Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 657 Reunion with the Queen Bee (2-in-1)

"Felt-covered grassland..."

Roy pondered.

"I even came up with this name!"

This is the result reported to the Witch Tower after the last investigation.

I was surprised that it was adopted.

However, he did not investigate further at the time and did not know the specific situation inside.

Roy temporarily left the mage's mansion and went to the office on the fifth floor of the Wizard Tower to find out the specifics.

As always, there were no living people inside, only a few black-robed ghosts floating there, their figures appearing translucent.

At first, Roy also thought that these were the transformed souls of the old apprentices, but he later discovered that things were not so simple.

They appear to be special necromancy.

"My lord wizard, is there anything I can help you with?"

A sinister ghost drifted over.

"I need all the information about this mission," Roy said, briefly explaining the situation on the Felt Grassland.

"This is a cleanup mission that the Wizard Tower issues regularly."

Since the incident in the Land of Cretaceous, over the decades, a large number of various experimental subjects and unexpectedly born corpse demons and monsters have proliferated.

Some have already been included in the monitoring and control scope, while others remain unknown.

The one that suddenly appeared on the felt grassland this time was the latter.

Ten years have passed since explorers first spotted this creature, and it seems to have begun to proliferate rapidly.

The Witch Tower needs manpower to investigate the cause and eliminate the excessive proliferation of monsters.

The ghost stayed in place for a while, seemingly receiving some kind of message, then turned to him and said.

"Look, this is what the explorers we sent in previously recorded..."

His finger pointed to a crystal ball the size of a human head on the front desk.

As the light shone, a dreamlike scene appeared inside, presenting a scene that seemed familiar.

What first catches the eye is a gray-black and withered yellow landscape, with countless waist-high, slender grass blades growing to more than a meter tall, resembling polluted weeds and showing signs of withering.

The distant background was shrouded in a gray-black haze, hazy and indistinct, yet still clearly discernible, resembling the presence of fine hairs.

A moment later, the camera zoomed out, revealing more and more "thick hair" in front of them.

It's as if a vast "prairie" has appeared on the scalp of a giant.

Even though he had personally experienced such a scene before, and his strength and experience now far surpassed those of the past, Roy still couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

This feeling is difficult to describe simply as nausea, tension, or fear.

Logically speaking, with his current level of strength, there's nothing to be afraid of.

But it still reacted like a human being exposed to a cold wind, causing their scalp to tingle.

Soon, Roy found out the reason.

A monster the size of a hunting dog but resembling a flea appeared in the scene.

This insect is flat on its back and abdomen, grayish-white in color, with a small, slightly rhomboid head, and its appearance is not particularly ferocious.

But it still makes people feel uncomfortable.

This is because it easily evokes images of lice that grow in the fur of humans or animals, which can hide on the skin and suck blood; they are stubborn parasites.

"Where did this disgusting thing come from?"

As Roy was thinking to himself, the scene suddenly changed dramatically.

The "lice" leaped and sprinted at an astonishing speed, rushing straight at you.

The screen shook violently, reflecting onto a companion standing nearby.

The other person was grabbed by the neck and bit down hard.

A large amount of fresh blood was sucked away.

The followers attacked with swords and magic, and defeated him in the blink of an eye.

Dark red blood splattered from the monster's body.

But the battle did not stop; on the contrary, the grassland in front of them seemed to be boiling over.

"Lice"...

Countless lice...

They surged out in dense, countless streams.

The scene of the swarming in like a swarm of locusts caused the screen to shake violently again.

Many of them even grew black elytra and flew up like cockroaches.

The screen shook violently as more attacks came crashing down on the enemies.

As a result, even after killing hundreds or thousands, it was still to no avail.

The number of those "lice" must be at least 100,000... no, at least a million!
The area was already shrouded in smog, limiting visibility; it was practically the entire world visible to the naked eye was filled with it.

The fact that the color of the lice's body surface is similar to the hair underneath makes it easy to wonder if the entire grassland is densely covered with them.

The wizard who was filming the scene finally couldn't stand the discomfort of his trypophobia anymore, turned around and ran away, and the scene came to an abrupt end.

