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Because Darian was wearing the Fool's Ring, Charles's telepathy completely lost its effect on him.
Just as the Fool's Ring description stated, it had the beauty of mental energy not passing through the brain. This effect was not a forceful resistance or shield, but rather a direct disregard, like a mud ox entering the sea, leaving no trace.
Therefore, Charles did not realize that his ability had become ineffective, just like making a call, but the other party never responded.
And Darian also didn't know the message Charles was trying to convey. He just felt that this guy kept staring at him without speaking, acting like a master.
"Ahem, I mean, we are all Mutants, just like you."
Failing to impress at the start, Charles felt a bit awkward and finally chose to communicate in a simple way.
Darian chuckled: "You said Mutants have some special abilities. So what's your ability, staring blankly?"
Charles: "..."
This made it even more awkward. He didn't understand why his ability had no effect on Darian. The problem was that all his skills were focused on telepathy, so he couldn't prove his ability to Darian.
In desperation, he had no choice but to turn to Raven beside him and whispered, "Help me out, Raven."
Raven couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, seeing Charles's rare discomfiture.
Then, a layer of blue scales quickly appeared on her body. In a blink of an eye, she transformed into Darian's appearance, even replicating the subtle Texture of the mask on Darian's face perfectly, as if looking in a mirror.
[NPC: Raven Darkholme]
[Codename: Mystique]
[Affection: 10]
[Evaluation: Can perfectly transform into anyone. Having her is equivalent to having all the women in the World, and of course, men too. Both height and length are absolutely identical.]
"Hiss!"
Darian gasped.
This ability is quite strong, equivalent to an unlimited character customization feature.
He wondered if she could create Cthulhu.
He really wanted to see it.
However, Darian possessed Fiery Golden Eyes and could clearly see that Raven's true form was a red-haired Avatar covered in scales. It seemed she wasn't wearing clothes, and well, there was nothing that needed to be pixelated.
Charles thought Darian was astonished by Raven's ability and smiled, "This is Raven's ability. She can transform into anyone. She is a Mutant, just like us."
Don't talk nonsense, who's a Mutant? I'm a Saiyan.
Just as Darian was about to retort, the system's voice suddenly rang in his mind.
[Starting formal distribution of dungeon quests]
[Quest: Mutant Rise]
[Objective: Personally create a Mutant guild. The number of Mutant members must not be less than 12 (0/12)]
[Reward: Will be determined based on the guild's influence and members]
Darian's expression changed, and he shook his head with a sigh: "I didn't expect that even with my deep concealment, you still discovered me. That's right, I am a Mutant!"
Charles smiled: "Don't worry, you're not alone. I will help you."
"Help me?" Darian was a little surprised.
Charles nodded: "Yes, we saw what happened in the alley just now. You saved the family of three from the thugs, but you took their cash."
"However, you didn't harm anyone, nor did you take more valuables. If I'm not mistaken, you must have encountered financial troubles, which forced you to do this, right?"
Darian was stunned, not expecting Charles's ability to imagine things to be so strong.
If the other party had gotten closer and seen the golden desert eagle he was holding, he probably wouldn't have thought that way.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes."
Darian naturally wouldn't explain on his own initiative. He followed Charles's words and asked, "So how do you plan to help me?"
"I have money."
Charles's words were concise, yet inexplicably convincing.
Darian immediately stepped forward and put his arm around Charles's shoulder, enthusiastically saying, "So you also have the power of money! What else is there to say, we're brothers! My name is Darian, how should I address you?"
"You can just call me Charles."
"Alright, Charles, getting along is a kind of fate. How about we find a place to eat and chat? My treat, your money!"
"Of course, no problem."
The two men, arms around each other's shoulders, looked like old friends reuniting after many years, which made Raven, who was standing by, a bit speechless.
Do men's friendships really form this quickly?
Inside a private room of a luxurious restaurant.
At this moment, Darian had taken off his mask, gnawing on a steak, and said indistinctly, "You mean, Mutants are extremely rare in this World?"
Charles took a sip of red wine and replied, "Yes, besides Raven, you are the second Mutant I've truly encountered. Other Mutants generally don't easily reveal their abilities. Unless specifically investigated, it's very difficult to determine if they are Mutants."
The so-called investigation was actually him using telepathy to peek into other people's memories.
As for whether doing so was a bit unethical...
Charles stated that since they didn't explicitly refuse, it meant they didn't mind.
"I see."
Darian was a bit troubled by this.
