Super Gene

Cheap Sheep fled to cower behind Dragon Lady, as she and Han Sen dubiously looked at the table.

There was a man standing near the master seat, dressed in a black suit and tie.

He looked strange, and beneath the eerie glow of the candles, Han Sen was able to get a flickering glimpse of his face. It was the face of a wooden puppet, and his nose was unnaturally sharp. The black suit was very elegant, and it was the sort you’d expect to see worn by some noble butler.

“Welcome to Dinner Shelter; dinner is now ready, so please take a seat.” All of a sudden, the puppet-doll bowed and spoke to them.

The three were surprised, and as Han Sen observed the butler, he could not detect the presence of a lifeforce in it. And with its wooden face, its speech was creepily devoid of emotion.

Cheap Sheep leaped forward with a burst of confidence and said, “Wait, you are the geno core of this shelter! I bet your food is poisonous. That’s your game, isn’t it? You want to poison us? I know the type, bub!”

The doll did not wait before responding to the allegations, and with a monotone, robot-like response, said, “You have been added to the Naughty List. Start cleaning.”

They stared at the doll, who remained unmoved. Its beady, red eyes were fixed on the sheep, but aside from that, nothing happened but an unnerving silence.

Han Sen saw Cheap Sheep move its mouth to say something more, but just as it did, the sheep was turned into a doll itself. It remained frozen in its expression, with a half-open mouth.

Han Sen and Dragon Lady were shocked, seeing their annoying little companion become a doll.

Fortunately, the Cheap Sheep doll still had a lifeforce. It was likely the creature itself was fine, but its body had become stiff wood.

“Now, will the remaining three guests take a seat? Dinner will be served momentarily.” The doll bowed and gestured for the others to sit down.

The butler was not referring to the sheep when he was referencing the three. The third person he was now referring to was Bao’er. Dragon Lady looked peeved, barely able to accept that a bronze geno core possessed the audacity to threaten and command her the way it was.

“Let’s sit down first, before making a scene.” Han Sen tugged at Dragon Lady’s arm, bidding for her to sit down.

Han Sen wanted to get a better feel for the situation first. Ever since the doll appeared, he had been keeping a close eye on it.

“Please maintain your manners and adhere to dining etiquette. That also means each individual should sit on their own seat,” the doll advised.

Han Sen knew the doll was referring to Bao’er, so he took her off his lap and placed her down on a chair of her own. Han Sen was co-operating because he didn’t know how the sheep had been turned into a doll. He didn’t quite want that happening to himself.

The Fourth God’s Sanctuary was a wild place, and even the weakest of creatures could not be underestimated if they had a bronze geno core.

Han Sen thought he and his party had unwittingly waltzed into the proximity or radius-of-effect of the hostile geno core, and without a way out of their predicament, they had no choice but to do what they were told, lest they too were turned into dolls.

Demi-god powers were very weird, and Han Sen knew he’d have to find out what was generating this entire charade soon. He needed to put an end to it. Until then, Han Sen was going to play nice and evaluate his options.

And so, after accepting the doll’s invitation and doing as they were told, they did not end up like Cheap Sheep.

The sheep had been turned into a doll, but it still had its lifeforce. Its body was so stiff, however, and not even its eyes could move.

“Please, enjoy our first dish.” The doll suddenly rolled out a dining cart. He took the dishes off of it and placed them on the table. They were hot, sizzling steaks. Although the food smelled very good, Han Sen made sure to hold Bao’er back and prevent her from lunging forward to grab the meal.

“This is the flesh of a Snowbeast. Fret not, for it is safe.” Dragon Lady cut the meat and took a bite.

Dragon Lady was a professional chef, and so she knew her meats. If she thought it was okay to eat, Han Sen would have no qualm eating the food. He trusted her. After Han Sen decided to tuck into the meal, he acknowledged it to be some good stuff. There were no toxic tricks at play, and quite honestly, it tasted divine.

“Snowbeast Flesh Consumed. Ordinary Geno Point +1.”

Han Sen was pleasantly surprised, for he did not expect to receive a geno point from the freebie meal. Bao’er cut herself a slice and had a bite, too. Then, with surprising proficiency, she cut up the rest of the steak.

“My dear guests, there is also some excellent wine.” The doll then started to pour their drinks.

Han Sen and Bao’er observed what Dragon Lady was doing. If she took a sip, so too would they. Han Sen and Bao’er hadn’t been able to enjoy a meal such as this in a long time.

The sheep must have been feeling awful, Han Sen imagined. He was missing out on a most amazing dinner.

Bao’er, in particular, was hyped. But her enjoyment of the food eventually went too far, to the point that she abandoned using a knife and fork, and instead started stuffing the food into her mouth with greasy fingers.

“You have violated the necessity for manners while dining, and you have been added to the Naughty List. Start cleaning!” The doll said this with surprising anger, as if he had been personally slighted and was triggered.

“Oh, no!” Han Sen quickly turned to look at Bao’er.