I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

Jiang Bao's expression turned serious: "The stingers of those little things are sharper than mithril arrowheads."

I usually make sure everything is fully prepared before I go honey gathering.

As he spoke, he pulled out several sets of dusty, coarse cloth protective suits: "These can block them for a while, but it's best not to let them surround you. They're afraid of smoke and fire, so you should prepare more yourselves."

The dwarf had many years of experience in the field, and the three of them should heed his advice.

After leaving the tavern, the three went to the general store to buy some "insurance": several packs of fire glue and kerosene.

Leah picked out three extra specially made "rockets," with arrowheads wrapped in oil-soaked hemp fibers.

Only after ensuring the operation was foolproof did the three of them set off towards their destination.

On the way to the Deadwood Forest, Ezio explained, "This forest also has another name: 'Ghost Mist Forest'."

It was originally a vibrant jungle.

Long ago, an unknown dimension's dungeon opened up deep within the Loran Forest, and some dungeon monsters escaped, affecting this area...

Sometimes a ghostly fog rises, it's really eerie. We need to hurry, lest something unforeseen happens.

Ezio, who has many friends, tells everyone the secrets he collected from the bard.

I don't know if he was genuinely afraid of danger or just wanted to hurry up and keep his appointment with the elf.

"That's outrageous?" Xia Lin raised an eyebrow. "A dungeon can have such a big impact?"

Woody on his shoulder explained, "It's possible that the magic concentration is different in the two planes."

The weakest mushroom monster in another dimension might become the most troublesome monster here.

"Really?" Even Ezio and Leah were surprised, clearly doubting Woody's exaggerated "mushroom theory."

Xia Lin's heart skipped a beat. He had eaten plenty of these kinds of things before. If he really encountered such a mushroom monster, wouldn't he die a terrible death?

But since he was just trying to make ends meet, it's understandable.

Strictly speaking, I was at most an accomplice; Jasmine was the mastermind, wasn't she?

I wonder if the laws governing mushrooms are humane enough, and if there's a provision for "mitigated offenders" so that the Mushroom King can treat him leniently...

The Deadwood Forest is adjacent to the Loran Forest. The trees are sparse and twisted, with gray and white branches, as if they have lost all vitality.

The air was dry, carrying dust and a faint, sweet rusty smell.

Following the general directions given by Jiang Bao, they found a beehive nested among the trees on a hillside.

The nest was quite large, and its surface was covered with a layer of waxy substance that subtly flowed and shimmered.

Some bees, about the size of a thumb and with metallic black and silver stripes on their bodies, were busy going in and out, their wingbeats making a deep and powerful sound.

It looks like a creature that's not to be trifled with.

"Let's make a plan," Leah said in a low voice, her elven ranger's eyesight allowing her to see more details.

"Ezio, you'd better hurry up and make a big commotion over there to distract the main force of the Hive."

Xia Lin and I took the opportunity to get closer and used hot glue and kerosene to treat the area around the nest and any remaining bee swarms.

Once you've succeeded, send a signal, then shake off your pursuers and return to rendezvous.

Xia Lin agreed.

Ezio: "Why me? The dwarves said it hurts a lot to get stung by them, and a halfling's life matters too!"

The elf gave a very good reason: "You are small and agile, so they won't easily catch you in the dense forest."

Helpless, Ezio darted away like a squirrel, and soon after, the sounds of stones being thrown and shouts could be heard in the distance.

"Come and chase me, hehehe~"

The hive had never seen such an arrogant halfling before, and it immediately erupted in chaos. A huge cloud of silver and black bees roared and rushed toward the direction of the commotion, and Ezio took off running.

"Now!" Lia and Xia Lin put on their protective suits, feeling clumsy but also much safer.

Just in case, Xia Lin also wrapped important parts with adhesive to prevent accidental injury while on duty.

Xia Lin poured kerosene on the area below the nest and on the surrounding tree trunks, while Lia smashed a piece of flaming glue in the center of the kerosene stain.

"boom!"

Flames rose and thick smoke billowed.

The mithril bees that remained behind became even more agitated by the firelight. The swarm attempted to attack, but were blocked by the thick cloth and masks. Occasionally, a stinger would pierce the cloth, causing a sharp sting, but it could not cause serious injury.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Lia carefully used a long pole to poke a piece of wax comb filled with honey from the bottom of the beehive, which fell right into Xia Lin's earthenware jar.

The thick, liquid-like silvery-white honey slowly flowed into the jar, emitting an extremely rich, sweet aroma.

Xia Lin couldn't resist rubbing his finger along the rim of the jar and putting it in his mouth.

An indescribable sweetness exploded on the taste buds, yet left a strange, icy aftertaste deep in the throat, washing away the cloying sweetness.

Xia Lin squinted comfortably, almost intoxicated.

"Is it sweet?" Leah asked curiously, having already taken off her stuffy mask, her pointed ears twitching slightly.

"Want to try some?" Xia Lin subconsciously stretched out her fingers, which were still slightly covered in honey.

A faint blush rose to the elf's cheeks at a visible speed, but after a moment's hesitation, she leaned forward slightly, stuck out her small tongue, and quickly licked Xia Lin's fingertip.

A soft, moist sensation swept by.

"!" Leah recoiled as if electrocuted, her face turning even redder, but her eyes lit up. "...It's so sweet."

Woody, the foodie, stood anxiously to the side, saying, "It's my turn! It's my turn!"

Xia Lin retracted her fingers.

"Hey! You two! Can't we go back and chat some more?" Ezio's panting voice came as he ran out of the woods, with the faint buzzing of a swarm of silver-black bees behind him.

Clearly, the three underestimated Ezio's level of hatred.

"Run! We can't shake off the pursuers!"

The three grabbed their belongings and ran frantically.

The forest, thanks to the help of the bees, finally escaped the swarm.

They slowed down, preparing to cross a dense thicket of dead trees back to the main road.

Ezio shuddered with fear: "You have no idea how dangerous it was. The bee sting was only 0.001 centimeters away from me, but thinking of the beautiful lady tonight, as a gentleman, I certainly couldn't break my promise..."

The once-desolate forest suddenly became lifeless and desolate.

A layer of mist had appeared in the woods at some unknown time.

They could only vaguely see the shadows of the surrounding trees.

Woody: "Watch out! I sense something behind the fog."

Just then, something unexpected happened!

Several seemingly dead trees with cracked bark by the roadside suddenly came back to life!

The rough bark cracked open, revealing the decaying body beneath, and several withered branches with sharp, spear-like tips suddenly stabbed towards Ezio, who was at the front!

"Watch out!" Xia Lin reacted quickly, stepping forward and swinging his longsword.

"Crack!" Several withered branches snapped in response, splashing out dark green sap.

[Serial Number: 010-Withered Branch Monster]

Appearance: A withered, yellow thorn, knee-high, covered with hard thorns.

Ecology: Lacking intelligence, passively triggered, often ambushing in coordination with creatures such as the Dry Needle Monster and the Dry Vine Monster.

Danger level: Low threat when used alone, but extremely dangerous when in a group or mixed with a herd of animals.

Habitat: Corrupted Forest, Cursed Land, Ruins.

Annotation: "Keep your distance and clear out the smaller enemies first. Most casualties stem from ignoring the 'spiky balls' at your feet."