I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 2: Farewell to the Mother Cat

Episode 2: Farewell to the Mother Cat 

▽ Episode 2: Farewell to the Mother Cat 

Because of the mother cat’s effort, my hunting attempt ended in failure. 

A few hours passed. 

I instinctively fell asleep. Apparently, kittens spend most of the day sleeping. 

When I woke up, by chance, the mother cat seemed to be asleep too. 

Her weak, unreliable breathing sounded like it could stop at any moment. 

We were in a gap between some rocks. 

Other animals wouldn’t come near. But we also couldn’t see what was going on around us. 

At some point, we had moved. I had been carried by the scruff of my neck. 

Back at our old spot, the dead bodies of my siblings had been left behind. 

They had started attracting insects. 

In this world, which has a system that allows evolution, even insects might be dangerous. 

The mother cat probably had no choice but to move, even if it broke her heart. 

Now’s my only chance. 

Using my short legs, I tried to sneak outside. 

Even though the mother cat was asleep, she instinctively stretched out a front paw and stepped on my tail. 

I felt bad about it, but I gently pulled my tail free and slipped out. 

I left our shelter. 

What lay before me was an enormous forest. 

Or maybe a mountain, considering the sloped ground. 

It was a landscape I had never seen in Japan. 

I didn’t think it was beautiful—just huge. 

Plants I had never seen, not even in books, grew thick everywhere. 

But this wasn’t the time to stop and look. 

I had to get food for the mother cat as soon as possible. 

I didn’t know if I could. But if I didn’t try, she would probably die. 

I started walking. 

I quickly found a mouse. 

It was probably thanks to my species skill: [Instinct Detection]. 

Even though I was just a kitten, the mice ran away from me. 

They must be really weak creatures. 

But mice are fast. 

Too fast. 

As a kitten still getting used to walking on four legs, I couldn’t catch them. 

If I tried to fight them, I’d just wear myself out and be killed instead. 

…It’s impossible. 

I gave up. 

Next, I decided to scout the old rocky area where my siblings had died. 

There should be insects there. 

I hated the idea, but I thought I might be able to catch and eat the bugs. 

At worst, maybe I could feed the mother cat their remains. 

That’s what I thought as I headed over… but I almost turned back right away. 

Because a bird was there—pecking at the maggots crawling all over my siblings’ corpses. 

The bird was wrapped in visible static electricity— 

Definitely a monster. 

My [Instinct Detection] screamed that I couldn’t win. 

I tried to run away— 

And then I noticed something. 

That bird was in the rocky area, between two heavy rocks. 

It was a space just like our second shelter. 

And the rock above the bird was unstable. 

……. 

Before I realized it, I jumped. 

I figured my small kitten body could manage it. 

And when I actually tried, I moved even more lightly than I expected. 

Thunk. 

My little forehead hit the rock. 

It didn’t even budge. 

Only a pathetic “bonk” sound echoed. 

The Electric Bird stopped pecking and turned its head toward me—within the range of a bird’s movement. 

Its lifeless eyes met mine. 

This is bad. 

The moment I thought that, the bird took flight—coming straight at me. 

I instinctively shut my eyes tight— 

Then, a loud sound exploded. 

Startled, I opened my eyes. 

The bird had crashed into the giant rock and been crushed underneath. It was dead. 

[Level cap reached.] 

[Please select your evolution path.] 

[Evolution Options:

→Mill Cat (Kitten III) 

→Mill Cat (Mutation)]

Without hesitation, I chose Mill Cat (Kitten III). 

I wonder how far these numbers go. 

There might even be a Mill Cat (Kitten X) someday. 

My viewpoint was slightly higher now. 

Proof of growth, I guess. 

I checked my status, just in case: 

Name: [Unset] Gender: [Male] 

Species: [Mill Cat (Kitten III)] 

Unique Skill: [Choice Link (The Future to be Determined)] 

Species Skill: [Quick Escape] 

Inherited Skills: [Charm], [Instinct Detection] 

The [Instinct Detection] skill had moved to the inherited skill slot. And a new species skill, [Quick Escape], had appeared. 

I guess it makes me faster at running away. 

Anyway—I did it. 

I brought down a prey. 

It was crushed under a boulder, so I couldn’t bring all of it back, 

But I could at least bring a part for the mother cat to eat… 

I climbed down and began dragging the Electric Bird’s body, *tug-tug*.

I was far too weak. 

After trying over and over again, I finally managed to tear off part of the corpse.

That’s when it happened. 

[You have acquired a skill.] 

[You have acquired the skill: [Bite I].] 

Apparently, it’s a skill—well, technique?—related to biting. 

There are so many things labeled as skills, it’s getting confusing. 

Anyway, if my biting power increased, then that’s probably a good thing. 

I dragged the Electric Bird along. 

I hope this will help the mother cat recover…

That hope of mine was too optimistic.

『Gugyagyagi』 

A voice rang out. 

A disgusting sound—just hearing it was enough to feel its foulness. 

