The Mysterious Black Magician

The battle between the guardian bird and the scout bee had resumed immediately.

Presently, the scout bee's size grows bigger. And it was covered with glowing golden energy. It suddenly flew towards the guardian bird.

The flapping of its wings was much fiercer than before. And the speed it was showing was the evidence of it.

It darted left and right at a speed that was hard to follow. The guardian bird seemed to be confused as it stopped its movement the second the scout bee started its charge.

From the guardian bird's perspective, it seemed like he was fighting with multiple bees. Right, the golden bee suddenly multiplied its body.

Yman was wondering what happened to the guardian bird. But soon gawked after seeing the stunned bird.

Sistela on the other hand was still bugging him about the Heavenly Water, after all, it was their main goal for coming into this empire. Yet he remained on his feet. 

Although he wasn't moving, he secretly sent two Spider-model enhanced fire dolls to secure the Heavenly Water.

Yman continued watching the duel between his scout bee and the guardian bird. Presently, he saw the bird surrounded from both sides. But the guardian bird wasn't an easy opponent, it didn't back down.

It flapped its wings to create a stronger gust of wind. This kind of attack has a high probability that most of the golden bees would be sucked by it.

Seeing the incoming attack, most of the real bees flew and landed on the ceiling. And some stayed far so as not to become unlucky unintended victims. The battle between the golden bee and the guardian bird was not the kind of battle they could scoop with their strength.

They all were watching the battle while seemingly cheering for the scout bee. They flapped their wings in the noisy buzzing.

However, contrary to the guardian bird's expectation. The golden bees evaded the gust of wind in a hasty motion. It was very quick that in just a split second, they were already at a safe distance. No, some of the golden bees were hit by it. The guardian bird squinted its reddish eyes as it felt something was amiss.  Although he saw when some of the golden bees were hit by it, none of them were sucked by it.

Then again, the puzzlement felt by the guardian bird caused it to lag a little. With it as the reason, the golden bees were able to surround the guardian bird.

Yman who stayed on his feet was watching the fight with wide eyes. He noticed something from within the golden bee.

It was also the reason why he didn't want to interfere with their battle.

The guardian bird saw the golden bees fired sting at the same time.

Multiple stings were raining towards the guardian bird.

It tried to evade using its speed. It darted from left to right, evading in a hairsbreadth most of the sting.

Yman almost could not believe the things happening in front of him. The guardian bird was hit from its back.

<Why the guardian bird turned its back facing our bee? It seemed like he had no idea that our bee is behind it!>

Sistela suddenly commented.

Yman grinned. "It used the illusion spell,' Yman replied.

<Eh!>

He finally understood. The golden bee used the illusion magic that he planted in it. "The guardian bee must be seeing the illusion of the scout bee. It didn't notice it was under it. Probably, it was facing the illusion and did not notice the real one was behind," Yman explained, to which Sistela replied with a big <Ah! I see so that is what happened.>

<Go scout bee! You can do it!> she shouted a cheer but only her partner could hear it as they were currently in resonance. Whoever controls the body, controls the voice.

All of his scout fire dolls could use it to escape from unfavorable situations. Yman didn't know what was happening after he lost control of it. The realistic outcome would be, it would dissipate after the reserve mana was used up. Like a toy having its battery emptied. But the nearest example would be a bubble that disappeared after it popped.

To his surprise, the scout bee in front of him not only remained active, but it also engaged the guardian bird in a duel.

Yman didn't know whether to laugh or cry in this situation. However, it was a huge piece of information that might help him understand better about his skills.

He concluded that the scout bee gained an unexpected powerup after it was thrown into the Heavenly Water. Since it was rich in magical energy, the scout bee who probably drank it had gained a power boost.

After the guardian took a hit from behind, it spun around unstably, like a kite who lost its string, or an airplane who lost its control.

The sneaky effect of the sting immediately took effect after it pierced at the back of the guardian bird.

The scout bee didn't waste time and followed up with another attack.

Another sting pierced it. This time, it caused a burning effect.

Yman noticed the health point on its life bar continuously decreasing. And because of the paralyzing effect, the guardian bird had no way to retaliate. It became an easy target for the scout bird.

The decrease in the guardian bird's health points stopped at 5 percent.

Then it tried to swim to the Heavenly Water, but it bumped into something like a thread. The opening of the mug-like stone was covered by a spider web that was made of black solidified miasma. The cause of it was no other than the two spiders and that Yman sent.

The outcome of the fight wasn't the outcome that Yman expected initially. The guardian bird was defeated by his scout bee.

After it defeated the guardian bird, the ordinary bees hoarded around the golden scout bee once again.

Seeing the ordinary bees playfully flying around the golden scout bee while their wings buzzing everywhere, Yman believed that they were looking at the golden scout bee as their protector, or perhaps their king.

But the real reason that made Yman very curious about the weird scout bee was the weird fluctuations of magic energy inside it.

"It seemed like a drifting soul was sheltering inside it," he mumbled.

<Partner, could it be a wisp?> He suddenly heard Sistela's words.

"A wisp?"

<Yes, partner! A will-o-wisp! A giddy flame or an atmospheric ghost.>

"Do you mean….. it possessed the scout bee?"

<I don't know if it can possess, but seeing it sheltering inside our scout bee, it must be possessing it. And using it as its comfortable shell.>

Upon hearing Sistela's words, Yman didn't know what to believe. But, at the moment, it was the most realistic explanation they had about the current situation.

After killing the guardian bird, the bees landed on top of the mug-like stone. But it was covered by black threads.

The golden scout was about to attack, but Yman immediately interfered by trying to transmit into it.

Weirdly enough, he heard a shouting noise in his head after trying to transmit his consciousness into it.

"W-who are you?" Said the voice. This made Yman to be taken aback for a little.

It was unexpected to find out that the entity sheltering inside it was able to make a conversation with him.

<Partner, I think the wisp was asking us.> Said Sistela.

Looks like Sistela noticed his silence that's why she pointed it out.

"Yeah, could it be, a wisp is an entity similar to fairies or sprites?"

Yman asked her.

<Sorry partner, my data stored in me don't have much information about it. But perhaps they are relatively close to each other.> Sistela said sorry for being not helpful. 

'No, don't mind it. Even I have no idea about it. Although it isn't the first time I heard the name (Wisp), I don't have any idea about it, in the first place,' Yman said through thought communication.

Regardless, he needed to reply to the Wisp. He walked out from the big chunk of rock.

"My name is Crimson, the owner of that doll you are possessing," Yman replied to the Wisp.

Upon hearing his voice, the bees warily stared at him.

"Crimson? And the doll? Do you mean this mass of magical energy?"

The Wisp asked him while trying to struggle from his transmission.

<Mass of energy?> Sistela repeated.

'It meant the fire doll,' Yman replied to Sistela.

"Yes, that mass of magical energy was made by me. Will you tell me why you have chosen to possess it?" He asked.

"No, I didn't choose to possess it. On the contrary, it chose me to possess it," replied the Wisp.

The Wisp's reply further puzzled him. He wondered what the Wisp meant by it.

His scout bee was the one who chose the Wisp to possess it?

Unbelievable!

Yman frowned. "Can you tell me what you mean by your words that it chose you to possess it?"

Yman repeated the Wisp's words in a question.