Han Sen was taken aback when he saw what emerged from his Sea of Soul. It was an umbrella. It was thin-framed and elegant, like the sort you'd see fancy women use.
Its color was blacker than the filthiest coal, though. Even its handle was.
When the umbrella appeared, it flew above Han Sen's head. Beneath this umbrella, Han Sen felt a veil or shroud envelope him.
The cold and the shriek were gone.
Han Sen noticed, if he was able to stay within the umbrella's covering radius, all the negative and detrimental effects were filtered and kept away.
"Is this the geno core of the Dongxuan Sutra?" Han Sen quickly reviewed the information of the geno core.
Self Geno Core: Bronze Bulwark Umbrella
Beneath the protective canopy of the Bulwark Umbrella, no power was able to breach the defense and ravage them. Bao'er had returned to normal, and she seemed surprised by the sudden disappearance of the cold and sound. She examined the umbrella that now shielded her.
Han Sen went over to check on the Dragon Lady and Cheap Sheep. The lady was now doing fine.
The sheep was breathing in a raspy wheeze. It looked like the umbrella had manifested just in time, as the sheep had to have been hanging on to its life by a measly thread.
Han Sen healed Dragon Lady and Cheap Sheep as best he could for the time being. For the Dragon Lady, chunks of ice and frosty air were expelled from her mouth and various orifices. She was doing well, but the same could not be said for Cheap Sheep. He was doing poorly, despite the healing. He couldn't even speak.
"Are they gone?" Dragon Lady said, with a strained voice.
"Not yet," Han Sen replied, taking a look outside the bowl.
She couldn't sense anything outside, but that may have been a result of her condition. Han Sen, however, even though he could not detect much, could just feel a battle continuing to rage.
Fortunately, the Bulwark Umbrella had appeared to protect them when it did. With relief for their newfound safety, the group rested for a while as Han Sen tended to the sheep.
But suddenly, a sound that was as loud as a toppled mountain was heard. And then, a soft and unnerving silence enveloped them.
"It sounds as if there might have been a victor," Han Sen thought to himself.
He wasn't yet going to move from where he was, though. He didn't know who was fighting or what the fighting was about. If he emerged, and the winner was in a foul mood, he'd be foolish to reveal himself.
So, they waited where they were for a few hours. Nothing stirred for the duration of that time.
Han Sen decided to return the umbrella, and Dragon Lady her bowl.
To cut and shovel their way through the snow that had almost buried them, Dragon Lady employed her various kitchen utensils.
Everything around them was white. The mountains, the trees, the fields; all of it was perfectly blanketed in virgin snow.
"That was scary," Han Sen thought to himself, now that their frightening ordeal was over. If it wasn't for the Bulwark Umbrella, they'd be dead.
Han Sen wondered if the shelter Dragon Lady had mentioned might have suffered the same freezing fate. If it had, it was very likely the occupants of the shelter would not have survived.
Han Sen hurried Dragon Lady to guide them to the shelter, but not out of concern for the inhabitants. Had they all died, it'd make for great, easy pickings. There'd be plenty of flesh and geno cores for the taking.
Dragon Lady started taking them there, but it was a struggle. The landscape was vastly different now, having been buried by so much snow, and she feared that she might lead them astray
For a thousand miles, the snow lay thick across the land.
Dragon Lady had decided to find the shelter by choosing a direction and following it, as a crow would fly. But it was difficult for them, for they'd have to dig an entire trench that led there. The snow was too thick and too soft for them to delicately journey across.
Han Sen really wanted the treasure, though. And after a few hundred miles of non-stop walking, they thought they should have been close. Unfortunately for them, they were lost.
But at least they were not in danger. It seemed as if the snow had reset the land, and everything within the snowglobe radius had been killed. There was nothing left alive to threaten them.
"Never mind, then. Forget the shelter. Let's just get out of this place; there's nothing else for us here," Han Sen said, with a dismal tone.
They selected a new direction and decided on leaving the snow-devastated landscape behind, opting to find fonder pastures. After a thousand miles of walking, they discovered nothing. They might as well have been back where they started, for each horizon was another line of white.
"Oh, wait a minute! Something is up ahead." Cheap Sheep, who was doing better now, drew their attention.
Han Sen and Dragon Lady climbed a slope that the sheep had pointed to, and there, in the snow, was an anomaly.
Looking closer, they realized it was a tree.
"Let's take a look. If it survived when everything else didn't, it must be something pretty special. If it bears fruit, we're rich!" Han Sen quickly jumped before it, ensuring he'd be the first to grab its treasures.
The tree was ten meters tall, and pink flowers dressed the branches. It was like an oversized, pink bonsai. It possessed a lovely scent.
It was strange, seeing this tree stand out amongst the snow that had covered everything else.
As if it had a Bulwark Umbrella of its own, it seemed as if the tree had been shielded by some force that provided it a radius of protection. There was no snow circling it on the ground, either, and you could see the grass below as clear as day.
There were a few creatures beneath the tree, as well. Han Sen imagined they had been hiding there, using the eaves for shelter.
Unfortunately, the tree must have only protected them from the cold and snow, but not the noise. The creatures looked as if they were drunk, falling asleep.
