The S-Classes That I Raised - Chapter 747: The Cat and the Mouse (2)

[So high!]

The moment I poked my head out of the hole, the ground looked dizzyingly far below. It was only the third floor, but having shrunk made the drop feel even higher.

[You’re a cat. Jump.]

Not every cat can land safely from a height. They can hurt themselves or get stuck in trees and cry for help. The little mouse scampered down along a crack in the wall, tauntingly avoiding coming to help me. Then it looked up at me as if to say, what are you waiting for? Hold on a second. First I need to get down to the lower windowsill…

[You’ll get caught doing that. I said jump.]

[Nooo, thaaat…]

[Look at this.]

[So many typos…]

It’s sloppy because I’m not used to it. Who knows if anyone in this neighborhood even understands what you’re saying. I clung to the windowsill and slid down it over and over until I finally hit the ground. Ouch—my claws, no, my nails hurt. Thorny brambles already surrounded the mansion. Sharp thorns gleamed black and dull under the moonlight. I glanced up at the sky. The moon still hid the sun and stars, looking down on the world below all alone.

[Do you think the Crescent Moon is watching us?]

[Not yet. It can’t interfere more than this right now. It wouldn’t even register our presence.]

The mouse led the way toward the thorn hedge. An ordinary wall would’ve been hard to breach, but the brambles had plenty of gaps. In the distance, I could see Park Ha-yul tending the garden. It looked like the rooftop garden of the nursery, and it gave me goosebumps.

[She’s so absorbed she won’t notice for another three or four hours.]

[Good thing she’s clumsy with her power. If she were skilled, we’d already be discovered.]

Indeed, a proficient Transcendent would have withdrawn their magic only in my room and kept sensing the surroundings. Ha-yul clearly lacked that finesse.

We dashed through the brambles and toward the forest. I stopped only when the mansion was fully out of sight.

[We’ll have a helicopter waiting just outside the woods. It’s about a two-hour run that way.]

[Can’t you teleport?]

[If that were possible with you, we’d have gotten out already.]

True enough. Running was one thing—a four-legged creature still had the advantage once I bulked up. The mouse climbed onto my back and settled on my head. What is this? I started running in the direction the Puppeteer had indicated.

[By the way, why did you try to kidnap Director Song?]

I hurdled a long tree root and asked what I’d always wondered: Why involve Director Song? Back then I thought it might have something to do with the Crescent Moon.

[Because it was dangerous. Wouldn’t you take care of things if you could? If there’s only one person who can completely eliminate your little brother…]

[…She’d at least try to talk it out.]

I couldn’t just pretend not to care.

[Sigma is still connected to Seong Hyunjae. If anything happens to him, Sigma will inevitably be affected. That’s why I wanted to take him. The Gardener asked me to.]

Here came the Gardener again—the Transcendent who helped White Bird sow the seeds to create the Eclipse and Director Song.

[Who is this Gardener? Which side are they on?]

[Neither side. They’re only interested in tending their own garden. One of the oldest Transcendents, usually appears in butterfly form—though that’s not their true appearance.]

A butterfly. At least they weren’t hostile to us.

[You know White Bird’s goal, right?]

[Yes. To stop Seong Hyunjae from becoming the Full Moon and destroying the Origin.]

To protect the Origin of our world, the snow-falling tree.

[White Bird had the Gardener’s help, so the Gardener knew about the Little Moon—but couldn’t speak of it. When you entered that Japanese dungeon and our timelines synced, Sigma fell asleep. The Puppeteer’s existence became clear among the Transcendents, and the Gardener contacted me first.]

[So you have no constraints, since you know everything.]

[Exactly. They told me about the seeds scattered in your world and asked me to collect the Eclipse. I had no reason to refuse. I was uneasy about the Eclipse lingering near Seong Hyunjae, and I needed a way to meddle in your world.]

