Super Gene

Han Sen took out the gourd and placed it in his hand. It was previously gold, but now it was dim and dirty-looking. Cracks had manifested across its surface, giving it the appearance of dried, distressed mud.

Its heartbeat, however, was growing stronger and stronger. Han Sen believed something would soon emerge.

“Is this it? Is whatever’s inside it finally going to reveal itself?” Han Sen was shocked.

He was glad that whatever was inside was finally going to come out of the gourd, but he couldn’t help but wonder whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing.

As the gourd vibrated, the mud-like shell began to flake away.

“If you’ve just stolen my holy bottle, you better be giving me something good in return! And by good, I’m expecting something like a super weapon. So, how about one of those? I’m not being greedy, but something that’ll give me the leg-up and enable me to slay troublesome spirit emperors would be pretty sweet. But you know, I wouldn’t say no to armor, either. After all, everyone should use protection, lest an unfortunate accident occur. Armor that’d make me invincible would be decent enough, so there’s no need to go any stronger than that. I do need to remain modest. So, Buddha, Taoist, God, Jesus, and even you Mohammed. Athena, all of you, I’m asking all of you; please, pretty pretty please, fulfill this wish of mine!” Han Sen then proceeded to ramble even more, praying to any and all deities or religious figures he could think of.

Han Sen had invested much in nurturing the gourd. The gourd had just taken the holy bottle he fancied, and that was in addition to the Cog Gear that was created by Moment Queen. If nothing good emerged, he was going to explode with anger.

Watching the shell of the gourd peel off inch by inch, Han Sen’s heart began to beat faster. Each thump was almost painful.

Katcha!

The shell collapsed into a mound of mud-flakes, as something new rolled into Han Sen’s hand.

Examining it, Han Sen was in disbelief.

It was a thumb-sized female doll. Its eyes were big and black, the same color as the doll’s hair. It was a chubby little thing, but most curious of all was what the doll was holding. The doll was holding another gourd.

As Han Sen stood there, frozen and unsure of what to think, the doll started to grow. It expanded to the size of an ordinary baby.

It was alive. The chubby hand of the doll grabbed Han Sen’s arm, and with its cheeks, the baby rubbed her face against Han Sen’s. Then, she said, “Daddy, Daddy!”

Han Sen wanted to shoot himself. He had sacrificed so much to the gourd, and all he had received in return was a baby.

“My six Cog Gears, my holy bottle…” Han Sen’s spirits hit rock-bottom.

The baby grabbed Han Sen’s neck and used her other hand to stroke his head, saying, “Father, don’t cry.”

Han Sen looked at her and placed her down on a table, wishing he could exchange the baby for the weapons he so sorely wanted.

After he observed her for a while, the baby’s mouth began to drop as tears welled-up in her pretty, sparkling eyes.

“Don’t cry! Don’t cry!” Han Sen was starting to get a headache, but he wasn’t going to bully and disregard the feelings of a baby.

“Father, hug!” The baby looked pitiful as she stared up at Han Sen.

Han Sen sighed and picked the baby up.

This immediately brought the baby joy, and with her hands, she grabbed Han Sen’s neck, shouting, “Daddy! Daddy!”

“What are you?” Han Sen used his dongxuan aura to examine the baby, and didn’t notice much of interest. Had it not emerged from the gourd, he’d have assumed she was a natural human baby.

Whatever she was, she wasn’t a creature and she wasn’t a spirit.

“Geno Seeds can grow humans? But what do I need a baby for?” Han Sen’s depression was sinking in, and it wasn’t going anywhere else in the immediate future.

Thinking something was wrong, though, he kept on examining the baby.

“Strange. Where is it?” Han Sen looked around on the floor and there was nothing.

“I thought she was holding a gourd. Where did it go?” Han Sen’s confusion was only getting worse.

Han Sen kept searching, but he was unable to find out where it had gone. What he did find, though, was a seedling on the ground.

The sprout was coming out of a rock, and like the picture-perfect image of a young plant, it had two cute little leaves.

Han Sen squatted for a better look.

He had seen this before; it was a six-item Gear Tree.

Han Sen observed the little tree and saw that the ground around it was wet, as if someone had just watered the plant.

“These are the tears of the baby.” Han Sen looked at her, and noticed the tears that still remained on her face. They must have dropped to the ground, soaking the plant.

Han Sen wasn’t prone to dripping sweat, so the only explanation was it being the tears of the baby.

He smiled and said, “Don’t cry. I love you!”

Han Sen then used his finger to wipe the tears from her face and then throw them on the ground deliberately.

What happened, a second later, made Han Sen freeze. Where the tears fell, the rock cracked as another young plant sprouted through it.

The little leaves were green like jade, and they did indeed look like another six-item Gear Tree.

“D*mn; one of her tears is equal to one of these trees. Haha, I’m rich!” Han Sen almost jumped in joy.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and then said, “My good little daughter…”

But still, despite that revelation, Han Sen was unable to find the gourd she had been holding when she first appeared. After scouring the entire palace, he was unable to find it.