Chapter 4: Breaking the Cocoon

Chapter 4: Breaking the Cocoon

At first glance, this reagent seemed to be used to induce biological mutations.

"What is a mutation?"

In simple terms, it's a change in biological traits.

And it has to be on a genetic level, inheritable traits.

Some mutations are beneficial for organisms, which is called evolution, but the probability is very low.

Most mutations are likely meaningless or even harmful, and sudden death is not impossible.

Hua Mi had a daring idea.

This mutation inducer could be used.

Of course, not for himself; he wasn't that reckless.

With so many bees around, weren't they readily available test subjects?

Bees are small, and each one probably needs only a small dose of the reagent. Half a bottle of mutation inducer would definitely be enough for a short period of time.

As a beekeeper, the temptation to breed superior new bee species was strong for him.

Moreover, this was the magical world, where everything was possible.

Don't just stick to the old ways and be afraid to try something new; that would be a waste of this opportunity.

"Let's test it on some worker bees first."

The worker bees made up the majority of the hive, over 99%, and they weren't very valuable. He wouldn't mind losing a few dozen or even a hundred of them.

Hua Mi selected 50 healthy worker bees and left the rest to continue foraging.

He picked up the bottle of mutation inducer and removed the cork with a pop. He smelled it and found that it had no special scent, just like plain water.

"I hope it hasn't expired."

Hua Mi poured some onto a wooden board and watched as 50 bees gathered around to sip it.

The reagent was quickly absorbed, and after about 5 minutes, Hua Mi could clearly sense that these 50 bees were exhibiting varying degrees of abnormality. It seemed like a wild power was building up inside them, ready to burst forth.

In the past, Hua Mi Town had been a haven for beekeeping, but the current environment no longer offered any advantages, and his reputation had suffered. The era of Hua Mi Town had passed, there was no denying it.

However, that didn't mean that the new era had to be ushered in by industrialized bee enterprises.

Hua Mi finished his instant noodles, poured a cup of honey water, and couldn't wait to step into the flower field and cross over to the other world.

It was still dark in that parallel world.

The backyard was filled with Moon Dream Flowers, giving off a silver glow, like crescent moons. Silver specks of light rose from the flower field and disappeared into the air several meters above.

A huge "moon" hung in the night sky, emitting a pure, radiant light, at least ten times the size of Earth's moon.

It contrasted beautifully with the flower field, a breathtaking sight.

"This is true natural beauty..."

Hua Mi gazed at the moon with a dreamy look in his eyes. This kind of beauty could keep him watching all day.

The moon gradually descended, while the other side of the sky turned pale, and the sun soon rose. The sun here was similar to Earth's, with a comfortable temperature and brightness.

The diligent little bees began to emerge from the hives and swarmed toward the flower field.

The familiar buzzing comforted him. An experienced beekeeper could gauge the strength of a colony just by listening to their sounds.

Hua Mi's bees seemed stronger today. After a quick inspection, he sensed that their vitality had improved overall, likely due to the environment and the high-quality nectar they had sampled.

What concerned him the most, though, were the 50 cocooned worker bees.

As the day brightened, they began to break free from their cocoons. However, only 34 of them attempted to break free, while the remaining 16 remained still, already lifeless.

"The mortality rate is quite high."

Of the 34 surviving worker bees, half of them lost their vitality during the cocoon-breaking process. They couldn't crawl out and ended up suffocating.

Hua Mi thought there should be at least one beneficial mutation. Even gacha games had a guaranteed drop rate.

He wasn't exactly upset about the loss of these 50 worker bees; they were a manageable loss for a bee colony. It was just a bit disappointing.

It seemed that even in the magical world, breeding new bee species wasn't as simple as he had imagined.

Just then, one of the worker bees that had just emerged from its cocoon caught his attention.