I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 15: How to Live in the Wild・Tips
Episode 15: How to Live in the Wild・Tips
▽ Episode 15: How to Live in the Wild・Tips
Once again, I had returned to the Rank III zone.
It was the place I had arbitrarily called the Blue Forest. Basically, only Rank III creatures are in the Blue Forest. Occasionally, there are children born from Rank IIIs, though.
It seems there are also many monsters who are born as Rank III from the start.
Same species born from Rank III might be born as Rank III themselves. There aren’t many like me who clawed their way up.
This time, from the start, I included the underground within the range of [Search]. Honestly, it’s exhausting. Normally, gathering info from underground too is overkill.
If I overuse it, my brain starts to hurt.
But at least in the Blue Forest, I have no choice but to also look underground.
There it is.
It seems to be a different individual than the one I fought before. But an Earth Shark has clearly made me its prey.
I pretend not to notice and shift into a loaf position.
Only my awareness remains highly focused.
My mood is that of bait.
I’ve done this once before, so I’m used to it… I wait.
—Got a bite.
The Earth Shark’s jaws rise up from the ground.
Immediately, I jump and scratch the shark with my claws. Shark skin. My claws chipped slightly. But even without enchantments, they cut through.
No paralysis.
I don’t think it has resistance. It just didn’t get paralyzed in one hit.
『――』
“Nyan.”
The shark says nothing. With its dull, murky white eyes, it only chases me as prey.
It tried to retreat into the ground again, so… I simultaneously activated [Another Point], [Dimension Wall], and [Dig].
I dig directly beneath the Earth Shark.
In the forcibly created space, I create footing with [Dimension Wall].
The Earth Shark, trying to retreat, is blocked by the transparent wall and can’t burrow.
“Nyan.”
Just in case, after hitting it with [Howl], I fire my claws using [Dimension Strike].
I slash it three times before the shark finally gets paralyzed.
Once I confirmed it couldn’t move… *chomp*.
▽
My level went up.
Earth Sharks are strong.
You have to risk your life just to lure them. And even after that, you’re forced to use multiple spells.
Even Freestyle Cat, with its excellent MP, has its limits.
I’m also using [Natural Healing] to try and maintain MP. But it seems many Earth Sharks thrive in this Rank III zone.
They attack immediately.
Don’t sharks usually avoid the smell of another shark’s bl00d? These ones come in droves.
“Nyan.”
I can’t stay on the ground.
It was just as I was about to climb a tree that [Instinct Detection] activated in relation to the tree.
-
- The tree is a monster.
-
- The tree is poisonous.
-
- A monster is hiding in the tree.
These were the risks I thought of.
…There’s no point in worrying forever. An idiot’s thinking is just to stop thinking altogether.
Because of that, I activated wind magic.
I hit the tree with it.
No reaction.
I can probably rule out the concern that the tree is a monster.
It’s hard to judge regarding poison.
But when I look at the surrounding trees, [Instinct Detection] doesn’t react to those. If that’s the case…..… I should assume a dangerous pre-existing creature is in the tree.
I squint.
While I’m at it, I also make full use of [Search].
As a result, what I found was a small—bee.
It’s an insect with a definite Rank III level of threat.
Troublesome.
When such small creatures are dangerous, your nerves never get a break…
Now then, what should I do?
Should I kill the bee, or not?
It depends on the bee’s behavior.
There are bees that leave when their comrade is killed, and bees that come at you. It’s a fifty-fifty.
I’d rather not get targeted by a bee.
…………I let the bee go.
I returned.
The Rank III zone is a demon land. There is no such thing as a safe zone.
I considered going in the opposite direction, but [Instinct Detection] says that way is even more dangerous.
According to [Map] and [Instinct Detection], what I arbitrarily call Rank zones are arranged in a circle. Think of a Baumkuchen, and you’ve got the right idea.
(Note:
Baumkuchen
)
No—maybe a donut is more accurate.
But I’m on Team Baumkuchen.
A classmate once brought some as a souvenir, and we ate it during school lunch. That’s a memory.
Baumkuchen of each Rank zone.
And then, wrapping over that, an even larger Baumkuchen spreads out.
So, in the opposite direction, there’s also a hunting ground of the same Rank zone.
That side might be better.
That’s what I think, but my instincts say no.
For example: Even if there’s a monster that’s weak but incredibly tasty in Rank III, there might be areas where Rank IV or higher creatures come and go, aiming for that monster.
When hunting something weaker—
That’s feeding time.
If you stay too long in lower-Ranked hunting grounds, you become relatively weaker. And the number of hopelessly dangerous situations increases. Therefore, you should stay in the appropriate Rank zone. But for delicious food, both humans and monsters would accept some losses.
Even so, I believe there aren’t many monsters who are constantly in the lower Rank zones.
Because neither humans nor creatures can resist the undermining effect.
Some clever monsters might live in areas below their level.
Well, if that happens, I think they’ll be hunted. After all, if there’s an obviously weak monster of the same Rank, I would go on a short expedition and prioritize hunting that one.
To reject becoming stronger means just that.
That said, right now, I have no choice but to act as the big boss of the lower Rank zone.
At this rate, I’ll end up as a weakling Rank III who gets hunted first.
The problem is—how to survive in that danger zone.
Countermeasures for the sharks on the ground.
Countermeasures for the bees in the trees.
Countermeasures for the other monsters… the list of issues is endless.
▽
In the end, I changed the hunting ground I was diving into.
If I change the environment, the monsters that appear will change too.
The Blue Forest was just too much for me.
Where I arrived wasn’t exactly the opposite direction… but a slightly deviated area.
According to my [Instinct Detection], if I’m unlucky, I could encounter Rank IV or higher.
Even so, it’s better than being tormented by Earth Sharks and bees day and night.
After that, I went to check that place.
And I found a large bear-type monster. That bear is invincible against bees. It doesn’t do badly against sharks either—probably about equal.
It’s too sturdy and big, so the shark can’t swallow it whole.
Basically, the ecosystem there seemed to revolve around those three species.
The bear is dull and bad at hunting. But it targets prey that’s been worn down and weakened by sharks and bees.
From an outsider’s view, it was an interesting place.
Now, for the new land.
There are roughly eight types of monsters here.
The one I prioritize targeting is the sleeping bunny.
A rabbit with a horn growing from its forehead.
I call it the “High-Speed Rabbit”. When it’s awake, that rabbit moves at an unbelievable speed. Too fast for the eye to catch.
But when it’s running, it kicks up a ton of dust and makes a lot of noise.
It rams into you at that speed.
The horn gouges the body, and it’s said to kill the target in one blow—an extremely vicious rabbit.
When it’s asleep, it’s just a harmless bunny.
It seems to be a species not very skilled in danger detection.
When it’s moving, its position is obvious. When sleeping, it hides in holes, tree branches, or behind rocks. But if I use [Search], I can easily find it.
By the way, the ones hiding in the dirt often attract Earth Sharks with their scent and get eaten.
As for the rest of the Rank III zone, I’d rather not mess with them too much.
For the record, they are: Slimes, a giant bird, a super-violent turtle, an unmoving cockroach, a big dog, a cheeky spider, larvae and butterflies that use magic.
The ecosystem seems to be functioning quite well.
Maybe in the wild, what’s important is finding “favorable enemies”.
Like how I keep hunting the sleeping bunnies.