Super Gene

A lone luminescent dandelion brushed by the tent, carried by the gentle breeze. Han Sen initially thought it was some special sort of creature that had drawn near, and although it wasn’t, he still eyed it with a modicum of concern.

It was a surprise to see the bevy of lights as little more than flowers, and it was a most curious phenomenon. When they had pitched the tent that evening, none of the flowers were around.

Now, across every portion of the Black Desert that was visible, dandelions sprouted. They were endless, and their pretty lights spread out in each direction like a galaxy of stars.

When the wind blew, the galaxy moved. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Zhou Yumei, who had managed to regain her composure, moved nearer to Han Sen. After taking a peek at what had taken hold of his attention, her eyes opened wide like the stars themselves. It was fortunate Han Sen had placed his hand on her mouth; had he not, she would have screamed in awe of its beauty.

Many of the flowers were afloat, and skated by the tent as they went. From afar, that little tent must have looked like a shining castle.

But the plants weren’t aggressive, and no harm was delivered to their little camp.

Zhou Yumei tried to pull Han Sen’s hand away from her mouth, but he had a firm grip. Just as she was about to lose her temper, she heard a noise in the distance.

It was like the sound of a heavy animal’s footstep. In between each step was a momentary silence, and its rhythm maintained this pace slowly. But ever so slightly, the sound seemed to be getting louder, and its source closer.

Han Sen looked further into the distance and saw, beneath the night sky, a creature coming towards them. It shined like a beacon of holy light. It walked alongside the dandelions that were below and afloat, like a glorious ship through the net of stars—soaring through the galaxy.

Zhou Yumei could see the luminous creature now, as well. She was surprised to see it was a white rhino. Its body was shaped like a little hill, and with every step it made, the ground of the desert shook. The glowing dandelions that were to be trodden underfoot jumped into the air as if to guide its path.

The rhino was getting closer, and this frightened Zhou Yumei. Right now, all she wanted to do was get up and run. As pretty as it looked, the rhino was a hulking beast. Its heavy, looming presence was intimidating, and it robbed her of breath.

Han Sen’s hand was still on her mouth to prevent a sound, but he now used his other hand to control and calm her. His eyes were still in profound observation of the glowing rhino.

It wasn’t long before the rhino had come directly before the tent. Like grand pillars, its thick legs were pulled up and released. The entire tent was now in the shadow of the beast, and Zhou Yumei knew it. Her eyes were wide open with fright, and her body trembled under the fear.

If a foot came down on the tent, they would be squished into jelly.

The silver fox and Little Orange snuggled together in the corner of the tent, quiet as mice. They too were terrified of the white rhino that had drawn near.

Boom!

A foot came down like a piston on the sand directly behind Han Sen’s tent, avoiding them. The luminous dandelions continued their spiralling as the campsite vibrated with the force.

Boom! Boom!

The rhino did not decelerate, and it continued in the direction it had been going. The four pillars crossed over the tent, missing the guy ropes by inches. The craters left behind by the creature’s feet now decorated the campgrounds. Zhou Yumei’s heart almost leapt out of her chest.

Fortunately, the white rhino did not pay heed to the presence of a tent as it went onwards. Along with the gorgeous, luminescent dandelions, it slowly trailed off out of sight behind them.

When the white rhino was gone from their vision, the presence of the glowing dandelions dimmed, too. They quit shining and melted into the desert like snowfall. Not a trace of them was left behind.

If it wasn’t for the footsteps that the rhino left behind, you would have believed the entire affair to be little more than a dream.

Zhou Yumei, who had been trembling through the entire ordeal, finally relaxed. She patted her chest, trying to shake the terrifying visions she had of been crushed underfoot by the big rhino. Luckily, none of her fears had come to pass.

”Are you going to sleep like this?” Han Sen smiled at Zhou Yumei.

Zhou Yumei only now realized she had been leaning on Han Sen the entire time. She was mad and embarrassed at the revelation, so she pushed him away. Gritting her teeth, she hissed, ”When I don’t say anything, you get all touchy. You just want to take advantage of me.”

Han Sen smiled but did not reply. He returned to his sleeping bag, deep in thought over what had just occurred with the white rhino.

During the daytime, they encountered the black-flame phoenix, and now they had been witnesses to the existence of a white rhino that glowed with a holy light. Both of these creatures had been traveling in the direction Han Sen had picked. He wondered if something awaited them where they were headed.

In a place such as the Black Desert, Han Sen did not want to get himself into any form of trouble. With such fearsome monsters around, although he was sure of their abilities to escape, he couldn’t risk losing his reserves of food and water. If that happened, there was every chance they might perish somewhere amidst the dunes.

But if they changed course now, Han Sen wasn’t entirely sure whether or not they could exit the Black Desert that way, either. It would also not lead him to his final destination, so he was reluctant.

Han Sen thought about this predicament for a while, but ultimately decided to continue in their current direction. He didn’t know if he could leave the Black Desert if he changed direction now. Furthermore, he believed his encounter with those two creatures was nothing out of the ordinary and was to be expected in such a volatile location. If there was some significance behind it, then he would at least have the opportunity to check out the reason why.

The next day, Han Sen continued in the same direction atop his Golden Roarer. On the way, he was able to trace the footsteps that the rhino had left behind. It looked to be going in a straight line, without a single misstep or stray.

The luminous dandelions, however, he could not see. It was as if they never existed.

They walked for half the day, but the heat was atrocious. Zhou Yumei drank some water while she rode atop her Little Orange. As she took a swig, she said, ”It’s so hot! Wouldn’t it be great if it rained?”

Not long after she said that, the skies went dark. Terrible clouds formed not too far above them, blotting out the sun.

*Downpour Sound*

The drunk clouds let loose their spiteful tears, and utterly drenched Zhou Yumei. She quickly summoned an armor to withstand the rain, but after its summoning, the rainclouds immediately dispersed. The skies cleared and the weather returned to its sweltering glory.

”My wishes are short-lived.” Zhou Yumei was not entirely sure how to respond to what had just happened.

Han Sen’s face, on the other hand, looked dire. When the rain clouds went past, Han Sen felt the presence of a supremely powerful lifeforce. He didn’t get the chance to see what it was, but he could tell it wasn’t something natural.

What made Han Sen frown the most, however, was the fact that those rain clouds had formed and drifted off in the direction he and Zhou Yumei were also headed.

”What is going on in this place?” Han Sen squinted his eyes, attempting to discern more of what might lay on the horizon. But there was nothing. For a while yet, it seemed only the black desert sands and blue skies would continue to lead their travel.