《I Am Puss In Boots》


 Chapter 1 - I Am a Cat

    ''Where am I?''


    Opening his eyes, he was startled. He wasn''t in his room¡ªin fact, he didn''t even know what he was in.


    ''What the hell is going on?''


    He was panicking. All he knew was that he was in something that was moving.


    There was a white cloth above his head, swaying in the wind. The sunlight filtering through the gaps in the fabric above him allowed him to see well¡ªin fact, he could see everything clearly, even in the dark.


    Looking around, he saw that the walls of whatever he was in were made of some kind of wicker. Light impacts struck the thing he was lying in as he felt himself being carried almost¡­ by the wind?


    ''Am I in some kind of basket? What the hell is this?''


    He couldn''t understand what was happening, finding himself in such a sudden situation.


    Lifting his head slightly, he managed to see through the gaps in the cloth as the wind lifted it, but the only thing in his vision was a vast, dry, yellow desert, with sands whipping through the air.


    ''Where the hell am I?''


    He wondered, his feline eyes widening, but the wind didn''t wait for him to figure things out and kept carrying him in the basket.


    Feeling a sudden, stronger tremor from the basket due to the wind, he tried to grab the edge to steady himself, but as he extended his hand, his eyes widened.


    "MEOWWW!!!"


    A frightened meow escaped his mouth as he looked in shock at the orange paw where his arm should have been. His shock only grew when he heard his own meow.


    ''No! It couldn''t be!''


    He looked at the white cloth with orange edges covering his chest and grabbed it with his furry hand, only to discover it wasn''t a cloth¡ªit was his furry chest.


    ''No way!''


    Terrified but beginning to understand something, he quickly brought his paws to his face and started patting it, trying to identify his features.


    ''Wet nose! Long whiskers! Furry face! Ears on top of my head!''


    ''I''M A CAT!''


    "MEOWWWWW!!!"


    A loud, childish meow of a cat echoed from inside a basket that was swiftly crossing the desert.


    ¡­


    Realizing his situation quickly, he was on the verge of passing out.


    ''I became a cat! Well¡­ I think it''s a cat. Maybe I''m a tiger too? Reincarnating as a tiger is better than as a cat, right?''


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    He asked no one in particular, his face close to tears.


    It wasn''t that he was a coward or a crybaby¡ªit was just that the situation was completely absurd.


    ''Don''t panic¡­ my name¡­ what''s my name?!''


    He started hyperventilating. He couldn''t remember his own name. He tried to recall if he had forgotten anything else, and soon realized he couldn''t remember the faces or names of friends and family. He only remembered the experiences and life he had with them, but everything became harder without faces to associate with.


    Aside from that, nothing else seemed to be missing¡ªin fact, he even seemed to remember things more clearly¡ªbut that didn''t help much with his panic.


    ''Come on, you just forgot your family, friends, name, and turned into a cat. It can''t be worse than a Monday!''


    He tried to cheer himself up with a joke, but it didn''t do much.


    So, as an extreme measure, he slapped himself.


    Smack!


    But the result wasn''t great. His little paw was too soft. At least it helped him a little.


    ''Okay, understand the situation first, freak out later.''


    He gritted his teeth and decided.


    ''Let''s try speaking. Although I doubt it''ll work, I should prepare to train my meowing as well.''


    He decided. And, stopping his hesitation, he tried.


    "Hello?"


    A low, timbred, deep voice came out of the fluffy, chubby kitten''s mouth.


    "It worked, hombre! Haha! I can talk!"


    Excited, he stood up¡ªonly to hit his head on the basket''s cloth and fall back down.


    Now lying sprawled out with his arms, legs, and tail stretched out, he smiled excitedly.


    But then, his smile froze.


    ''Wait, why do I have a Spanish accent? And why does this voice sound like¡­''


    ''¡­Antonio Banderas?!''


    "MEOWWW!!!"


    Another panicked meow echoed through the desert.


    ¡­


    ''Damn, I need to control this. These meows come out too suddenly, without me being prepared. But I couldn''t help it! I''m the freaking Puss in Boots! This is incredible and bizarre at the same time!''


    Scratching his head in confusion, he noticed something strange. The voice he now heard in his thoughts was the deep voice with a Spanish accent.


    ''Now that I think about it, I don''t even remember my voice from my past life. Makes sense that I adapted so quickly to my new voice.''


    He thought with some regret. Not for the voice¡ªno, no, no. He was satisfied with the voice. After all, it was the freaking Antonio Banderas. The regret was for his lost memories.


    ''From what it seems, I''m Puss in Boots, and if everything follows the movie, the wind will soon carry me to the San Ricardo orphanage. Luckily, my memory is clearer now that I''ve reincarnated, and I also watched the movies recently.''


    So, as the wind carried him, he waited, watching the landscape carefully, fearing he might suddenly fall into a canyon.


    He was very conflicted¡ªshould he get out of the basket and try to walk, or should he just stay put?


    ''Staying in the basket means putting my life in fate''s hands, just like Puss in Boots in the movie, and crossing my fingers to reach the orphanage. Getting out means putting my life in fate''s hands and hoping I don''t get eaten by some beast, lost in the desert, or simply die of thirst or hunger¡­ I''ll stay in the basket.''


    After weighing his options, he didn''t hesitate much in making his choice.


    So, he went back to waiting, watching the basket float across the desert.


    Bored, he had an idea¡ªbut not much hope.


    ''Status?''


    [Host: Puss in Boots


    Age: Three days


    Status: 9 Lives Remaining


    Talents:


    - Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 1


    - Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 1


    - Furry Lover (Silver): Level 0


    - Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 5]


    ''Huh?! I really have a system?!''


    Puss''s feline eyes comically widened.

 Chapter 2 - Talents

    Although extremely excited about the system, he quickly returned to normal, narrowed his feline eyes, stroked his white whiskers, and analyzed the panel calmly.


    He wasn''t going to freak out¡ªafter all, after reincarnating as a cat, a system wasn''t going to scare him.


    But something suddenly startled him, making him freeze.


    Slowly lowering his eyes, he looked at his frozen hand, which had been stroking his whiskers as he thought.


    ''Why did I do that subconsciously? I never had a beard, so I wouldn''t have that habit. Could this be me adapting at high speed to being a cat?''


    He reflected, and his slit pupils returned to a certain line on the system panel.


    [Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 1]


    Trying to manipulate the panel using his intent for more details, a pop-up window appeared above it.


    Without wasting time, he read the pop-up.


    [Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 1.


    Description: A cat beyond normal. Born with reflexes, strength, and transcendent body control, he is the pinnacle of what a cat can be.


    Traits:


    - Enhanced Strength


    - Enhanced Endurance


    - Enhanced Reflexes


    - Enhanced Learning]


    ''That must be it! Enhanced Learning is making me adapt to being a cat and to the situation in general very quickly. That''s why my sense of strangeness is decreasing and my acceptance is increasing!''


    Puss clenched his little paws in front of his eyes, feeling excited. The Mutant Cat talent would help him a lot on his journey¡ªhe knew that.


    Was he worried about losing who he was? Well, he didn''t even remember his name or voice, so he couldn''t care less about losing a little of his hesitation in exchange for what were basically superpowers.


    ''Alright, let''s evaluate the other talents while we wait to reach our destination.''


    He thought to himself.


    [Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 1.


    Description: Born to fight, all combat abilities come as naturally as milk to you, with a special emphasis on fencing.


    Traits:


    - High Combat Adaptability


    - Supernatural Talent in Fencing


    - Enhanced Combat Intuition]


    So far, Puss was already feeling extremely excited.


    ''With these talents, a system, and nine lives, how could I ever be normal in this life?''


    He clenched his tiny fists in excitement and then, looking up, he declared in his powerful voice:


    ''I am Puss in Boots, and my name... would become... LEGEND.''


    Proud, he lowered his gaze from the white cloth covering the top of the basket and looked at the next talent, but that was when he froze.


    [Furry Lover (Silver): Level 1.


    Description: A natural master of seduction. Damsels have difficulty resisting your charm, even across species. You laugh in the face of reproductive isolation and interspecies awkwardness.


    Traits:


    - Gallant Beauty


    - Controlled Reproduction (Locked until Adulthood)


    - Adaptive Member (Locked until Adulthood)


    - Natural Talent in Love-Making (Locked until Adulthood)]


    ''...''


    ''...''


    ''...''


    ''WTF!''


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    Incredulous at what he was seeing, he didn''t even know what to think.


    Since he had been facing one thing at a time, the thought of women hadn''t even crossed his mind. So this talent couldn''t have been more random to him.


    ''Although I am very young now, one day I will have to find one or two damas to console me. I don''t want to die alone, but thinking that my wife would have to be a cat... I can''t help but feel weird...''


    He couldn''t help but think, feeling strange.


    ''Although, if I think about it¡­ I will probably adapt due to the Enhanced Learning ability and start finding female cats charming too. Either way, this Furry Lover talent gives me more choices. When I grow up, I''ll decide what to do. Maybe I''ll choose more than one species too¡ªafter all, as a reincarnator, it would be a shame not to take full advantage of the life I was given and have two or three wives...''


    Shaking his feline head, he quickly abandoned the wild thoughts he was having.


    ''Aprendizaje mejorado, bad, bad! This is all your fault!''


    He quickly found something to blame and refocused on the last talent he had at the moment.


    [Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 5.


    Description: Born lucky, fate leads you where you need to be. The shadow of the supernatural guides your steps away from death and defeat. But don''t be careless¡ªluck only gives you a helping hand.


    Traits:


    - Luck]


    ''Oh! This one is simple. Seems like I don''t have to worry about getting to San Ricardo... and speaking of el diablo...''


    Just as he thought about the town, a strong wind ripped off the cloth covering the basket, exposing Puss to the sun for the first time in this world.


    In front of him, a large bridge appeared, and at its entrance, the words San Ricardo were clearly visible.


    Whoosh!


    The wind blew even faster, carrying him swiftly across the bridge in the basket.


    It was as if the wind itself knew that was where he was meant to go and wanted to take him there as quickly as possible.


    Puss found himself crossing the bridge and entering the town, his path straight and direct.


    In the quiet town, people could occasionally be seen walking by, and in Puss''s path, a man was pulling his cow, which seemed reluctant to move.


    Puss''s basket passed quickly beneath the cow, clearly under her udders.


    Puss couldn''t help himself and instinctively raised his paws, trying to reach for the udders, but the wind carrying him didn''t stop the basket for his instinctive thirst for milk.


    The basket sped under the cow and continued until it crashed into a door, next to which was a sign that read San Ricardo Orphanage.


    After the impact with the door, the basket calmly fell to the ground.


    Puss shook his feline head, shaking off the brief dizziness.


    The orphanage door opened, and a kind-looking woman stepped out, searching for whoever had knocked.


    "Meow!"


    Her eyes lowered at the sound, and that was when she saw a chubby, orange kitten.


    And that adorable little kitten meowed with a soft, milky sound as he reached his tiny paws toward her.


    "Aww!" She looked at him with pity but also found him adorable. She picked him up in her arms and let out a gentle laugh.


    Puss, though a bit embarrassed, didn''t resist much in his heart at being held by this kind matron.


    But most of all, he saw the love and pity in her eyes¡ªit was as if she saw a lost child, not a stray cat.


    ''Maybe it''s the bizarre logic of this world... or maybe just the generous heart of this woman.''


    He thought.


    As he was carried by her, for some reason, he couldn''t help but relax for the first time that stressful day, but this decrease in anxiety seemed to give voice to another part of his body.


    His stomach.


    A small rumble sounded from the tiny kitten''s belly, and the matron smiled gently at him, full of affection.


    "Hungry? We can''t have that. Come, peque?o. Let me give you some of my milk!"


    Hearing that, Puss couldn''t help but widen his eyes in shock.