……

"It doesn't seem to be a high-level enemy; we should be able to handle it..."

But to get deeper inside, you need to kill through the swarm of insects.

If there are any mutated monsters capable of undergoing a transformation that corrodes or devours magical power, there would also be a certain degree of danger.

After Roy returned, he summoned the girl's skull to recreate the scene and then called Prandtse and Nisa over to discuss it.

"It would be best to prepare some alchemical tools that can conceal one's presence or cause widespread damage!"

Prandtse suggested.

Then, they prepared to set off.

This time, the route to that place is no longer the aerial tunnel through the Windy Hills, but a teleportation array set up inside the Witch Tower.

Over the years, the Okmi Tower has also initially established a teleportation array leading to the interior of the Cretaceous Kingdom.

However, it is still under strict control at present, and ordinary wizards are strictly prohibited from entering or leaving.

Mid-June, inside the Witch Tower.

As the witch array was activated, the familiar sensation of weightlessness and turbulence came.

A moment later, Roy and the others stood on the faded desert land.

A fully qualified wizard was already waiting there with several apprentices, dressed in red robes; they were servants of the Wizard Tower's deacon sequence.

The red-robed wizard at the head of the group said, "Welcome to the Kingdom of Chalk, Lord Roy."

We are aware of your mission details. Please come with us to the camp to verify your basic information.

Oh, by the way, let me introduce myself.

My name is Manant, a first-class wizard, and I also hail from the Okmey Wizard Tower.

Roy had already done some preliminary research before coming in, so he wasn't surprised at all.

Over the years, the Faded Desert has been largely explored and meets the conditions for establishing a permanent camp.

However, it seems that this has only been in recent years.

I'd never heard of this before...

Roy followed them forward, lost in thought.

Soon after, a small campsite built with simple materials came into view.

Some hemispherical buildings, like earthen houses in the desert, provided basic shelter.

Besides Manant, who was guarding the teleportation array, there were quite a few apprentices there as well.

There was no one loitering in the camp; everyone was busy with their own tasks, displaying a strange vitality unlike the barren desert.
“I’ve been here before and never seen any campsites. I didn’t expect it to have grown to a considerable size.”

Roy looked around with a bit of curiosity and found that this small village-like place had various buildings in dark green or emerald green, like an oasis in the desert.

Upon hearing this, Manant, who was ahead, smiled and said, "This was only built five years ago."

"Shouldn't there be high-level wizards stationed in such a dangerous place?"

Roy guessed.

Although the Faded Desert has been explored to a great extent, the level of danger in the depths of the world still cannot be measured by common sense.

Ordinary apprentices and low-level wizards could very well die as many as they came.

Upon hearing this, Manant, who was leading the way, visibly showed some lingering fear.

"There is indeed a high-level wizard in charge."

The person in charge of this camp is Lord Deerworth, a high-ranking wizard who retired from the dimensional battlefield a few years ago.

He applied for a long-term deployment and also received some research project funding...

I am actually his disciple, and along with several other wizards who have joined the group, I undertake the permanent duties here.

Upon hearing this, Roy's heart stirred slightly.

"And who is Your Excellency Dilworth?"

Since Roy was a level two wizard, Manant didn't hide it from him and gave him a brief introduction.

It turns out that he was an old wizard similar to his teacher, Frosif.

In his early years, he served on the front lines of the planar battlefield for a long time, using his alchemical knowledge and various witchcraft to serve the legion.

Although he was a high-ranking wizard, as he grew old and frail, he gradually became unable to do many things.

So he retired, preparing to find a suitable colonial territory and retire as a governor-shaman.

This also indicates that the other party has almost exhausted its potential and it will be difficult to obtain various resources and acquire new knowledge through ordinary channels.

"The task of a governor-general to colonize territories..."

There is a queue!

There are many other qualified high-level wizards, and it is a long-term mission that takes almost a century to complete. It's not something that can be found just like that.

We'll have to stay here and keep watch for now!
However, he is not currently at the camp, but has gone deep into the Forest of Bones...

There's been some trouble there.

"The Forest of Bones? What kind of place is that?"

