Fifteen seconds!
Under normal circumstances, it might have been only a few breaths, but at the center of a sea of insects, completely submerged beneath thousands upon thousands of frenzied bees, every second felt as long as a century.
Surrounded by endless swarms, Luo Fan struggled to move through utter darkness and incessant noise, trying to break through the suffocating encirclement.
He could feel countless sharp mouthparts and stingers attacking his body in vain. The densely packed sensations sent waves of prickling discomfort across his scalp.
Rule-based "invincibility" could negate damage, but it could not block his instinctive, extreme discomfort at being surrounded by so many insects.
Lin Zhanyue's team in the distance also witnessed the horrifying sight.
In the western flower fields, the bees were no longer paying any attention to the enormous cross. Deep in the flowers, an even larger, twisting, writhing "humanoid" ball composed entirely of bees stood out, its buzzing deafening.
"That guy... actually charged in to steal honey?" One team member clicked his tongue, his hands slowing for a moment.
"Lunatic!" another muttered, though he could not keep the shock out of his eyes.
Anyone who dared do that was either insane or genuinely had something to rely on.
Lin Zhanyue watched the terrifying mass of bees with a grave expression, swinging her long blade to cut down several that tried to approach.
She was equally astonished by Luo Fan's audacity, and she now understood more clearly that this unfamiliar pair was far from ordinary.
Completely engulfed by that many bees, even she could imagine no outcome other than being stung full of holes in an instant.
"Stay focused!" she barked. "While they're drawing the swarm away, pick up the pace! Gather a few more flowers!"
Rescue Luo Fan? They had neither the ability nor