Super Gene

”This blood-scale armor is mine, okay? Now we are even.” Queen frowned, looking back at the island. There was no more screaming or squealing to be heard, and with the rest of the creatures having either escaped or been killed, the island was quiet.

It still looked like hell, though. Bodies and blood were everywhere, and just looking at it made their skin crawl.

”Do you think you might be able to take down those wasps?” Queen asked Han Sen.

Han Sen knew what she meant, but he shook his head and told her, ”My speed is still a little too slow to go up against those wasps. I may know its weak spot, but what’s the point if I cannot hit it? Besides...”

”Besides what?” Queen looked at Han Sen.

”There is no guarantee I can kill it, even if I hit there. For all I know, I might only inflict a minor amount of damage.” Han Sen did not overestimate his talents.

When he fought Golden Growler, he couldn’t even break its eyes. The wasp’s waist may have been its weak spot, but it couldn’t be weaker than those eyes.

A weak spot was just a place on a monster that was weaker. But the overall fitness of a super creature was just too high, and so the fact that it had a weak spot didn’t mean much for Han Sen.

Queen sighed. She understood how he was feeling. There were eighteen of those wasps, and they had a lot of trouble escaping just one. It would be impossible to survive an encounter with any more, not to mention if all eighteen came after them.

Few people could dodge their attacks like Han Sen had. Even Queen wasn’t entirely sure whether or not she’d be able to keep up and evade such quick attacks.

The island was dead. They watched it for a while but knew that there was no hope of returning there. They readied themselves to leave and take to the seas on the whale again.

But then the silver fox jumped out of Han Sen’s arms. It became a silver light and ran back to the island.

”Silver fox?! What are you doing?” Han Sen was startled. It hadn’t been easy to escape the island, so why was the fox now deciding to return?

”Stop! The eighteen wasps must be together by now. If we get in trouble with all of them, we’ll never make it out again,” Queen said.

”You wait here. I’ll go back and get him.”

Han Sen rushed back ashore without hesitation. He wasn’t planning to risk his life for the silver fox, but he understood the silver fox well. He knew that it wouldn’t want to risk its own life, either.

Otherwise, when Han Sen was battling the wasps, the silver fox wouldn’t have jumped into his arms to escape. It wouldn’t have waited this long to come back, if it had no regard for its life. Something must have changed on the island, then.

Han Sen chased after the silver fox, and noticed he was being led back to the lotus. Still, he did not hesitate and quickly continued his pursuit.

Han Sen, using his senses, noticed there were no longer any wasps on the island.

”Did those wasps leave the island?” Han Sen asked himself, looking puzzled.

But Han Sen was still curious. If the wasps had left the island, then that meant the lotus plant was nothing special, and it had just been used to host a number of wasp eggs. If there was nothing extraordinary about the plant, why were they returning?

”Is there something the silver fox wants from the body of a deceased creature?” Han Sen wondered, having now reached the lotus hill with the silver fox.

The scenery was marred with great horrors. Uncaring for the bodies that littered the once-fertile green, Han Sen hastily climbed up to the lotus.

Perhaps it was because of the strength of their toxins, but after the wasps were born, the seven remaining lotus petals had wilted. All that remained was a sole lotus cup.

Without a moment’s pause, the silver fox ran up to it and munched it all down in one bite.

The crystal-clear lotus cup was chewed to pieces by the fox.

”Save me some! Save me some!” Han Sen grabbed the silver fox as he tried to pry open its mouth. Alas, the silver fox had already swallowed it all.

”Damn it, you mutt. You are too cruel. I just saved your life earlier! You little selfish bastard, you didn’t even save me a bite!” Han Sen yelled at the silver fox.

The silver fox, however, ignored its master. Elegantly, it sniffed around on the ground, and after a while of doing so, began digging into the rocky ground with its two front paws.

The rock surface was like tofu under the power of its paws and claws, and it wasn’t long before it had managed to dig a two-meter-deep hole.

”Is there something down there?” Han Sen quelled his rage, and his eyes lit up with inquisitiveness. He saw that there was something connected with the stalk of the lotus plant. As the silver fox continued to dig, Han Sen noticed the unearthing of something white in color.

”Whatever it is, you’ve done your bit. You’ve earned yourself a rest; let me take over.” Han Sen quickly jumped into the hole and placed the silver fox on his shoulder. He rabidly started digging with his own two hands.

He was afraid the silver fox would dig out some more food and gobble it all up without giving him a chance to even look at it. He didn’t want a repeat of what had just happened.

Han Sen did not dig for long because he had soon excavated three lotus roots. They were like the arms of a baby, and they were each about a dozen centimeters long.

Although they were underground, they still shone like white crystals. It was as if they were made from virgin snow. They smelled very good, too.

Han Sen picked up the three lotus roots to take a closer look, but before he could, the silver fox on his shoulder jumped down and grabbed one of the three. Immediately, it began to ravenously chew the root.

”How could I forget about this guy? This thing is a sneaky manipulator. I really do keep forgetting.” Han Sen’s heart was bleeding. He didn’t even know what treasure he had unearthed, and a third of it was already munched on by the silver fox.

”What’s left is mine. You’ve already had your fill.” Seeing the silver fox stare at the lotus roots intently, Han Sen clutched the remaining two tightly.

The silver fox went near Han Sen’s foot and began rubbing its head against him.

”Don’t even bother trying to act cute. This thing is mine; end of story.” Han Sen quickly put away the lotus roots and picked the silver fox back up.

Queen had now come ashore and was nearing the hill. Han Sen quickly ran back down to meet her, with the silver fox in hand. He didn’t want her to learn anything about what he had just found.

”I don’t know where the wasps went, but it looks like they have all gone,” Han Sen said, as he stood in front of Queen.

”What did it find?” Queen asked, seeing right through Han Sen’s deception.

”It was the lotus cup. But, by the time I caught up to the fiend, it had already eaten everything. He didn’t save me any, so I have no idea what benefits it could have provided us. His selfishness hurts!” Han Sen hoped to squeeze out a few tears, but he couldn’t.

Queen’s eyes were untrusting, but she didn’t voice her concern. Shortly after, they returned to the oceanside.

The two people and the fox began their journey once more. They hoped they’d soon be able to find land but after another five days travel, they had yet to see anything. There weren’t even any islands around.

Suddenly, a strange sound could be heard in the distance. Han Sen and Queen were familiar with the sound, and so their faces changed.