Reincarnated To Evolve My Bee Empire - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: A cure or a false hope?
She didn’t mingle with her younger sisters, instead resting in her room after a long day of tests.

Forager Bee B20-20, the first bee who caught Paleness as an adult. I wanted to look at her, even if I wasn’t sure that I would find anything.

Unlike other sick bees, B20-20 was alarmed to see me.

“Father! What are you doing here? Won’t you get sick?”

I groaned.

“Oh no, not you too! Didn’t Researcher Bees tell you I’m visiting everybody today, B20-20?”

Her shoulders slumped.

“No. Should they have? I’m just a Forager Bee, and I can’t even forage. Although I swore I’m still strong enough!”

“Ah-ah-ah! Your younger sisters already learned better, B20-20, and I will teach you as well. But first—let me take a look at you.”

B20-20 didn’t look as exhausted and malnourished as other sick bees, but she was still pale and visibly weak. Her status reflected it.

〔Forager Bee〕 〔Ally〕 〔Progeny〕

〔Name〕: B20-20

〔Health〕: 8 / 11

〔Stamina〕: 9 / 10

〔Species〕: Common Honey Bee

〔Age〕: 108 d

〔Remaining lifespan〕: 53 d

〔Attributes〕

> Strength: 10

> Agility: 39

> Endurance: 10

> Defense: 10

> Intelligence: 100

> Perception: 43

〔Special abilities〕

Flight, Stinger, Wax Production

〔Genes〕

Enhanced Intelligence X, Technology: Primitive Containers, Enhanced Strength I, Increased Lifespan II, Fast Learner I

〔〕〔〕〔〕

Her health wasn’t as bad as that of younger sick bees, but… After a look at B20-20’s status, I could guess why she got sick.

She was old. Not as a decrepit grandma, but as someone from a younger generation who didn’t have my latest genes. Or even second-to-latest.

I’d have to spend half an hour digging through wax tablets to see what genes I had three months ago, when B20-20’s egg was put into a cell.

B20-20 bowed her head timidly under my staring.

“And… What do you see, Father? Do you think I will recover?”

I bit my lip.

“Let me think… Actually, first, tell me about how you got sick in the first place!”

“Oh, sure. I’ve told that to Researcher Bees already, but I can tell again, Father! One day, I woke up feeling not very good. But not so bad to not work, no. I went to work, and I got worse… My Foreman Bee told me to go to the hospital. She thought I caught a cold.”

I nodded, approving.

Despite their workaholic tendencies, Foremen Bee were strictly taught to not push any bees to overwork. Their job was to direct and protect, not to abuse their sisters. I was glad to hear they were doing it well, and even preventing some bees from being too workaholic for their own good.

“But then the Nurse Bees in the hospital told me I don’t look like I have a cold. They told me I look like I have… Paleness. And the Researcher Bees here told me the same.” B20-20 wrangled her arms. “Is this true, Father? Will I stay sick until I die?”

“No! Of course not!” I shook my head vigorously. “Now that I heard your story, let me try something out. Even if it won’t help, at least it won’t hurt! Uh… Do you have an empty jar?”

She did.

I picked a small knife I was carrying with me for this single purpose. No matter how many times I did it, I still cringed every time I had to cut myself.

It never stopped hurting! And after the last gene additions, cutting through my thick skin took longer and became only *more* painful.

But I poured half a health point worth of blood into the jar and gave it to B20-20 to drink.

The change in her was drastic and immediate. B20-20 stood straighter and looked at me with a new shine in her eyes.

〔Forager Bee〕 〔Ally〕 〔Progeny〕

〔Name〕: B20-20

〔Health〕: 20 / 22

〔Stamina〕: 20 / 21

Her health shot up, and even her cheeks grew slightly pinker. However, the general paleness of B20-20 remained.

“Thank you, Father! I feel amazing. I only wish you didn’t have to hurt yourself for us with this blood thing… So thank you again! It’s like I never got sick at all—I will show that you didn’t waste this blood on me and work really hard gathering food after this!”

“Wait-wait-wait, hold your horses!” I waved my hands at her. “What ‘work’? You are still sick, B20-20! You feel better now, but that’s just a rush of power from the gene transfer! No, you will stay here until Researcher Bees and *myself* can confirm you are 100% healthy.”

B20-20’s shoulders slumped.

“But, Father… What’s even a horse, anyway?”

“No butts! And no horses, forget horses. Instead of foraging, help your younger sisters make well wishes. They will explain it to you. And it will help me, the hive, and you *very much*, trust me.”

“Well wishes? Huh? Alright, Father, if you say so. I will make the best well wishes, whatever it is!” She pumped her fists in the air enthusiastically.

I smiled and patted B20-20 head.

“Yeah. And I wish I could stay here for longer, but I gotta go. Keep getting better, B20-20!”

I hoped she would. My blood could’ve given her enough endurance to fight off the Paleness, or it could’ve just given her a temporary boost. Time would tell.

On my way out, I instructed Researcher Bees to keep observing B20-20’s state and picked their written reports about her condition.

In them were written the same thing that B20-20 told me already, but in more detail.

I was waving goodbye to the guards at the entrance and about to fly to Hive Supremo, when a shout from inside the quarantine village made me pause.

A young, nameless bee was running down the hallway, panting and pushing through her diminishing stamina.

A Nurse Bee was running behind her, shouting, “Stop! Don’t run down the hallways! Stop running, you will get sicker!” only for the young bee to ignore all that.

“Father, wait!” she shouted. “You have to see this!”

‘What?! Did something bad happen with my little girls?!’