    ¡­


    Lapping up the milk from a bowl, Puss couldn''t help but feel embarrassed by his twisted thoughts.


    According to the matron, the milk had already been distributed at breakfast, and Puss was lucky that she had saved a little for herself to drink later.


    And now, he was quickly drinking it up.


    Lick! Lick!


    ''It''s strange drinking like a cat. We curl our tongues backward to quickly flick the liquid upward¡ªit becomes an inverted little fountain due to the speed, allowing us to drink with elegance and efficiency.''


    Puss thought, finding his new way of drinking amusing.


    Soon, the entire bowl was drained.


    Burp!


    He let out a small burp, giving his fluffy belly a light pat, satisfied.


    Two hands suddenly picked him up, startling him slightly.


    "Meow!"


    He meowed involuntarily.


    The matron''s gentle laughter rang out, and he was turned and held in her arms, where he was met with her warm smile.


    "Finished? Well, it''s lunchtime¡ªeveryone should be gathered. Let''s introduce you to everyone."


    She said kindly, softly stroking Puss''s head with her index finger as she walked toward the orphanage''s dining area.

 Chapter 3 - The Place Where the Legend Begins

    Entering through the door while being carried in the matron''s arms, Puss saw a large hall full of children¡­ and a sheep¡­ and a human egg¡­ and a blue-skinned boy. Well, there were many different children, but most were still normal humans.


    The hall was filled with a cacophony of noises¡ªchildren playing, singing, and making a mess.


    The matron, whom Puss remembered was called Imelda in the movies, walked to the middle of the hall and gently placed him on the ground behind her.


    "Wait here a moment."


    She then turned to the noisy hall and spoke loudly.


    "Silencio!"


    She clapped her hands lightly, trying to get their attention, but the children were too loud to hear.


    Seeing that there was no effect, she raised her voice a little more and clapped louder.


    "Silencio!"


    Nothing again.


    Her voice rose once more.


    "Silencio!"


    But the children continued their ruckus.


    Her eyes narrowed, her cheeks puffed up in anger, and with a furious shout, she silenced them all.


    "SILENCIOOO!!!"


    She finished clapping, and absolute silence filled the hall as all the children turned their attention to her.


    ''A little scary. But it works.''


    Puss couldn''t help but think, amused by the children''s stunned silence.


    Smiling gently again, Imelda spoke softly to everyone in the hall.


    "I''d like to introduce a new boy joining us."


    Her smooth voice carried through the room, and then she turned back, looking at Puss kindly.


    "It''s OK, peque?o. You show with the face."


    She encouraged him with a supportive nod.


    Puss didn''t hesitate like the Puss from the movie. He wasn''t a real baby kitten¡ªhe wasn''t going to be shy in front of children.


    With a casual stride, he stepped out from behind Imelda and looked at everyone with indifference.


    "Meow!"


    He introduced himself.


    ''It''s not like I''m going to start talking with my old-man voice in this tiny kitten body. Let me grow a bit before I start speaking, so it won''t be weird. Though, considering the logic of this world, no one would probably even find it strange.''


    He thought, amused yet resigned.


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    The children didn''t seem to care much, and soon after his introduction, they all went back to what they were doing.


    Imelda just shook her head helplessly and turned to Puss.


    "Come, you''ve already eaten, but I''m sure there''s still room for some beans."


    She said playfully, then took him to a table and placed a plate with three green beans before leaving.


    Puss couldn''t help but look at the plate strangely.


    ''Seriously? Raw green beans for children? Is this normal?''


    He thought, unaccustomed to such poverty.


    ''Welcome to medieval life, right?''


    He shook his head internally, feeling powerless.


    As he hesitated, staring at the plate, an unfamiliar hand made the decision for him.


    Looking at the culprit who had just stolen the beans from his plate and stuffed them into his pocket, Puss wasn''t surprised. So far, everything had been pretty much like the movie.


    "Humpty Alexander Dumpty."


    The human egg introduced himself with a friendly smile, extending his hand after lowering the book he had been writing in.


    Puss had no interest in shaking his hand¡ªnot because he despised the poor egg for his future villainous self. After all, he was just a lost child who later redeemed himself by sacrificing everything.


    In the end, he was just someone searching for a friend and someone to trust, without even realizing it. Someone who wanted a place to call home¡­ without knowing he had been standing on it all along.


    ''People can be foolish sometimes¡­''


    Puss found himself thinking.


    No, the reason he didn''t greet Humpty was because he knew what was coming next.


    A hand slammed down between them, and a boy with a hateful face glared at him menacingly.


    "Hey, Whiskers! You''re sitting in Little Boy Blue''s chair."


    The boy said, trying to sound threatening.


    But Puss looked at him indifferently, and with fluid movements, he grabbed the plate from the table and held it behind his head.


    Bang!


    "AUGH!!"


    Another boy, who had sneakily come up behind Puss, clutched his injured fingers, tears of pain welling in his eyes.


    He had tried to grab the cat by the scruff and threaten him, but who would have thought that the kitten would suddenly place a wooden plate in the way, making him slam his fingers hard against it?


    But Puss didn''t stop there.


    He leaped, spinning his body, and smacked the boy across the face with the plate, sending him to the floor.


    "You! How dare you hit Billy!" The boy who had threatened him, along with a new short, blue-skinned boy, surrounded him angrily.


    Puss, with his feline eyes, observed the scene with apathy.


    But suddenly, someone interrupted.


    "Oh, come on. Is this necessary? Why don''t you pick on somebody your own size?"


    It was Humpty, and although slightly frightened, he still tried to help the surrounded cat.


    "Who asked you, Breakfast?" The boy growled back at the egg boy.


    Puss wasn''t interested in watching drama, so, without further ado, he skillfully threw the plate. It bounced off the heads of the two boys, knocking them down before smoothly returning to his hand.


    Looking indifferently at the three unconscious children and his easy victory, he unconsciously straightened his stance on two legs and hissed playfully.


    "Hiss!"


    Then, jumping from the bench to the floor, he began walking away indifferently¡ªon two legs.


    "Wow!"


    The children whispered among themselves, and Puss could hear their hushed exclamations of admiration.


    With his keen senses, he also caught Humpty murmuring in awe.


    "Wow! That was very impressive."


    But Puss didn''t care and kept walking away.


    ''Well, so far, nothing has been too different from the movie, but I think the plot I know will start to diverge from here. I don''t intend to follow what Puss from the film did. I will forge my own path.''


    He thought, determined, as he left the hall.


    Out there was a world full of opportunities.


    But before venturing into it, Puss had decided to prepare himself.


    And although this had only been a small childish scuffle¡ªfar too easy for him¡ªthis battle would one day be recounted whenever someone asked where Puss in Boots had come from.


    Because his legend¡­


    ¡­ began here.

 Chapter 4 - Can I Find That Again Here?

    Arriving at the children''s playground, Puss looked at the toys around.


    ''Soon, the children will come, and they''ll probably bother me.''


    He shook his head and then looked further away.


    ''A hill with a tree. Looks far and quiet. The kids probably don''t go that far¡­ I think. Either way, that''s my territory now. If these ni?os step into my sandbox, they will regret it.''


    He thought with pride and walked there confidently, though his eye twitched slightly upon realizing he had called his territory a sandbox.


    ''I need to get used to this. I feel like these things will become common from now on.''


    He closed his eyes as he walked and pondered, shaking his head ironically.


    "Haah!"


    Puss couldn''t help but sigh and lick his arm before rubbing it over his ear, feeling more relaxed as he did so.


    ''This is disgusting. I''m licking myself and rubbing it on me¡­ but at the same time, it feels so right¡­ Haah, ignore, ignore. I''m a cat now.''


    He soon reached the top of the small grassy hill and sat down, leaning against the only tree there.


    ''Let''s see if that ''fight'' changed my stats.''


    [Host: Puss in Boots


    Age: Three days


    Status: 9 Lives Remaining


    Talents:


    - Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 1 (Progress: 0.1%)


    - Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 1 (Progress: 0.2%)


    - Furry Lover (Silver): Level 0


    - Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 5 ¡ú Level 6]


    ''Huh? The progress on the first two was almost insignificant, which is less than I expected. But the last one leveled up. That''s strange¡­ Could it be that arriving at this orphanage is, in a way, fulfilling part of my destiny and luck, so the level increased? Well, even if it''s not, it doesn''t matter¡ªas long as it goes up, it''s good.''


    He shook his head.


    After checking for other changes and finding nothing, he placed his paw on his chin and began to think.


    ''Well, I have to train. I want to be the best, so I can''t rely only on my innate talents. Fortunately, without the internet, I have plenty of time and focus to dedicate to something, and exercising seems like a good way to vent, which also contributes to my goals.''


    Puss thought, excited to become amazing, and quickly devised his plan.


    ''I''m still a very young cat, though a mutant one, so let''s start with regular bodyweight exercises first. I''ll set up a routine. In the morning, combat skills and swordsmanship, in the afternoon, physical training, and at night, stealth and flexibility. Let''s go with this for now. I also need to find a way to eat better. Just eating beans will stunt my training.''


    He thought and immediately started his physical training according to his ideas.


    ''Saitama training never goes out of style.''


    He thought amusedly and began with push-ups.


    Placing his soft paws on the ground, he stretched his hind legs back, and a kitten, in a comical fashion, started doing push-ups, wagging his tail excitedly.


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    ''1¡­ 2¡­ 3¡­ 25¡­ 45¡­''


    Puss quickly realized it was easier than he thought. It seemed that the gold talent, Mutant Cat, was no joke.


    Only when he reached 50 did he start to feel difficulty, but soon, he hit 100, and he collapsed onto the ground, his arms trembling slightly.


    His mouth was hanging open as he panted inelegantly, hot vapor escaping from his lips.


    ''Damn, cats don''t sweat except on their noses and paws, so I have to release internal heat through my mouth. This is not a good place for physical training. I need a lake¡­ but this is the desert, there are no lakes¡­ so I''ll try to get a bucket of water to dunk my little body in and dissipate heat during future training.''


    Even exhausted and breathless, he didn''t stop thinking about ways to improve his training. Despite his exhaustion, he was also fascinated. In his previous life, he couldn''t even do 20 push-ups without getting tired.


    A few minutes of open-mouthed panting and evaporating saliva later, he finally felt better and stood up.


    Then, with an iron will he hadn''t even known he had, he started doing squats.


    Once again, the comical sight of a kitten exercising appeared at the top of the small hill, and several children also appeared in the yard to play, occasionally glancing at Puss with curiosity and admiration.


    Some of the more extroverted ones couldn''t help but approach him, wanting to talk.


    But they were quickly discouraged.


    "Hisss!"


    With Puss''s feline eyes narrowing and a threatening hiss, they quickly turned around and ran, some even crying and stumbling along the way.


    Seeing the scene of the frightened children running away, Puss couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed in his heart.


    They were just kids, but he really didn''t want to be disturbed. In his past life, he was introverted and didn''t know how to deal with children, so it was natural that he wasn''t much different in this life.


    Shaking his head and refocusing, he soon finished the hundred squats. Squats were much easier, so he didn''t take long before lying down and doing sit-ups.


    Thus, the afternoon quickly passed, and he successfully completed the Saitama training, but he was also exhausted.


    After a short rest, he returned to the orphanage.


    There, he finished resting, bathed, and relieved his bladder by standing on a toilet¡­


    ''Don''t ask why there are toilets in a time where we see guards using armor and swords¡ªjust accept it.''


    Puss thought and sensibly decided to just accept it.


    The sun had barely set, and dinner was already served, as was common in this era.


    Sitting alone, he calmly ate his oatmeal porridge in silence.


    Even Humpty Dumpty was sitting far from him.


    ''Looks like I scared them too much today.''


    Puss thought but didn''t take it seriously. At the moment, he just wanted to live for himself, free of worries, while growing in size and strength.


