NOVEL NEXT Chapter 173
Chapter 173: Fabre in the Four Heavenly Houses
Section 3
Parthenogenesis, also known as asexual reproduction or unitary reproduction, refers to the process where an embryo develops from an unfertilized ovum, meaning it can grow without the involvement of sperm.
This implies that the female’s genes undergo division on their own to form a zygote, which means the queen bee of the Golden Hair Bee King, along with the worker bees and the new queen bee, all possess the same genetic makeup.
In other words, the society of the Golden Hair Bee Kings consists of numerous identical twins produced through cloning, indicating that their relationships are those of daughters and sisters while simultaneously being themselves.
It feels like there are hundreds of identical females, as both the queen bees and the worker bees are female.
I was momentarily taken aback by the appearance of the identical queen bees, but I quickly composed myself and asked the queen bees of the Golden Hair Bee King.
“So you can reproduce without any males?”
– Bzzz.
– Bzzz.
As if synchronized, the two bees nodded their heads at the same time in midair.
I hadn’t realized it until now, but upon further inspection, even the worker bees inside the hive were merely smaller versions of the queen bees, unable to lay eggs.
‘But how intriguing is a society of females without any drones.’
Although it was a somewhat unusual form, parthenogenesis itself isn’t too special.
There are surprisingly many organisms in nature that engage in such reproduction.
The white ants I had caught are a prime example of a species known for parthenogenesis, and it’s commonly found in animals like goldfish, certain lizards, scorpions, and even among various species of ants.
However, a unique form like this, completely devoid of drones, was a first for me.
That’s because a society with a single gene pool is bound to be susceptible to specific diseases or genetic disorders. Thus, the organisms I mentioned usually only resort to parthenogenesis in times of urgency and typically reproduce through standard means.
From an evolutionary perspective, it’s essential to pass on a variety of genes to increase the chances of differentiation into diverse species in future generations.
‘Why reproduce through parthenogenesis?’
While I have no clue why the Golden Hair Bee King chooses to continue breeding through the vulnerable traits of parthenogenesis, it’s evident that despite being a lower form of life, the Golden Hair Bee Kings possess a level of intelligence capable of understanding human speech, making them not fit into the typical category of organisms.
Whenever I encounter phenomena in this world that I can’t comprehend biologically or genetically, I found that applying the term “spirit” tends to clarify my confusion.
‘So it’s probably fine because they’re “spirits.”’
If something doesn’t make sense, I can just slap on the word spirit to make sense of it somehow.
Having concluded my thoughts, I casually turned back to the queen bees of the Golden Hair Bee Kings.
“Well then, since I’m meeting the new queen, I’ll help you find a new home. You’re not heading somewhere else, right? But which one is the former queen?”
At my question, they shook a bit, as if laughing, then began darting around in the air like a shell game.
After a moment of frantic crossing, the two queens stopped and looked at me.
As if daring me to guess which one was the former queen.
“Guess, huh?”
– Bzzz!
– Bzzz!
Feeling a sense of foreboding, I asked, and the two bees nodded thoughtfully.
How can I distinguish between identical twins, even human ones are hard enough, and now I’m supposed to tell apart twins in bee form?
As I pondered what in the world was going on before the split, I decided to put Fabre’s skills to the test.
The splitting would only begin once the former queen took her leave, and it seemed like she had no intention of departing just yet.
Plus, it might turn out to be quite amusing.
‘Finally, we have a spicy problem to solve! Just you wait.’
“Alright, let’s see···.”
Indeed, the two were identical, but the reason I didn’t refuse the challenge and decided to attempt it was that I assumed there could be subtle differences based on age.
There could be slight variations in body color or fur as they age.
Just like how a rhinoceros beetle is bright when first born but darkens over time, with the hair on their bodies thinning out as a norm.
The same applies to the bees, so the ones just born would surely have their fuzziness intact.
Thus, I painstakingly examined the two, yet after a long inspection, they remained frustratingly indistinguishable.
‘No way, they’re this identical?’
At that moment, as I panicked over the two bees being indistinguishable, they began fluttering their wings, seemingly urging me to guess.
– Bzzz!
– Bzzz!
This definitely felt like a moment for me to take a chance.
Even if I made a mistake, there was likely no penalty. With that thought, I shut my eyes tight, pointed at one of them, and shouted.
“It’s you!”
– Bzzz!?
– Bzzz!?
The two bees jumped back, looking as if they were shocked.
I was sure I got it right.
‘Nice!’
Truly, I was the Spicy Fabre, grasping the 100% batting average from my past life of guesswork.
In terms of identifying males and females, while I might be unable to ace exam questions, I never failed in distinguishing between genders when purchasing creatures.
In my country, where imports often consist more of juveniles or sub-adults rather than adults, distinguishing the sexes of imported individuals can often be tricky, but I’ve managed a nearly perfect success rate when it came to identifying just two of them.
Though occasionally, disasters occur when this skill fails.
Just like my ambitious new content from my past life, “Even If My Egg Is Laid.”
“Alright, folks! Today’s spicy segment of Fabre’s new content! ‘Even If My Egg Is Laid!’
What’s this content about, you ask?
It’s where I visit subscribers who love venomous creatures or animals alike to uncover the reasons they can’t breed, while passing on breeding know-how to help them see some adorable baby creatures!”
That’s why I was thrilled to visit the home of the first subscriber who submitted a story, as it was a chance to meet none other than a land turtle!
For a first content, I felt lucky to have received a story to filter through and finally visiting the house of a stunning subscriber.
The comments were absolutely bursting from the start, praising the beauty of my gorgeous subscriber.
——————————
Mighty Toad: Are you, are you a goddess!?
