I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 20: Evolution Selection 

Episode 20: Evolution Selection 

▽ Episode 20: Evolution Selection 

By defeating the Rank IV Crazy Lizard, I reached the level cap. 

That said, the Crazy Lizard was afflicted with a rabies-like debuff. 

So it wasn’t like I defeated it head-on. 

But the value of victory doesn’t change. 

“Nyaaaan.” 

Let’s carefully look through the evolution options. 

1. 1. War Cat 

 A cat skilled in direct combat. Rank III 

2. 2. Thunder Cat 

 A cat specialized in handling lightning. Rank III 

3. 3. Thunder Lion

 A lion that handles lightning and is also good at direct combat. Rank IV 

4. 4. Rock Fur Cat 

 A cat with rock fur. Good at earth element. Rank III 

That’s the current lineup. 

If there’s one thing that feels off, 

it’s that there’s no evolution path for the [Space] type. 

I was fully expecting to specialize in [Space]. 

But apparently, there’s no such evolution path. 

Maybe the [Space]-type cat ends at Freestyle Cat? 

That shouldn’t be the case. 

Because [Spatial Magic] is still at intermediate level. 

According to my [Instinct Detection], there are four stages of magic: 

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Special. 

There’s no way it ends at intermediate. 

Or rather, I don’t want it to end there. 

……The most likely reason is that [Space]-type cats don’t exist in Rank III or Rank IV. 

I hope one will appear someday as a sudden mutation. 

I’m already totally ready to use [Spatial Magic・Special]. 

While holding onto that hope, 

I decided to re-check the evolution options. 

1. 1. War Cat 

 Not a neko, but a cat. 

 I didn’t expect this change. 

 A cat good at direct combat is rare. 

 I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like. 

 I’m not very good at close combat. 

 I don’t have any memories of fighting in melee. 

 I don’t, but…… come to think of it, I’ve mostly finished enemies with [Poison Fang], 

 and I’ve used [Paralysis Claw] a lot. 

 So maybe I have been relying on close combat. 

2. 2. Thunder Cat 

 A cat specialized in lightning might help me overcome my flaw of “lacking firepower.” 

 It should probably be able to learn [Lightning Magic]…… I think. 

 But lightning attacks are already covered by [Thunder Claw]. 

 I’m a little bothered by the overlapping attributes. 

3. 3. Thunder Lion 

 What’s written is great. 

 But I have no intention of becoming a lion. 

 Unless I can adjust the size, that is. 

 So evolving to Rank IV is on hold. 

4. 4. Rock Fur Cat 

 I also value the flexibility of cats. 

 Becoming hard isn’t something I’m happy about. 

 But eventually, it might evolve into something like Orichalcum Fur Cat. 

 So if I keep that in mind, it might be interesting. 

…… 

After much thought, I decided on War Cat. 

[Lightning Magic] was appealing. But ultimately, the power of intermediate class magic is still unknown. 

If I could get advanced magic, things might be different though. 

Time to evolve. 

This time, I clearly felt my whole body change. 

My previously fluffy fur turned into sleek and glossy hair. 

My body also became sharper overall. 

Yet somehow, my muscle mass seemed to have increased. 

My claws grew longer, my fangs too. 

Even my tail became long like a whip. 

And it looks like I might be able to fight with it. 

I understand. 

Now I can fight seriously in close combat. 

But my MP decreased due to evolution, 

so I might not be able to use [Spatial Magic] as much as before…… 

I might need to rethink my combat style. 

Name: [Unset]  Gender: [Male] 

Species: [War Cat]  Level: [1 (15)] 

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

Species Skill: [Battle Fur], [Scratching], [Physical Enhancement・Small]

Inherited Skill: [Charm], [Instinct Detection], [Quick Escape], [Invite Fortune],

[Survival Growth・Slight], [Fire Magic・Beginner], [Water Magic・Beginner], 

[Wind Magic・Beginner], [Earth Magic・Beginner], [White Magic・Beginner], 

[Spatial Magic・Intermediate], [Magic Talent・Small], [Wonder Time (A Laugh Without a Cat)]

Abilities: [Strong Poison Fang IX], [Acceleration I], [Thunder Claw I], [Howl VII]

A lot of things changed, but more importantly! 

Look at the inherited skills first. 

A surprising thing happened: 

[Spatial Magic・Beginner] evolved into [Spatial Magic・Intermediate]. 

This is a huge discovery. 

Apparently, even if a skill isn’t inherited, 

if you acquire a higher-ranked version, it upgrades automatically. 

I’m glad I inherited [Wonder Time]. 

I really debated over that one.

With this, the merit of inheriting lower-tier skills like [Beginner] and [Slight] has increased. 