    Matron Imelda also passed by and looked at him with concern, but after hesitating, she didn''t approach and left him alone. She figured he needed some time to adjust to the new environment, and soon, he would make friends.


    Puss seemed to understand a little of the matron''s feelings, but there was nothing he could do. He was not the Puss from the movie; he didn''t have Humpty as a friend since he arrived. So it was natural for the matron to be worried about that.


    Finishing his porridge, he placed the plate and spoon where they belonged and went to find the matron to ask where he would sleep.


    "Are you sleepy, peque?o? Today was a busy day, right?"


    She asked gently, holding him in her arms, hiding the exhaustion in her own eyes with a soft smile.


    Puss saw it but said nothing.


    "Meow!"


    He just meowed and agreed with the kind matron''s words.


    "Then, come, I''ll show you your room and bed."


    The kind matron then took him to a large room where about eight beds were already set up. Some children were already there, but many had not yet arrived.


    Reaching a bed in the corner, she held him with one arm and pulled back the blanket covering the bed with the other.


    Laying him down carefully, she gently covered him with a soft smile.


    "This is your room, and this is your bed¡­ And this is your home from now on, peque?o."


    She said softly and kissed his forehead with kindness before adding with a smile.


    "And we are your family. Now, sleep with the angels, mi peque?o."


    After giving him another gentle smile, she turned and left the room under Puss''s watchful eyes.


    ''Family¡­ can I find that again here?''


    His feline eyes were full of contemplation.

 Chapter 5 - Dominating the feline arts

    The next day, it was still early when Puss woke up.


    Fortunately, as a mutant cat, he didn''t need to sleep 15 hours a day like other cats. The standard eight hours of human sleep were more than enough.


    And waking up early was even easier¡­ he didn''t have the internet to stay up late, so all that was left was to sleep.


    ''Well¡­ actually, I woke up in the middle of the night to do my stealth training, otherwise, I would''ve woken up even earlier¡­''


    He thought, unconsciously licking his lips.


    The truth was that he had completely forgotten about the nighttime training and just went to sleep. But in the middle of the night, he woke up with a craving for milk.


    ''Haah! It''s a new day, and I''m still a cat.''


    Puss scratched behind his ear with his back paw, shook his head, and then, placing his front paws forward and stretching his butt, he stretched.


    ''Correction, I''m even more of a cat.''


    He thought helplessly, but shrugging it off, he went to clean himself up for the day¡­ which meant licking his paws and rubbing them on his face.


    ''Well, there are conveniences to being a cat.''


    He thought, amused by his own "bath".


    Ready for a new day, he got up and went to eat. There, breakfast was being served, and there was milk¡ªhis favorite.


    Licking his lips slightly, he quickened his pace to serve himself some milk, and soon, he was once again sitting alone, enjoying his cup.


    ''Not as fresh as last night''s, but not bad either.''


    He thought, judging the quality of the milk.


    To be clear, during the night, Puss had woken up with a craving for milk¡ªafter all, he was a growing cat¡ªand then he thought:


    ''What better way to train stealth and flexibility than by sneaking out of the orphanage, invading other properties, and drinking milk straight from the source without the cow noticing? And this will complete the nutrition I need for training.''


    With this thought, it seemed more and more viable, so he didn''t hesitate and went for it.


    Because of this, he learned to jump, climb, and run like a cat.


    Even using his whiskers to determine if he could fit through a space, as well as sensing airflow and surrounding objects, became much more intuitive for him.


    The use of his tail in falling situations was also quickly mastered, and he could land on his feet without any problems.


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    Now, he was no different from a normal cat in controlling his body. Actually, even better, thanks to his great talents.


    Of course, not everything went smoothly. Cows only sleep about four hours a day, and Puss ended up finding some asleep, but most were awake.


    Since he was a beginner, he targeted the sleeping ones, but he couldn''t steal much milk before the cow fully woke up and he had to run for his life.


    Even so, catching some sleeping cows by surprise in the town was enough for him to fill his little belly with milk.


    ''The biggest problem is having to squeeze the udder to get the milk to fall into the cup I carry. I''m not subtle enough to do that without waking the cows¡­ but one day I will be, and by then, no cow will be able to defend against me, el Puss in Boots.''


    He thought proudly and turned his attention to his now empty cup of milk.


    Seeing the milk residue at the bottom, he didn''t want to waste it. Lifting the cup above his head, he opened his mouth and waited, and not long after, the drop left in the cup fell onto his tongue.


    Licking his nose in satisfaction, he got up and left, heading back to his mountain.


    He then looked for a branch beside the tree, and finding one of a good size, he extended a claw from his paw and began carving it.


    Retracting and extending his claws was also something he had learned the previous night. It was actually quite easy and instinctive, but he still had fun playing with them for longer than he would like to admit.


    Even murmurs of "I''m almost like Wolverine" were heard in the night.


    Puss, remembering these things, couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed.


    Shaking his head and getting rid of distracting thoughts, he refocused on the branch in his hand, and soon, an extremely rustic wooden "sword" was created.


    ''It''s just temporary. I''ll come up with some plans to get a real one in the near future.''


    He pondered, and without hesitating further, he firmly gripped his improvised wooden sword.


    Raising it above his head and then bringing it down in a swift motion, he repeated this movement continuously, always analyzing the results.


    Then, he tried adjusting his body posture, grip, joint angles, applied force, breathing¡ªeverything.


    He paid attention to every detail and sought to understand what results different techniques could achieve.


    It was a simple and raw pursuit through trial and error. Of course, if he were an ordinary person, this could have had terrible results, but he had a golden talent for combat¡ªspecifically, fencing. His combat instincts were at the limit of possibility, and being self-taught was not a problem.


    Puss in the movies was like that¡ªdespite being a cat who didn''t seem to take personal training very seriously and sharpened himself more through actual combat, he was also self-taught.


    And Puss wanted to be even better than that. His plans involved focusing on training even harder, while also not neglecting his combat experience.


    Once he established a solid foundation, he would seek opponents to sharpen his claws.


    So, spending the morning like that, lunchtime soon approached, and Puss stopped swinging his sword and studying fencing. Exhausted and panting, he simply collapsed onto the ground with his arms spread out.


    A few minutes later, recovering a little, he looked at his status.


    [Host: Puss in Boots


    Age: Four days


    Status: 9 Lives Remaining


    Talents:


    - Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 1 (Progress: 0.1% ¡ú 0.6%)


    - Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 1 (Progress: 0.2% ¡ú 0.7%)


    - Furry Lover (Silver): Level 0


    - Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 6]


    ''The progress isn''t bad¡­ I wish I had a calculator to figure out how long this will take.''


    Helpless, he could only count on his fingers for a while, even though he was exhausted.


    ''About 200 days for both to reach 100% and level up. The next level will probably take longer¡­ I just hope not too much¡­ What changes will happen by then?''


    He pondered with excitement and anticipation, as if a cat''s paw was teasing his curiosity.

 Chapter 6 - I Wouldn’t Choose to Be Alone

    A month had passed while Puss worked on his skills and got used to his life as a cat and his Spanish accent.


    With a straight wooden branch as his sword, he danced gracefully with flexible yet fierce movements, stabbing an invisible opponent that only existed in his mind.


    With a final flourish, he stopped his training.


    Then, walking to the side of the tree, he stuck his wooden rapier into the ground, next to a double-edged wooden sword and a heavy wooden sword.


    During this month, Puss realized that the level of his talent didn''t represent his skill level¡ªit was more about what the name implied: talent.


    He had gone from a beginner to a qualified swordsman¡ªor at least he thought so¡ªbut even if he wasn''t, he was still much better than when he started. Yet, the talent level remained the same, only its progress increasing.


    [Host: Puss in Boots


    Age: One Month


    Status: 9 Lives Remaining


    Talents:


    - Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 1 (Progress: 0.6% ¡ú 15%)


    - Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 1 (Progress: 0.7% ¡ú 15%)


    - Furry Lover (Silver): Level 0


    - Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 6]


    With this, he determined that the talent levels were only about his ability and speed to learn and grow, not his actual skill levels.


    And a gold-level talent was no joke¡ªPuss had become very strong in this short month of training. With plenty of stolen milk to complete his nutrition, along with exercise, he quickly got into good shape. He was no longer that chubby little kitten; he had become leaner and more handsome.


    After storing away his "sword," he left the mountain and headed to the cafeteria¡ªit was lunchtime.


    Imelda had been very worried about Puss over the past month. He hadn''t made any friends and was so persistent in his training, but she knew children had their own circumstances and goals, so she didn''t want to interfere. She only wanted them to grow up happy and healthy.


    Just as she had allowed Humpty Dumpty to chase his dreams, even though she worried about his loneliness.


    Puss had noticed all of this but simply kept it in his heart without taking any other action.


    As he approached the orphanage''s playground, he saw a scene that made his eyes narrow.


    "Hey, Breakfast, where are those beans you''re hiding? We''re hungry, bring them out."


    The three troublemakers Puss had faced on his first day were causing problems again, this time bullying the famous resident egg¡ªHumpty Dumpty.


    "I-I ate them, I didn''t hide any beans. Let''s not fight, okay? Remember what Imelda says, Boy Blue? If you''re going to blow your top, you blow your horn instead, right?"


    He spoke timidly and raised the horn Boy Blue carried, trying to remind him with a forced smile.


    But what he got in return was a malicious grin.


    "Let''s spin him."


    Boy Blue said cruelly, grabbing Humpty and throwing him to the ground.


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    "AHH!"


    Humpty Dumpty let out a small scream of panic, but as he hit the ground, his oval shape made it impossible for him to get up. He could only struggle helplessly.


    "Please don''t spin me!"


    He pleaded, but they didn''t care and started rolling his oval body across the floor.


    "Do not spin me!" He begged again. "Not again!"


    And finally, he was about to vomit.


    "No! I''m gonna yolk!"


    Puss, who had just arrived and witnessed the scene, couldn''t hold back.


    ''This scene is almost exactly like the one in the movie¡­ I don''t want to follow the same steps, but it feels like the world is actively pushing me toward them.''


    He reflected, but seeing the cruel bullying in front of him, he couldn''t help himself.


    "Hiss!"


    He hissed and quickly dashed forward on all four paws.


    The three boys froze at the sound, instantly recognizing who it belonged to. But before they could beg for mercy, a cat''s paw grew in their vision.


    Pow! Pow! Pow!


    Two paw strikes and a tail whip later, all three were on the ground, eyes rolled back.


    "Huh?!"


    Humpty Dumpty, who had suddenly stopped spinning, opened one eye in confusion.


    Seeing the three fallen boys and the small orange cat walking away, he understood everything.


    "Wow!"


    He exclaimed, filled with admiration, and quickly struggled to get up. By sheer luck, he found the right angle and managed to stand on his own.


    "Huff! Huff!"


    Panting from the effort, he didn''t take long to rest. Still out of breath, he ran after Puss.


    "Hey! Huff! Wait for me! Huff! Huff!"


    Running with all his might, he soon caught up to Puss, who was walking calmly.


    "Hey! Huff! Didn''t you hear me?"


    He walked beside the cat, still huffing from the effort, confused as to why he hadn''t waited for him.


    Puss glanced at him from the corner of his eye and then gave a slight nod.


    "Oh?"


    Seeing the nod, Humpty understood that Puss hadn''t waited for him on purpose and felt a little embarrassed.


    But then he remembered that the cat was a famous loner at the orphanage, just like him.


    ''He''s like me. No friends, no family, no place to call home.''


    Humpty thought as he looked at the small kitten''s lonely back.


    But this also awakened something inside him¡­ a sense of¡­ companionship?


    "Wait!"


    Seeing the cat walk away, he ran after him again.


    Puss didn''t care and kept walking at his own pace, entering the dining hall and grabbing his lunch.


    ''Oh, what a surprise, beans¡­''


    He joked to himself, disheartened. He was a bit tired of eating beans this month, but it seemed like the orphanage''s finances were in a delicate state.