Little Turtle: Big sis, I’m a turtle too! Please take care of me!
Centipede is Love: Fabre, please be careful! That guy is notoriously known as a perv around here!
Supreme Hornet: Fabre didn’t go to help the turtle lay eggs…
(Supreme Hornet was banned for 24 hours.)
——————————
This subscriber’s story was about a pair of turtles who had been kept for five years and had both matured, yet still hadn’t laid any eggs despite copulating.
Even on the day of my visit, the two were enthusiastically engaging in copulation.
However, oh no.
“This is strange. It’s been five years already, and even with the breeding setup, they still aren’t laying eggs. They copulate just fine when they’re in heat.”
“I see… Let’s take a look at the setup. It seems perfect to the point that I wouldn’t set it up this well myself.
The temperature and humidity are good too. There’s really no reason for them not to lay eggs?”
“That’s what I’m saying! I’m so upset. I really want to see baby turtles!”
“This is strange. Let’s physically check them out.”
Feeling the oddity, I decided to investigate the two who were busy mating, only to come across an astonishing and unbelievable fact.
“…Huh!”
“What, what’s going on?”
“No, no, subscriber! Don’t be alarmed, but listen closely. How do I put this gently…?”
“Our pets are both males!”
“WHAAAT!?”
——————————
Mighty Toad: No way…
Little Turtle: No way… Why!?
Centipede is Love: Both turtles are male. Supreme Hornet’s statement has been validated.
(Centipede is Love was banned for 24 hours.)
——————————
It turns out that even the long-lived tortoises, known in my previous life, mated for 26 years while being male, and this unexpected situation arose in my first content.
While it’s unlikely in nature, when kept in a controlled environment, sometimes creatures may mistake their owner or other beasts as a partner, possibly leading to such instances.
Ultimately, the subscriber featured in the stream embarrassedly requested that the broadcast file be deleted, turning my ambitious content into a comedic segment that couldn’t be recorded again as “Even If My Egg Is Laid.”
‘Oh, what a horrifying experience it was back then.’
Getting lost in thought of the past, I was brought back when I felt a hint of satisfaction from the two queen bees who settled on my shoulders.
“Well then, let’s go. The new queen is coming down now.”
However, rather than descending, the queen bees moved a bit closer to my face.
“?”
I wondered what this sudden action might mean until I felt the touch of their tongue.
In an instant, it hit me like a hammer on the head as I realized the meaning behind this gesture.
‘Gyaaaah!’
Thinking back, nutrient exchange is the most intimate expression among bees.
Since the new queen was born, they seem to suggest we engage in nutrient exchange as a greeting.
Even if I’m well-acquainted, this is an outright no-no.
“Hold on a second!”
Blocking their heads, I hurriedly brought up the necessary words.
‘What should I say!? Let’s suggest something else as a form of intimacy! What can be done besides nutrient exchange?’
– Bzzz.
The new queen bee dragged my hand down, as if asking what was wrong.
As my hand fell, the words that sprang to my mind came out.
“Uh, names!”
– Bzzz?
– Bzzz?
“Humans! When becoming friends, we typically give each other names instead of exchanging nutrients! How about we just give names this time instead?”
Anxiety and anticipation filled me as I awaited their response, and it seemed they liked the suggestion as they nodded in agreement.
‘Phew, I’m safe.’
Since I couldn’t keep calling them queens, this was a golden opportunity to assign names while sidestepping the nutrient exchange—two birds with one stone.
I decided to sit down and come up with appropriate names for the two queens.
“Just wait a moment while I think of a good name for you.”
While they were to act as both mother and daughter, there was also a sisterly essence to them being twins, meaning the names should reflect that bond.
Moreover, I had always named venomous beings to reflect their characteristics, so I began contemplating their traits.
‘What would be good? The term for bee—“bong (蜂)”? No, I need something specific to the Golden Hair Bee Kings that conveys an intuitive feel.’
With my arms crossed, pondering their characteristics, I found myself unable to draw anything special besides their recent foray into parthenogenesis due to their lower status.
Thus, I thought it would be good to name them something intuitive to the parthenogenesis they were undergoing.
‘They’re simultaneously daughters and sisters while also being their own mothers… Oh!’
An idea struck me—since they embody both sisterhood and motherhood, one word came to mind.
“Nanglang (娘娘)!”
Though it can be written with the same characters, it breaks into different pronunciations—Nang (娘) and Lang (娘).
It’s a word that encompasses both meanings of lady and mother, making it quite fitting for them.
I thought it would fit well to combine the character for queen, “Hoo (后),” with Nang and Lang.
I found it perfect that calling them Nanghu (娘后) and Langhu (娘后) would echo meanings of the young queen and mother queen.
Being able to convey two meanings in a single word felt just right for their characteristics.
‘Wow… Fabre’s naming skills are truly incredible…’
Admiring my own brilliance, I spoke to the two Golden Hair Bee Kings.
“The young queen is Nanghu, and the former queen is Langhu. How about it? I think it suits you both well, holding meanings of a young lady and a mother.”
– Bzzz.
– Bzzz.
With satisfying buzzes, they flapped their wings in delight. I quickly tore a strip from my sleeve and tied it to their right and left front legs.
– Snip.
“The one tied on the right is Nanghu. The left one is Langhu. Nanghu stays here, and Langhu, let’s go look for a new home.”
While it’s unlikely they would ever meet in the same place, I wanted a clear mark so that there would be no confusion.
With markings taken care of, Nanghu took to the sky, while I gazed at Langhu perched on my shoulder and said,
“Let’s go! It’s time to find that new home.”
Now was the time to expand our hive into two!