He thought that since he encountered two Mutants before even leaving the Novice Village (novice village), the spawn rate shouldn't be low. He didn't expect them to be so rare that even Charles, who had lived for so many years, had encountered very few Mutants.
In that case, his quest would be troublesome.
The quest objective was to establish a Mutant guild and recruit 12 Mutants.
Even if Charles and Raven were invited into his guild, there would still be ten slots missing. Where would he find them?
"By the way, I still don't know what your ability is, Darian?" Charles asked curiously.
At that time, he and Raven only saw Darian kicking someone into a wall painting, but it was hard to determine what the specific ability was.
After all, Mutant abilities are bizarre and diverse. Although on the surface it was a kick that sent someone flying into a wall, perhaps the other party's true ability was telekinesis.
Hearing Charles's words, Darian felt a bit conflicted.
According to Charles, if abilities that were different from ordinary people could be considered Mutant abilities, then he had too many abilities.
Darian thought for a moment and said, "I can use magic."
But Darian clarified: "it's magic, the kind of magic where you chant spells to cast."
"Oh, that kind of magic."
Charles suddenly understood, then paused: "Huh? magic?"
No, I'm talking science with you, and you're talking fantasy with me?
Charles said helplessly, "Darian, we must believe in science. There is no magic in this World, only special abilities brought by genetic mutation."
Your abilities are the most unscientific.
Darian didn't say much. With a flash of white light in his hand, he instantly conjured a magic sword. With a casual wave, he neatly sliced off the corner of the sturdy table.
"My goodness!"
Both people present were startled by the sight.
Charles looked at the magic sword and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a sharp light saber!"
"This is a magic sword!"
Darian habitually corrected him, explaining, "This is just a basic magic. There are more powerful spells, but I haven't been studying for long enough to cast higher-level magic yet."
Charles still didn't think it was magic and pressed, "So, when you kicked that person into the wall earlier, was that magic too?"
"Oh no, that was purely my own strength. This is very common in our mage circles; any mage can do it."
Charles: "..."
Raven: "..."
Are you a mage or a warrior, so fierce!
Charles didn't delve into whether it was a superpower or magic.
In his eyes, no matter what it was, Darian was a purebred Mutant.
Afterward, the group continued to chat for a long time about Mutants.
Through Charles's narration, Darian also learned a lot about this World.
The overall historical process of this World was roughly the same as Darian's main server.
The only difference was that there were no superheroes here, nor was there a butt-selling Steve. Instead, there were Mutants like Charles with superpowers.
Suddenly, Charles's expression became serious, and he asked in a deep voice, "Darian, what do you think about the future of Mutants?"
Darian said without hesitation, "It's fine if the number of Mutants isn't large, but if the numbers grow, it's bound to go downhill sooner or later!"
Hearing this, Charles and Raven frowned.
Raven said unhappily, "Wouldn't it be a good thing if we had more of our kind?"
Due to her naturally distinctive appearance, she had always been afraid to reveal her true form in front of others, fearing she would scare ordinary people.
If Mutants were everywhere, she wouldn't have this problem and wouldn't be treated as a freak.
Darian shook his head: "There are good people and bad people among humans, and Mutants are naturally no exception. Once the base number becomes large, it's inevitable that some Mutants who like to cause trouble will appear. If they are lucky enough to draw a very powerful ability, the entire World will fall into chaos."
Charles fell into deep thought upon hearing this.
He understood what Darian meant.
After all, he himself could be considered one of the lucky ones Darian mentioned, having drawn the golden legendary skill of telepathy. And as time passed, his ability grew even stronger, to the point where he could control anyone around him with a single thought.
If Charles hadn't had a strong innate sense of morality, he would have been like Kilgrave, starring in daily R-rated movies.
Not to mention him, even Raven, whose ability wasn't directly used for combat, if she truly went astray, would be enough to make everyone feel fear.
Who can guarantee that she wouldn't transform into the person closest to you and suddenly stab you in the back?
Even if it's not that extreme, merely transforming into your appearance to swindle people or running naked in the streets is no different from being dead.
Darian continued to add: "What's more, once humans become aware of the existence of Mutants, they will never sit idly by. They will sooner or later come up with various ways to restrict Mutants, and even adopt more extreme measures, either controlling Mutants or completely eliminating them!"
His words were not alarmist.
As a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, he was all too aware of the attitude of human high-level officials towards such issues.
After all, Mutants are not like superheroes or supervillains, each being an independent individual. No matter how much trouble they cause, they will not cause a structural impact on the stability of human society.