So that’s how Hwangrim ended up belonging to the Puppeteer. The Gardener sowed the seeds, but the Puppeteer controlled Hwangrim.

[Then why would the Gardener try to abduct Director Song? White Bird would want to keep close to Seong Hyunjae.]

In case things went south, Director Song would need to block Seong Hyunjae.

[Who knows? Maybe the Gardener got curious. I’ve heard they’re planning to try, but it’s on hold for now. No harm in just saying they’ll attempt it.]

Heard they nearly got him once. I heard growling in the bushes. I flattened myself against the ground and crept away in silence. Monster or wild animal?

[Originally they planned to make Seong Hyunjae their subordinate. The safest method for us.]

…Almost slipped a paw. They intended to take both Sigma and Seong Hyunjae.

[Is that possible? With the Crescent Moon still holding out?]

[Normally impossible. The Crescent Moon has bound the Little Moon for ages. But I’m just a bit late.]

The mouse laughed.

[The child who broke free from the Crescent Moon is in my hands—short time but long age ago.]

No Transcendent can surpass the contract time of the Crescent Moon. But the Puppeteer obtained Sigma from a period before Sigma was deeply bound—when he was still the Little Moon. And Sigma remains connected to current-day Seong Hyunjae.

My heart raced and then stilled.

[Seong Hyunjae would surely refuse.]

He’s not the type to wriggle out that way. Having been bound by the Crescent Moon, he’d never willingly tie himself to another Transcendent—and rightly so. It’d be the same trap under a different master. You never know what the Puppeteer might become.

[Seong Hyunjae will want to stay himself.]

[Right, he will.]

[Sigma accepted it, though?]

[He’s still young. And we own each other. I was originally Sigma’s puppet.]

If it’s mutual possession, it’s less jarring. Because the Puppeteer once belonged to Sigma, they could more easily cast off the Crescent Moon and bind Sigma. A deeper bond than the Crescent Moon’s.

[Come to think of it, Seong Hyunjae also…? He must’ve been past childhood, though. Pure… well, less weathered by life when he made the Crescent Moon contract. Hence the mess he’s in now.]

Sigma feels younger due to memory issues; Seong Hyunjae must’ve been formidable even before contracting the Crescent Moon. How did they tempt him to hand over his leash? Memory to always be cautious signing contracts.

After running for what felt like ages, a path finally appeared. The rough trail gradually widened. Ha-yul was still distracted by the garden—still quiet here.

[Does the Puppeteer have any purpose beyond protecting Sigma?]

[What else matters? The problem is that the Little Moon is what’s connected.]

If they were ordinary humans, things would be simpler—no need to suffer like this. Then again, danger could strike anytime. At least Seong Hyunjae doesn’t die easily.

[May I ask your name? Something’s been bothering me.]

[Sigma kept calling me Han Yujin.]

Figures. To me I was just C-rank.

[Now it’s something else. It’s a secret.]

[Because you’re someone else.]

[Yes.]

Even if you were made in my likeness, you’ve lived a completely different life. Seeing your face still feels strange. …Though our bodies are identical. I wonder if our tastes are the same.

[I became an independent individual upon becoming a Transcendent, unlike you. But I’m not entirely unrelated.]

[…What kind of relation?]

[Genetically identical. A clone. So this world accepts me faintly. I could contact Hwangrim and enter the Dream Realm on the pretext of contract breach.]

[Does that affect me?]

[Not much. I like you well enough. I genuinely wish you well. You feel like a distant descendant.]

[Isn’t it the other way around?]

[Child, how old are you?]

[…Thirty-one. Though I created you.]

That stung.

[For me it was about six months ago.]

[Each world’s time is separate. Only your world’s time rewound. Ours is unusual.]

The Puppeteer rambled on, but I tuned out. I didn’t understand. Beyond the widening path, the edge of the forest came into view. A helicopter stood in the clearing. I sprinted toward it.

– Hey!

