Reincarnated To Evolve My Bee Empire - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Losing hair over upgrades (potentially)
Sadly, they didn’t. Only the ‘Throwing Wrists’ had a follow up—’Throwing Elbows’.

It wasn’t even a competition… Throwing was just too OP, and Ambrosia agreed with me.

I took the wrists gene, and the leveling up continued.

Next, I put a point in defense—another low attribute. So far, the defense genes were the lamest, but this could just be a consequence of bad luck.

〔For improving defense, you have a choice of next genes: ‘Thick Skin I’, ‘Poisonous Flesh III’, and ‘Radiation Resistance I’.〕

〔Thick Skin I: reduces all physical damage taken by 10%.〕

〔Poisonous Flesh III: makes meat badly poisonous, even if the venom gland is disposed of.〕

〔Radiation Resistance I: increases tolerable radiation amount and decreases risks of radiation sickness by 20%.〕

The spread was better than I feared. ‘Thick Skin’ also led to ‘Protective Scales’ in the future. The second gene promised to reduce inevitable deaths of Forager Bees even more (those predators had to learn the *hard* way), and the third…

‘Wait, what is this doing here? *Radiation* resistance? Do… Do I have reasons to be afraid of radiation?..’

“Nectus? Don’t go too deep inside your own head—you told me yourself there are bad things living there.”

I blinked and saw Ambrosia leaning so close that our antennae touched.

“Ah! It’s nothing! So…”

I explained to her the genes available, then asked,

“Even with Foremen Bees working and fighting hard, there are still bees dying to wasps and those flying predators… And bees already have venom in them. Do you think that becoming more poisonous will discourage the predators?”

Ambrosia shook her head.

“Many hunters that eat other insects fear our venom already. Those who don’t will keep not respecting it.”

“Fair point. And the ‘Thick Skin’ will reduce the amount of wounds Craftsmen Bees get making all those stone tools!”

I picked the ‘Thick Skin I’ gene, and unlike most times, it had an immediate effect. For an instant, my body itched all over; but when I reached out to scratch myself, I felt my skin being noticeably tougher than before. Despite that, it was still smooth and soft.

Encouraged by this, I put another point into defense.

〔Venom Resistance I->II: reduces damage from venoms and poisons by 20% (adds to the previous tier).〕

〔Thick Skin I->II: reduces all physical damage taken by 10% (adds to the previous tier).〕

〔Chitin Carapace II: grows a carapace that improves base defense by 20%, but reduces base agility by 10%.〕

Again, besides the Thick Skin, nothing had follow-ups. And since the carapace was still a terrible trade off, I and Ambrosia immediately agreed on ‘Thick Skin II’.

It toughened my skin even more. I pinched it for an experiment, and it barely hurt!

“I wonder how far this ability goes. Surely it won’t add 10% until I hit 100% damage reduction… 20% damage reduction is as good as 20% health increase! No… It’s even better!”

1/0,8 was 1,25 and not 1,2. As for non-physical damage—it was too rare to bother with.

“If you keep spending your attribute points responsibility, there’s a chance that you will find out,” Ambrosia said.

At some point, she moved to sit right next to me. Now she leaned on my shoulder and looked with an intense expression in her eyes.

But I was too focused on my status panel to think what this look might mean.

〔Drone Bee〕

〔Name〕: Nectus Stingprince

〔Active title〕: Grand Strategist

〔Health〕: 36 / 36

〔Stamina〕: 32 / 32

〔Attribute points〕: 0

〔Species〕: Common Honey Bee

〔Age〕: 156 d

〔Remaining lifespan〕: 155 d

〔Attributes〕

> Strength: 24

> Agility: 41

> Endurance: 30

> Defense: 24

> Intelligence: 121

> Perception: 43

〔Special abilities〕

Flight, Horizontal Gene Transfer, Vertical Gene Transfer, Genetic Tree Prediction

〔Titles〕

Drone-Consort, Homeland Protector, Grand Strategist

〔Genes〕

Enhanced Intelligence X, Technology: Primitive Containers, Fast Learner I, Enhanced Endurance II, Danger-Averse Reflexes, Venom Resistance I, Heat Resistance I, Enhanced Strength II, Enhanced Defense II, Meat Digestion, Increased Fertility II, Faster Regeneration II, Faster Youth Development I, Increased Lifespan III, Flying Carriers, Throwing Wrists, Thick Skin II

〔〕〔〕〔〕

‘So, with 36 health points and regeneration of about 0,75 points per day… It will take me 76 days to give my blood to all the Research Bees and recover. I wonder if giving them my hair will work, too. Hair has my DNA, and losing some won’t give me anemia. Although if the mass of the DNA material is important…’

My imagination easily drew me the picture of my shining bald head.

I felt Ambrosia pressing herself even closer to my side.

“And now that you’ve improved your seed again, Nectus,” she said into my ear, sending shivers down my spine, “give it to me, so I can create a new brood of strong and smart daughters…”

Oh, right.

I was so deep in smart thoughts, I forgot even the horny ones!

High intelligence was a scary thing.

I quickly switched the title back to the one for having sex and turned to my beautiful and sexy wife with a kiss.

The rest was history.

***

After my Advisers, Pollenia was the fifth person I gave more of my blood to.

Although only a day has passed since I put her in charge of the former hornets’ nest, now she walked around like she always owned the place. Pollenia even got her own Attendants.

“I’m so glad you are settling well here, Polly!” I gave her an enthusiastic head-rub.

“Of course you are, Father.” Pollenia raised her nose high. “You will be even prouder after I find myself a Drone Bee today!”

I winced a bit.

All I knew about the entire process was that Drone Bees gathered in special drone congregation places here and there, and waited for some Queen Bees to appear. This was true both in my world and in this world.

However, I had no idea where exactly these places were, or what happened there in this world.

‘My innocent little girl already wants to be a mother… They grow up too fast, *way* too fast… But I’m too smart now to play an overprotective father! Except, maybe, just a little bit.’

So aloud, I asked,

“Where? Is this far? It won’t be dangerous, right?”