I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 24: To the Rank IV Zone

Episode 24: To the Rank IV Zone 

▽ Episode 24: To the Rank IV Zone

Hunting efficiency is not good. 

Right now, I’m still hunting in the Spirit Forest, as usual. But now that I’ve reached Rank IV, defeating Skeletons and Zombies has become meaningless. 

You might think it’d be better to defeat Pseudo-Liches or Meat Slimes instead. 

However, Pseudo-Liches are accompanied by a large number of small fry. And defeating a Meat Slime requires using [Thunder Cannon], which consumes a lot of MP. 

It’s no longer an efficient hunting ground. 

I want to move to a different area, but… a treasure chest always crosses my mind. My [Instinct Detection] desires that thing even more than I do. 

Up until now, I’ve followed my instincts. 

If I start doubting them now, my whole approach from here on would have to change… 

“Nyao.” 

I squeeze out some reason and give up. 

…I think it’s a bad move. But right now, I have no other choice. 

I’m still only level 7. The level cap is 30, which is still far away. I probably should go to a different hunting ground after all… 

I decided to move forward. 

I arrived at the deeper part of the Spirit Forest. 

I’ve tentatively decided to call this place the “Land of Death”. Many large monsters roam here. But all of them have turned into undead. 

The stench of rot is terrible. 

This isn’t a place I want to stay in for long. While considering whether to relocate again, I hid myself among the short grass. 

The reason I insist on staying a cat is because I can hide even in a place like this. 

In the world of my past life, having a large body meant having a strong body. 

But in this world, even a small body can have high durability. If that’s the case, the smaller the body, the better it is for ambushes and stealth. 

Ambushes are strong. 

It happened while I was hiding and observing the surrounding enemies. 

Suddenly, [Instinct Detection] warned me of “something”. But I couldn’t realize what that “something” was—and I got hit. 

I was blown away. 

Pain shot through my entire body. Something had been done to me. I had taken damage. I didn’t understand what happened or what to do… 

Reflexively, I activated [Wonder Time]. 

While it’s active, MP continues to be drained. 

I need to quickly figure out who the attacker is. 

Just as I thought that, [Instinct Detection] reacted to something in the sky. When I looked up… I sensed a presence. 

It clicked. 

This is the Rank IV zone teeming with undead. Undead… Could there be a Ghost-type monster? 

I can’t see ghosts. 

But there’s definitely an enemy, and it did something to me. Fortunately, the damage wasn’t fatal. 

Still, it’s not something I should take repeatedly. 

I chanted a spell. 

I activated [Thunder Bolt], which “activates quickly and uses little MP.” It’s also one of the higher-firepower spells I have. 

The magic pierced the air. 

…It definitely hit something. 

That something dispersed easily under the effect of the lightning. I felt an increase in experience points. 

“Nyao.” 

Impossible. 

I realized I couldn’t level up in this land. If I have no way to see spirits, it means I’ll be constantly attacked by surprise. 

Since it found me even while I was hiding, there’s a chance it possesses a species skill like [Ecological Sense]. 

I ran into a special-type Rank IV monster right away… 

▽ 

I came to a different land. 

This is the land where the Flame Lizards should be. 

As expected, the “calm” Flame Lizards strut around like they own the place. And other monsters are also watching closely for growth opportunities. 

It felt strangely hot—apparently, there are hot springs here. 

I want to take a bath. 

I do, but I gave up on it. I was thinking there might be monsters living in the water. Wrinkling my nose at the smell of sulfur, I searched for prey in this new land—Steam Forest. 

First thing to do in a new hunting ground is searching and observation. 

I need time to determine what kind of monsters are here, what kind of ecosystem they have, and how I can stay safe. 

Think back to that crazy Flame Lizard. 

Maybe it lost in the survival competition, or maybe it just got bored—it dropped down into the Rank III zone and got itself killed instantly. 

No matter how strong you are, if you can’t adapt to the environment, your species has no choice but to die. 

In my opinion, that Flame Lizard wouldn’t survive even in the land of the Earth Sharks. 

It’d keep getting ambushed until it ran out of stamina and got killed. 

Anyway. 

I started with observation so I could adapt to the environment. 

In times like this, [Spatial Magic] and [Wonder Time] are useful for escaping. 

I spent a whole day observing. 

There are six main types of monsters in this land. 

Of course, there are also a few monsters below that Rank band. That said, those guys seem to have given up on fighting and are just barely surviving through harsh competition.

There are “bands” divided by region to some extent. However, they aren’t strictly divided by clear lines. Rather, the higher the Rank, the more… the “bands” become distorted in shape.

Just like this land and the Spirit Forest, the Rank bands are mixed.

It’s a distorted territory, shaped to avoid overwhelming presences.

Even from the perspective of the overwhelming presences, it seems they find it bothersome to waste energy on small fries. So with the exception of a few slackers, they don’t leave their territory.

Let me briefly introduce the six types of monsters.

