MASG chapter 160 [END Main Text]

 

Everything felt a little off. Xia Yu looked at his belly and inhaled.

Where were his six-pack abs? My height? My long legs?

All gone. Xia Yu had once been a child, but that memory was too distant. He did not even remember what he had looked like when he was little. The only trace left was when he brought Mo An to the middle layer. With Lao Gui’s help, they successfully slipped into the information database and obtained a fake identity certificate.

“Put me down! I’m not a child.” He was reluctant to describe his voice this way, but it was indeed milky and childish.

“I won’t.” Mo An lifted Xia Yu high in the air again, excitement overflowing. “I never had the chance to take care of you when you were little. Now, let me be your nanny wholeheartedly.”

“Put me down! I’m older than you. How can I let you be my nanny?” Xia Yu tried to educate him, speaking as an older brother would. But Mo An was extremely restless. After poking his belly, he poked his cheek. It was so soft, like a cotton ball. The feeling was addictive!

Xia Xiaoxiao seized the chance to kick Mo An again. “Mo An, you really look silly like this.”

“I’m not silly. I know.” He hugged Xia Yu tightly and turned to ask Professor Wang Qin, “Professor Wang, when can I take my brother back?”

Xia Yu covered his eyes. “My heavens… who can knock this fish unconscious?”

“Observe him for another 24 hours. Put him down first.” Professor Wang Qin also did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“I won’t. I’ll hold him while you observe.” Mo An domineeringly claimed Xia Yu as his own. No one could take him away.

Xia Yu did not want to accept reality, but the truth was that Mo An did not put him down. No matter what, Mo An carried him like a child, and then carried him back again. Two hours later, he and Xia Xiaoxiao started eating. Their first meal after being revived was liquid food.

Warm water entered their stomachs and activated their digestive systems.

While they were eating, Mo An explained the current situation in full detail. Yan Xia had been rescued by Nuwa at the last moment. All the robots had ceased fire. Xiang Xing protected Mi Lian and Mi Dou. Lao Gui had successfully dismantled several bombs.

Nuwa had accompanied them from beginning to end. Only Talos and his mother, Jennifer, had not yet returned. Meng Qingqing had already sent companions to search for 107, but there were still no clues. Yukun City had begun to be rebuilt, and the high tower in Huti City had been renovated. Children born now no longer needed mechanical modifications. Robots, semi-mechanical humans, and fully natural humans were attempting to coexist harmoniously.

All information about mutant species and hosts had been made public and transparent. A brand-new department would be established to manage them.

While listening, Xia Yu and Xia Xiaoxiao ate their food. Even Nuwa and Jingwei were surprised by their outstanding adaptability. Their cells had dissolved into seawater, yet the ocean precipitated them out again and returned them. There were still many secrets within jellyfish genes yet to be uncovered. After 12 hours, they tried semi-liquid food, activating their grip and walking abilities.

After 24 hours, to everyone’s anticipation, Xia Yu and Xia Xiaoxiao walked out of the laboratory.

“Where are we? It’s different from the research rooms I’ve seen before. Is it a residence?” Xia Xiaoxiao asked in the elevator.

“This is where we live and work. It’s also the central hub of the area. We all work here.” Yan Xia crouched down to speak with her.

“Work?” Xia Xiaoxiao seemed particularly curious about these matters. “I’ve never worked before. After my body returns to its original state, I want to work.”

“Of course you can. But I won’t give you special treatment just because we’re close.” Yan Xia was very strict. “I’ll evaluate you, then find a suitable job for you. Right now, we’re in the process of establishing the Mutant Species Administration Bureau. We need quite a lot of people.”

“No problem. I’m looking forward to it. Definitely don’t give me special treatment.” Xia Xiaoxiao squeezed her hand, then turned to look at Silver Fang. “I don’t think I had the chance to thank you properly that day. It was too rushed.”

Silver Fang tilted his head slightly and rarely squeezed out a smile. “It’s fine.”

“I really like your mechanical modifications. They’re very cool.” Xia Xiaoxiao had clearly already found her future interest. With a serious face, she planned for her and her brother’s future. “Mo An, can you put my brother down now? He isn’t your private property.”

Mo An held Xia Yu and pretended to look at the surveillance camera above.

“I know you can hear me,” said Xia Xiaoxiao.

“Huh? What did you say?” Mo An pretended to casually lower his head. “It’s better if I keep holding him. What if he falls?”

Xia Yu had already stopped struggling because he had struggled all the way there. “If I fall, I’ll stand up myself.”

“That won’t do. You don’t know how many people are in the corridor right now. There are quite a few robots bustling around, too. Sigh. This world is too chaotic. I’m not at ease.” Mo An rambled nonsense. When the elevator doors opened, he stepped out first. His anxious pace nearly collided with a robot.

“Slow down.” Mi Dou quickly grabbed his sleeve. “Or…how about I hold him for a bit?”

“Why do you all want to hold me? I can walk by myself,” Xia Yu protested in vain.

