Super Gene Ascension Chapter 15

"You want to take part in the newcomer tournament for people entering the Sanctuaries for the first year?" Yang Manli spoke in some confusion before she said quickly. "One second Jake."

She audibly pulled her phone away, and I heard muffled voices. All the while I was sitting on my plain wooden chair that was next to my bed. 

My training with Mio had gone well, her physical training was the result of her very rich family/clan's centuries of having access to Geno martial arts as well as the best other resources.

The only 'issue' with Mio was that she was a rather busy person, even beyond just her training and needing to hit the Sanctuary to get our Geno points. As being part of a powerful clan and getting it's resources, she also had to contribute back to the clan in various ways.

With her clan being subordinate to Qin Xuan's Qin clan who was also the literal owner/guardian of the planet I was living on in the 'real world' it made sense.

Finally, after a minute, Yang Manli spoke back up with a wry tone in her voice. "Jake, you are still new to the Steel Legion, so although Qin Xuan will happily sponsor your entry into the tournament. We can't offically endorse you due to the senior members of the legion and their families who will also be taking part."

I knew what she meant, basically if Yang Manli, Qin Xuan's right hand showed too much favortism towards me. It would make the very rich clans and families who had their younger generation in Qin Xuan's Steel Legion uncomfortable with how I, a peasant was getting such attention.

An exhale left me before I shrugged and said evenly as it didn't matter with how I had the Jade Skin Sutra already for a foundation. "I am fine. I already got some decent Beast Souls, I don't need any money either seeing as the battle itself happens in virtual space as well." 

Yang Manli made a humming noise before she said firmly. "Fine, I will have you on the docket for the tournament and will send the details over when it is setup. Anyway, I have things to do to prepare for the hunt tommorrow so I will talk to you later."

With that she hung up the phone and I sagged into my bed as I muttered to myself. "Hunting a bunch of Sacred Blood creatures... That is going to be a mess even if we succeed."

Even with Qing Xuan's Steel Legion having more than half of the gene warriors of the Black Steel Shelter and even pull in the other neighboring Shelter's as well. Human's hunting down a large tribe of Sacred Blood creatures was going to be... Very messy.

No doubt that even if a couple hundred hunters assembled and we all hunted at our peak strength and our human tactics played out as well as we could hope. I knew at least a few people were assuredly going to die.

As Sacred Blood creatures here in the First Sanctuary was where the animals/beasts had clearly supernatural traits and abilities oftenly.

And humans didn't get access to such abilities until we underwent the Baptism as we were moved from the First, and then to the Second Sanctuary.

'I just need to worry about myself... We will outnumber the tribe of minotaurs heavily like ten to one, so it's just a matter of pulling them all down.' I thought before I closed my eyes and readied myself for some good sleep.

-

The next day in the Black Steel Shelter was a mad house honestly, people no aligned to Qin Xuan's Steel Legion were trying to sell the legion all kinds of goods and consumable Beast Souls.

Likewise all the gene warriors of the Steel Legion who were going on this expedition were running around gathering supplies as well in large wheeled kayaks. Which could go through all terrain basically.

"A three-day expedition. This is going to be a shitshow really." I muttered as this was going to be the longest period I was out of the safety of the Shelter as when I went after the Jade Skin Sutra, it only lasted the better part of a day and a half.

And all the while, as predators roamed the forests at night I knew I wasn't at the top of the food chain. Especially with that damned Super tier tiger fucking about.

"Wait... Where the hell has the tiger been last seen?" I muttered in realization before my face pinched as I realized that could also be an issue with how that damned petty tiger was still going after humans for 'Son of Heaven's' attempt in hunting the damned thing.

I was actually rather worried about that, so seeing Yang Manli at the gate of the shelter checking her backpack, I went over with her raising an eyebrow at seeing me. "Good morning Jake... You got a good bit of luggage yourself, are you going to be able to carry it?" She asked with some concern.

An honest chuckle left me before I said proudly. "Yeah, you would be right that I have too much stuff, honestly, for myself to carry. But I got myself a Wood Eating Buffalo, Beast Soul as a mount to carry my stuff!"

Yang Manli actually looked jealous as she said with a click of the tongue. "Impressive. They are almost a perfect mount besides being unable to deal with the desert region to the far west. Besides the desert, they can carry decent loads, they are large and strong so they can defend themselves, and they can even swim!"

My lips twitched as I also recalled one of 'Woodies' only bad traits even with the couple of weeks I let him cook in my Beast Soul space with the geno Gem and evolving to Sacred Blood tier.

He was a fucking donkey with his sense of humor and due to his fiber-rich diet... He had the worst form of gas that could sing a symphony of flatulence and also fill a natural gas tank.

