Super Gene

Dragon King examined the coin, and after a while, he tossed it back to Han Sen.

“What is it? Say something, would you?” Han Sen frowned.

Dragon King shook his head and said, “This is an Empress Coin, but first, tell me where you got it from.”

“Tell me what I want to know first. What does it do?” Han Sen gave Dragon King an intense stare. He was still feeling a little sour from his horrid experience in the cave, so he wasn’t in the mood to play games.

Dragon King smiled and said, “This thing is special. I can’t just sum it up in two seconds.”

Han Sen sat down and gave Dragon King another look. Dragon King was able to tell Han Sen was not in a good mood. “There are many emperors in the Third God’s Sanctuary, and there are many empresses, as well. The most famous of all was Night Empress. Even Ancient Devil Emperor feared her.”

Han Sen picked up the coin and asked, “Is this her geno treasure?”

“Not quite,” Dragon King answered.

Han Sen gave him another stare, saying, “Then why tell me this?”

“The Empress Coins are not geno treasures, but they did belong to Night Empress. They don’t do anything, but perhaps they can be used to trade for something decent,” Dragon King explained.

“What might I be able to trade it for?” Han Sen asked.

Dragon King told him, “Do you see the Night Empress on the coin? Don’t you think she looks a little like the Lotus Queen?”

“I wondered that myself. Are they related?” Han Sen asked.

Dragon King said, “Night Empress is currently in the Fourth God’s Sanctuary. Lotus Empress is her heir. When I came here, she had already built a name for herself and become famous.”

Dragon King went on to explain, saying, “Lotus Queen likes to collect the coins of her mother. You could probably go and see her and exchange this coin for a lotus seed. You can push your luck and ask for more, but that is a decision I’d best leave up to you.”

“What good is a lotus seed?” Han Sen inquired.

“Think about it! You could grow fruit worthy of an emperor. It’d be great for opening gene locks. Only Lotus Queen can make these lotus seeds, too. They are highly sought after things,” Dragon King said.

Han Sen looked at the coin and said, “If you’re saying this coin is useless, why does the Lotus Queen want them so much? I imagine it’s for more than simple sentimental value.”

Dragon King said, “People who possess Empress Coins have come to conclude that they are incredibly sturdy. Sturdy, but useless. Night Empress created thirteen of these coins and gave them to the king spirits she liked most.”

Although Han Sen believed the coins had a greater worth and purpose than he was being told, if he couldn’t figure out what that was, the coin really would be useless. But he still thought swapping it for a few lotus seeds would make for a decent exchange. Opening more gene locks could never be frowned upon, after all.

His Dongxuan Sutra was coming along nicely, but Han Sen still felt as if its development was a bit too slow.

Lotus Empress had seen him in the Second God’s Sanctuary, though, and given him a mark. He was worried she might try to imprison him if he approached her.

“Perhaps I can get a spirit to do the exchange, in my stead,” Han Sen thought to himself.

Dragon King looked at Han Sen and asked, “So, can you tell me where you got this coin from?”

Han Sen explained to him what had occurred with the little creature, but left out the part where he tried to assassinate the creature and got cruelly beat up by its family. He merely said he stole it from the nest after following it inside.

Dragon King was surprised, and he said, “Wow, you found a Metal Eater.”

“I found a… Metal Eater?” Han Sen was unfamiliar with the name.

Dragon King said, “Yes, Metal Eaters are an infamous sort of super creature. They dine on metal and absorb the powers of it. The items in those rusted piles of junk were grand things, I imagine, once upon a time. It’s just that their properties were absorbed by the creatures.”

“Now it makes sense.” Han Sen knew the rusted stuff had to be special.

“That must have been why the Metal Eater took the coin. It’s quite the artifact, and it is composed of a very resilient metal.” Dragon King felt it was a shame, so he went on to say, “I cannot believe there were six of them. You might have fared okay against one, but six? Not even an emperor would provoke those things, so I’m glad you had the sense not to do anything stupid in there, like attacking the little one.”

“Even emperors wouldn’t provoke them?” Han Sen gulped, almost unable to believe what he had just been told.

Dragon King smiled and said, “Metal Eaters can become berserk super creatures. They can have greater vitality and defense than an emperor, and metal weapons are entirely ineffective against them. No emperor I know would approach one of those creatures with confidence, especially those with nine gene locks open. They are vengeful things, too. If you killed one, those that knew about it would hunt you down until the end of time.”

Han Sen was glad he did not kill the little one. If he had, he’d have been in trouble.

Han Sen was then very excited, thinking about something.

“The little creature collected the coin from a burrow or hole in the ground. Do you think there might be something else inside?” Han Sen asked, with a manic glint in his eye.

Dragon King said, “It is certainly possible, yes. I don’t see why an Empress Coin would randomly appear there, of all places. And if there was something more there, it should still be there.”

Now, Han Sen’s enthusiasm had been restored. He was wide awake and ready to go. He packed his stuff and left the shelter, wanting to go dig through the hole the creature first came out of. He was keen to find out if there was anything else inside.