Super Gene

Beneath the pit, there was a space that was reminiscent of a warehouse. Inside that space, Han Sen saw many giant metal cubes sitting in lines. They looked like storage containers, but they were bigger than the sort of boxes you’d expect to find in a warehouse.

When Han Sen got closer, he realized that each cube was covered in giant handprints. He had seen one of these metallic cubes before in Narrow-Moon; the blue metal cube the Rebate had retrieved from the Ligu Ruins looked just like the boxes he was seeing now.

When that blue metallic cube was opened, it released a collection of blue gold demon bugs. They assaulted Narrow- Moon, dealing great damage to the system. And while that was bad, Han Sen had managed to obtain his Demon Bug Bai Sema through the ordeal, which had saved his life numerous times already.

That entire scenario, and the subsequent results, were an affair Han Sen would never forget.

Han Sen counted twenty-four cubes sitting in front of him.

The cube he had seen before was entirely blue, but twelve of these were gold and twelve of them were green. And while the symbols upon the two types were similar to each other, they were different from engravings on the blue cube.

Also, each cube seemed to have its own unique set of handprints. If the handprints were passwords, then each cube had a special password.

“Are the Ligu Ruins connected to the Breakskies? If so, then the Breakskies have many bloodlines,” Han Sen thought to himself.

Han Sen wasn’t worried about the demon bug cubes opening, though. They wouldn’t unfurl unless the password was punched in, and even if they did open up, the demon bugs wouldn’t stand a chance against the white Metal Beast that had led them there.

Speaking of the white Metal Beast, it moved between two cubes. Han Sen followed, with Bao’er held tightly in his arms. As they traveled by the giant cubes, Han Sen stumbled across many dead metallic xenogeneics, metallic fruits, and metallic plants. It really did seem to be the home of the white Metal Beast.

Not too far away was a number of transparent tanks that were each as big as an oil truck. Some of the tanks were empty, whereas five of them were full to the brim with a transparent liquid.

Han Sen took a look and quickly concluded that it was the very same liquid he and Bao’er had been gifted by the white metal beast earlier on.

The transparent tanks all had a name written on them, spelled out in the common language of the geno universe. They each read, “Metal Xenogeneic Fluid.” The text also went on to explain the effects that the liquid would have after consumption. If metallic creatures drank that liquid, they would turn into xenogeneics immediately. If a metal xenogeneic drank it, the liquid would make them stronger.

There were a few hundred of those canisters, but the white Metal Beast appeared to have already drunk most of them. There were only five left, and one of them was not as full as it could have been. The critter must have been actively drinking from that one.

The white Metal Beast directed Metal Eater to eat more of its metallic fruit. The creature also encouraged Metal Eater to drink the metal xenogeneic fluid. As the Metal Eater ambled over, Han Sen brought out two cups. He dipped the cups into the metal xenogeneic fluid and filled them up, with one for Bao’er and one for himself. The cells inside him underwent strange changes when he drank the liquid.

Han Sen quickly fired up The Story of Genes to refine the metal xenogeneic fluid. The Story of Genes was finally growing, and this made him incredibly happy.

Han Sen walked around the warehouse and came across something strange. It must have been something left behind by the Breakskies, but Han Sen couldn’t quite tell what it was. Neither could he tell how to make use of it. He could see bite marks on it where the white Metal Beast had bitten off chunks. He supposed it could have been a food of sorts.

The warehouse was mostly composed of metal, and it appeared that the metal cubes were the only things that the white Metal Beast hadn’t been gnawing on. Han Sen felt unnerved by this fact, though. He curiously pondered why the white Metal Beast had decided not to eat the demon bug cubes.

Han Sen got close to the metal cubes and realized that the outside of each cube was covered by a layer of something. It looked almost like a sheet of rubber or wax, but it was transparent and very thin. Han Sen had to use the Dongxuan Sutra to see it properly.

“I wonder if I can talk to the white Metal Beast. After opening the metal cube, he might be able to eat the bugs inside, and leave me a half-dead Demon Bug King. Perhaps I could even snag myself another Demon Bug King beast soul.” Han Sen pondered this.

Han Sen tried to think of a way that he could communicate with the white Metal Beast. They did not speak the same language, so it wasn’t as if they could really speak to each other. So, he ended up settling for exaggerated gestures. He came to learn that the white Metal Beast was not fond of the metal cubes because of their smell, and it really wasn’t fond of that outer layer. The creature wouldn’t dare bite the cubes with that layer still on.

And furthermore, Han Sen’s power wouldn’t be enough to remove the layer by brute force. If he wanted to open the metal cube, he would have to activate the password by palming the prints in the correct order.

“Figuring out the password won’t be difficult, but I will have to talk to the white Metal Beast first,” Han Sen thought.

Han Sen wasn’t in a rush, though. He walked around the warehouse, and on its other side, he actually found something that was not metallic.

There were books that had been stored inside a metal box. The white Metal Beast had chewed up the metal box, leaving the books spread across the area.

The books seemed to be made of plastic rather than paper or cloth, but the material was much stronger than actual plastic. Han Sen tried burning them, but they appeared to have no reaction to the touch of flame.

The box had originally contained six books, but each of the books was the size of a small house. They must have belonged to the original inhabitants—the Breakskies.

Han Sen had to fly up to see what was written on them. The six books were named Break Six Skies. It was a geno art belonging to the Breakskies.

Han Sen was interested in a Breakskies geno art. He started reading over it, and he was able to determine that it was a fairly violent technique. It employed an impact upon a gene’s substance to create an explosion. Every hit was able to create an explosion that was stronger than the initial impact.

From what he could tell, though, the geno art was way too dangerous. The explosions would harm everyone, even the user, so you could blow yourself up if you weren’t careful. That was too f*cking cruel.