    Not being ungrateful¡ªafter all, the orphanage had done a lot for him and all the children¡ªhe took his plate and sat in the corner.


    "Wow, you really are different!"


    A voice suddenly sounded, making Puss''s ears twitch.


    Soon, a plate of beans was placed on the table, and a humanoid egg sat beside him, speaking.


    "You were amazing back there, and on the day you arrived too. Boy Blue''s gang is the biggest group of troublemakers in the orphanage, but everyone knows they''re afraid of you. And you took them down in no time again today¡ªI couldn''t even see when you attacked."


    He spoke excitedly, while Puss simply picked up a bean and tossed it into his mouth, chewing indifferently.


    Crunch! Crunch!


    Humpty froze for a moment at Puss''s indifference. But seeing that the cat wasn''t hissing at him like he did with the other children, he thought that was already a great sign.


    So, after opening his mouth several times, hesitating, he finally gathered a bit of courage and spoke his mind, his face slightly confused.


    "Look¡­ I admire you, you know? Actually, I think everyone at the orphanage admires you¡­ You could have as many friends as you wanted, and you could be the most popular kid¡­ So why do you keep being alone?"


    He looked at Puss and asked, but received no answer. Lowering his head in confusion, he whispered softly.


    "Well, if it were me¡­ I don''t think I''d choose to be alone."

 Chapter 7 - Chupacabra

    Puss, upon hearing what Humpty said, couldn''t help but feel sympathy.


    He had been lonely for only a month, and by his own choice. Meanwhile, Humpty had felt alone and out of place for as long as he could remember.


    Even though there were people at the orphanage who cared for him, like Imelda, Humpty never felt special or valued. In his mind, he was just one of the dozens of children at the orphanage. And if he disappeared, no one would care for more than a few days.


    Puss saw the loneliness in the egg''s eyes but said nothing.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter!"


    Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Humpty regretted talking too much and quickly waved his hand, trying to lighten the mood.


    "So, do you have a name?"


    He changed the subject and asked, but the only response he received was the cat''s silence and indifference.


    Seeing that Puss didn''t care about him at all, Humpty couldn''t help but feel disappointed.


    ''Maybe I was overthinking¡­''


    He thought, feeling a bit sad.


    Then, looking at Puss, he forced a smile and said goodbye as he picked up his plate, not wanting to bother him anymore.


    "Well, I just wanted to thank you for helping me. A-and I guess, this is where we part ways¡­"


    He said, and feeling disheartened, he turned to leave.


    But just as he had taken a few steps, a deep and beautiful voice echoed.


    "Puss, my name is Puss."


    Humpty''s eyes widened, and he quickly turned around, but he was too late¡ªbehind him, all that remained was an empty table.


    "Puss?"


    He whispered the name, and then, a smile appeared on his face. That feeling of companionship resurfaced in his heart.


    "He''s an interesting guy."


    ¡­


    It was midnight when an orange cat, carrying a glass bottle in his mouth, ran silently, slipping into a property.


    Slowing down, Puss walked cautiously, and by the barn door, he saw an old, frail man in farmer''s clothes leaning on a rusty sword, sleeping while swaying in the wind.


    "Zzz¡­ snrk¡­ slurp¡­" The old man mumbled, a thin trail of drool escaping from the corner of his mouth.


    Passing quietly by him, Puss heard him mutter in his sleep.


    "Zzz¡­ Chupacabra¡­"


    Puss couldn''t help but roll his eyes at that.


    ''I only took a little milk! There was no need to give me such a nickname. I didn''t even steal goat''s milk, only cow''s! They are slandering me!''


    He thought, both helpless and amused.


    Over the past month, due to his nightly escapades to steal milk, the noise of waking cows, and the sight of his fleeing shadow, a rumor had spread that a creature called "El Chupacabra" was prowling the town, devouring livestock.


    Shaking his head in amusement, he quickly slipped into the barn, hidden in the shadows, and climbed onto the beams without making a sound.


    Searching for his target, he found a peacefully sleeping cow¡ªan easy target. Without hesitation or noise, he slipped into the bay where the cow rested, slowly approaching her exposed udders.


    Reaching the spot, he grasped the bottle in his mouth with one paw, while the other gently and skillfully held the cow''s teat. With a firm squeeze, he pulled softly, and a small stream of milk squirted directly into the bottle.


    His eyes shifted to the cow''s face, and seeing that she remained asleep, he repeated the motion. Soon, the small bottle in his paw was filled, and Puss''s eyes shone with pride.


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    ''Hehe! I did it! I got a bottle of milk without waking the cow!''


    With a proud look, he stepped back to leave, failing to notice the tail lying just beneath his paw.


    ¡­


    "MOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"


    A loud cow''s bellow echoed, startling the sleeping old man, who snapped his eyes open.


    "Huh! Uh! What?!"


    Confused, it took him a moment to regain his senses, but upon hearing the mooing, he understood.


    "CHUPACABRA!"


    The old man shouted fiercely, baring his nearly toothless mouth and charging into the barn with ferocity, gripping his rusty sword.


    But just as he was about to enter, a shadow dashed past him before he could react and disappeared into the woods.


    Staring at the spot where the shadow had vanished, he clenched his remaining teeth and swore angrily.


    "CHUPACABRA, I will catch you someday!!!"


    Under the sound of the old man''s furious screams, Puss disappeared.


    ¡­


    "Huff! Huff!" Leaning against the wall of a house with his arms spread out, still clutching the full bottle of milk, Puss breathed heavily.


    He wasn''t afraid of the old man, but he had to run fast enough to prevent him from recognizing his figure¡ªhe didn''t want everyone to find out he was a milk thief.


    After catching his breath and feeling better, Puss pulled the cork from the bottle and tipped it back, gulping everything down quickly.


    "Haah! Now that''s the good life!"


    Lowering the bottle and wiping his mouth with his arm, he couldn''t help but exclaim in satisfaction.


    Then, leaning against the house, he thought about his plans.


    ''I need money. If I wanted to steal, it''d be easy with my skills, but if a poor orphan suddenly comes into money and possessions, it would be too obvious that I stole them. The matron wouldn''t help me hide it either, and it''d be more trouble than it''s worth. If I want to live peacefully here for a few years, stealing isn''t the best path.''


    He pondered, his feline eyes looking downward in deep thought.


    Looking up again, he gazed at the moon.


    ''I still have plenty of time. I''ll figure something out. But I still have milk to steal. My belly won''t fill itself.''


    He thought, amused, and dropping to all fours, he crouched low before leaping onto the rooftops and disappearing into the night.


    ¡­


    Another day dawned at the San Ricardo orphanage, and Puss woke up, ready for another day of battle.


    Walking through the corridors, indifferent to those around him, Puss''s ears suddenly perked up as he overheard something interesting being discussed by some of the orphanage''s caretakers.


    "Did you hear? Last night old Joe had a fierce battle with the Chupacabra. He said he barely managed to survive. He also said that in the fight, the Chupacabra almost tore his throat out."


    One of the caretakers said solemnly, scaring the others.


    "Ahh!"


    Some couldn''t help but scream.


    "?Dios m¨ªo!"


    And others began to pray.


    Puss was entertained by the story, even though he felt the urge to roll his eyes.


    Then, he continued on his way¡ªor at least, that was his plan.


    "Peque?o!"


    "Meow!!!"


    The gentle voice of Matron Imelda suddenly came, startling Puss into a jump.


    Feeling embarrassed by his slip-up, he quickly composed himself under Imelda''s amused gaze and then responded softly with a small nod.


    "Meow."


    "Haha, sorry for scaring you, my brave little boy, but I need to talk to you."


    Smiling warmly, she knelt down and gently picked Puss up in her arms.


    Being held by her again, he felt that warm and comforting feeling once more and relaxed in her embrace.


    Carrying him along, she began speaking to him softly.


    "Peque?o, I know you leave the orphanage at night, every night."


    She suddenly said, making Puss widen his eyes.


    ''How could she know? I was always so skilled and cautious!''


    He thought, shocked.


    Imelda just smiled gently at his reaction.


    "On the first night, I went to check on you to see if you were sleeping well, but what I found was your empty bed. After that, I noticed you leave every night."


    She said softly.


    ''Crap!''


    Puss thought bitterly.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t take away your freedom. Not from you or any of the children. In this life, we can lose everything, but never our freedom. That was a hard lesson I learned in my childhood, peque?o. You may not understand, but that''s okay. What I want to say is something else."


    Her voice remained gentle and calm, yet firm.


    ''It seems Imelda didn''t have an easy life. It''s impressive how her kindness overshadows everything, making us forget she may not have received the same kindness she gives.''


    Puss thought, his heart heavy for this good woman.


    Imelda set her smile aside and spoke seriously to Puss.


    "I know you probably won''t stop going out, but I want you to promise me, peque?o¡­"


    She looked at him firmly.


    Puss also grew serious and looked back at her resolutely.


    "Promise me that you''ll be careful. These recent rumors about the Chupacabra scare me."


    She said, almost pleading with her eyes.


    ''Ah! That''s what this is about?''


    Puss couldn''t help but feel dumbfounded, but seeing her serious and imploring gaze, he could only nod firmly, strangely promising to be careful¡­ against himself?


    And giving his word of honor.


    "Meow!"

 Chapter 8 - We Don’t Need It

    Leaving Matron Imelda behind, Puss headed to the banquet hall, and after drinking some milk, he calmly walked toward his training field.


    As he passed by the playground, he suddenly heard someone calling him in a hushed voice.


    "Psst! Puss! Over here!"


    Looking to the side, where the voice came from, Puss saw¡ªhidden behind a tarp¡ªan eye staring at him. It belonged to an Egg, who was glancing around cautiously, as if afraid someone might see him.


    Setting aside the ultra-suspicious scene, Puss figured whatever he wanted to show him had to be about beans, but he wasn''t interested in getting involved with Humpty Dumpty.


    So, turning his head forward, he continued walking indifferently.


    Seeing that Puss didn''t approach, Humpty grew anxious and quickly stepped out from behind the tarp, running after him.


    "Hey, wait, Puss!" he shouted as he ran.


    Puss didn''t wait and kept walking calmly, but soon enough, the egg caught up to him.


    "Huff! Man, can you stop doing that?"


    He asked, exhausted, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath, but stopping only made him fall behind again, leaving him speechless.


    Running once more, he caught up again.


    "Huff! Hey! That''s really rude of you."


    The panting Humpty said helplessly, but Puss showed no reaction¡ªexcept for the slight lift of his tail tip, revealing his amusement at the scene.


    Even Puss himself wasn''t aware that his tail did that.


    "I wanted to show you something I''ve been working on and offer you a deal," Humpty Dumpty said, recovering slightly from his fatigue, now that he had reached Puss and only needed to walk to keep up.


    Puss ignored him and kept walking.


    "Come on, at least hear me out!"


    Humpty quickly ran ahead of Puss and stood in his way, forcing him to stop.


    Puss simply raised his eyes indifferently at him.


    "Look, have you ever heard of magic beans?"


    He asked, widening his eyes at Puss, waiting for a response.


    After a few seconds without any reaction, Puss finally gave a small nod.


    Seeing him acknowledge it, Humpty got excited.


    "My plan is to find the magic beans and steal the golden goose. But I can''t do it alone¡ªI need help, and you''re the most skilled person I know¡­ and the only one who was ever good to me."


    He said, looking at Puss with hope.


    Puss''s feline eyes lifted and stared at Humpty.


    "I''m not interested," he said and walked past him, leaving Humpty disappointed by the answer.


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    But Humpty wasn''t going to give up so easily. Awkwardly turning his oval body, he followed after Puss once again.


    "Why? Is it because you don''t believe in the legend of the beanstalk?"


    He asked, wanting to understand why Puss refused so quickly.


