I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 1: A Mother Cat’s Love

Episode 1: A Mother Cat’s Love 

▽Episode 1: A Mother Cat’s Love 

I committed suicide. 

Since I was a child, I always felt something missing, a constant thirst. I was never loved by anyone, and I never even tried to be loved. 

I hardly have any memories of talking with my parents. 

Once, on my birthday, I happened to pass by my father. He said, “Oh, it was your birthday?” 

That alone became a memory I treasured deeply. 

That was the best it ever got. 

No friends, no lover, not even anyone to talk to. Even if there were people around me, my loneliness only grew deeper. 

The emptiness never left me. And before I knew it, I took my own life on impulse. 

Then it happened. 

I slowly opened my heavy eyes. 

In front of me was an enormous cat. It moved lazily toward me and gently licked my cheek. 

It was stronger than I expected. 

Just from being licked by a cat, I tipped over and fell. 

I saw a puddle in my view. In its reflection, I saw what I looked like now. 

I wasn’t human anymore—I was a dirty little kitten. 

Reincarnation. 

That word passed through my mind. 

“…meow.” 

Apparently, I had been reincarnated as a kitten. 

▽ 

I drink milk from the mother cat. 

It doesn’t taste very good. There are probably many reasons for that. But the biggest one is likely that the mother cat is extremely weak. 

She can barely open her eyes. 

It’s probably not just from giving birth, but also because of the harsh life she lived in the wild. 

When I was in modern Japan, I heard that the average lifespan of a stray cat was four years. 

That shows just how cruel the stray world is. 

Beside me, there are two kittens lying down. 

Neither of them is breathing. 

It seems they died either during birth or shortly afterward… 

The mother cat licks her lifeless kittens and lets out a sad “meow.” 

After about three days of living off her milk, a voice suddenly echoed in my head. 

A mechanical voice said: 

[Level cap reached. Evolving.] 

“?” 

[Please choose your evolution path.] 

While I was still confused, a monitor appeared in front of me. 

It looked like a holographic screen. 

Name: [Unset]  Gender: [Male] 

Species: [Mill Cat (Kitten I)] 

Unique Skill: [Choice Link] 

Species Skills: [Survival Growth (Minor)], [Charm] 

It looked like a game status screen. 

I’ve never played games. But I know of them thanks to the internet. 

So this is my current “ability,” I guess? 

I don’t really get it, but it seems like I need to choose something. 

If I don’t choose, the screen will probably stay in my vision the whole time. 

That would be annoying. 

[Evolution Options: 

→Mill Cat (Kitten II) 

→Mill Cat (Mutation)] 

Looks like I have two choices. 

I don’t really know what a “Mill Cat” is, but I’m curious about the part in parentheses. 

Right now, I am Mill Cat (Kitten I). 

If this were a novel, the “Mutation” one sounds stronger. 

But I don’t really care about being strong. 

Besides, if I suddenly mutate, I think the mother cat would be shocked. 

Actually, what does it even mean to mutate right after being born? 

I quietly chose (Kitten II). 

Then another message appeared. 

[Please select a skill to inherit from your species skills.] 

Species skills. 

I currently have [Charm] and [Survival Growth (Minor)]. 

I don’t know the details. But from the wording, maybe thanks to [Survival Growth], I managed to reach the level cap without killing anything. 

It’s probably a skill that gives experience just by staying alive. 

The other one is [Charm]. 

Maybe it makes me look cute, or makes others view me positively. 

(…A normal gamer would probably pick [Survival Growth], but…) 

I chose [Charm]. 

The moment I did, my body glowed slightly. Then the light faded. 

The mother cat didn’t react at all. 

Maybe this kind of thing is normal in this world. 

I wonder if I can check my status again. 

Just as I thought that, the status screen appeared like it was answering me. 

Name: [Unset] Gender: [Male] 

Species: [Mill Cat (Kitten II)] 

Unique Skill: [Choice Link]

Species Skill: [Instinct Detection] 

Inherited Skill: [Charm] 

Looks like the evolution went well. 

Though it’s more like “growth” than evolution. 

I’ll just go with what the system says. 

The mother cat looked satisfied. She licked my cheek over and over. 

Somehow, it made me feel safe. 

I might even say… I was happy.

But I do have one worry. 

The mother cat is no longer moving. She’s lying on her side, looking tired… 

She probably doesn’t have much time left. 

I could tell just by looking at her. 

And that made me unbearably sad… 

If only I could move more, maybe I could do something to help. 

Thinking that, I tried moving my legs—and I could. 

Unlike before when I was like a newborn, it seems (Kitten II) has at least basic movement ability. 

That’s good news. 

I stood up to test it. 

I let out a “meow” to try and reassure the mother cat. 

I don’t understand cat language, but the mother cat responded with a “meow” of her own. 

I’ll try to go get food. 

I don’t know if I can, but it’s better than doing nothing. 

With determination, I started walking on my short legs. 

Then, the mother cat gently bit the back of my neck and lifted me into the air. 

I couldn’t resist. 

It seems I’m still too young to go out on my own. 

But at this rate, we’re just going to slowly waste away. 

…I was too young and helpless to fight back. 

And I realized—if I struggled, I’d only wear down the mother cat even more. 

Right now, there’s nothing I can do.