Beast Tamer: After My Pet Space Mutated, I Became OP

Chapter 082: Raiding the Hive and Fleeing for Life

The first to emerge was a mid-level manager from Changheng Group, looking completely unscathed without even a single hair out of place. Spotting Fu Ting and Fu Shenhe waiting ahead, he momentarily froze before hurriedly offering respectful greetings: "Chairman, Vice President."

Though outwardly composed, his mind was already racing with questions. "What's going on? Why are the chairman and vice president here?" His thoughts immediately jumped to the chairman's two grandsons who had entered the Secret Land - could something have happened to them? Or perhaps the vice president's son?

Fu Shenhe, unaware of his employee's internal monologue, simply waved dismissively without comment.

Next came Hua Lu, Li Fugui, Sheng Shiyan... emerging one after another like dumplings dropping from the channel, their appearances markedly more disheveled with several visibly injured. Support staff standing by immediately rushed forward to assist.

"Grandfather."

"Father (Second Uncle)."

Before long, Fu Susu and Fu Yifan also stepped out in quick succession. Seeing their grandfather and father (uncle), the brothers showed clear surprise. Fu Yifan approached his father directly. "Dad, why are you and grandfather here? Were you worried about me and Susu?"

Something felt off to him. Knowing his grandfather and father's personalities, they wouldn't abandon work just to come here unless he or his cousin had died in the Secret Land. As his grandfather often said: "It's just a 3-star danger level Secret Land - did you expect a honor guard?"

No honor guard, and certainly not these two high-ranking figures personally waiting outside.

Fu Shenhe studied his son's confused expression, then glanced at the gradually closing Secret Land portal. With a sigh, he said: "Your junior schoolmate might be in trouble."

Due to Fu Ting and Fu Shenhe's presence, the group emerging from the Secret Land instinctively kept their voices low, creating an unusually quiet atmosphere. As beastmasters all possessed sharp senses, Fu Shenhe's words reached everyone's ears.

The Fu family members present mostly remained calm, with only a few who'd followed the internal selection tournament recognizing Ming Xi's name. But the young participants who'd earned their Secret Land tokens through that very tournament collectively froze, exchanging bewildered glances.

Ming Xi was in trouble? That little monster who'd made all these self-proclaimed geniuses feel inadequate?

Fu Yifan's expression turned utterly baffled. His brow furrowed deeply as he scanned the crowd, confirming Ming Xi's absence - everyone else from the Secret Land expedition was present except her, just as the portal completely vanished.

"...Dad, what exactly happened?"

Fu Shenhe knew his son, usually carefree, was deeply sentimental at heart. Recognizing his current distress, he patted his shoulder helplessly: "Ming Xi's name never appeared on the Inscription Spirit Stele from the beginning. There must have been an accident during entry. Your grandfather had people check her home and school - she never returned."

As a Fu family member, Fu Yifan understood the stele's function and the implications of a missing name. His face darkened further.

After a long pause, he declared: "Grandfather, Dad, I'm staying in Yonghe Town for a few more days." He intended to wait for his junior's return, refusing to believe Ming Xi could have died so quietly. Perhaps she'd entered another Secret Realm that hadn't closed yet.

After exchanging glances, Fu Ting and Fu Shenhe nodded their consent.

Meanwhile, what was Ming Xi actually doing?

Running for her life again.

After collecting enough Melt Coagulation Tree sap, Ming Xi had set out with Golden Ingot and Silver Flower to continue exploring the Secret Realm. Leaving the small valley, they followed a mountain stream northeast until reaching an endless flower field.

Countless unknown blossoms bloomed extravagantly while enormous bees and butterflies - each larger than Ming Xi's head and clearly supernatural creatures - flitted between them. Not daring to immediately use her beast identification device (which risked drawing unwanted attention), Ming Xi hesitated until Silver Flower pointed excitedly at a bee, indicating she wanted honey.

Believing newborns deserved proper nutrition and knowing supernatural bee honey benefited both beasts and humans, the trio conspired to follow a particularly dim-witted bee back to its hive for a strategic raid.

The tracking went smoothly, and their hive-raiding plan initially proceeded without major hiccups: Golden Ingot would start an upwind fire to distract most bees, creating an opportunity to steal the hive while they fought the flames. With the Time Realm's storage capacity (capable of theoretically storing skyscrapers, though Ming Xi mentally noted this was hyperbole), a simple beehive posed no challenge.

The trouble began when the entire hive - roughly the size of a small villa - vanished into storage. Since the Time Realm only stored inanimate objects besides contracted beasts, all resident bees were suddenly left homeless, including an exceptionally plump and ugly queen bee.

"HONEY!" The queen's shrill scream immediately alerted the firefighting drones, who abandoned their efforts upon realizing their home had been stolen. Enraged beyond reason, they bared their fangs and charged, stinger-first.

Thus began Ming Xi's latest desperate flight.

These superbees, apparently hopped up on several tons of gunpowder, pursued with world-ending fury. Riding Golden Ingot while Silver Flower contentedly munched honeycomb in her arms, Ming Xi grew increasingly exasperated by their relentless pursuit - even more persistent than the Flareweb Monarch had been, granting no respite across hundreds of miles.

Their frantic escape only ended when forced into a bizarre narrow canyon with strange rock formations. The moment they crossed into the ravine, the entire bee swarm chasing them with 'death-or-castration' intensity simultaneously screeched to a halt.