    This time, Puss answered immediately, surprising him.


    "I believe in the legend. I''m just not interested in stealing a bird."


    Puss said indifferently.


    Humpty was surprised by the conviction in Puss''s words about believing in the legend. But his doubts didn''t lessen¡ªthey only grew.


    "What do you mean by that? We just take the Goose, and we''ll be richer than anyone in the world! We can go anywhere we want and live however we please. We could even find a place to call home!"


    Humpty said, his voice growing more emotional and filled with visions of a bright future.


    But his words made Puss stop so abruptly that the Egg almost crashed into him.


    Puss didn''t turn around, but his words were loud and clear for Humpty to hear.


    "We don''t need a golden goose to be rich. We don''t need to be rich to be free. And most of all, we don''t need a place to call home¡ªwe already have that here."


    He said simply, then walked forward, leaving behind an Egg who stared in disbelief at the departing orange-furred back.


    ¡­


    ''Well¡­ maybe I lied a little¡­''


    Puss thought, feeling a bit ashamed internally.


    Saying he wasn''t interested in a goose that literally shits gold couldn''t have been further from the truth. Besides, he had lied about other things too.


    ''Well, being rich does make being free a lot easier. And calling this place home¡­ the truth is, I still can''t say I truly consider it home.''


    He thought as he returned to his tree and chose a sword. This time, he picked the heavy sword.


    Gripping the large wooden sword¡ªone he had put a lot of effort into making¡ªhe began swinging it while leaping into the air and spinning, performing complex movements with it.


    Normally, he wouldn''t divide his focus on different types of swords, but he had discovered that his talent was simply too great. Playing with other kinds of swords gave him inspiration and allowed him to better understand his own swordsmanship path, so to speak.


    As he swung the heavy sword, his focus was intensely fixed on dissecting every mistake and success in his movements.


    Thus, with each swing of Puss''s sword, time flew as well.


    Before he realized it, exactly 200 days had passed since he came to this world.


    Ironically, he was swinging a heavy sword just like on that day.


    He slowly lowered his heavy sword, which was now different and larger¡ªjust like he was.


    Puss had grown only a few centimeters, but his body, though still the slim frame of a cat, now had some camouflaged muscle stripes that overall gave him a strong yet handsome appearance, despite still being a young feline.


    But aside from that, he was still the same orange cat who walked around naked.


    He had tried wearing clothes but found them too uncomfortable, restrictive, and bothersome to his feline instincts.


    So he decided to stay naked¡ªafter all, his fur was like clothing to him, and his thing stayed hidden, so it wasn''t much different from wearing clothes.


    Yes, Puss''s penis and balls weren''t exposed. In fact, they kind of tucked away into his body, or some kind of cartoon logic like that. They only came out when he needed to pee or when he wanted them out, generally speaking.


    But even though it was protected, if he took a hit in that area, it would still hurt like hell, so it remained a weak point on his body.


    Placing the sword on the ground, Puss looked at the panel in front of him.


    [Host: Puss in Boots


    Age: 6 Months


    Status: 9 Lives Remaining


    Talents:


    - Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 1 (Evolvable)


    - Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 1 (Evolvable)


    - Furry Lover (Silver): Level 0


    - Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 6]


    In truth, he had held back a lot to avoid evolving the night before. But he restrained himself, wanting to evolve both talents together today.


    ''Unfortunately, I don''t know if evolution causes pain or anything like that. The system only shows the status screen and does nothing else¡ªnot even talk or answer questions, so I can''t know. I can only find some secluded place to do it.''


    Thinking this, his eyes involuntarily turned toward the San Ricardo bell tower, the tallest place in the city.


    Not wanting to wait any longer, he made his decision. Like a shadow, he dashed forward, disappearing as he leaped between buildings.

 Chapter 9 - Evolving

    In just a few minutes, Puss had arrived and climbed the San Ricardo bell tower all the way to the top.


    There, there was only a large bell, some roof tiles, and a few other scattered things.


    Dropping onto all fours, he elegantly lay down.


    Then, he accessed the panel, extended his paw, and clicked on one of the options.


    [Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 1 (Evolvable)] ¡ú [Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 2 (Evolving¡­)]


    A few seconds passed, and nothing happened.


    Tilting his head in doubt, Puss couldn''t help but think.


    ''Is it already over? I didn''t feel¡ª''


    But before he could complete the thought, his pupils dilated, his claws extended from his paws, and his tail bristled.


    A sharp pain spread through his entire body, and Puss clenched his small, sharp teeth, trying not to make any noise¡ªbut he failed.


    "Rrrrgghh!" A low growl escaped his black lips.


    His claws, which were firmly pressed against the floor, slowly began to sharpen further and sink into the surface.


    His feline body grew a few centimeters taller, becoming even more slender and handsome. His fur looked shinier and silkier.


    His hearing became more precise, his vision sharper, his sense of smell more refined, and his instincts keener.


    It all happened very fast, and less than a minute later, it was over.


    Puss shook his body and stood up on his two legs, stretching with his arms raised.


    Once he felt better, he began analyzing his changes.


    Flexing his right arm, he saw that his discreet muscles were even more defined and powerful, his body looking even more symmetrical than before.


    Seeing his vibrant orange fur, he couldn''t help but extend his other paw and stroke it, feeling that it was even softer than before.


    "Incre¨ªble! Though my appearance hasn''t changed much, I must be even more handsome now!"


    He couldn''t contain himself and spoke out loud.


    Then, feeling his strength, he also realized he was stronger than before. The changes weren''t overwhelming, but they were still very good, and Puss couldn''t help but wonder how incredible he would be if he reached level 10.


    ''I imagine my original talents were the same as the Puss from the movies, but with a system that allows me to advance my talents, along with my training, I will be even more legendary than him. Puss in the movies was already incredible¡ªeven if he couldn''t defeat Death, he still managed to disarm him and put him at a disadvantage for a short moment, proving just how amazing he was.''


    Puss thought, then his eyes shone as he looked at the second option, and without hesitation, he clicked.


    [Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 1 (Evolvable)] ¡ú [Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 2 (Evolving¡­)]


    ''I, Puss, in this life, will never be inferior to anyone¡ªnot even Death will make me admit defeat.''


    He promised himself, holding his head high, and waited for the pain.


    And waited.


    And waited.


    "..."


    ''No pain this time, huh?''


    He turned his gaze to his status.


    [Host: Puss in Boots


    Age: 6 Months


    Status: 9 Lives Remaining


    Talents:


    - Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 2


    - Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 2


    - Furry Lover (Silver): Level 0


    - Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 6]


    ''So much for expectations¡­''


    Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and tried to feel any differences. But he felt nothing¡ªuntil he thought about swordsmanship itself. Suddenly, small ideas and intuitions about things he had been doing wrong without even realizing it emerged, along with ways to improve what was already good.


    Again, the change wasn''t drastic, but if it previously took him 10 hours to make progress, now he could achieve the same in 8. While it might not seem like much, over a decade, it would save him two full years. And this was only the second level of talent¡ªthere was still plenty of room for improvement.


    Opening his eyes and giving a satisfied smile, Puss suddenly accelerated, leaping from the tower. Shifting his posture mid-air, he began spinning like a star, accelerating even more.


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    ''So fun!''


    A huge smile spread across his lips. Ever since he became a cat, he had been feeling freer and freer. He felt like he could do anything, and his life was becoming more colorful by the day.


    As he practically flew through the air, he adjusted his posture to swing off a wooden structure of a nearby house, increasing his momentum and propelling himself toward the orphanage.


    After that, he found no other structure to keep his momentum going, so he lost his aerial speed. Landing skillfully on the roof of a house, he touched down on all fours and quickly dashed forward without missing a beat.


    In mere seconds, he arrived at the orphanage. His smile faded, replaced by a serious expression as he walked upright on two legs.


    The children he passed looked at him with admiration¡ªeven some of the caretakers did.


    Puss strolled forward nonchalantly, as if he owned the place.


    ''I''ll leave my joyful, playful side for those I cherish. As for everyone else? Let them all remember me as a legend.''


    He thought, and without stopping, went to have lunch.


    Seated once again with a plate of beans in front of him, Puss began to think.


    ''Now that I''ve reached my goal of leveling up once, and I''ve accumulated plenty of practice in exercise, swordsmanship, and combat, it''s time to start working on making money.''


    He mused, tossing a bean into his mouth and chewing as he leaned his face against a paw disinterestedly.


    "Hey, Puss!"


    A voice suddenly called out, snapping him from his thoughts.


    Puss merely rolled his eyes at him and raised an "eyebrow."


    He had sensed him approaching a long time ago.


    The egg, who had spoken, placed his plate on the table and sat beside Puss with a smile on his lips.


    Ever since the day Puss had told him that he and Humpty had a home here, the egg had distanced himself from him.


    To Humpty, the sense of camaraderie he felt with Puss was just his mind playing tricks on him. But if there was one defining trait of Humpty, it was that he was persistent and intelligent.


    So he didn''t give up and felt that perhaps the feeling of companionship wasn''t wrong, but rather that Puss was deceiving him and hiding his own emotions. Thus, he persisted and continued observing Puss.


    And that was how he discovered that Puss had no close relationship with anyone and was indifferent to everyone... well, almost everyone. There was someone he wasn''t indifferent to¡ªImelda, the matron of the orphanage.


    But Humpty still believed that Puss didn''t see the orphanage as a true home, just as he didn''t.


    And so, since then, he was the only one who dared to approach Puss at the orphanage, besides Imelda.


    Not that Puss himself had approved, but since he hadn''t beaten him up to drive him away, Humpty took that as tacit acceptance.


    "So, what are the plans for today? Let me guess, now''s the time for physical exercise, right?"


    Humpty said while chewing his beans. That was how their conversations went every day¡ªHumpty talked, and Puss listened. So he was used to talking to himself and didn''t expect any responses.


    But today was different.


    "Why are you so persistent?"


    Puss suddenly spoke. It was the first time in six months that he had said anything to someone beyond a simple "Meow."


    Humpty''s eyes widened upon hearing the voice he had almost forgotten after not hearing it for months. Excited, he quickly replied.


    "Wow! You actually answered! I was starting to think you had some kind of medical condition that kept you from speaking. Well, I already told you why¡ªyou''re like me¡­"


    He said enthusiastically, but as he reached the last part, he noticed Puss''s gaze becoming indifferent and disinterested again, and he became nervous.


    Somehow, he understood¡ªPuss knew he was lying.


    "I-I¡­ I''m just tired of being alone, okay? I''m just tired of being invisible¡­"


    He admitted, disheartened.


    Puss paused as he was about to stand up when he heard that.


    ''Haah¡­ he''s just a kid.''


    Puss thought with an internal sigh and then turned his gaze to the egg.


    "You are not invisible."


    He said simply.


    But Humpty shook his head negatively.


    "No, I am. Nobody cares about me, they just mock me and make some joke about eggs. Puss, I''m not... I''m not a person, I''m not a bird, I''m not even a food. I don''t know what I am. I don''t belong anywhere here."


    He said, disheartened, playing with the last bean on his plate with his spoon.


    "And what about Matron Imelda? Doesn''t she see you?"


    Puss asked, incisively.


    But Humpty just shook his head.


    "Matron Imelda is the kindest person I know, Puss. She loves and cares for all of us, but it''s different. I''m just one more child she looks after and loves, but I''m not special, Puss. I don''t have a place here. One day, I''ll grow up, and Matron Imelda won''t be able to take care of me anymore. And then, I will have nothing. No friends, no family, no place to call home."


    He explained sincerely, his gaze distant, far more mature than it should be for his age. When he spoke of home, he meant something spiritual, not a physical place.


    Puss frowned at his plate, deep in thought.


    ''He''s smart¡­ and it seems he''s right¡­''


    Puss thought, suddenly feeling sad for the egg, but he didn''t show it. And once again, he asked his question.


