Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 125 What is a human being?
What allows a naturally timid deer to walk calmly alongside a bear?
Clearly, it is at the extraordinary level.

Faced with the path of advancement, the innate gap between carnivores and herbivores was quickly leveled out. In fact, in Su Xun's eyes, this deer was even slightly stronger than the black bear.

However, both the deer and the bear showed a certain degree of fear and wariness when facing Su Xun. Even in the square, they insisted on not getting close, maintaining a distance that they probably considered relatively safe.

Su Xun didn't care about these things; he just found it interesting. In his previous life, the mutated beasts they faced were mostly cats and dogs in the city or cattle and sheep in the pasture. At that time, these creatures were a huge threat to humans, and they also provided considerable assistance when they cooperated to fight against zombies.

At this time, many people in the base had never even seen a mutated beast before, and most of those who came here with the sentinels were actually legitimate wild animals.

Only then did he realize more deeply that in this life, the balance of power and the way humans interact with mutated beasts would undergo significant changes.

After all... before the cataclysm, it was extremely difficult to find any truly large wild animals in the entire eastern coastal region.

While it's true that sika deer are still found in the mountains near Licheng, the bear was probably just an escaped animal from a zoo.

Having spent over half a month roaming outside using the Sentinels' abilities, the two they found, along with the small number of low-level mutated beasts outside the base, probably make up a significant proportion of the entire Taimon region.

So, animals were considered precious before the apocalypse, but are now even more precious after.

Of course, this does not mean that Su Xun's attitude will change.

What they are doing now is not just targeting the bear and deer in front of them, but the entire group of mutated beasts they represent. This contact process will become the norm and standard for future contact between humans and other mutated beasts.

The corresponding experience may even be applied to mutant plants that have developed sentience.

This needs to be treated with caution. At this time, the mutant beast population is still relatively weak, but some species have indeed shown considerable advantages in the apocalypse and can still become powerful forces in the future.

Moreover, it is quite evident this time that the pressure brought about by the large human population has led to the unity of mutated beasts of different races.

Bears and deer coexist peacefully, and the list of second-tier mutated beasts also includes rabbits, snakes, hedgehogs, and the like, who are currently getting along fairly well.

In my previous life, the mutant beasts were far from being a united front; these two would have had to fight each other first.

In the small square, Su Xun didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly on the ground. The two mutated beasts also lay down a little further away. The Sentinel, who possessed mental abilities, acted as the translator for this conversation.

In reality, it doesn't really understand bear language or deer language, or rather, these two languages ​​don't even exist. The difference between dogs and deer is not much smaller than that between humans and deer. Saying that animals can understand each other better is pure nonsense.

However, as a superhuman individual specializing in mental abilities, under certain conditions, a Sentinel can directly determine the other party's intentions through their mental fluctuations.

This is not mind reading. To accomplish this step, the other party needs to have a strong desire to express themselves, as well as above-average mental strength and low resistance.

Actually, this isn't a particularly rare ability. Most superhumans can use it to overcome language barriers after reaching a higher level, but it's quite rare to be able to do it at this level.

Xiao Zhenru, who also possesses mental abilities, cannot do this; her psychic powers are essentially more inclined towards offensive methods.

Although Su Xun could barely manage to do so with his higher level of cultivation and experience, it was, after all, his first time meeting these mutated beasts. They were quite resistant to Su Xun and found it difficult to communicate with him directly.

From this perspective, the Sentinel truly deserves the strength he possessed in his previous life, reaching the eighth rank, and can be considered exceptionally gifted.

The actual conversation was particularly tedious, as the third-tier mutated beasts did indeed possess intelligence comparable to that of ordinary humans.

Of course, intelligence is intelligence, and wisdom is wisdom. Ultimately, they are children who have never been to school. No matter how quick-witted they are or how hard they try to fight for their rights, they are no match for children in front of Su Xun and others.

However, Su Xun and his team didn't take this opportunity to dig too many traps for the other party. After all, this wasn't a business competition; their cooperation with the mutated beasts would last for a long time, perhaps even indefinitely. The traps they dug for the other party might end up trapping them in the future. If they only cared about immediate interests, it might lead to even greater conflicts in the future.

Under these circumstances, the conversation actually went quite smoothly. Midway through, the sika deer even provided Su Xun with information that exceeded their expectations.

Through the sentry's voice, it learned: "A very powerful zombie has appeared in the mountains northeast of Licheng. It seems to have suffered very serious injuries, but it can still easily kill a third-tier mutated beast..."

This intelligence left the group looking at each other in bewilderment. Feng Zhengze had specifically warned them that a zombie king was heading south from Yanshan towards Taimeng. Su Xun had ordered all the shelters to keep an eye on the cities, but they had not found any trace of him. Unexpectedly, the zombie king was hiding in the mountains, and his location had been discovered by the mutated beasts.

This truly is a case of "searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly."

Su Xun solemnly expressed his gratitude to the deer, and through this incident, he also concluded the conversation.

"The Earth is vast enough to accommodate mutated humans and beasts."

"As fellow travelers on the path to extraordinary achievements, we could have collaborated even better."

"Even without looking at the longer future, just in the present, the base will provide you with shelter. If you encounter any problems during your advancement, you can ask me questions just like anyone else."

"Of course, in exchange, you need to provide assistance to the base based on your own strength. This condition isn't unreasonable, is it?"

The bear and deer opposite him lowered their heads, and Su Xun understood the meaning without needing a sentry to translate.

"Then, happy working together."

Providing a suitable habitat for these mutated beasts is a task that requires considerable thought, and Qin Chang is personally in charge of this task.

After the meeting, he couldn't help but remark, "It's quite a strange feeling to be able to communicate directly with these animals. It even makes me feel like I'm talking to aliens."

Su Xun nodded and said, "I discussed the issue of animal husbandry with Elder Xu before. In fact, it's not just about animal husbandry, but also about dealing with these wild animals. We need to change our mindset. We are no longer the only intelligent life on this planet."

"What binds us together is more the current crisis; there may be benefits in the future, or there may ultimately be a certain ideology."

"At that time, these mutated beasts will be more closely integrated with us, becoming a race among us that is not composed of humans."

At this point, Su Xun suddenly smiled and said, "Actually, if we let these mutated beasts read our books, use our writing, speak our language, and do work that is beneficial to us, then in that case, can't they really be called 'humans'?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances. This line of thinking seemed rather strange, yet upon closer examination, it did make sense.

Su Xun didn't continue researching the definition of "human," but instead talked about more practical work: "In short, we need to build a framework to resolve any potential conflicts between humans and beasts in the future within this framework."

"This is a long-term task with many difficulties and contradictions to be addressed. It cannot be rushed, but it also cannot be delayed. We can start finding people to do this now."

"clear."

“Then, let’s hand over the work as soon as possible.” Su Xun’s eyes revealed a complex emotion. “Next, I will personally go to Licheng to see that… old friend.”

When this matter was mentioned, everyone lowered their eyes and remained silent.

(End of this chapter)