No one answered the canary’s question.
That was because the two little cubs on the sofa were engaged in a fierce battle.
To be more precise, the green-scaled viper was effortlessly overwhelming the little fox. The gap between an S-class and an A-class mutant was evident. With just the tip of its tail, the viper could pin the fox in place.
Previously, the little fox had managed to hold its own, but that was only because the viper hadn’t been taking it seriously.
Now, unable to move, the little fox was furious, nearly bristling with rage. “Just wait! When I fully evolve, I’ll definitely reach S-class!”
This wasn’t just an empty boast.
As a higher-level mutant, the viper could sense the fluctuations in the little fox’s energy. It seemed likely that in less than a month, the fox would complete its evolution.
However, if the little fox thought that reaching S-class would put them on equal footing, it was being far too naive.
The viper let out a sneering laugh, lifting the little fox and giving it a shake. “S-class? Ha! Do you have any idea how long I’ve been at S-class? If you want to challenge me, try again in twenty years.”
Saying this, the viper fell into thought.
After some quick calculations, it realized that its evolution timeline wasn’t too different from the little fox’s.
But they weren’t part of the same batch of modified mutants.
Could it be that the aura of Number One had been so strong that it had accelerated their collective growth?
After pondering for a while and failing to figure it out, the viper shook its head and dismissed the thought.
Evolving sooner meant they could rid themselves of genetic instability earlier, which was undoubtedly a good thing for any mutant.
Though there was no higher rank beyond S-class, once fully evolved, the viper was confident it would become even stronger. It was actually looking forward to it.
“Waaah, Jiujiu—”
The little fox, feeling utterly defeated, burst into tears and threw itself into the canary’s arms, seeking comfort.
The canary quickly caught it and began soothing it.
Just because the canary hadn’t interfered didn’t mean he wasn’t concerned for the little fox. He knew that the viper was only playing around and wasn’t actually trying to hurt it.
Avoiding harm was an instinct for all mutants. If the little fox had truly felt unsafe around the viper, it would have kept its distance long ago.
As the canary gently stroked the back of the little fox’s neck, he felt a sense of relief.
It was almost hard to believe.
Before meeting Wen Xin, his insecure self would have definitely thought the viper was bullying the little fox.
The viper, however, felt no guilt at all for teasing the little fox, watching with amusement as the pink creature whimpered.
After a while, the viper vaguely recalled that the canary had asked something earlier. “What did you say earlier?”
The canary repeated his question.
The viper raised its chin and sneered at the question. “Do you think Wen Xin is stupid?”
Setting everything else aside, just watching how number one reacted during its genetic instability episodes was enough to show that something was clearly off.
The canary, however, misunderstood the viper’s response, assuming that Wen Xin already knew everything.
He froze for a moment, then suddenly felt a burst of joy and excitement. His heart seemed to explode like a firework, his eyes lighting up with happiness.
For so long, the canary had felt deeply guilty. Wen Xin had treated them with such sincerity, yet they had hidden so much from him.
But there had been no other choice.
On one hand, they had been on the run for so long that they were afraid to trust anyone.
On the other hand, during their time at the base, they had fully experienced humanity’s attitude toward mutants.
And those weren’t just ordinary humans—they were the ones who had created them.
To those people, they were expendable, easily replaceable. They were also seen as savage, dangerous monsters that needed to be subdued with electric shocks and drugs.
Not to mention, the canary had recently come across a phrase in one of the books he had been reading:
“Those who are not of our kind will have different hearts.”
This saying has been included as a famous quote, representing humanity’s general worldview.
Toward non-human beings, people didn’t seek closeness—they only felt fear and suspicion.
Once the canary understood this, it became hard for him to fully accept Wen Xin’s kindness.
But now it seemed all those worries were unnecessary.
Not only did Wen Xin know they were mutants, but he also wasn’t afraid of them. How could the canary not feel overjoyed and moved?
Unable to hold back, he asked, “So what was Wen Xin’s reaction when he first found out you were mutants? Was he really surprised?”
The viper blinked. “What are you talking about?”
The canary stared, confused. “What?”
Seeing the viper’s bewildered expression, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on the canary, immediately extinguishing the warmth he had just felt.
Suddenly, he remembered something important—maintaining their disguises drained energy.
If Wen Xin really knew everything, why were Number One and Number Seven still pretending to be cats?
The canary stiffly glanced toward the bedroom. He hadn’t spoken very loudly earlier, so he wasn’t sure if Wen Xin had overheard.
Since there hadn’t been any commotion from inside, it was probably, maybe, hopefully fine.
Turning back, the canary lowered his voice and asked, “So Wen Xin doesn’t know we’re mutants?”
Though the viper wasn’t familiar with human customs, it knew that hiding something like this would probably make people angry, just like when it had secretly eaten Wen Xin’s snacks.
Its previously confident stance deflated, and it spoke with much less certainty. “Of course, he doesn’t know. Do you want him to be afraid of us?”
The canary opened his mouth but struggled to find the right words. After a moment, he asked, “So Wen Xin also doesn’t know that we’re here because we need to borrow the number one’s aura to evolve?”
At this, the viper bristled.