"So, any newbies we need to be worried about?" I asked more quietly as I was rather scared of getting some young masters/little ladies from noble families like the redhead trio that she dumped on me previously.

"You mean besides yourself? You are the only one coming who hasn't been in the Sanctuaries for at least six months Jake." Yang Manli teased with a wry smile crossing her face.

Then I asked the question that alluded to the first reason I even came over here actually. "This is the first big expedition since Son of Heaven's act that got that tiger on everyone in the shelter. Has Qin Xuan made any plans should the tiger come after us?"

Yang Manli's face tightened at the reminder of the deadly tiger, and she slowly nodded. "Yes, we have prepared several consumable Sacred Blood Beast souls to be used on the tiger."

I blinked as that was certainly something. Consumable/one-time use Beast Souls were often bomb like Beast Souls who would hit well beyond their base tier's power due to their one-time use nature using all of it's power at once.

As you should break like a sword or even a pet/mount beast soul die or be destroyed in battle. They could recover in your Beast Soul Space inside of your soul.

But a one-time use item directly exploded it's very origin for max power so it coudn't be retrieved or anything.

So even though Super tier creatures especially here in the first Sanctuary were damn near unkillable by humans. They would still get hurt by Sacred Blood consumable weapons.

"How many does she have is the question?" I said thoughtfully with Yang Manli snorting and saying rightfully.

"We can never have enough Sacred Blood-tier anything. Hell, there has been pressure by some of the senior members who are asking how YOU have Sacred Blood tier armor and a spear already." 

I shrugged and said calmly. "Skill and determination." 

And she just sniffed at the obvious deflection with her humming and saying thoughtfully. "On the other hand, you still have a month and a half till the tournament as well. If you are careful, perhaps you can also get a couple of dozen Sacred Blood geno points to enhance your body. How is your mutant geno points at this point?"

"Got seventy-three mutant geno points." I said simply with Yang Manli's face twitching, as my speed in getting my geno points was still clearly too damned much for her!

She then shook her head and said. "Good... You have the talent of a Surpasser at least!"

"Just make sure you don't get cocky. As you well know from your schooling days, the second level of the Sanctuary is where Humanity is truly tested." She finished with a sigh as it was true.

The First Sanctuary was just the 'tutorial' for the Sanctuaries; it had safe zones in shelters after all, and humanity was the only sentient race here, obviously.

The second level and beyond however, had spirits that could to an extent, control the beasts of the Sanctuaries, and they often controlled the Shelter's which humanity needed to get home back to the 'real universe'

Hence why a lot of people never 'graduated' from the first to the second sanctuary due to how dangerous it was.

"How about you? How is your mutant geno points looking?" I asked curiously.

"I got everything but Sacred Blood points maxed out. I have been in the first Sanctuary for three years after all." Yang Manli said with an easy shrug.

The clopping of hoofs rang out, and Qin Xuan in her horse shapeshifting beast soul, came out of the forest with several other hunters behind her as she quickly transformed back into her human form.

"Yang Manli, are we ready to go yet?" Qin Xuan asked her right hand before she gave me a slight nod in acknowledgment as I stepped aside to let the leaders of my faction get into things.

I made my way over to the other members of the Steel Legion I had talked to in passing over the last few weeks I had been part of the group.

And after a few minutes, a sharp whistle rang out that got everyone who had been assembled to perk up as Qin Xuan waved her hand towards us to follow before transforming back using her horse Beast Soul.

'Hmm that horse themed shapeshifting Beast Soul is probably Mutant tier. Not that great for combat as the horse obviously doesn't have human hands to use other beast souls. But it certainly makes getting around easier.' I mused thoughtfully.

Still with that callout, it was clearly time for us to get a move on, and it was certainly something as we all. A group of like two hundred advanced hunters left the Black Steel Shelter at once to go out on this hunt.

Once we got out of the shelter, I then summoned woody and climbed atop the large water buffalo that was now the size of a Bull Elephant from my old world and I saw several people who DID NOT have a mount looking with undisguised envy and jealousy at my ride.

"You didn't say that your Wood Eating Buffalo was an Abberant as well... That's a Sacred Blood Beast Soul in the Mount category, right?"

"Yup, it's only a mount, sadly." I said with a wry smile as there was a difference between a 'mount' and a 'pet' Beast Soul. Pet, Beast Soul's had the ability to often have special abilities as well as the ability to grow stronger at least within their own tier.

Mounts, however, were gifted with almost infinite stamina, allowing them carry their master's all the time as well. While also normally being very durable so even if another beast launched a suprise attack on it, they wouldn't be hampered by an attack from a beast from the same tier!

Yang Manli snorted and said with a hiss. "Don't give me that shamed look Jake! I would happily trade my own weapon for such a mount with how it could help me escape a bad situation."