    "And what about me? Why seek me out, when I am even more indifferent than everyone else?"


    He asked, lifting his gaze and meeting Humpty''s, his slit eyes sharp.


    This time, Humpty smiled at him.


    "Puss, you don''t understand what true indifference is, but I do."


    He said with a smile and clarified under Puss''s confused gaze.


    "True indifference is offering help when you know it isn''t needed. It''s giving a little attention only when it''s begged for. It''s closing your eyes when someone is in need and blaming everyone but yourself for your own cowardice."


    He said, making Puss widen his eyes.


    "Puss, despite ignoring me, when I needed you, you helped me. When you didn''t want to speak, you forced yourself to when you saw me depressed. And when you saw me lost, you lied to try to help me."


    He smiled at Puss, not hiding his thoughts.


    Puss stared at him for a moment, motionless, and finally sighed.


    "Haah¡­ you win, Humpty Alexander Dumpty. My name is Puss."


    He said helplessly and extended his paw to Humpty.


    Humpty was surprised, but soon a bright smile appeared on his face, and he quickly shook Puss''s hand.


    "Humpty Alexander Dumpty, at your service!"


    The egg said, lifting his hat with one hand in greeting while shaking Puss''s hand with the other.


    And so, Puss made his first friend since arriving in this world.


    And ironically, it was Humpty Dumpty¡ªthe future villain.

 Chapter 10 - Plans

    On Puss''s mountain, Humpty was lying comfortably while Puss sat with one arm resting on his knee and an indifferent expression on his face.


    "So let me see if I got this right. You need money, you have skills, but you don''t want to steal, so you want to collaborate with me¡ªgive ideas, handle business, and I do the inventions?"


    Humpty frowned slightly at Puss''s plans.


    "S¨ª."


    Puss simply nodded.


    "Uhh¡­ well, what invention are you talking about, and why me?"


    Humpty asked, curious yet cautious.


    And Puss explained.


    "There are a few. It shouldn''t be hard for you to make them once I tell you how. I was planning to find a third person, but since you''re here, and I know you have a good head on your shoul-"


    He froze slightly and looked at the humanoid egg, who was literally an egg with arms and legs.


    "...legs."


    Humpty didn''t seem to notice Puss''s moment of confusion and was lost in thought.


    ''I guess it won''t hurt to try¡­ right?''


    He thought and then looked at Puss.


    "Alright, let''s give it a shot. But I want something in return."


    He requested.


    But Puss just waved his hand dismissively.


    "You''ll have your percentage. Let''s do 70-30."


    Puss explained simply.


    "Oh! 70 for me? Well, I wasn''t talking about money, but thanks!"


    Humpty felt flattered and smiled happily.


    One of Puss''s eyes twitched at that.


    "70 is mine."


    He clarified, rolling his feline eyes.


    "Oh! Haha! My bad. Alright, I''ll take 30, but I still want something else."


    Humpty felt embarrassed by his mistake and fidgeted with his fingers, but he accepted the deal easily while reiterating his request.


    Puss raised an eyebrow and nodded.


    "Well, go ahead, say it."


    He said, unconcerned.


    "I want you to help me find the golden goose when we grow up."


    Humpty asked seriously.


    "Even if we get rich?"


    Puss frowned at the request.


    "Even if we get rich."


    Humpty confirmed.


    Puss pondered, turning his eyes to the egg, and asked.


    "Why?"


    "There''s no why¡­ I just feel like I have to do this. It''s my dream."


    Humpty said softly, staring at the clouds as if he could see the giant''s castle among them.


    After hesitating a little, Puss thought it wouldn''t hurt. By then, he would be very powerful and wouldn''t worry about the dangers of a giant goose.


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    Shrugging, he nodded.


    "It''s a deal."


    "Haha! Really?! That''s great! Then the Bean Club is officially formed!"


    Humpty cheered excitedly, looking at Puss.


    Puss could see that his happiness wasn''t just about his dream but also about finding a friend.


    But when he heard Humpty mention the Bean Club, something clicked in his mind, and his gaze fell on the status panel he had summoned.


    [Host: Puss in Boots


    Age: 6 Months


    Status: 9 Lives Remaining


    Talents:


    - Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 2


    - Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 2


    - Furry Lover (Silver): Level 0


    - Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 6 ¡ú Level 7]


    And sure enough, there was a change in the panel. The Lucky Feline talent had leveled up.


    ''So it''s true. It seems I have a certain fate to fulfill, and doing so increases my luck.''


    Puss mused and turned his gaze to the egg struggling to get up.


    Shaking his head in amusement, he stood up, walked over, and extended his hand.


    "Oh! Thanks for the help, but I''m kinda heavy, you know. It might be better if¡ª"


    He waved his hand, starting to explain, but Puss didn''t want to hear it. He simply stretched out his paw, grabbed Humpty''s hand, and pulled him up with ease.


    Humpty was shocked at how effortlessly he had been lifted.


    "Wow! You''re so strong!"


    Humpty said in admiration.


    But Puss ignored him and resumed his exercise.


    His training wasn''t just to improve the level of his talent but also to strengthen himself. The talent certainly helped a lot, but without training, he wouldn''t be as strong as he was now.


    It was as if the talent set the limit, while his own effort determined how close he could get to that limit.


    Humpty was at a loss, unsure of what to do, and just watched, feeling awkward.


    Puss felt both powerless and annoyed at being watched while training. Resigned, he stopped for a moment and looked at the egg.


    "Wait here for a second."


    And without another word, he dropped to all fours and leaped into the treetop with a single jump.


    A few seconds later, he landed on the ground with three paws, in a superhero landing, while his fourth paw held a few sheets of paper filled with scribbles.


    Walking up to the surprised Humpty, he simply extended his paw and handed him the sheets.


    "This is what I need. Some ideas are almost complete; you just need to refine them a little. Others will require some time studying. When you''re ready, tell me what you need to make these things, and I''ll arrange it."


    With that said, he turned and resumed his training.


    Confused, Humpty looked at the papers filled with various sketches in his hands.


    On the first sheet, a name was written above a drawing.


    "Carriage Springs."


    He repeated the name, and after reading the details, he quickly understood what it was for and widened his eyes.


    Flipping the paper, he saw another one.


    "Sewing Machine?"


    After studying it, he understood its use, but he didn''t see the huge profit that Puss had promised in either project. Still, he intended to do his best because his goal was to get Puss fully on board with the Bean Club, so he needed to keep his part of the deal.


    What Humpty didn''t realize was that Puss had never planned to get rich relying only on commerce¡­ well, not entirely, at least.


    Leaving the mountain, Humpty headed to his secret workshop to prepare for studying the projects.


    ¡­


    Half a month passed with everything continuing as usual.


    On this particular day, after leaving Imelda''s room, Puss went to do his physical training.


    Imelda had been giving him private lessons to teach him how to read and write. Even though he already knew how, he still pretended to be learning¡ªthough he faked learning very quickly to avoid wasting too much time on it.


    ''Matrona Imelda has been working so hard. The orphanage''s finances are tight, and her eyes are constantly tired, but she never forces the children to help in any way, as would be normal in this era, and she tries to carry everything on her own¡­ and still finds time to teach me so I don''t fall behind the other kids who are already learning.''


    Puss reflected with a serious expression. He respected the matron deeply for her kindness and resilience.


    Moreover, Imelda seemed to have a special fondness for Puss, as if she saw something in him that he himself could not. She treated him like a true son and cared deeply for him.


    She even smiled for a long time when she found out that Puss had befriended Humpty, relieving both her worry about Puss not having friends and about Humpty himself, another well-known loner in the orphanage.


    Walking calmly, yet with his mind full of plans, Puss suddenly felt a faint tremor in his ears, detecting the sound of a nearby presence.


    But he didn''t need to do anything, as the presence revealed itself voluntarily.


    "Hey! Puss, over here!"


    Feeling resigned at hearing Humpty''s voice, he looked to the side, where a giant egg was holding up some leafy branches, attempting to disguise himself in a corner.


    Staring at the strange sight, Puss couldn''t help but ask.


    "Humpty, what are you¡ª"


    "Shh! Shh! Shh!" Humpty quickly interrupted, placing a finger over his lips.


    Then, grinning mischievously, he whispered as if afraid someone might overhear.


    "It''s ready. Come with me."

 Chapter 11 - Go to the Guards

    "You can''t go like that! It''s a super-secret place!"


    Humpty whispered, covering the side of his mouth with his palm facing outward.


    He then stretched out one of the branches to Puss, wanting him to take it.


    What was happening was that Humpty wanted Puss to grab one of the branches he was carrying and disguise himself as a bush like him to go to the secret place.


    But Puss was not willing to do something so embarrassing and immediately refused.


    "No need."


    He waved his paw, dismissing the suggestion.


    But Humpty wasn¡¯t ready to give up so easily.


    "Come on, Puss! It''s a very secret place, we can''t reveal anything¡ª"


    "It''s the tarp behind the playground."


    Puss interrupted him and, with an emotionless look, revealed Humpty¡¯s secret spot, making the giant egg freeze.


    "Cough! Cough! How did you¡ª"


    Humpty choked in surprise and looked at Puss, shocked. But then, as if remembering something, he tapped his palm with a small fist.


    "It was the day I called you to make a deal! I indirectly revealed my hideout! Well, Puss, that day I calculated precisely when you would pass by, ensuring no one else would be around, which prevented my hideout from being exposed. This time, there are two of us¡ªit''s much more noticeable!"


    Humpty, understanding the reasoning, still thought his caution was necessary.


    That made Puss roll his eyes. His hideout couldn¡¯t be more obvious. The kids just didn¡¯t notice because they never paid attention to him.


    ¡®Come to think of it, Humpty¡¯s social invisibility might even be a superpower!¡¯


    Puss thought amusedly, looking at the giant egg. But seeing him still holding out the branch with a serious look, he felt powerless.


    "Haah¡­"


    Sighing, rubbing his forehead with his paw, Puss didn¡¯t know what to do with Humpty¡¯s insistence.


    He didn¡¯t want to ruin the image he had built for six months¡ªof an antisocial and cool cat¡ªby walking around holding a branch in front of him.


    But then, something flashed in his mind, and he spoke with seriousness.


    "You are right, Humpty. Leave a branch and go first. It¡¯s better if we act separately so no one notices."


    Puss spoke seriously.


    Humpty¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    "Damn, why didn¡¯t I think of that? You¡¯re right, Puss! I¡¯ll go first. Be careful!"


    Then, grabbing his branch and leaving the other behind, Humpty left, creeping along the walls with the branch covering his body and sharp eyes scanning the surroundings¡ªlike a super spy¡­ well, at least in his head.


    Watching him leave, Puss just smirked and walked away, leaving the branch behind.


    Meanwhile, Humpty was focused on his mission.


    [Mission Impossible Theme]


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    Rolling down a corridor with his oval body, still clutching the branch firmly in his hands.


    Suddenly, Humpty heard footsteps and the voices of children.


    Struggling clumsily to get up, he barely managed in time and pressed himself against the wall, holding the branch in front of his body.


    The children passed by without noticing him.


    Sighing in relief, his eyes regained their determination, and he continued on his way with firm and silent steps.


    Tap! Tap! Tap!


    At least, in his mind.


    One of the children who had passed by, now at a distance, asked the others,


    "Why was the egg hiding behind a branch in the corner?"


    Another child just shrugged.


    "Who knows? He¡¯s always weird. But I wouldn¡¯t have noticed if it weren¡¯t for the fact that it was a bush in the middle of a corridor¡­ and his shoes were showing underneath."


    Reaching the garden, Humpty spotted another child.


    He walked silently behind them, but the child seemed to sense something and looked back.


    Humpty froze like a statue, holding the branch in front of him, imitating a bush. Sweat dripped down his head as the child stared strangely at the bush with an egg behind it. Then, shrugging, they went off to find their friends.