“All right… Actually, I also want to hug once.” Mi Dou glanced at Xia Xiaoxiao. She had a sharpness about her, so he didn’t dare. “How is everyone arranging tonight? Who will Xiaoxiao stay with?”

“Stay with me. I don’t know how to take care of children, but she’s not a child; she’s an adult.” Yan Xia looked toward the communicator. “Xi Ban said he has already prepared dinner for everyone. Do we want to go over now?”

When Mo An heard the word “dinner,” he remembered that he hadn’t eaten in a long time, and his stomach gurgled. However, he first looked at Xia Yu and asked, “Do you want to go over now?”

Xia Yu looked at his and Xiaoxiao’s lab suits. The frown on his childish face looked completely out of place: “Let’s change into clean clothes first. At least give me a pair of shoes!”

Xia Xiaoxiao was wearing comfortable flat shoes, but he was barefoot with a pair of little feet. Mo An seemed to have made up his mind not to let him walk and actually carried him out barefoot. Finally, they returned to the familiar room. Xi Ban rushed in, holding many children’s clothes in his arms.

“These are all the clothes I could find. Xia Yu, choose what to wear.” He pulled out a skirt, saying, “How about this one for Xiaoxiao? It’s light blue; she might like it. I’ll send it to her now.”

“Let her choose herself. Her ideas are better than mine.” Xia Yu stood on the bed; his height didn’t even reach Mo An’s chest. He waved his short little arms, stretched out his bun-like hand, and pointed. “Give me that piece of clothing.”

“This one?” Mo An resisted the urge to touch his belly and handed over a pair of work pants.

“And that.” Xia Yu continued, “Outer coat.”

“These pants are a bit big for you, aren’t they?” Mo An worked tirelessly and handed him the coat.

“It does look a bit big… but I’ll make do with it. It’s fine. Professor Wang said I grow very fast. Maybe after a year, it will fit.” Xia Yu had already accepted the situation. He put on a whole set of children’s clothes and pattered around looking for shoes. “Dou Dou, help me find a smaller pair. These are all too big.”

Click! Along with the sound of a camera shutter, there was a flash of light.

“What are you doing?” Xia Yu swished around and looked toward Mi Dou.

Mi Dou smiled and showed Xia Yu his wristband. “Keeping some cute moments as a memory!”

“Don’t take pictures anymore. Me like this is too embarrassing. I actually became the smallest one among you. Quickly delete it!” Xia Yu took a few quick steps toward Mi Dou, wanting to grab the phone to save face. However, there were too many children’s clothes on the ground. He couldn’t kick them away all at once. His legs were short. After a few steps, he tripped and fell face down in a big sprawl.

“Ah, yo!” Xia Yu cried out.

This sound could be said to shake heaven and earth. Mo An and Mi Dou were already highly nervous, not taking their eyes off Xia Yu for a moment, afraid that he would get hurt. The two ran toward him urgently, neither braking in time. After a loud bang, their heads collided.

Xia Yu heard the muffled sound and raised his baby-fat little face in fright.

Mo An was hit so hard that golden stars appeared in his eyes. Bear-type synthetic humans have a much higher bone density than ordinary people, and even mermaids cannot compare. Mi Dou almost knocked out his brain, and his eyes were full of golden stars at that moment.

Mi Dou sat down hard on his butt and rubbed his bear ears. He looked toward Mo An. “So painful…”

“You still have the nerve to say that? You’re a bear; how can you say it’s painful? Are you bullying fish?” Mo An pointed to his red, swollen forehead and said, “Let Xia Yu judge…”

The bear and the fish both looked at the jellyfish. Xia Yu couldn’t comment right away. The three of them stared at each other and then burst into laughter simultaneously. The scene was so familiar—exactly like when they were little. Back then, at Power Plant No. 3, their younger selves had clumsily bumped into each other and huddled together. They grew up side by side.

After experiencing countless difficulties, had they really grown up? Xia Yu touched his calf; once, he had really thought he would die. This is the taste of growing up, making people endlessly reminisce. Now, he only hopes his body can quickly return to its original state. Yan Xia said that in this world, there are still many things that have not been solved: The three of them—himself, Mo An, and Dou Dou—still have many things to do and countless challenges to face.

This time, however, they no longer need to fight against the apocalypse because the apocalypse has ended. Each day brings a new century.

Their laughter lasted a long time, and outside the window, there was a full, round moon.

The perfectly round moon illuminated the lighthouse of A Port. Because of the lighthouse, the sea surface lost its desolate hue. On the calm sea, a water ripple slowly formed, accompanied by melodious singing. A mist-white mermaid circled the black reefs, playing with the light and shadow of the lighthouse.

Transparent seawater slid down her fish scales. The white siren finally went ashore and sat on the wooden platform below the lighthouse. She raised her head and looked up at a statue.

“Talos.” The white siren smiled.

The sword in the hand of the statue of Guardian Talos moved slightly, almost unnoticeably, waking the little white cat sleeping curled at his feet.

The sea’s surface remained calm, receiving tonight’s boundless moonlight.