I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 10: Settlement Raid and Hunting

Episode 10: Settlement Raid and Hunting 

▽ Episode 10: Settlement Raid and Hunting

I waited for night.

It seems cats have decent night vision. I know the enemies’ positions through [Map]. The Goblins appear to have built a large settlement. They’re living together in clusters.

I observe from afar.

There are 30 Hobgoblins at the very least.

No, probably even more than that are guarding the village. 

There’s also a Goblin with a sword and a dignified expression.

I think I’ll call it “Hero Goblin”.

Besides that, I also saw a Goblin wearing a crown and an overly fat female Goblin.

I’ll name them Goblin King and Queen.

Those guys are Rank III… I instinctively understood that.

They’re not opponents I can kill in a pure one-on-one fight yet.

I feel potential in Rank III, but the chimera mantis from that day must have been an even higher Rank. That’s terrifying.

If I keep evolving, I wonder if I can reach that monster’s level too.

That’s also kind of scary in its own way.

“…Nyao.”

Rank III is scary.

And since the Hobgoblins started moving in groups, attacking them in their sleep was pretty much the only strategy I had left.

I enter the village.

Though I say village, it’s nothing fancy. Houses are made by overlapping wood and covering them with beast skins and grass.

…..…They’re living a more civilized life than I am.

Holding my breath, I bit the neck of a sleeping Hobgoblin. It woke up in a panic and screamed.  But I had already used [Quick Escape] to flee.

Behind me, I heard the Hobgoblin begin to suffer from the poison.

There’s no way to stop it.

…I escaped according to plan.

 ▽

I leveled up.

That said, I still need to gain three more levels before I can evolve. Because I forcefully killed one yesterday, the Goblins have grown more cautious.

Well, that was part of the plan.

If the Goblins focus more on defense, the number of Goblins in other hunting grounds will decrease. Actually, among Rank II creatures, Hobgoblins are highly rated.

Specifically, the clerics behind them are a pain.

Unless you can kill the cleric first, Hobgoblins will keep getting healed. Unless you can do a surprise kill like I can, Hobgoblins will always protect the cleric.

Fewer Hobgoblins means other Rank IIs can start moving too.

The one I had my eyes on was the Orc.

A giant, bipedal pig. Its body is larger than a Hobgoblin’s. In terms of physical strength, it greatly exceeds Hobgoblins. But its toughness is lower.

And the key point: it’s dumber than a Hobgoblin.

For me, that makes it an easier enemy to fight.

A few days later, the other Rank IIs noticed the thinning patrols of Hobgoblins and became more active. Orcs, who usually move in groups, started moving alone more often.

Perfect for picking off.

Well, I’m not actually going to eat them. I’m still not ready to consume humanoids. So I desperately search for wild boars, rabbits, and nuts to eat.

I spotted a lone Orc wandering.

*Zuun, zuun*—each step is heavier than a Hobgoblin’s. I leapt from the grass where I had been hiding and slashed near the Orc’s achilles tendon with my claws.

The claws cut through.

Now, even without [Enchant], they can leave scratches on Hobgoblins. They sliced right through the softer tendon of the Orc.

Apparently, it also got paralyzed in one hit.

I bit near the Orc’s ankle. It immediately flailed wildly. And a few minutes later, its life came to an end.

Even if its toughness is less than a Hobgoblin’s, its vitality seems to be greater.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that once poisoned, it dies. At this rate, I’ll keep targeting isolated Orcs.

Level-up is just around the corner.