However, Mutants are a completely new race, similar to Vampires, but obviously a hundred times stronger than Vampires, and a hundred times more dangerous.
With such a group of unstable bombs living among human society, how can humans not feel panic?
To put it more bluntly, it's like putting a group of West Coast Black people into a White community. You'll see if those White people panic.
"You're not overthinking it, are you?"
Raven's expression was a little stiff.
These words sounded as if Mutants were going to be finished tomorrow.
"No, Darian is indeed right."
Charles's smile held a hint of bitterness as he softly said, "Actually, I've also been pondering this question: can humanity truly accept our existence?"
As a Dr. of genetics, he knew better than anyone the fundamental differences between Mutants and humans.
If humanity ultimately cannot accept Mutants, the two sides are bound to become adversaries, which is the outcome he least wishes to see.
Looking at Charles's worried and unappetizing expression, Darian couldn't help but sigh in his heart, truly worthy of being the future leader of Mutants. At such a young age, he already thinks so much, no wonder he'll become bald later.
So he decided to kindly help the other party relieve his worries. He reached out and took the untouched steak in front of Charles, bringing it to himself and eating it with relish.
Charles: "..."
Darian waved his hand: "Charles, actually, you don't need to be so worried. There isn't no solution."
"What solution?"
Charles's eyes lit up, clearly seeing Darian as his strategist.
Darian said easily, "It's simple. Any peace is built upon strength. If your fist is hard enough, others naturally won't dare to argue with you."
Charles's expression hardened: "Isn't that actively provoking a war between the two races?"
Darian pouted: "Who said anything about provoking a war? A fist is just a way to show strength. If you don't even dare to throw a punch, how will others care about your stance and rights?"
Hearing these words, Charles pondered for a moment, then asked with a serious expression, "Then what do you think we should do specifically?"
"First, we need to create a Mutant guild!"
"A Mutant guild?"
"That's right!"
Seeing Charles fall for it, Darian immediately struck while the iron was hot: "The biggest problem Mutants face right now is being too scattered. Only by uniting the scattered Mutants can we form a force that cannot be ignored."
"This is not only for self-protection but also to gain the qualification for equal dialogue with humanity. No one will listen to a disorganized group, but everyone must take a united entity seriously."
"Not only that, such a guild can also effectively restrain those Mutants who abuse their abilities. At critical moments, it can also quickly cut ties with them, preventing the actions of these Mutants from damaging the friendly image of the entire group."
A bright light flashed in Charles's eyes.
After listening to Darian, he felt that creating a guild could indeed solve many problems.
At this point, Darian's expression suddenly became serious: "To be honest, I've always had a dream. I hope all Mutants can live openly and honestly, no longer needing to hide, no longer fearing the strange looks of humans, and certainly not being treated as freaks!"
Charles looked surprised. He didn't expect Darian to have such a grand dream.
But before saying that, could you please put down the steak in your hand?
It's ruining the mood too much!
Darian continued, "Because of this, I have already started to establish a Mutant guild, sincerely inviting all like-minded partners to join."
"Charles, I can see that you are a person with great ambitions. Are you willing to join my guild and fight for a better tomorrow for Mutants together?"
Actually, he said all this with the ultimate goal of getting Charles to join, after all, this was a Mutant right in front of him.
As for Raven, Darian could tell at a glance that she also had great ambitions, even greater than Charles's, and she was Charles's little follower. As long as Charles was persuaded, she would naturally follow and join.
Facing Darian's sudden invitation, Charles fell into a brief silence, his expression showing clear hesitation.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to contribute to the future of Mutants.
On the contrary, what Darian said resonated with his long-held desires.
But establishing a guild was a matter of great importance, and he found it difficult to make a decision immediately.
Seeing this, Darian immediately said, "Don't worry, Charles, our guild welcomes any Mutant to join, and will not prevent any Mutant from leaving. If you have other ideas, you can withdraw from the guild at any time."
Charles pondered for a moment and then asked, "What is this guild called?"
Darian thought for a moment: "Brotherhood. Everyone who joins the guild is a brother!"
Raven rolled her eyes at this.
She wanted to join too, why isn't it called Sisterhood?
Charles thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'll join the Brotherhood. But let me say this upfront, if the guild's direction deviates from my ideals in the future, I reserve the right to withdraw."
"Of course."
Darian grinned and readily agreed.
Join and then want to quit?
It's not that easy!
Then, Charles asked again, "So how many people are currently in our guild?"
Darian confidently said, "Including you, there are already two people."
Charles: "..."
Um, is it still too late to leave the guild now?