1. 1. 1. 1. Flame Lizard 

A lizard that breathes fire. Tough. Its firepower from flames is overwhelming.

2. 2. 2. 2. Fire Slime 

A Slime that absorbs flames and heat. Mainly hunts Flame Lizards. If it clings to you even once, it will invade your body through every hole. It also seems to nullify physical attacks.

3. 3. 3. 3. Water Bird 

A bird that uses water magic. About the size of a chick. It fights with overwhelming mobility and water magic, but the troublesome part is that it’s in a symbiotic relationship with the Flame Lizard. 

Its main food is the jelly from Fire Slimes. It helps Flame Lizards that are under attack.

4. 4. 4. 4. Armored Bear 

A bear with its whole body covered in steel-like armor. Much faster than it looks. In physical combat, it might be the strongest in this rank band. 

It’s probably a direct combat type.

5. 5. 5. 5. Some Annoyingly Loud Big Bat 

It squeals noisily, like “kiii kiii.” If you keep hearing its cries nearby, you lose your sense of balance. It often preys on Water Birds. 

Also, it often gets roasted nicely by Flame Lizards.

6. 6. 6. 6. Wind Wolf

They live in packs. Each individual has average combat ability, but they cooperate well. Apparently, they can hunt all the Rank IV monsters in this land. But they also get hunted just as much. 

These are the basic six.

The important point is that Flame Lizards have a high place in the hierarchy. They’re the apex predators in this land. Even Armored Bears get turned to charcoal by the time they get close.

Well, depending on the encounter range, the Armored Bear could win.

And lastly—

There seems to be an individual presumed to be Rank V ruling over this place. It doesn’t actively hunt, only occasionally moves on a whim… or so it seems. There were a lot of bones scattered around.

It’s a two-headed giant dog.

Flames are leaking from all over its body, suggesting it’s a fire attribute type. I assumed it’s Rank V from its overwhelming presence.

Though I think it would lose if it fought the Rank IV Undead Dragon.

That Two-Headed Dog is probably like the “boss” of this band. No one dares touch it. Judging from the bones scattered around, it likely hunted another Rank V that wandered in. 

Rather than a gatekeeper… it’s more like a steward.

Because there’s a hot spring.

Of course other creatures would want to come here.

This is where I aim to reach Rank V.

…Now, the ones I mainly hunt are Fire Slimes. 

They nullify fire attribute attacks. But I rarely use fire attribute attacks anyway. 

With claws charged with lightning, I can swiftly slice them down.

Even so, they’re the same Rank. 

I get proper experience points. 

They’re a fatal species for monsters that can only fight with fire and physical attacks.

They’re the natural enemy of the Flame Lizards.

By the way, the Fire Slimes that attack the Flame Lizards get eaten by the Water Birds. The Water Birds fly around the Flame Lizards. And in emergencies, they shoot water bullets to support them.

I could do the Water Birds’ job too, right?

I wish we could switch places. I want the Flame Lizards to protect me too. Seems like it’d feel safe when sleeping… but I can’t communicate with them.

Should I have picked [Translation Cry] instead of [Terror Howl] for skill evolution?

Now that I think about it—yeah, I remember.

Let’s strengthen the skills I couldn’t level up in the undead area too.

I looked up at the sky.

There was one of those “annoyingly loud big bats”. For now, I named them *Loud Bats*, and I used [Terror Howl] on them.

The ecology of the Loud Bats is unique.

They fly wildly in a group around their prey, flapping noisily, and cry out with an intense “kii kii” screech. Eventually, the prey loses control over its body. And after that, it’s just a matter of being eaten by the Loud Bats. 

Even now, they see me as food and are surrounding me.

If the monster has no ranged attacks and can’t fly, there’s no way to resist. 

These guys can unilaterally prey on Fire Slimes and Armored Bears.

Also, since they have high evasion, it seems they can even kill Water Birds and Wind Wolves.

But for me, they’re easy targets.

For a moment, the bats flinch due to the effect of [Terror Howl]. 

Some of the bats seem to have entered the [Fear] state.

But, well, the intimidation is just for leveling up the skill.

The real point starts here.

I activated [Thunder Burst]. 

It’s a lightning magic that spreads in a radial area in front. 

This lightning magic has the traits of fast projectile speed and high firepower.

Maybe its efficiency is worse than other mid-tier spells.

Also, the hit rate is way too random.

But this time, the conditions were good, and every shot hit. 

The bats were burnt to a crisp. And while some survived, they got electrocuted and fell to the ground.

I crushed them one by one, carefully.

Honestly, I want to use [Poison Fang]. 

Poison didn’t work on the undead, and I didn’t want to bite zombies. So my level-up stalled.

Using mainly [Thunder Claw] was also part of the problem.

Anyway, I want to use my fangs. But bats are unsanitary, so I held back.

I want to use it on a different monster.

I decided to go after a Flame Lizard. 

I wanna *chomp-chomp* on one, meow.

Gross, aren’t I?

But I’m a cute kitty, so please forgive me, meow.