When the sheep saw the drowsy creatures that were unable to fight back, it ran over to them.
"Don't!" Han Sen stopped Cheap Sheep in his hasty approach and moved closer to examine what state they were in.
A while later, a three-foot-long centipede emerged out of the back of one of the creatures. It was plated in gold, like a luxurious bracelet.
"The Gold Dragon!" Dragon Lady pulled Han Sen back immediately.
"You know what that thing is?" Han Sen asked her.
Dragon Lady nodded in confirmation, and said, "It is the mutant creature known as the Gold Dragon. Its geno core is gold-class! We can't even hope to fight that thing."
"It's injured by the screams; perhaps we can kill it?" Han Sen said, trailing it with hungry eyes.
The Gold Dragon bit into the head of another sleepy creature and began slurping down the brain juice and mush that was inside.
The creature squealed in pain, but it was unable to do anything. Having been injured the day before already, it soon gave up the ghost.
When the Gold Dragon let go, the creature's head had a massive cavity in it. It had been completely drained, leaving it like an empty coconut. Sickened and a little frightened, Cheap Sheep leaped behind Han Sen for safety.
"A creature with a gold geno core that may or may not be injured severely. I know for a fact its plates are extremely hardy, but that doesn't take much to deduce." Dragon Lady frowned, expressing it was a foolish notion to attempt attacking the sickly insect.
"Do you know what it's made of?" Han Sen asked.
Dragon Lady replied, saying, "Its geno core is Metal Robe. Once it latches onto an opponent, it won't let go until its prey has died. The Metal Robe tightens the squeeze, so it can't be shaken loose. No one can escape the clutch of the Gold Dragon."
Han Sen listened to her words intently, then turned back to look at the centipede and frowned.
Dongxuan Aura told Han Sen it was extremely injured, and that it would be best to kill the fiend now.
"You guys stand back. I'll try." After observing the insect for a little bit longer, Han Sen decided to try his luck and see if he could defeat the creature.
This was the best chance he would get to kill a gold core creature any time soon, he reckoned. So, Han Sen summoned his Bulwark Umbrella and Butler Doll. Then, they went towards the centipede-dragon.
The Gold Dragon noticed their approach and unleashed its Metal Robe, grabbing Butler Doll.
Butler Doll's eyes flashed red to petrify and turn the centipede to wood, but it was unsuccessful. It was most likely because the Butler Doll was far too weak compared to the mutant Gold Dragon.
"Now!" The moment Han Sen witnessed the Butler Doll get snatched, he exhausted all the power he could in a single strike. He wanted to attack the Gold Dragon the moment the Metal Robe couldn't be a threat to himself. It was occupied, and now there was an opening.
The robe tied the Butler Doll up, but it didn't even seem like a brain-feeding would be necessary to kill it. The Butler Doll was shattered into pieces by the squeeze.
The Metal Robe was then quick to switch targets and go for the next aggressor. Turning itself into a gold beam, it shot towards Han Sen.
Butler Doll had been killed far too quickly, but Han Sen was not yet ready to strike the dragon.
Han Sen swung his Bulwark Umbrella towards the Metal Robe. And as he did this, Han Sen summoned his Crystal Egg and lobbed it at the Gold Dragon.
As first, it seemed as if misfortune was going to strike, as the centipede was able to muster the strength necessary for a dodge and perform a clean evasion.
Fortunately, luck was on Han Sen's side that day. When the egg missed, it struck another of the creatures near the tree, then it ricocheted off that creature to ping off the back of the Gold Dragon.
Han Sen returned the egg to his Sea of Soul, and then, with his horn in hand, tried to stab the dragon.
The Metal Robe grabbed hold of the umbrella and tried to snap it.
Han Sen knew he'd have to hurry, especially after hearing the Bulwark Umbrella creak as if it were on the verge of snapping. It was an impressive piece of gear, but it was only bronze class. It may have been stronger than the butler, but it wouldn't last long going up against a gold-class geno core.
Not sure how long the umbrella would last, Han Sen shifted into fifth gear.
The Gold Dragon noticed Han Sen coming for it, and so it leaned forward, wanting to meet its target.
Han Sen raised his horn and cast Ghost Slash. When the Rubberized Dragon had just about reached his face, the horn was plunged directly into the centipede's body.
Its shell had become much softer, but not to the extent Han Sen had witnessed before. The creature was still formidable.
The horn was unable to plunge entirely through the centipede's body, and after a long drive, found itself being flung back and away. Noticing the horn didn't work, Han Sen then decided it was time to make use of Super Spank.
If Super Spank worked, the body of the Gold Dragon should shatter completely.
Han Sen wanted the creature's flesh, but he had no choice now, given the situation he was in.
Gold Dragon was injured and debuffed, but it was still no foe to underestimate. It was a violent, squirmy little thing, as well. With great anger, it fiercely went after Han Sen, shining with a gold light.
Han Sen felt his hand get cut, but he endured the pain and tried to break a part of its sequential structure through the Dongxuan Sutra.
Super Spank was able to destroy the weakest part of a foe and initiate a chain-reaction, but this enemy was so strong, it was incredibly difficult for Han Sen to do even that.
Pang!
Han Sen committed to the strike and tried throwing his weight into knocking over the first domino.