back amid sparks and static, straining to maintain formation.
Five bees, resistant to lightning, broke through the chaos and charged directly at him.
Lusian turned his sword and concentrated mana into the blade.
But Albert was already there.
Two precise slashes cut through the air.
The first bees were thrown back before they could even comprehend what had happened. The rest were finished off by the knights in a clean, almost automatic coordination, as if they had repeated that maneuver hundreds of times.
On the other fronts, the squads faced their own challenges. Some men were stung, but antidote potions took effect immediately.
When the last buzzing faded, the air was filled with smoke and the smell of burned honey.
Albert surveyed the battlefield with a critical eye.
—Twenty-one killed before contact… —he murmured—. The idea worked better than I expected.
Lusian lowered his gaze, relieved. No one had died.
Albert ordered them to regroup and move forward. The queen had to be nearby: guardian bees never strayed far from the heart of the hive.
Minutes later, the buzzing returned, deeper and more threatening. The air vibrated with magical energy, as if the forest itself held its breath.
From within the nest emerged a colossal creature: the queen, escorted by four guardians. Her body was covered in black mana crystals that reflected the light in ominous flashes.
Thunder neighed and his body ignited with blue lightning.
Lusian raised his sword, feeling magical energy flow through every fiber of his being.
—Now —he whispered.
Thunder charged like a bolt of lightning.
The strike hit the queen directly, fracturing part of her shell in an explosion of sparks and mana.
But the creature did not fall.
A sharp screech tore through the forest.
The guardians reacted instantly.
One of them descended like an arrow and pierced a knight's barrier before the mage could reinforce it.
The stinger sank into the man's shoulder.
—AARGH!
The knight fell to his knees as dark veins rapidly spread across his neck.
His sword slipped from his hands.
—The venom! —one of the mages shouted.
The formation wavered for a moment.
The queen took advantage of the chaos and released a wave of mana that shook the ground. Two knights were thrown against the trees.
Thunder stepped back, snorting furiously.
Lusian felt a chill.
Lusian's reaction was instinctive.
He dropped from Thunder's saddle, ripped the silver earring from his ear, and ran toward the poisoned knight.
—Young master! —Albert shouted.
Lusian ignored the warning.
He knelt beside the man and pressed the artifact against his chest while injecting mana.
The earring shone brightly, a blue light spreading through the knight's body.
The dark veins caused by the poison slowly began to recede. The man released a breath and moved again.
—Thank you… my lord… —he murmured weakly, coughing blood.
Lusian exhaled in relief.
But a terrifying thought crossed his mind: all these soldiers would die for him without hesitation. And that was exactly what Lusian could not stand.
But he could not show it. Not too much. He could not act like the man he truly was.
Because if they discovered the real Lusian had disappeared… he did not know what they would do.
Albert observed the scene for only a moment before turning sharply toward the bee queen.
—Protect the young master! Now!
The knights moved instantly.
None hesitated. Two blocked the swarm's advance. Three others formed a human wall in front of Lusian, even knowing the difference in strength was absurd.
Lusian clenched his teeth.
In the game, deaths were just lines of text.
NPCs.
Disposable units.
But not here. Here they breathed. Trembled. Bled.
And they were willing to die for someone who did not even belong to this world.
The queen unleashed a monstrous screech and charged directly at Lusian, ignoring the rest.
Albert intercepted the attack head-on.
The impact shook the forest.
The veteran was pushed back several meters, leaving deep grooves in the ground as his sword vibrated violently between the creature's jaws.
—How many times must I say it?! —Albert roared without taking his eyes off the monster— Your life is above ours!
Lusian felt a knot in his chest.
Because Albert meant it.
Because to them, he was their young master.
And Lusian did not know how much longer he could keep enduring that lie.
—Tsk… don't talk to me like you're my father —Lusian spat, forcing that noble arrogance he hated.
—If you die or are seriously injured, our lives are already over. The duchess would execute us before allowing such a failure.
The bee queen unleashed a burst of mana.
Thunder positioned himself in front of Lusian and released a savage neigh full of fury. Blue lightning erupted around his body.
Then… mana exploded.
Blue bolts descended from all directions, pulverizing trees and burning the ground. The air filled with pure electricity as Thunder unleashed the true power of a level 80 magical beast.
The nearby bees did not even have time to react.
They were reduced to ashes.
The queen shrieked as massive lightning bolts carved through the cracks in her shell.
Even the knights were frozen by the monstrous display of power.
Albert turned his head slightly.
The veteran launched himself from a nearby rock and charged directly at the queen. Mana concentrated into his sword as intense flames wrapped around the blade.
Fire roared along the steel.
A diagonal slash cut through the air.
The sword pierced directly through the open cracks in the shell.
The queen let out a devastating screech.
And her body split in two.
Albert looked at the corpse and nodded respectfully.
—Good job, young master. Not many would dare to improvise something like that.
Lusian only smiled faintly, tired but relieved. He had been lucky; in the game this would have been just another victory, but here every decision and every strike carried the weight of reality. He silently vowed not to put those men's lives in danger again, men who smiled at him every time they spoke and obeyed him without hesitation, showing something more than loyalty.
While they gathered the bodies and magical honey, Albert placed a hand on his shoulder.
—It seems Lady Sofia has taught you well. Keep listening to that intuition. But remember… the forest does not forgive twice.
Lusian nodded. That day he had gained something different: the certainty that knowledge could save lives… or destroy them if used carelessly.
That night, the group set up camp in a clearing in the forest. The mages traced protective runes around the perimeter, and floating light spheres illuminated the area with a soft blue glow.
Albert organized the watches while the knights set up tents and checked their equipment. Lusian, sitting by the fire, watched the flames dance, reflecting flickers across his armor. It had been a long day, but a revealing one.
During dinner, Albert took out a small crystal flask filled with magical honey. His tone was solemn:
—With the young master's permission, we will share some of this. Magical bee honey is a rare delicacy… and a blessing for those who risk their lives hunting it.
Lusian nodded with a faint smile.
—Do it. They've earned it.
One by one, the knights tasted the honey. A single spoonful was enough for a warm surge to run through their bodies, as if an invisible current of energy flowed through their veins, restoring tired muscles and clearing their minds.
Even Lusian felt it. The mana in the honey blended harmoniously with his own, subtly enhancing his internal flow. It was not overwhelming, but a quiet, stable, natural strengthening.
Albert, after tasting it, commented analytically:
—It is definitely saturated with mana. It must have been formed in an environment where plants and air are infused with life energy. This explains why the bees were so resilient.
Charles Grell, staring at the flask, added:
—I wouldn't be surprised if the hive formed near an underground mana source. If we collect more, this honey could be used to craft enhancement potions or even class ascension elixirs.
Charles's words sparked murmurs of excitement among the soldiers. For them, feeling power flow through the body was a privilege rarely experienced outside noble families.
Lusian watched their hopeful faces and thought about the irony of fate: in his previous life, in front of a computer, strength came from hours of combat or experience points. Here, instead, it came from food. A world where food was power; the problem was that obtaining it could cost your life.