Super Gene Chapter 5: Swift Mantis

After causing a scene at Han Sen’s residence, Han Yumei and Han Lei issued an ultimatum to his family: they must either produce the funds or put the house up for sale within a month, or face a lawsuit.

"I feel so useless, unable to even hold onto our home." Luo Sulan clutched Han Yan to her chest, her face streaming with tears.

Luo Sulan was a gentle soul. During the time Han Sen’s father was still with them, she had been pampered like royalty. She had never even learned how to handle basic household chores like sweeping the floor. Han Sen was keenly aware of the immense struggles she had endured to raise him and his sister after their father had passed away.

"Do not worry, Mom. I am here even if Dad is gone. I won't let them take our home. You get some rest, and I will consult Uncle Zhang about this situation." Han Sen reached out to one of his father’s old friends, Mr. Zhang—the lawyer who had served as their family business’s legal counsel.

"Hi, Uncle Zhang? This is Sen... How is your back lately? I have a legal matter I need to ask your advice on... so..." Han Sen’s complexion appeared pale as he concluded the call.

His suspicion had been confirmed; the relatives were right, and they did legally possess a claim to a portion of the house. If they were to pursue a court case, the ruling would almost certainly favor their demands for either payment or a forced sale of the property.

"Sen, what was Mr. Zhang’s verdict?" Luo Sulan inquired, peering at Han Sen with a face full of anxiety.

"There is nothing to worry about, Mom. I have checked with Uncle Zhang, and there is definitely a way out. Just ensure Yan is doing well; I will handle the rest. No one will take this house from us," Han Sen replied with a reassuring grin.

"That is wonderful... simply wonderful..." Luo Sulan let out a sigh of deep relief.

After spending a night resting, Han Sen caught the train to the teleportation station and arrived at God’s Sanctuary by morning.

Han Sen materialized inside his private chamber at the Steel Armor Shelter. Every person entering God’s Sanctuary is assigned a private room that no one else can access without the owner’s specific authorization.

Before he could complete his first evolution and advance to the Second God’s Sanctuary, this chamber served as Han Sen’s home within this realm.

Currently, Han Sen lacked both influence and power. The only path forward was to scrape together two million dollars within thirty days to keep his family home.

Although the situation felt deeply unjust, without strength, he was helpless.

Two million Levo dollars was an astronomical sum for someone who had just finished their mandatory education.

Previously, earning two million in a single lifetime would have been impossible for him, let alone in just thirty days. But times had changed. In truth, the shell of the sacred-blood black beetle he had already consumed would have been worth one or two million on its own.

Even without that, he possessed the black crystal capable of evolving creatures. As long as he had it, two million was a trivial amount.

Glancing at the carcass of the primitive green-scaled beast on the floor, Han Sen hesitated briefly before carving up the body. He then dried the meat into jerky, which he stashed away in his waist pack.

He needed to capture a live creature to use the crystal's power, evolve it, and then sell its flesh for profit. Now that he possessed a suit of sacred-blood-beast soul armor, he could raise his standards and begin hunting primitive creatures rather than the ordinary ones.

Primitive creatures fetched a higher price, and he couldn't afford to waste an entire day waiting for an ordinary beast to evolve. To secure two million, Han Sen needed to sell at least one mutant creature.

Primitive creatures typically roamed about ten kilometers from the Steel Armor Shelter. Han Sen had not dared to venture that far before, but with his armor, he now felt confident.

His target this time was not the copper-toothed beast—the weakest of the primitive class—but the swift mantis commonly found in Zephyr Valley.

While classified as a primitive creature, a swift mantis possessed a fragile frame; a normal alloy dagger could kill it instantly if it struck a weak point. However, their speed was so immense that normal humans found them impossible to track. Their forelegs, shaped like serrated hacksaws, could easily shear through human bone. A single strike could leave a person permanently crippled. Because of this, very few dared to hunt them.

For Han Sen, however, the swift mantis was the ideal prey. It was merely a primitive creature, and it had no hope of slicing through his sacred-blood-beast soul armor. If the mantis could not inflict damage upon him, he could certainly kill it.

Most importantly, if he severed its claws and wings, the creature would be incapacitated but still alive. This would allow Han Sen to easily transport it back, keep it in his room, use the black crystal to facilitate its evolution into a mutant creature, and then profit from its meat.

If he got lucky and managed to kill a few of them, he might even acquire a beast soul.

The beast soul of a swift mantis manifested as a swift jagged blade, a long dagger—a weapon type Han Sen was already proficient in.

While the swift jagged blade was only a primitive beast soul, it was the sharpest of its class and rivaled some mutant-grade weapons.

Due to the danger involved, few hunters visited Zephyr Valley, and even fewer possessed a swift jagged blade. This rare weapon could easily sell for over two million. If Han Sen could obtain such a beast soul, the need to sell mutant flesh would vanish instantly.

As Han Sen neared Zephyr Valley, the sight of other people vanished. There were no signs of human activity in the vicinity of the valley at all.

Han Sen did not dare to venture too deep; instead, he located a secluded spot and summoned his sacred-blood black beetle armor, letting the golden metal encase his body. He drew a steadying breath and crept into the valley depths.

He moved with deliberate caution. The valley was overgrown with trees and wild grass that grew as tall as a man. As the vegetation swayed in the breeze, spotting a camouflaged swift mantis became an arduous task. A single moment of complacency could mean facing a lethal, bone-crushing blow from a mantis ambush.