Super Gene

Han Sen recognized the sound as belonging to the peacock they encountered earlier, which had received a nasty sting on its face. It flew far away after that, and they didn’t think they’d run into it again so soon.

"Its screams are ones of pain and suffering. Is it because of the poison?" Queen asked, looking in the direction the squeals were coming from.

If it really was due to the poison, it would be the perfect opportunity for humans to take down a super creature. The first in history.

"Let’s go find out!" Han Sen’s face was vibrant with excitement, and he looked genuinely happy at the prospect. If he could hunt down a super creature with minimal effort, even if he did not receive a beast soul, eating its meat would be good enough.

They looked at each other and understood what they were each thinking. Queen commanded the big whale to start sailing in the direction of the screeching peacock.

The bird screamed so loud, it seemed like it could shatter the atmosphere. The creatures around look terrified, and those that flew in the sky seemed to avoid it at all costs.

They sailed another forty miles before seeing an island on the horizon. It was surprisingly small, not any bigger than a protruding reef.

The peacock was standing on the reef with a rotten face. It was red with infected blisters, and pus and blood oozed from its wounds.

"It must really be the poison still working its wretched magic," Han Sen said, aghast.

He was happy that the peacock was in such a condition, obviously still struggling against the poison that blighted it. But he was concerned over whether or not he could eat the meat, seeing how effective and long-lasting the poison was.

Queen commanded the whale to stop a good distance from the bird. She didn’t want to go in blindly. And even though the super creature was in significant pain, it was still a super creature. They may very well not be able to slay it, even still. They weren’t entirely sure how ill the peacock was, and they’d probably meet an unfortunate end if they marched in without a clue.

"It can still scream a good deal. It is most likely still quite energized. Perhaps we should wait here for a few days and see how it goes?" Han Sen suggested.

The longer they waited, the weaker the bird would become. If they were going to risk their lives in an attempt to bring down a poisoned super creature, it would be better to do it later rather than sooner.

But right after Han Sen said that, the sea near the reef began spitting waves that were a few dozen meters tall. A giant purple creature with metal pincers came out from beneath the murky waves. Its target was most definitely the peacock.

The giant purple lobster was back. Not having received any benefits from the island earlier, it seemed to want to exact vengeance on the wounded peacock that had bullied it previously.

The peacock was poisoned right in the face, and it looked like the toxins had affected its brain. It didn’t seem as smart or reactive as it had before. Already, the lobster managed to clamp down on one of its wings.

It was impossible for the peacock to free itself from the lobster’s grip. It flapped its wings the best it could, but could not escape. The more it flailed, the more feathers its wings dropped.

The peacock was infuriated. It opened its feather train to reveal its blue eyespots and doused the area in its intoxicating blue light. Just like before, the lobster was made to appear drunk.

It seemed as if the lobster knew this was coming, though, so it continued to maintain its grip on the peacock’s wing. No matter how fiercely the peacock tried to repel its attacker, the lobster would not be loosened.

The lobster’s shell was too hard, as well. There was nothing the peacock could do. Eventually its clutched wing began to bleed, and plumes of feathers danced in the air around it, cushioning the harsh sea.

While both of these monsters fought, Queen closed her eyes and turned around to avoid the effects of the blue light.

Although it was a good distance from them, the light was powerful and it spread far. Looking at it for one second could make them feel dizzy, and out at sea, there was the chance Queen could fall overboard and drown.

Han Sen appeared to be doing the same thing, but he activated his gene lock. With his senses, he didn’t even have to face their direction to observe everything that was happening.

"The peacock may be an extremely powerful foe, but under the effects of that poisonous sting and the lobster’s pummelling, it must assuredly be close to death," Han Sen thought. He then proceeded to wonder how he might benefit from this situation.

The reef began to crack and the waves boiled in the turmoil of combat. The reef was unable to sustain the weight of the monsters and it began to crumble.

The lobster’s shell was obscenely sturdy, and the lobster tried to drag the peacock down into the briny depths with its pincers. All the peacock could do was continue to peck at the shell, to no avail.

Although the peacock was resisting, a collapse of the reef meant a guaranteed watery grave for it.

"How come that lobster didn’t get poisoned, too?" Han Sen thought to himself.

But seeing what was occurring, it was a good thing they did not rush in to attack as they initially thought to. If they hadn’t stayed back, they might have been killed by the lobster’s incursion.

Boom!

Three hours later, the reef collapsed and the peacock went down with it.

Although the peacock continued to emit its beams of drowsy light, it wasn’t as effective as it was earlier. It did not affect Han Sen and Queen as much.

Queen turned around and looked into the sea. She saw the faint glimmer of blue light and a sea that was made mad with the peacock’s wild thrashing. Great waves collided with each other, above where it sunk to its inevitable demise.

"What a horrible creature. It would have been too difficult for us to fight it," Queen said with a sigh.

"It would have been impossible for us to kill it, yes. But now we have a chance." Han Sen watched the restless waves with greedy eyes.

They may not have been able to kill the poisoned peacock, but it had been attacked by the lobster and dragged deep down into the sea. It was going to die, no matter what. Perhaps this was his opportunity for an easy kill.

But still, Han Sen did not dare try to steal the lobster’s prey directly. He lacked the strength and he knew it.

But if he did it quickly, there was a chance he could receive the beast soul.

"What are you doing?" Queen frowned as she looked at Han Sen.

"Wait here, okay?" After speaking, Han Sen quickly dove into the sea.

The silver fox was still on Han Sen’s shoulder. It used its paws to grab ahold of his neck, and it dove in with him.

Because the two monsters were still twirling about in the sea, the underwater currents were a little unpredictable. Every now and again, Han Sen would be sent spinning around due to mad fluctuations in the flow. He actually found it difficult to swim right.

It was fortunate he could breathe underwater. Because of this, he did not have to fear drowning. The only issue was the fact he was swimming slower than he would have liked.

The lobster was trying its best to drag the peacock into the deeper recesses of the sea. Although the peacock tried to resist, it was futile. The lobster was getting its way, and deeper and deeper they went.

Han Sen chased both creatures down into the darker waters. He watched what was happening intently, biding his time for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Although the peacock was not accomplished in underwater battle, it still kicked fairly well. It did not look as if it was going to be killed by the lobster anytime soon.