“Don’t make it sound like we’re doing something shady. Even if number one leaves, I’ll still stay with Wen Xin.”
The canary wasn’t convinced, cutting straight to the point. “If number one wasn’t here, would you have approached Wen Xin in the first place?”
The viper faltered.
Without number one’s presence, if it had seen any human—especially one it found repulsive and detestable—there was no way it would have willingly gotten close. It wouldn’t even have considered them as food.
The little fox had never thought about this, mostly because Wen Xin had never forced it to.
Seeing the serious expressions on the viper and the canary, the fox finally realized something was wrong.
In a small voice, the little fox said, “But Wen Xin knows we came here to find someone, right? So it’s okay, isn’t it?”
Hearing this, the canary’s tense expression relaxed a little.
But the viper’s face grew even more troubled.
The canary and the others had legitimate reasons, but the viper didn’t.
Understanding human emotions was far too complicated for the viper. It could only imagine the situation from its own perspective.
Wen Xin had taken them in, probably seeing them as companions. As long as they didn’t cause trouble or challenge his authority, he’d probably be happy to keep them around.
But what if they were only pretending to be loyal to Wen Xin, when in reality they were there for the number one?
The viper’s face fell.
This was bad.
The more it thought about it, the angrier it got. It would’ve bitten anyone who tried to trick it!
After this realization, the viper was deeply troubled.
If Wen Xin found out the truth and got so angry that he tried to bite it, should it dodge?
If it dodged, Wen Xin might get even angrier. But if it didn’t, would Wen Xin break his fragile human teeth?
Seeing the viper’s dejected look, the canary couldn’t bring himself to ask any more questions.
He took a deep breath, raised a trembling hand, and covered his face, feeling like the future looked bleak.
The viper grew more anxious by the second, and the canary’s reaction only added to its stress.
The viper snorted, trying to sound nonchalant. “It’s not a big deal. So what if we’re hiding it?”
“Besides, Wen Xin is different from other humans. Even if he finds out we’re mutants, he’ll still accept us.”
Hearing this, the canary quietly looked up at the viper.
Even the little fox glanced over.
The viper stammered, “W-what? Did I say something wrong?”
The little fox softly replied, “Would you dare show Wen Xin your true form?”
Mutants that had undergone genetic modification were no longer in the realm of normal animals.
For example, a typical green-scaled viper in the wild would be impressive if it reached 80 centimeters. But the viper here was a full 7 meters long.
If it used its tail for support, it could stand taller than a two-story building.
The viper was proud of its true form and was about to protest.
But the canary reminded it, “I heard that when ten human interns first entered the base, five of them cried when they saw you, three fainted, and the last two tried to break down the door to escape.”
The viper fell silent.
Embarrassed and furious, it growled, “Fine! I wouldn’t dare show my true form. But would any of you?”
The little fox blinked and wagged its fluffy tail. “I would. I’ve always been in my true form. My fur hasn’t even changed color.”
The viper turned to the canary.
The canary cleared his throat. “I currently appear as a canary.”
A small, harmless, cute bird, often kept as a pet.
The viper sighed loudly, unable to bring itself to ask number one if it dared to show its true form.
So, instead, it turned toward the balcony, only to see the little blue walrus climbing out of its water basin, an unusual occurrence.
Strangely, though the water in the basin rippled as the little blue walrus moved, none of it clung to its body. Only its paws were slightly damp.
By the time the little blue walrus reached them, even that little bit of moisture had disappeared, leaving the floor dry and spotless.
Seeing this, the viper narrowed its eyes.
This A-class walrus had always given the viper a strange feeling.
As an S-class mutant, the viper should have easily dominated anything below its level, yet it instinctively didn’t want to provoke the little blue walrus.
This didn’t make sense.
Mutants naturally suppressed those of lower ranks, a biological instinct deeply imprinted in their genes.
For the little blue walrus to intimidate the viper, it would have to be S-class. But the viper could clearly sense that the little blue walrus’s energy was only at A-class.
Could it be that the little blue walrus was masking its true strength?
The little fox wasn’t one for overthinking. Seeing the little blue walrus finally leave the basin, it curiously asked, “Blue, why are you out of the water?”
The little blue walrus spoke slowly. “Something’s happening.”
The little fox tilted its head. “What’s happening?”
“The humans in this city…their presence is rapidly disappearing.”
The canary furrowed its brow. “What do you mean by that?”
Meanwhile, in Wen Xin’s bedroom.
The black cat, who had been napping on the young man’s lap, suddenly opened its eyes, staring intently in one direction.
“What’s wrong?”
Wen Xin handed the rest of the rope to the purple squirrel and asked curiously.
Before he could get an answer, his phone suddenly lit up with a notification.
“An emergency alert has been issued to all residents of G City!”
The bold red text immediately caught Wen Xin’s attention, filling him with a sense of unease.
Before he could even click to read it, a sharp siren blared from outside.
Was it a police car? An ambulance? A firetruck?
…No.
Wen Xin listened carefully, and his heart sank.
It was the citywide emergency alarm!
Correction, he knows your “mutants” he’s seen #1s form but no one else knows but #1. He’s keeping silent about what he knows until you guys are comfortable to say.