I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 11: Fierce Battle

Episode 11: Fierce Battle 

▽ Episode 11: Fierce Battle 

I was being chased right now.

The enemies were four Hobgoblins. And also a Goblin with a sword and a dignified expression. 

The real problem was the one with the sword. 

Its physique was about the same as a regular Goblin’s. And yet, the aura it emitted was on a completely different level. 

Most likely Rank III. 

It was probably something with a higher Rank than me. 

I was only able to escape because I’m a cat who prioritizes light, nimble movements. 

If it were another Rank II monster, they wouldn’t be able to escape from that sword-wielding Goblin… the Hero Goblin. 

『Gya gya gya!』 

One of the Hobgoblins struck and broke a tree. 

Another one, standing by, lifted the tree and hurled it like a javelin thrower. 

Thanks to [Search], I could dodge it without looking back. 

But dodging caused my speed to drop slightly. 

Then, a small Magical Goblin riding on the Hobgoblin’s shoulder fired a spell. A simple wind-attribute magic bullet. 

I dodged it. 

That made me fall even further behind. The Hero Goblin caught up. 

“—!” 

I made a split-second decision. 

I quickly used [Short Warp] to get behind the Hero Goblin. I aimed to slash him with my claw as he turned around. But the Hero Goblin’s sword landed first. 

A single, downward strike. 

My back was slashed. Since it wasn’t a fully committed attack—more like a feint—I wasn’t cut down completely. 

Still, I was slammed to the ground. 

Intense pain. 

A violent spray of bl00d erupted. 

They had been searching for me this whole time. I’d been running away, hiding, and leveling up. 

But their intelligence had surpassed my expectations. 

With their search, like overturning every blade of grass, they finally found me. 

“…!” 

But I always figured this would happen eventually. 

Just running wouldn’t get me anywhere. If I couldn’t overcome this, I would end up crushed someday anyway. 

If I kept running, the only thing waiting for me would be a future of “dying by chance”. 

My life isn’t something I want to leave up to luck. 

That’s why this is the moment where I have to fight. 

I grit my teeth. 

I use [White Magic] to stop the bleeding from the wound on my back. 

My whole body feels heavy. But—I can fight. 

『Gya gya!』 

The Hero Goblin swung his sword again. 

That sword was so fast, I couldn’t track it with my eyes. 

So I didn’t look. 

Instead, I used [Dig] at its feet to mess up its sword’s trajectory. 

The sword slashed the ground just barely off from me. 

The Hero Goblin would surely correct its aim immediately. 

So, without waiting to confirm, I used [Earth Magic]’s [Wall] next. 

This too used [Another Point]. 

I imagined a catapult. 

Suddenly, the ground beneath the Hero Goblin’s feet rose at an incredible speed. 

Because it was small, the Goblin was easily launched into the air. 

『Gyaaah!』 

Even as it was thrown up, the Hero Goblin gave orders to its subordinates. 

The Hobgoblins came rushing in from all directions in a panic. 

I—cast my magic in a way that caught them in it. 

[Burn Fire] 

I also activated [Focus], a [Spatial Magic] spell. 

This is a magic that “lets you choose your target” for magic and ranged attacks. 

Strictly speaking, it’s a “target exclusion” spell. 

I chose the four enemies + the Magical Goblin riding on a shoulder. 

The one I excluded from the effect was—myself. 

I unleashed the area spell, including myself in the blast. 

But I was excluded from the effect, and only the enemies were caught in it. 

No matter how much my level and spell power increased, Hobgoblins’ tough bodies wouldn’t go down that easily. 

Even so, it served as a distraction. 

To loud noises, wild animals react with reflexive caution. 

The moment the Hobgoblins faltered—I bit into all four of them. 

Just grazing bites in a passing motion. 

But I definitely managed to apply poison. 

The Hobgoblins writhed in agony. 

By then, the Hero Goblin had already returned to the ground. It was trying to launch a follow-up attack on me. 

Still as fast as ever. 

I was already within sword range. 

I don’t care. 

I charged in to scratch with my claws. 

In the next instant—my left front leg was sliced off. 

It spun through the air—bl00d sprayed. 

The Hero Goblin twisted its mouth in cruelty. 

Intense pain. 

Even so, I didn’t let it bother me. Without hesitation, I made my choice:

[Level cap reached.]

[Please select an evolution path.] 

Without hesitation, I evolved from Lesser Sky Cat to Sky Cat. 

My arm regenerated. 

Whether it could move or not was unknown, but—it definitely moved. 

My eyeball remained non-functional, but its shape had regenerated. 

I had confidence in this part. 

So far, minor injuries had healed through evolution. 

There is a difference between physical damage and functional damage. 

As for the missing arm, it was “physical damage”, not “functional”.

“Nyaa~n” 

『Gya!?』 

The left front leg that was supposed to have been cut off—

It attacked the Hero Goblin. 

I definitely landed a hit with my claws and inflicted a wound. 

Though its agility was high, it seems it didn’t have endurance surpassing that of Hobgoblins. 

The Hero Goblin scowled in displeasure and stopped moving. 

The paralysis had properly taken effect. 

It’s a higher Rank—Rank III—so the time it remains paralyzed probably isn’t long. 

Even so, I… had successfully bought some time. 

“Nyao (Itadakimasu).” 

I bit down. 

The enhanced poison’s effect—was immediate. 

The Hero Goblin’s face turned pale before my eyes. 

Foam began to bubble from its mouth. 

I laughed. 

I’m alive… 

[Level cap reached.] 

[Please select an evolution path.] 

Thank you for the meal.