I looked toward the voice… and saw a green giant. 

No—not a giant. 

It only looked that way to me, a kitten. 

It was a small humanoid— 

A filthy green-skinned midget. In other words: a Goblin. 

A crawling feeling of disgust welled up. 

That must be the nature of their species. 

Just as Mill Cat (Kitten I) has the skill [Charm], Goblins probably have something like [Disgust]. 

Even so— 

It was terrifying. 

My legs were shaking. 

I couldn’t even activate the [Quick Escape] skill I had just gained. 

That’s how revolting Goblins must be. 

Offering the dead Electric Bird I had dragged here would be meaningless. 

From the Goblin’s perspective, it’s more profitable to kill me and take the meat—that would double the meat in a simple calculation. 

—What a bargain. 

Also, I couldn’t help but think the Goblin’s goal wasn’t “food” to begin with. 

It looked like it just wanted to torment a small kitten like me. 

That wicked intention seemed to leak out visibly… 

Finally, my legs started moving. 

I let go of the Electric Bird’s corpse and began hopping away to escape—but in that instant, 

A club slammed into my back. 

It had been thrown. 

Intense pain. 

The shock was far too great for my tiny, newborn body. 

It felt like my whole body went numb. 

Even as I tried to crawl away, 

The Goblin picked me up.

『Gugyaa』 

“Nyaa!” 

It flicked my eyeball with its finger. 

It was like a playful forehead flick—but for a kitten, the eye was easily destroyed. 

I let out a scream from the unbearable pain I had never experienced before. 

The Goblin laughed joyfully. 

It’s over. 

I have no choice but to die… 

That’s when I gave up—

“SHAAAaaaAAAHHH!” 

Suddenly, I felt a floating sensation in my body. 

Then a shock. I must have hit the ground. 

My whole body got covered in dirt. 

I forced my blurry eyes open, 

And in my field of vision— 

Was a weakened cat. 

It was the mother cat. 

She must have come searching when she realized I was gone. 

And when she saw the Goblin attacking me, 

She rushed in, recklessly, to fight.

Even though she was already on the verge of death. 

“——” 

She turned to me and made a sound. 

With all her fur bristling, the mother cat bared her fangs at the Goblin. 

The Goblin, on the other hand, had its ear bitten. 

Bl00d was trailing down. 

Holding that spot, the Goblin glared furiously. 

This was my mistake. 

I had to do something. 

That’s what I thought— 

But I couldn’t move. 

Because I could feel the mother cat’s thoughts. 

I understood. 

I had to run. 

Even if I stayed, I couldn’t do anything. 

In fact, even the mother cat couldn’t do anything. 

Even if she were at full strength, the difference in power would get her killed. 

And now, she could barely even stand. 

What should I do— 

Then, the Goblin moved without hesitation. 

Instead of attacking the weakened mother cat, 

It came straight toward me. 

It knew what a “weak point” was. 

The mother cat body-slammed me, 

And instead, got seized tightly by the Goblin. 

She looked at me. 

Even though she was on the brink of death, 

There was no hint of cloudiness in her eyes. 

“Nyan” 

I cried out. 

The mother cat cried too. 

So I turned my back to her and ran. 

I had no choice but to run away…

▽ 

Several hours had passed. 

I returned to where the mother cat had been. 

The cat was dead. 

Her body had been toyed with. 

Maybe she had been tortured while still alive— 

But I couldn’t believe that a mother already so close to death could have endured even for a short while. 

…… 

What have I done. 

I wanted the mother cat to live, even just a little longer. 

But in the end, it was me who led her to her death.

A good person would say it. 

They would say, “You were not the one at fault.” 

That if I hadn’t moved then, both the mother cat and I would’ve died anyway. 

They would say it wasn’t the Goblin’s fault either. 

That the Goblin only acted to survive, or due to instincts as a species. 

That the only bad thing was luck. 

It was just bad timing. 

That’s all it was. 

A person with good sense would say that. 

But I, who have no such good sense… I end up hating myself. 

……Something is breaking. 

Something that was close to being fulfilled feels like it’s fatally spilling out and disappearing. 

They say there are cats who can shed tears, 

But at the very least, I don’t seem to be the kind of cat who can cry. 

That makes me unbearably lonely. 

I made a decision. 

Having seen the mother cat’s miserable corpse, 

I was made to understand. 

I had committed suicide. 

I felt like I could die again at any moment. 

But even so, I can’t die anymore. 

I was loved by the mother cat. 

This life that was loved cannot be allowed to go to waste. 

That noble mother cat— 

Even in such a weakened state, she bravely stood up to a superior foe. 

The life that the mother cat protected must not be treated cheaply. 

“Thank you very much,” I said, as I gently touched the mother cat’s corpse. 

My soft, squishy paw pads touched the cold flesh. 

Just a moment ago, it had been warm… 

That life has now ended. 

They say the lifespan of a stray cat is four years. 

At the very least, 

I made up my mind to survive for more than four years.