Reincarnated To Evolve My Bee Empire - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Too late
〔Bee Empire〕

〔Wellness〕: 62 %

〔Population〕: 73 thousand

〔Territory〕: 5086,8 sq. kilometers

〔Settlement count〕: 3

〔Development level〕: 4

〔Development points〕: 135 / 1000

〔Species〕: Common Honey Bee

〔Attributes〕

> Workpower: 839

> Military: 158

> Brainpower: 281

> Logistics: 70

> Resilience: 173

〔Resources〕:

> Food: 2446 units

> Building materials: 99 units

> Crafting materials: 52 units

〔Colony Council〕

〔Military Adviser〕: increases total military by 10%. (Bloodhero)

〔Science Adviser〕: adds 10% of total workpower to brainpower. (Researchina)

〔Industry Adviser〕: increases total workpower by 10%. (Things-Things)

〔Economics Adviser〕: adds 10% of total workpower to military. (Workharder)

〔Culture Adviser〕: increases all total attributes and wellness by 3%. (Ambrosia)

〔Technologies〕

Dance Communication, Hive Building, Food Preservation, Forager Posts, Rank-Based Hierarchy, Border Patrols, Candles, Primitive Spiked Armor, Primitive Medicine, Work Camps, Literacy, Scientific Method, Basic Hygiene, Technology of Stone Age

〔〕〔〕〔〕

The first of my daughter Queens has successfully assassinated their targets and overtook their hive. From now on, they would integrate them fully and spread the Bee Empire technologies within the new hives.

My empire’s population grew. Its stats increased, and I got 50 development points in one fell swoop.

I’d be ecstatic in any other circumstances—my plan was working perfectly! I was going to reach development level 5 within days. Maybe even hours! *Really* speedrun that shit!

There was only one traitorous number…

Why did my wellness drop to 62%?

How *badly* were the other hives doing?!

I went to investigate immediately, by calling my Military Adviser to the Council Chamber.

“Bloodhero, report to me as soon as any messengers from the outer hives come here. Get it?”

“Yes, Father! Actually, one has returned just now. She says that Queen Rulia has reached her target. I’m sure others will be there soon, too.”

I nodded and looked at the map on the wall. Rulia’s target was the closest to Hive Supremo.

Considering the delay in flight, and lack of any precise timekeeping… A more detailed report had to appear soon.

It did, brought by a Commando Bee called Stabtabby.

“Queen Rulia killed the old Queen. My squad was let in, although other bees were suspicious of us. Queen Rulia also wrote a message for you, Father.” Commando Bee passed me a wax tablet.

I took it and quickly read the message written in blocky letters.

[father place is good and there no danger. but me mis porige father. plese send porige. and meat on stiks.]

To top it off, Rulia drew a very crude frowning head with long hair next to a smiley head with short hair. Both were signed: ‘Rulia’ and ‘Father’.

My lower lip shook. My eyes stung.

‘Oh my god… THIS LITTLE MANIPULATOR IS TOO ADORABLE!!’

My little girl drew a picture of herself with her dad! This was the first picture of me drawn by my dearest girls!

Even if she drew it to shamelessly ask for material support. Absolutely unnecessary in this case—her hive had food already. Meat especially was almost a luxury, being rarer. And she wasn’t away from the hive for long enough to miss either, anyway.

I was going to frame this tablet and keep it forever! Invent epoxy and dip it in, so archaeologists could find this wax tablet perfectly preserved even ten thousand years later!

“Uh, Father?” Bloodhero asked. “Are you wounded?”

I sniffed and wiped my tears with a palm.

“No… I’m just happy… Ahem. Since we have access to Rulia’s new hive, arrange the support squad as planned. And add to it someone who can cook and a jug of meat.”

Rulia didn’t have to manipulate me—I would’ve sent her what she asked, anyway. It’s not like she asked for the latest pro-edition of an expensive smartphone.

The ‘support squad’ included some Warriors to protect the Queen—just in case—a Teacher Bee to keep educating the Queen, and several bees of various professions to gradually implement the Empire’s technologies in the new hive.

I spent another minute just adoring my daughter’s drawing. I was going to show it to Ambrosia later…

But for now, I couldn’t forget *the problem*. I turned to Stabtabby.

“When you were at the other hive, have you seen anything weird? Perhaps… sick bees? A lot of sick bees?”

Stabtabby slowly nodded.

“Sick? Maybe. They looked weak. I thought they were just *inferior*. With worse parents.”

Of course. By my estimate, even the oldest of my daughters must’ve been born after this entire hive carried my genes. I knew that from looks alone, genetically enhanced bees looked more or less like ordinary ones.

Healthier, perhaps. A *bit* more buff. But that was it.

Stabtabby and her sisters didn’t have a frame of reference, though.

“Describe them in more detail, Stabtabby. How did they look like? Were there a lot of them?”

“A lot?… Yes. Most of them. Didn’t count—too many. They looked… Thin. Sluggish.”

At this moment, I knew—whatever this mysterious illness was, at least one nearby hive was affected by it.

And likely all the other nearby ones!

After all… I rubbed my chin. Those 121 intelligence were working on overdrive right now.

‘The sickness is most likely carried between hives by the Drones! Hive Supremo could’ve been infected by that one stray who tried to make moves on Amby. Or by bees from the Hive Hornet’s Nest.’

If so, then the illness has been slowly spreading within the Bee Empire for almost a month by now.

‘But so far, the only ones visibly sick from it in Hive Supremo were pupae and newly emerging bees. Why are there no sick adults or larvae in the Bee Empire, while other hives have sick adults? This all doesn’t add up.’

Either way, one thing was clear.

Rulia’s hive was already added to the empire. Abandoning it now would only kill it, since its old Queen was dead.

But the others…

“Bloodhero, send your fastest messengers after my little princesses! They have to be called back. If it’s not too late—”

<Congratulations! You’ve successfully conquered another settlement.>

“Shit. Well, maybe it’s not too late, at least for—”

<Congratulations! You’ve successfully conquered another settlement.>

“At least for—”

<Congratulations! You’ve—>

“Can I fucking finish this *ONE* sentence, system?!”

Silence.

I realized that Bloodhero and Stabtabby were staring at me like I should’ve been wearing a straitjacket.

“Ahem. Ignore this.”

I turned to look at the map.

On second thought, it was foolish to think I had any time at all—by now, even the farthest target hives were being overtaken.

“Forget the messengers, Bloodhero… call the full Council. We must talk about quarantine measures.”

What were my empire’s stats looking like now?