Roy asked.

"That is already the core area of ​​the small world, and it is also the last barrier before entering the Creation Park and the outer corridor."

The teacher had a bold hypothesis: after the accident in this world, a large amount of life energy and flesh cells were scattered on the surface of the planet, and the mountains and rivers all had some biological characteristics...

The place we are in now is called the Faded Desert, which is actually a barren place like the belly of a human. To the north is the Flesh and Blood Swamp, and further north is the Felt Grassland...

Your mission this time is to go there; you should already know that beforehand, right?

Roy nodded.

Manant said, "You know what, those people who explored before, although their taste wasn't great, their naming was quite accurate."

They inadvertently uncovered the truth behind the world's mutation, and even their teacher praised them highly.

"Let's just go with this naming convention and name the newly discovered barrier the Forest of Bones..."

"Biological characteristics! A forest of bones!"

Roy was startled, and a few thoughts flashed through his mind.

No wonder!
No wonder there are flesh-and-blood swamps and felt-covered grasslands!
As for the other party's complaint that the names they, Sophia, Oren, and others chose were not very good.

Roy didn't say much.

She just rolled her eyes and thought to herself, "What do you know!"

……

Not long after, in the camp.

In a big house.

The apprentice steward enthusiastically helped complete the formalities and said respectfully.

"Your Excellency, you are now free to come and go as you please."

However, please note that the time you can stay here is limited. If you exceed the task deadline, you will need to renew your visa in time, and the renewal will require my teacher's approval...

We don't know when he'll be back, which might cause some trouble.

Although the other party phrased it tactfully, Roy still understood: don't linger if there's no need!

Roy nodded, but then said to Manant beside him, "Actually, I was one of the first Benta wizards to come here."

We did everything, including the initial topographical surveys and the naming of places…

If Mr. Deerworth is interested in the original materials, please leave me your contact information.

I'd like to schedule a time to meet with him and have a proper talk!

As he spoke, he left behind a radiant gold card bearing his secret magical mark.

Manant visibly stiffened for a moment, gave an awkward smile, and took the card.

"Okay, I will definitely pass it on."

……

After leaving the camp, Roy immediately began to sense the distant markings.

That was the pact I left with the Blood Seal Demon Bee Queen in the Blood Swamp.

It didn't take long before it was successfully captured.

"..."

(Teleportation)

Roy chanted a spell, enveloping himself in magical energy, along with Pranzie, Nisa, the Skull of the Maiden, and the Angel Alice who were with him!
A moment later, their bodies dissolved into nothingness, and they entered the etheric plane where spirit and matter intersected.

Then, it appeared in the flesh and blood swamp more than a thousand kilometers away.

Suddenly, the scenery changed, and a huge beehive resembling a hill appeared.

This is no longer the original location; those flesh-and-blood demon bees have clearly moved again.

However, the size of the honeycomb has increased rather than decreased; the exposed part alone is already the size of a building.

Roy used his mental power to briefly explore the area and sensed that the entire space inside had been hollowed out, with a large underground area still remaining.

The queen bee hides deep within the queen cell.

"Owner?"

Like the soft whispers of an innocent child, it came out of nowhere; it was the queen bee sensing his presence and sending out inquiring mental waves.

Its mental strength had reached over 70 degrees, making it a mid-to-high level monster.

Unlike humans, many monsters can increase their spiritual power beyond 50 degrees and continue to improve in a relatively gradual way.

This is a significant improvement over the past.

"Come on, let's go over and take a look."

Roy flew toward the hive with a hint of curiosity.

Midway through, the worker bees also discovered them.

But under the control of some mysterious force, they all stepped aside.

Roy arrived at the entrance and probed into the hive with his mental energy, sensing an obstacle made of special materials, such as fossilized flesh and blood.

But a moment later, with the sharing effect of the wizard contract, the scene of where the queen bee lived appeared in his mind.

"Treasure...collect...command..."

The queen bee, with a slightly ingratiating air, displayed her "trophies" from the past few years.

Those were the broken remnants of treasures collected from various places, and there were also things similar to the Soul Stone from before!
(End of this chapter)