If having higher-tier attributes also lets you use the lower ones, it would’ve turned into a situation where you shouldn’t take the lower-tier skills. 

In the end, there was meaning in taking them. 

From now on too, I’ll try to inherit them when I get the chance. 

Even so, inheritance must be done carefully. 

Even if the freedom of choice has expanded, the principle of only being able to inherit one still remains unchanged. 

I’m so happy that my tail is swaying wildly. But even with just that movement, the sound of my tail cutting through the wind is intense. 

Looks like it could become a fine whip. 

“Nyaa.” 

I also want to talk about the new elements. 

But right now, my status has gone down. Because I evolved into a monster of the same rank tier, the level reset is affecting me. 

Still, it is evolution. 

They’re initial stats, but I feel like they’re quite high. Probably, my magical aptitude is higher than an individual born as a War Cat from the start. 

Maybe it’s just a slight difference though. 

First, I tried using [Scratching]. 

“Nyaa-gooo ([Scratching]).” 

Apparently, this is a skill that must be activated actively. 

A heavy physical fatigue came over me with a *thud*. And then, huge claw marks began randomly bursting out across the ground. 

It’s as if a giant cat appeared behind me and just slashed at the earth however it liked. 

It’s a physical-type special attack, different from magic. 

It seems to consume physical stamina rather than MP. Like the exhaustion after a full sprint. If I use it repeatedly, I’ll likely run out of stamina quickly. 

It seems hard to use. But it’s a fun skill. 

The attack is random in trajectory. The power is high. It’s invisible. …It might be perfect as a trump card. 

Next is [Battle Fur]. 

This also appears to be an active skill. When activated, my fur hardens. Also, I felt like my physical abilities increased. 

It might be similar to a buff-type magic. 

After using it for about a minute, I started having trouble breathing. 

“Haa, haa,” I panted with my small shoulders. I don’t know how strong it is, but it seems like a skill with a heavy physical burden. 

As for the remaining [Physical Enhancement・Small], there’s no way to verify it. 

But judging from the precedent of [Agility], the passive-type skills in this world might be strong. Inheritance candidate……… well, the other two skills take priority for now though. 

Anyway, I’ll give it a try. 

The target I’m aiming for is the violent turtle. That one moves slowly, and even the former Freestyle Cat could deal with it. If it’s the current me, I should be able to hunt it even more easily. 

I just have to watch out for its water magic. 

▽ 

Let me just state the result. 

Very strong. 

So strong that it makes me feel stupid for having relied so heavily on magic, status effects, and lacking intelligence up until now. 

This is what it means to evolve into a close-combat specialized type. 

Looking back, the Hero Goblin must have been a close-combat specialized type. 

Unlike other Goblins that had traits like “sturdy body,” “leadership,” or “productivity,” its strength came from not having those and focusing purely on combat. 

This world. 

There’s a high chance that simple warrior types are stronger. 

Right now, I was running through the forest. 

Honestly, it’s really fun. Try imagining it. 

The person in class who was always the slowest runner suddenly wakes up one day with the speed to easily overtake Olympic athletes. 

If that happened, running would be so fun you wouldn’t be able to stop. 

I was totally high on it. 

I ran with incredible speed. 

In terms of pure speed, I can’t match the High-Speed Rabbit that evolved with a specialization in speed. But I have [Dimension Strike]. 

Before, I’d get outrun and fall out of range. 

But now, I could reach with room to spare. 

Well, my MP is low, so I won’t really aim for the High-Speed Rabbit that often, though. 

“Nyan.” 

Kicking off trees around me, I rose high into the sky with immense speed. 

I bit into the neck of a giant bird that was searching for prey mid-air. 

I tore it off as it was. 

Using the bird I killed as a foothold, I activated [Acceleration]. In an instant, I landed on the ground. And with that momentum, I ambushed the violent turtle. 

“Nyaa-gooo ([Scratching]).” 

Right after activating it, huge claw marks were carved randomly in the area ahead. Slashes burst across the turtle’s shell. Toward the cracks, I put all my buffs into a [Thunder Claw] piercing strike. 

…Experience points. 

“…Nyaon.” 

I’m being allowed to rampage quite a lot. 

Frankly, I think I’m way too strong in the Rank III tier. 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’m a provisional Rank IV… well, I don’t really know though. 

But I do understand the reason I’m so different from the others. 

That reason is the difference in Unique Skills. 

Most likely, none of the monsters I’ve fought up until now had a Unique Skill. 

My Unique Skill is the ability to “not let the dice being rolled.” (skill selection)

However, I suddenly grew concerned. 

If an enemy were to appear whose “dice roll result was a critical hit, and on top of that, was also blessed with a Unique Skill”… would I have any chance of winning against them?