Chapter 26: Little Witch Running for Her Life

The ground beneath their feet gradually turned muddy as Luo Xiaosu and Aiweila slowly made their way deeper into the swamp.

“Um… Aiweila, how about we turn back? Look how dirty it is here—there’s definitely nothing good.”

Luo Xiaosu stepped into a patch of black muck and struggled to pull her foot out.

She looked at the sludge stuck to the sole of her shoe and couldn’t help making a disgusted face.

However, Aiweila wasn’t frightened by the eerie surroundings.

Instead, she looked like she had discovered a new continent, her bright, sparkling eyes darting around like a curious little cat.

“Let’s stay a little longer, big sister! Look, doesn’t that mushroom look like it has puppy ears?”

She pointed at a brown mushroom nearby and excitedly reached out to pick it.

“Don’t touch it!”

Luo Xiaosu’s hand shot out and grabbed Aiweila’s wrist just in time.

Just as Aiweila’s fingertips were about to touch the “mushroom,” it gave a slight tremor.

The tightly closed cap slowly opened a crack, revealing bright red folds inside.

Then, from that gap, a faint pink mist sprayed out.

Seeing that mist, Luo Xiaosu yanked Aiweila back.

“It moved?”

Aiweila’s eyes widened. Instead of being scared, she found it fascinating.

“Big sister, is it greeting us?”

“Greeting us? It’s waiting for you to stick your hand in so it can eat you!”

Luo Xiaosu sighed helplessly and began to explain to Aiweila.

“It’s a variant of the man-eating plant. It disguises itself as a little dog, waits for you to reach out, and then bites you in one gulp!”

She took Aiweila’s hand and led her around the plant.

“Big sister told you this place is dangerous. Don’t go touching things you don’t recognize.”

“Mmm… I understand, big sister.”

Aiweila lowered her head, looking guilty.

But the next moment, her gaze fell on a small, unknown yellow flower not far away.

“Big sister, look at that little flower! It’s so pretty!”

Aiweila’s eyes lit up as she tugged on Luo Xiaosu’s sleeve and pointed.

“There’s even a little bee gathering honey! It’s all fluffy, so cute!”

As she spoke, she started to run over.

But when Luo Xiaosu heard the word “bee” and followed her pointing finger, her expression instantly turned serious.

That wasn’t an ordinary bee.

On the little yellow flower sat a bee the size of an adult’s thumb.

Its membranous wings shimmered like metal, and blue arcs of electricity crackled along the long stinger on its abdomen.

She quickly pulled Aiweila behind her, her tone extremely stern.

“Don’t go over there! That’s no ordinary bee—that’s a Lightning Bee!”

“Lightning Bee?”

Aiweila blinked, not realizing what a terrifying creature that was.

She tilted her head, looking past Luo Xiaosu, curiously examining the bee diligently gathering honey on the flower.

“Let’s go. We need to head back.”

Without further explanation, Luo Xiaosu kept her eyes fixed on the Lightning Bee, her body slightly angled as she slowly backed away.

One step, two steps.

Her shoes squelched in the mud. In the dead silence, the sound was especially jarring.

Aiweila obediently followed, her small hand gripping Luo Xiaosu’s clothes.

She seemed to realize the gravity of the situation, her head lowered as she tried not to attract the bee’s attention.

Just as they caught sight of the swamp’s edge—

“Buzz—”

A low droning sound came from behind them.

Luo Xiaosu’s spine stiffened instantly.

She didn’t dare turn around, so she just hurried her steps.

“Big sister, is it going to…”

“Don’t talk! Run!”

Before the words finished, a dense buzzing erupted behind them.

Luo Xiaosu whirled around, her pupils contracting sharply.

Above the yellow flower, there was no longer a single bee.

It was a whole swarm.

They clustered together, their stingers crackling with arcs of electricity, bearing down on them like a dark, menacing cloud.

“Run!”

Luo Xiaosu scooped up Aiweila around the waist, magic power surging at her feet as she dashed toward the forest.

‘Damn, why are there so many?’ she thought as she ran.

‘That bee was just gathering honey—how did it suddenly go into such a frenzy?’

Just as she stepped out of the swamp, the corner of her eye caught sight of an odd patch of grass.

The grass had been trampled down, leaving several messy footprints in the mud.

‘Someone’s here!’ A flash of insight hit Luo Xiaosu, and she instantly understood everything.

‘It’s those people following us!’

No wonder she had felt watched by several pairs of eyes before entering the swamp, making her skin crawl.

‘So it’s those guys hiding in the shadows—they disturbed the swarm to test us or find something.’

‘Bastards!’ Luo Xiaosu cursed inwardly, increasing her speed and leaving the swarm of Lightning Bees far behind.

Meanwhile, deep in the swamp.

“It looks like that’s the Lightning Bee hive.”

Huai Te and his men stared at the large, dome-shaped structure in the distance and couldn’t help swallowing.

“A hive this big… how many bees are in there?” one of the underlings said, gesturing at the hive’s size.

He took a few fearful steps back.

“Now that we’ve confirmed the hive’s location, we should head back quickly. The herb’s scent won’t last long. Once the swarm returns, we’re done for.”

Huai Te took a deep breath, forcing down his unease.

“A hive this big is impossible to miss. I really don’t know what the city lord was thinking, sending us to scout it.”

One team member complained to the person next to him.

Wait!

Huai Te suddenly spun around, staring at the massive hive.

“Damn it!”

He cursed, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

‘That old fox Di Leike never planned to let us go back alive. He sent us here just to test how dangerous this swamp is, so he could use it to get rid of the witch. We’re nothing but disposable pawns for him to scout the way.’

As Huai Te was thinking this, a piercing buzzing sound came from behind him.

He looked up and saw an even larger Lightning Bee hovering behind them, its compound eyes fixed on them with a deadly stare.

One team member’s legs gave out from fear, and his voice quivered.

“C-captain… what do we do now…”

“Run!”

Before he could finish, Huai Te roared and sprinted forward with all his might.

The other team members snapped out of it and scattered in all directions.

But it was already too late.

The Lightning Bee raised its abdomen, aimed its stinger at a team member running with his back to it, and struck.

The man didn’t even have time to scream before the massive electrical current sent his whole body convulsing, foam spilling from his mouth.

Then one, two.

Including Huai Te, every member of the scout squad was killed by the Lightning Bee, becoming its food.

The swamp fell back into dead silence.