〔Increased Lifespan IV: +240 days to lifespan.〕
As soon as I heard the rest of the message, I pulled on my hair and groaned.
"Why? Why can't I just get a breather? This is bullshit, this is absolute bullshit!"
I got 8 more months. An incredible amount—more than the entire time I've spent in this world!
But now I had to jump THREE development levels to get the next upgrade!
'At least, the way those upgrades progress, it should give me… A couple years, perhaps?'
I also had to know what my doom was this time. I looked at my empire's status…
〔Population〕: 721 thousand
〔Territory〕: 48042 sq. kilometers
〔Settlement count〕: 22
〔Development level〕: 5
〔Development points〕: 3 / 1500
〔Species〕: Common Honey Bee
> Building materials: 321 units
> Crafting materials: 40 units
〔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)
Dance Communication, Hive Building, Food Preservation, Forager Posts, Rank-Based Hierarchy, Border Patrols, Candles, Primitive Spiked Armor, Work Camps, Literacy, Scientific Method, Basic Hygiene, Technology of Stone Age, Archives, Medicinal Plants, Feudal Government, Dedicated Medicine, Job Orientation
'Phew! Only 1500 points! Compared to the last jump in points, I will reach the next development level in no time!'
Cheered up by this information, I immediately gathered the Empire Council.
"Girls, I have great news for you. We ain't going to die just yet!"
"Of course we aren't. Not on my watch!" Workharder shouted. "Wait, Father, we *were* about to die?"
"Like everybody. I faster than all of you—"
"You are talking about your genes. Does this mean our empire has reached the next development level?" Ambrosia asked.
"You caught on. Yeah!"
She smiled—broadly and warmly. For a moment, I was stunned by the force of her beauty… Ambrosia was always beautiful, but that smile made me truly speechless. If I was a poet, I'd write a poem about it, and still be at a loss for words!
"This is great, Nectus! So did you gather the Council to do the 'vertical gene transfer' with them, or because you wanted our help in choosing genes?"
"Choosing genes?" Researchina looked at me with new interest. "*Choosing* them? I thought… Anyway, Father, you really want our opinion on this?"
"Yes. You all have been *indispensable* in ruling the Empire. Without you, it'd never go as far as it did! You might not have my education, but you have enough life experience by now that your opinion should count!"
"It's a great honor!" Bloodhero exclaimed. "I'm only good at following orders and fighting, but I will share what I know, Father!"
"How does this work anyway, Father? You didn't tell us much," Researchina said.
"I will explain everything, girls. But first—I want to invite the sixth member of this Council. And also notify her about it."
"Me? In the Empire Council?" Tabletina stared at me in shock. "I don't even have a thousand subordinates, Father. How can I be an Adviser?"
"Subordinates will happen in the future. But after everything that happened, I feel like I really need for a dedicated… let's say… Health Adviser!"
"Health Adviser," Researchina repeated. "So Tabletina will monitor the health of the Empire? Yes, we sure need this after the Paleness."
"But I already do that…" Tabletina muttered. "Can I just train more subordinates? We've been doing experiments to see if cooking certain plants in certain ways can increase their medical effectiveness, but almost all Material Foragers are already taken by Craftsmen Bees."
"Well, we *need* materials! What are we going to make you new knives and writing sticks and candles from?" Things-Things protested. "You have piles of plants already, don't you? Why don't you use *those*?"
"They are not the plants I was talking about. And speaking of—Father, some of them are not used in time and begin to rot. Should we just throw them out? Is there a way to… preserve them? Cook them, like meat and honey, so they'd keep for longer?"
I walked up to Tabletina, put hands on her shoulders, and grinned fatherly.
"Tabletina. My dear. And all *those* questions just show why you need to become a Health Adviser!"
Tabletina looked at me with a slight pout.
"Father, why do you look so smug?" She huffed and stepped away from me. "Alright, I understand. Being an Adviser will give me the resources I need to improve our medicine. Can I get more trainees now?"
I immediately peeked at what was Tabletina's bonus. She increased wellness by 0,05% of brainpower…
'Good! She's definitely a vivisectionist. But for the good guys! I mean, mostly good girls.'
"I will put it into job orientation quotas, Tabletina," Ambrosia said. "Will 1000 Physicians and 2000 Material Foragers suffice for you?"
"And 2000 Nurse Bees."
Ambrosia raised her brows.
"What for? We don't have this many sick bees in need of nursing."
I smiled and waved my hand. Tabletina was already getting a hang of her new role!
"Let her, Ambrosia. We don't have them *now*, but our population will only grow. However, with these many people, you *must* build hospitals in every hive, Tabletina. At least small ones!"
"Great. Now, girls, I bet there's a lot more to discuss today. But let's do that later—we should pick my new genes first!"
I quickly explained to all who didn't know how it worked.
Now we just have to choose where to spend my first attribute point!