Director Song standing outside the chopper turned to look at me. No, I can’t speak because I can’t form words right now. Did he hear my thought? Seong Hyunjae appeared inside the helicopter. They came /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ together? Two people targeted by the Crescent Moon running around freely—what are they thinking? On the other hand, maybe that’s exactly why only the two of them ventured out. And the Puppeteer was there too.

Through the wide-open helicopter door, I spotted a face identical to mine sitting in a chair. Of course, the mouse isn’t real. The tiny weight on my head vanished like a dream.

“Are you Han Yujin?”

– Yes.

Still not speaking casually. Maybe forming words is hard after using Delerose’s transformation skill. I can almost do it, but can’t. Director Song then Seong Hyunjae fixed their gaze on me.

“Gentleman.”

Oh, that’s right—now I’m a cat!

“You’re even smaller than usual.”

I bit the finger he extended, then flinched back in surprise. Blood—tasted like blood! His stats were down earlier. I’d forgotten.

“Let’s go.”

The Puppeteer beckoned us. As I tried to revert to human form, Seong Hyunjae lifted me up. My claws instinctively sprang out, but I froze, afraid of drawing blood again. Maybe because the Puppeteer had boosted my magic, I felt stronger than Seong Hyunjae. Enough—stop staring!

“Put me down and fly the helicopter.”

I quickly deactivated Delerose’s skill. Seong Hyunjae set me down and his gaze turned to my legs.

“You can rest.”

His mana sense must have been depleted too, but he’s perceptive. Seong Hyunjae climbed into the cockpit and Director Song scooped me into his arms. I could have sat in a chair, but okay.

“Don’t overdo it.”

“Mm, then don’t be shocked. I can’t see right now. Nor move my arms.”

Director Song’s brow furrowed. He climbed aboard and the door closed. I was tired from forcing my body around, so I relaxed every last bit of mana. Darkness swallowed my vision in an instant. My limbs went limp. My senses dulled, and I heard Director Song’s heartbeat loud in my ears—until the rotor’s roar drowned it out, and I drifted off to sleep.

“…Brother.”

A tiny whisper roused me. I snapped awake into utter darkness, startled. I tried to struggle but only managed a twitch. My heart plummeted. Breathing ragged, I felt strong arms wrap around me.

Ah, right. I managed to cast Teacher’s Skill on Yuhyun once I regained my wits. My vision cleared to reveal my terrified face. Oh dear.

“Where are we? Everything okay?”

He said he was fine and cleared his throat. He kept stroking me to calm me down. I’d scared him, didn’t I? I slowly moved my limbs and sat up. When Yuhyun turned his head, I saw a castle wall. That is…

“Is this with Gyeol and Mari?”

“Yes.”

The castle beyond the wall looked as if Gyeol and Mari had been mixed together. The gates opened and Yerim, Peace, and Hyunah dashed out. Yuhyun had been waiting just outside the gate. Persistent kid.

“Uncle! Are you okay? I told him not to come out, but he insisted he’d stay right here.”

– Bwuuurgh!

Thanks to Gyeol, ethereal Peace twirled around me. When I hugged Peace, he nuzzled my face so much, as if to make up for all those times he felt too big.

“Brother, hurry! Gyeol and Mari say they have a way.”

“A way?”

“Yes. And…”

Hyunah glanced awkwardly at the Puppeteer. Yerim wore a similar expression. After all, he looked like me but wasn’t me—he was a Transcendent tied to Sigma, so nobody knew how to treat him. He was older, yet younger in some way… Still felt unfair. Technically, he was less than a year old.

“Uh, Puppeteer.”

At Moon Hyunah’s words, the Puppeteer offered a friendly smile.

“Feel free to treat me normally. I’m one of the candidates to look after our kid.”

…What does that even mean? Without another word, the Puppeteer strode forward.

“Let’s go inside first. Your head will sting otherwise.”

Like avoiding moonlight, we all hurried through the open gates.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by readnovel.co