Chapter 95

95 Perhaps

“If you’re back, you should have said something.” Kyle opened his eyes, flickers in purple and red color flickered within his eyes before they disappeared after a moment.

General Ryan took a deep breath.

“How could I make a voice when I thought that you’re in deep meditation.”

“What meditation? Do you think I’m some kind of meditation experts?” Kyle rolled his eyes. “I was only using this time to absorb some crystals. It takes longer time to absorb the crystal now.”

“Yes, that’s what the others are saying too. After the second red rain, it seemed that our mutation had been slowed down to an extent, but the improvement was more stable than before. Because of that, it’s expected that the rise of ranks might become much slower now.”

General Ryan put down his coat and looked at the sleeping little cat. It seemed that the little cat was so tired. “Does she still need to sleep a lot? I thought that as she grew up, she will be more active.”

“Don’t you see most cats are sleeping most of the time?” Kyle lazily stood up. “Anyway, even if she wants to laze around all day, it’s fine.”

General Ryan was speechless.

Why did it sound as if Kyle was pampering the little cat?

.....

“Oh right! Why didn’t you tell me their real identity, Kyle? Do you know how shocked I am when I see him standing in front of me? I thought that he’s not going to return to the research field personally anymore.”

Kyle arched his eyebrows. “Is it my fault that you’re surprised?”

“You can at least tell me a little bit.” General Ryan was annoyed. “Back then, he said that he wanted to quit because he didn’t want to put his wife and daughter in danger. But now that the entire world has been mutating because of the red rain, he’s asking for our protection.”

“I know.”

“Do you know where his daughter is... uh, what’s her name... Katie? Karen? Kate?”

“...I forgot.”

General Ryan looked at his son and rolled his eyes. It seemed that he really couldn’t count on his son about it.

“Anyway, you’re her teacher, so where did you see her the last time?”

“In the academy.” Kyle glanced at General Ryan. “And there’s something that I have to show you.”

“What is it?”

“Sign a confidential agreement first.”

General Ryan: “...”

He was so close to throw this annoying son of his out of his house. General Ryan grumbled and signed the confidential agreement that Kyle shoved to him while silently wondering what was he going to do with this damn son of his.

Was it because he himself was so naughty in his youth that his son inherited it?

Ugh, being a father was clearly not easy.

Kyle then took out his laptop and then showed the video of the classroom where he and Kate stayed during the first red rain. It was hastened so that General Ryan could see the images of the lightning, their fainting, and the girl’s disappearance.

General Ryan was stunned.

He then turned to look at the little cat in Kyle’s hand.

“When the half gained the animal’s characteristic, they never inherited their pet’s memory.” General Ryan took a deep breath. “Are you thinking that what happened to your cat and that student is the opposite?”

“Perhaps.” Kyle shrugged. “At the very least, I know that this cat’s action doesn’t fit that... polite student.”

He had to admit that he didn’t remember that student.

There were too many students who signed up to his class and aside from some who were exceptionally smart or exceptionally troublemaker, he didn’t remember the rest. They were all just other students whom he could barely remember.

“Well, she’s quite childish.” General Ryan nodded.

“Is it possible to separate the half?” Kyle asked. He was looking at the little cat, who was sleeping soundly in his arm and narrowed his eyes. Truthfully, he didn’t want the little cat to return to as she used to be, but if this cat’s intelligence was based on the disappearance of another person... he felt that even the cat would feel troubled when she knows that.

“...No.”

“Hmm?”

“The half has been asking the same question.” General Ryan looked at Kyle helplessly. “But even we don’t know how they end up fusing together in the first place. That’s why we don’t know how to separate them.”

“I see.”

“I’ll try to find out if there are more cases like your pet. This is troublesome.” General Ryan was rubbing his forehead and felt that he could never tell Kate’s parents about this. If he knew that his daughter was fused into a little cat and disappeared forever, he will definitely rage on.

That man was dangerous.

At least, in terms of his research towards plants and so on, if he truly wanted it, he could probably do something outrageous just like his son.

“Mhm, if possible try to interrogate those animals.” Kyle was caressing Kate lightly in his arm. He would never interrogate his little cat, so that mean only by finding others with similar case could he possibly find out what had happened.

Did that student completely disappear?

Or did the little cat also inherited part of the memory, which explained the intelligence?

It didn’t explain why the little cat was so stupid most of the time, though... She was also so childishly clinging to him like a little kid.

Normal adults could control their emotion better.

It was because they had long gotten used to the way the world was going. They knew that being childish would not earn them anything but mockery expect for some rare cases.

If this little cat was an adult...

Kyle really couldn’t imagine how she managed to survive until she became an adult with such playful and childish personality.

“I know, I know.” General Ryan sighed. “This will probably mark the beginning of a new species.”

Species called half.

Kyle only looked at General Ryan with noncommittal smile and then walked to the dining room. “I’m going to call for takeout.”

“Hey, I already asked my subordinate to bring our dinner. You don’t have to call again.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“Tsk, you’re really annoying, Kyle!”

Kate opened her eyes blearily and looked at Kyle. She woke up halfway through their conversation and heard that Kyle wanted to find more cases that was similar to her. This made her wondered whether there were truly others.

The half only inherited the animal’s characteristic that made them look somewhat cute and adorable.

Uh, the men would probably resist being called cute.

If there were indeed other people who ended up fusing into the animals’ body, Kate really wanted to find them in the future. At the very least, she wanted to know if she was the only one like this or there were others.

But surviving while turning into an animal in this kind of world was truly... difficult.

There were dangers at every corner and it didn’t seem to be possible for them to survive on their own.

Even Kate felt a bit ashamed for latching onto Kyle.

‘Did he not think that I’m entering a cat’s body?’

But when Kate thought about her action... she really felt that it was difficult to imagine there was such a careless adult. Sleeping at any moment, trusting a complete stranger, acting cute and coquettish, throwing tantrum at will...

She really felt like looking like a little kid.

If a normal adult behaved that way, she would have long been kidnapped and probably sold somewhere far away.

No wonder that Kyle didn’t think that way.

But Kate herself had to say that from the moment she became a cat, she had somehow felt that she was back to her childhood. At least, her thought process became simpler, she felt happy even with little things, and her attention was mostly short lived.

It felt as if her age became the fusion of this baby cat and also her adult self.

Kate sighed deeply.

“Meow.”

“Oh, you’re awake, Little Kitty?” Kyle glanced at the little cat. “I’ll prepare your milk.”

“Meow.”

Kate then sprawled on the table lazily.

General Ryan watched the little cat thoughtfully and then shook his head.

The dinner passed peacefully.

After returning to the bedroom, Kate slept soundly on her small bed while her space kept on absorbing the crystals that had been accumulating.

...

The next day, Kyle didn’t stay at home anymore.

In the first place, he wanted to stay at home because his old man was punching his face until it left a lot of marks.

They were not good to look at.

After the training session, Kate had also healed his wound from fighting with his father, so he could walk out easily.

.....

Only General Ryan was looking at his son resentfully as he didn’t allow Kate to heal him. He had to go to work with his face still partially swollen.