    Crossing the garden like a shadow, he slipped under the tarp unnoticed¡­ because no one was paying attention to him.


    As he entered, his branch got stuck at the entrance, forcing him into a brief struggle before finally yanking it inside.


    With narrow, satisfied eyes, he cautiously peeked outside, waiting for Puss to arrive.


    But then, he felt a pat on his back, followed by a voice with a Spanish accent.


    "Who are you waiting for?"


    "AAHHH!!"


    With a scream and a jump, Humpty spun around and saw Puss behind him, smiling.


    "You! How? When?!"


    He looked at Puss, stunned, as the cat idly inspected his claws.


    "Doesn''t matter. Just show me the stuff."


    Puss spoke, amused by Humpty¡¯s reaction, the tip of his tail standing up slightly.


    After recovering a bit from the shock, Humpty wasted no time and quickly led Puss to a corner where a workbench stood.


    Humpty began tapping under the table, biting his tongue between his lips as if searching for something.


    "Hmm, where is it? I always miss it! Wait! Oh! Aha! Found it!"


    He said excitedly, seemingly having located something.


    With a clicking sound, a secret compartment in the table opened.


    ¡®He¡¯s good,¡¯ Puss had to mentally praise Humpty¡¯s ingenuity.


    From the secret compartment, Humpty pulled out several sheets of paper with drawings.


    "The designs you gave me for the carriage spring were practically complete¡ªI just made some final adjustments. Though the springs themselves are almost ready, you didn¡¯t provide any plans for adapting them to the carriage. I had to secretly study a carriage to come up with them, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult."


    He said as he spread the various sheets on the workbench for the cat to see.


    Puss looked over them and nodded in satisfaction.


    Carriage springs were something he had seen in his previous life, along with truck, bus, and car springs, and they weren¡¯t particularly complex. So the plans he had given Humpty were quite complete, perhaps only needing some refinements in measurements.


    He knew carriages would need adaptations, but he had only written about the springs indifferently, leaving others to finish the details. He wasn¡¯t an engineer¡ªnor did he want to be. He would just be a warrior in this life.


    So, he was very pleased that Humpty had thought about those things for him.


    "This sewing machine was the hardest to design, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult either. It operates with a pedal and a pulley. According to what you wanted, it makes a simple stitch."


    Puss admitted that he had only watched a video about sewing machines and had seen an old one operated by his grandmother once. Fortunately, with his rebirth, his memory was as clear as day, and as long as he wanted to recall something, it was easy.


    But since he hadn¡¯t studied it in depth and only knew the basics, his design had a few incomplete sections. Thankfully, Humpty was a genius engineer in this world.


    Looking at the drawings on the table, Puss nodded in approval and patted the egg¡¯s¡­ arm.


    "Very good, Humpty. Hide the sewing machine plans; they¡¯ll be used later. Take the spring designs and come with me."


    Puss didn¡¯t want to waste any more time and left without waiting for Humpty.


    "Huh! Hey, wait!"


    Humpty, stunned to see the cat leave so quickly, quickly snapped out of it and stored away the sewing machine plans before running after Puss with the spring blueprints.


    Leaving the tarp behind, with no time to hide, Humpty had no choice but to follow Puss helplessly.


    "Where are we going?" he asked, confused.


    "To meet the guards," Puss replied indifferently.


    "AH?!" A slight cry of shock escaped Humpty¡¯s mouth, and his face turned pale.

 Chapter 12 - Comandante, Please Help Them!

    "You brats, what are you doing here? This is no place for children to play!"


    A guard standing in front of the barracks stopped the two small figures approaching, his tone serious but not aggressive.


    Puss lifted his cold, indifferent feline eyes and stared at the guard, almost making him step back.


    "We are not here to play, Se?or. We came to see the Comandante."


    Puss spoke seriously, his voice low and rough.


    "T-the Comandante?!" The guard stammered slightly, seeing the intense seriousness of that cat.


    For some reason, the cat''s presence sent chills down his spine, like standing before a powerful beast.


    "Si." Puss answered simply.


    "This... I''ll report it." The guard hesitated for a moment, but as he was stared down by an unblinking cat, he finally lost his nerve and ran off to report.


    Puss remained indifferent at the gate, waiting, while a trembling Humpty watched everything unfold from behind him, pale from Puss''s boldness¡ªor at least as pale as a white egg could possibly get¡ªand also confused, not understanding what he was planning.


    As he shivered in uncertainty, Humpty suddenly heard Puss''s indifferent voice echo through the area, still with his back turned toward him.


    "If you keep shaking like that, you''ll turn into scrambled eggs."


    "Ahh!" Humpty let out a terrified squeak at the sudden remark from the friend he trusted.


    Puss, hearing his startled yelp, was confused at first, but after thinking about what he had said, he quickly understood.


    Feeling slightly embarrassed, he turned around and looked at the now even paler egg¡­ well, he was already white to begin with.


    Rubbing his forehead as if nursing a headache, Puss could only say helplessly,


    "Wait! That''s not what I meant. It wasn''t a threat... just a bad egg joke¡­ forget it."


    He muttered, a little embarrassed, and looked at Humpty''s face, which had relaxed upon realizing it wasn''t a threat.


    After recovering from the scare, Humpty let out a relieved sigh.


    "Haah¡­ Sorry, it''s just that you were so scary just now, so I thought¡­ well, my mistake."


    Humpty also felt embarrassed by his reaction.


    As the two children stood there in awkward silence, the guard returned, restoring the atmosphere to normal.


    "The Comandante said he will hear you out." The guard spoke cautiously to Puss and then led them inside the barracks toward the commander''s office.


    The commander, a large and robust man wearing Spanish armor and sporting a thick mustache, stared at them with a serious face and narrowed eyes.


    "What do you want, children?" he asked in a firm tone.


    Despite his fierce appearance, the commander was well-known in San Ricardo as a man who despised injustice and valued righteousness.


    Though he seemed rough, he was still willing to hear out the children to see if they were facing some kind of injustice he could help with.


    "Comandante, I came to negotiate," Puss said seriously.


    "Negotiate?" The commander was caught off guard, not understanding what was happening with these children.


    "Si." Puss nodded and continued.


    "We are from the orphanage, and the orphanage is struggling financially. Humpty and I have created an invention capable of revolutionizing travel and making a lot of money. But as poor children, we cannot do this alone, so we need a partner who can help us establish our business."


    He spoke, leaving the commander stunned, but before the man could respond, Puss raised a paw, signaling him to wait.


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    "But here''s the problem: as poor children, we are at serious risk of not being taken seriously or even having our plans stolen. So, we sought out the Comandante of this city, a man of integrity and high credibility. We are not asking for an investment, only for you to help us create a simple and inexpensive prototype and act as an intermediary with a merchant so we can secure a partnership and get the business running."


    Puss finished, placing his hands on his hips with a cunning smile.


    "This..." The commander was at a loss for words at the cat and the egg standing before him.


    But Puss wasn''t done yet.


    "Don''t worry, it won''t be a thankless job. The net profits we earn¡ªafter subtracting the merchant''s share¡ªwill be split into four equal parts: one for me, one for Humpty, one for the orphanage, and one for the San Ricardo guards. 25% each, no more, no less. Deal?"


    Puss said, suddenly leaping onto the commander''s desk and extending his paw toward him.


    The commander stared, stunned. So far, he hadn''t been able to say a single word.


    Massaging his forehead, the commander felt a headache coming on. He could see that the children had good intentions¡ªthey only wanted to help the orphanage and themselves¡ªbut he found it hard to believe that children could have created something truly profitable.


    "Look, kids, I know you''re..."


    The commander started to speak, trying to reason with them, but when he lifted his gaze to look at Puss, his words slowly faded away.


    In front of them stood a pitiful little kitten, with pitiful eyes and pitiful little paws held up against his chest. His pupils filled his bright eyes, making him look extremely pitiful¡ªand adorable.


    "Awwww!" The nearby guards couldn''t help but exclaim at the overwhelming cuteness.


    Seeing that pitiful little kitten, combined with the knowledge that the two were poor orphans trying to help their orphanage, only weakened the commander''s resolve further.


    "This¡­ I¡­" The commander struggled against those pleading eyes.


    "Comandante, please help them!" One of the guards couldn''t take it anymore and begged.


    "Yes, Comandante, please, just look at how pitiful he is!" Others joined in, pleading as well.


    With so many attacks coming from all sides, the commander was defeated.


    "Okay! Okay! Stop it, I agree to give it a try. But first, let me see your idea. If I don''t approve, you''re going back home, and I''ll see what I can do to help the orphanage."


    In the end, he made his commitment.


    "Whoo-hoo!"


    "YES!"


    "Hahaha! The Comandante is the best!"


    A chorus of cheers erupted from the guards, celebrating.


    Puss also dropped his pitiful expression and smiled in relief. He then turned to Humpty and gave him a thumbs-up with a grin.


    Humpty looked at him in admiration. A smile slowly spread across his face.


    That day, Puss and Humpty explained their spring mechanism, how to use it, and its benefits.


    As the commander examined the plans, his eyes lit up. He saw both commercial and strategic value in the springs and looked at the two little ones in surprise.


    Many goods and supplies are commonly damaged during transport due to the bumps and jolts of travel. The journey itself is exhausting, and carriages frequently break down because of rough roads. These springs would truly revolutionize travel.


    So, with a small investment from the city guard''s barracks, a blacksmith and a carpenter were called in to upgrade an old carriage the guards already owned, following Puss and Humpty''s designs.


    Puss wasn''t too worried about their plans being stolen now¡ªafter all, the city guards were no joke.


    ''Fortunately, I ended up in this universe. If this were a real medieval era, I wouldn''t stand much of a chance at success. If this were a feudal society, I wouldn''t be able to keep anything, not even the orphanage. Luckily, there aren''t such extreme problems in this reality. It''s a more peaceful world¡­ well, if you take out the villains. But to be honest, even the villains here seem pale compared to the truly wicked ones from Earth¡­ of course, not counting the superpowers¡ªI''m just talking about evil itself.''


    Puss thought, feeling increasingly content with this world.


    A few days later, a guard was sent to the orphanage to fetch Puss and Humpty.


    This almost stopped Imelda''s heart, and she was about to fight for the children.


    "Guard, please, I beg you, they''re just children! Don''t harm them!"


    Hearing the commotion and Imelda''s crying, Puss quickly ran over. His heart tightened at the desperation in her eyes.


    Stepping forward swiftly, he called out.


    "Wait! Mama, they don''t mean any harm."


    Puss''s voice startled her. When she heard the unfamiliar voice, turned around, and saw Puss, her eyes widened.


    "Peque?o?" She hesitated, asking.


    "Si, mama." Puss nodded in confirmation.


    He didn''t hesitate to call her mother. Puss no longer remembered his real mother''s face, but Imelda gave him the same warmth he vaguely recalled. So, out of respect for this strong woman who loved him deeply despite not sharing blood, he wasn''t ashamed to call her that.


    Imelda was momentarily stunned, and though she was happier than she could express at hearing her peque?o call her that, there were more pressing matters at hand.


    She looked at him seriously.


    "Peque?o, why is the guard looking for you?" she asked, her tone firm.


    "It''s better if you see for yourself, mama. Se?or Rodrigo, mi mama can come too, right?"


    Puss smiled at her before turning his gaze to the guard, whom he knew by name.


    "Of course!" The guard simply shrugged, thinking nothing of it.


    Though still confused, seeing the guard''s reaction reassured her that it wasn''t necessarily something bad.


    And so, Puss, Humpty, Imelda, and the guard Rodrigo left the orphanage under the curious gazes of the children and caretakers.

 Chapter 13 - Changes

    "You''ve arrived."


    The commander looked at the two little ones with a small smile. Then, he noticed a worried Imelda walking beside them, clutching her hands tightly to her chest in a silent prayer.