She then looked around and said more quietly. "If someone pressures you into letting them ride it or to sell it to them. Just tell them to talk to me and I will set them right!"

I nodded helplessly as I was well aware there were several young masters and young ladies in Qin Xuan's Steel Legion. And if I didn't use Yang Manli and by extension Qin Xuan's authority to smack them down.

Those young masters would throw a fucking tantrum if I just refused them offhandedly.

As was proven from that Xue clan, young master Xue Long Yan, whom I beat to death when he attacked me for not giving away my Sacred Blood Beast Soul Armor.

Yang Manli rode her own Primitive horse Beast Soul mount back up to the front of the hunting line, and I was left alone as I was riding near the left side and in the middle of the pack as Qin Xuan's most trusted hunters were covering the rear.

"Hmm, although running with this many people is probably the safest way... There is still the issue of all the damned beasts being scared away by the huge movement." I muttered to myself.

After all, I still needed to fill out my Mutant tier geno points as well.

Still, I just relaxed on Woody's back as I knew this was going to be a long trip... So I just laid out mostly flat on the large swaying back of the fucking massive buffalo and just stared up at the bright, blue sunny sky above us through the tree's we were passing through.

-

My previous assumptions about my ability to hunt down any mutant-tier beasts were completely correct. I didn't get to see a damned thing, and even when Woody stomped some tiny shit trying to run past him. They were only tiny Ordinary and Primitive animals and bugs.

The march continued for a solid twelve hours, only broken up by three, half an hour breaks to allow ourselves to eat from the stored rations and allow our drinks to settle before we continued.

And it was only as the sun began crested below the horizon and we were facing night that Qin Xuan called an end to the march.

"Pull the felled trees and debris around to make a perimeter around camp! You all know your designations for pulling watch!" Qin Xuan ordered harshly.

"Whelp, you go ahead and rest, big guy." I muttered as I slid off of Woody's large body and stretched before I made my way over to the large bonfire being started to get my own budle of flames to start my own fire.

Once I got my own fire started, I pulled off the 'saddle' of bags of supplies I brought off of Woody's back, who chuffed and sent me a knowing look as I put him back into my Beast Soul space.

"Alrighty... Let's just make a simple soup for tonight, I guess." I muttered as I threw some dried meat, and some aromatics/herbs into a fold-out pot filled with water to begin cooking.

Sure, it was on the simpler side, but I just needed something that itself wasn't just jerky to fill my stomach with.

However, from the main fire and group came a duo I recognized all too well in the two voluptuous beauties in their tight-fitting Sacred Blood/Mutant Tier beast soul armor.

Qin Xuan, walked over, then, in order not to loom over me as she clearly wanted to speak to me for a minute, knelt a few feet away as I was clearly working on my own food.

"Jake, I was hoping that your mount could stick to the front of the line tomorrow. You have the biggest mount, and its movements would be helpful in beating down the brush as we hit a plains region in the morning." Qin Xuan spoke seriously.

I nodded in understanding and agreement as it made sense. Plus, being at the front of the line meant those young masters and ladies wouldn't be eyeing me all day again.

"Sure, that's fine." I said in agreement.

To which Qin Xuan gave me a light smile before she said thoughtfully. "Good... Actually, Yang Manli told me you plan to participate in the youth tournament for first-year survivors in the First Sanctuary next month. How about you and I do some sparring so you can more easily get used to fighting other humanoids?"

"I assume you mean after this expedition, though right?" I asked with a slight joke 

To which Qin Xuan snorted and said with amusement. "Yes, Jake, that is the case. I will get your communication contact from Yang Manli and we can set a date after this expedition. Now excuse me but even I must go to make my own food."

Yang Manli sent me a small wave as well as she followed the leader of the legion leaving me alone as I just shrugged and waited for the dried jerky and other goodies to soften up and make it into somewhat of a soup.

But it was only as I was drinking said soup that I paused as I realized what had been digging at me mentally for the last few minutes.

'Wait... I just remembered what was so familiar about that situation. To have an excuse to beat the shit out of Han Sen, Qin Xuan also invited him to just 'spar', but he turned it around on her!'

And by turn it around on her. Han Sen went out of his way to learn a martial art that targeted women's sensitive points, combined with grappling techniques, to molest and pin down Qin Xuan in the sparring sessions.

Then as I relaxed against Woody's back after I re-summoned him with some fresh lively wood for him to eat. Beyond the fireflies, star's and moon bring light to the pitch dark forests... I could see glowing eye's that reflected our bonfire's harsh burning light.

'Yeah... I fucking know one of those sets of eyes is that damned tiger.' I thought with a shiver escaping me at the thought of a Super tier tiger watching us all with hunger clear in it's gaze.