    "Mi se?ora." The commander greeted her respectfully.


    If he was known as a model of integrity in the city, Imelda was seen as an example of kindness. So, he knew and respected her.


    "Se?or comandante!" Imelda greeted him back, but her face turned a little paler, lost in the confusion of what was happening¡ªespecially since it involved the commander himself.


    "Well, Comandante, is it ready?" Puss stepped forward, asking with a serious face.


    The commander simply nodded, a small smirk on his lips, then put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.


    Whistle!


    Soon, an old, worn-out carriage appeared, pulled by a horse and driven by a city guard.


    The guard had a surprised look on his face as he felt the carriage was much more comfortable than usual.


    "Let''s go for a ride," the commander said with a smile.


    With an excited Humpty and Puss, along with a stunned Imelda following behind, they got into the carriage.


    With a "Yah!" from the coachman, the carriage began to move.


    They took a ride around the city.


    Slowly, the questions in Imelda''s mind changed from "Where are we going?" to "Why is this carriage so stable?"


    Seeing her expression, the commander was amused and then looked at Puss with a grin.


    "You didn''t tell her?" he asked.


    "It was supposed to be a surprise," Puss shrugged.


    Imelda looked at them in confusion. Then, smiling, the commander explained.


    "These two came to me to¡­ blah blah blah¡­"


    The commander explained everything clearly, but that''s all Puss heard. His focus was entirely on the carriage window, the wind brushing against his face as he stood on the seat, resting his two paws on the frame, his tail swaying gently from side to side.


    Ever since becoming a cat, his curiosity and interest in things had grown tremendously. He loved watching movement, and he was incredibly inquisitive.


    Of course, there were also some annoying instincts he had to be careful about.


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    But the worst of them, without a doubt¡ª


    ''Hairballs. They are horrible,'' he thought, remembering the absolute worst part of being a cat.


    As he was lost in thought, he was suddenly grabbed and pulled into an embrace.


    "Meow!" Puss yelped involuntarily.


    "Ah!" Another small squeal came from the side.


    "My two boys, you''re so brave and intelligent. I''m so proud of you!"


    It was Imelda, pulling Puss and Humpty into a tight hug, taking both of them by surprise¡ªespecially Humpty, who was embarrassed but also secretly happy.


    Tears of joy streamed down Imelda''s face, but there was also sadness in them. Seeing how the two had been forced to fend for themselves because of the orphanage''s financial struggles, which couldn''t provide them with a proper life, broke her heart.


    For Puss, this was just another moment in his life. But for Humpty, it was the first time he felt seen and needed.


    Puss watched Humpty''s shy yet happy smile in Imelda''s embrace, feeling a bit relieved.


    ''I hope this is your turning point, mi amigo. That the future won''t be as it was meant to be.''


    With these thoughts, the journey continued.


    And just like the turning wheels of the carriage, the wheels of time never stopped spinning.


    With the support of the commander and a trustworthy merchant cousin of his, the Hum&Puss springs entered the market of San Ricardo and its surrounding regions.


    At first, their presence wasn''t very noticeable, but soon they became popular, and money began flowing into the orphanage.


    While there were no imitators in San Ricardo¡ªthanks to the guards'' involvement¡ªother cities were a different story. However, they had already prepared for this. By the time imitations started appearing, the Hum&Puss springs had already established themselves as the standard of quality, comfort, and authenticity.


    If this were the modern world, sustaining a business on this alone would still be difficult. But in the medieval era, nobles wouldn''t buy cheap imitations for their dozens or even hundreds of carriages when the original springs were available¡ªand not even that expensive. It was a matter of reputation, and reputation was worth far more than a few extra coins.


    And their focus had always been the nobles, not the common folk. So, their profits were exactly as they expected¡ªand then some. Their success only grew over time.


    As the project''s creators, 50% of the net profit went to Humpty and Puss, while the other 50% went to the commander''s merchant cousin.


    Of their 50%, only half actually went to Puss and Humpty. The other half was split between the orphanage and the San Ricardo guard barracks.


    In truth, Imelda and the commander had initially refused their share, wanting the full amount to go to the boys. But since Puss and Humpty insisted, they eventually accepted their part of the deal.


    Puss didn''t particularly care about keeping the business money for himself¡ªhe just wanted to help the orphanage. If it were up to him, he would simply steal from some rich person, but Imelda wouldn''t accept that, and it would be far too suspicious.


    But now, not only was the orphanage financially secure, but he also had his own money, which gave him more freedom¡ªwithout staining his name.


    Humpty was also satisfied with his share and never objected to giving part of it to the guards and the orphanage, which was a huge relief to Puss.


    And so, by the time Puss turned one year old, the orphanage was completely different from before. It was far more welcoming and no longer looked like it was on the verge of collapse.


    The children''s meals were more abundant, and the caretakers had better wages to support their families.


    Imelda made sure everyone knew that it was all thanks to Puss and Humpty.


    If Puss had already been the pinnacle of fame in the orphanage before, now he had reached another level entirely¡ªthough no one dared to get too close to him. He was still that indifferent cat.


    Humpty, on the other hand, was far more approachable than Puss. He had become a celebrity, both in the orphanage and throughout the city.


    But Puss always felt like there was a shadow in Humpty''s heart.


    He seemed even lonelier than before.

 Chapter 14 - Suspicious Shadows

    After almost six months of Hum&Puss springs on the market, that particular night marked Puss''s first birthday.


    Puss hadn''t grown much more during this time, and its growth seemed to slow down even further as time went on.


    ''It looks like I''ll still be the size of a normal cat when I''m fully grown. That''s a relief¡­ Maybe a tall cat among cats because of the Mutant Cat evolutions.'' Puss thought about his size.


    But one thing had changed in Puss''s appearance: around his waist, a beautiful leather belt held a finely decorated rapier. On the hilt, a small, cute cat head was carved.


    Puss rested his paw on the sword''s hilt with satisfaction.


    ''To make this sword, I spent a fortune hiring the best blacksmith I could find. Well, it was the Comandante''s cousin who found him for me. Some sort of fairy blacksmith or something like that. But I am satisfied.''


    Puss thought with a smirk.


    He had just returned from the barracks. Puss had been training with the guards ever since he got familiar with them, and it had become easier and easier to win fights, even against groups.


    But apparently, because the fights had become too easy, the rapid progress he was making from real battles had been slowing down more and more. Still, it was better than training alone.


    Not that he had stopped exercising as usual¡ªhe had simply added sparring with the guards to his routine.


    [Host: Puss in Boots


    Age: 1 year


    Status: 9 Lives Remaining


    Talents:


    - Mutant Cat (Gold): Level 2 (Evolvable)


    - Natural Swordsman (Gold): Level 2 (Evolvable)


    - Furry Lover (Silver): Level 0


    - Lucky Feline (Silver): Level 7


    Equipment:


    - Leather Belt (No Grade)


    - Cheshire Sword (Bronze)]


    Looking at his panel, he was very satisfied.


    A new tab had appeared when he equipped himself.


    So far, the only piece of equipment he had found with a grade was his sword, which he had named Cheshire. That''s why he was so pleased with the weapon he had spent so much money on.


    Another change, which had just happened after finishing his fight with the guards, was that his talents could be upgraded again.


    Because of that, his plan was to have dinner at the orphanage and then head to the bell tower again to evolve his talents.


    But as he was nearing the orphanage, his eyes narrowed. From the shadows, some suspicious figures emerged.


    Jumping onto a rooftop silently, Puss approached them from above.


    "They say that orphanage is filthy rich, and two kids in particular have the most money. Our target tonight is to take everything¡ªI don''t want any mistakes."


    A burly figure at the front spoke seriously to his companions as they quickly approached the orphanage.


    "Boss, what do we do about the kids?" one of the bandits hesitated slightly.


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    The boss turned his head back, and a cruel smile formed on his lips.


    "Kill any that scream."


    "Hahaha!"


    "The boss is wicked!"


    "That''s why we follow him."


    The group, except for the one who had spoken, had satisfied, malicious grins on their faces, greed shining in their eyes.


    But just as they were about to reach the front of the orphanage, a small figure was waiting for them, stopping the steps of the dozen bandits.


    "Se?ores, I don''t think this is a good time for a visit."


    With his arms crossed over his chest, Puss spoke indifferently, his cold gaze fixed on the bandits.


    "Heh! It''s just a stray kitty. Let me help you find your way."


    One of the bandits laughed at Puss''s small appearance and felt fearless. Unsheathing his sword from his waist, he rushed forward, eager to end the life of the cat who dared to block his path.


    "Slow." Puss said indifferently, dodging with ease.


    Drawing his own sword from his belt, he swung it lightly, and with sparks flying, the bandit''s weapon flew from his hands.


    The last thing the man saw was a flash of the sword''s light before his consciousness sank into darkness.


    Bang!


    The bandit''s body hit the ground heavily in front of Puss, who simply lifted his foot and stepped on his head.


    The thief was still alive, only knocked out by Puss. As much as he wanted to kill all the robbers, he still didn''t have the stomach for it¡ªnor did he want to kill anyone right in front of the orphanage.


    Leaning his body slightly and resting his arm on the paw pressing down on the bandit''s head, Puss looked at the thieves with a slight smile¡ªbut his eyes did not seem to smile along.


    "Now, I''ll give you a choice. Drop your weapons and surrender¡­ or I will make you surrender¡ªand it will hurt a lot."


    He stared at the thieves, his slit pupils gleaming.


    Some of the weaker-hearted bandits recoiled under his gaze, fear creeping into them.


    Seeing this, the boss boiled with rage.


    "What are you fools doing?! It''s just a cat! Attack together!"


    With their leader''s shout, the bandits seemed to regain their nerve. Like a herd, they all rushed at Puss, shouting.


    "HAAAAAA!!!!"


    Puss rolled his eyes.


    ''So discreet. I suppose you''re afraid the whole town won''t hear you''re here.''


    Despite his thoughts, he didn''t hesitate. He ran straight into the mob with his sword in hand.


    "MEEEOOOW!"


    With a leap and a spin, he clashed his blade against the bandits'' swords that tried to skewer him, clearing a space for him to land.


    Planting his paws on the ground, he didn''t play around. With claws unsheathed on one paw and his sword in the other, he showed no mercy.


    With his claws, he skillfully slashed¡ªeither cutting clothes, making pants drop and causing them to trip, or slicing through flesh, making them scream and collapse.


    With his sword, he disarmed them effortlessly, knocking weapons away or cutting hands.


    The battle seemed chaotic, with everyone trying to bring the cat down, but no blade touched his agile and flexible body. He was like a machine¡ªwherever he passed, he left the messy bandits falling in his wake.


    He was used to taking down trained guards; these untrained thieves were no challenge.


    The only difficulty compared to the guards was that these men truly wanted to kill him and fought dirty to do so. Tricks like trying to blind him with sand and other low methods were common during the fight.


    But Puss enjoyed the experience and learned a lot. He never said he only wanted to fight fair¡ªsome of these dirty tricks would become part of his own fighting style.


    It didn''t take long before all twenty or so bandits were lying on the ground, unconscious and bleeding. But Puss was not pleased¡ªhe scanned the fallen thieves carefully.


    ''The leader isn''t here! He ran!''


    Realizing this, his eyes turned cold, and he prepared to jump onto a rooftop to pursue. But the sound of a door opening stopped him.


    "Peque?o, what happened?!"


    Imelda, appearing at the door with Humpty at her side and several other children, looked in horror at the crowd of people lying on the ground.


    "There''s no time, mama. These people are thieves, and their leader escaped. The guards should be here soon¡ªI''ll catch the leader first."


    Saying this quickly, he hesitated no more and leaped, vanishing into the shadows.


    The last thing he heard was Imelda''s frightened and worried scream.


    "Peque?ooo!!!"