I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 3: Battle

Episode 3: Battle 

▽ Episode 3: Battle

The problem was hunger, and the lack of water. 

I wasn’t allowed to buy games, but I was given a device to browse the internet. 

The word “appearance” helped me. 

According to what I saw in videos, survival is difficult even for professionals. 

“…Nyan.” 

According to survival videos, the most important thing is fire. 

Next is water, they say. 

But that’s a story for humans. 

Right now, the forest is in just the right season—neither hot nor cold. 

Nights are a little chilly, but I have a little bit of fur. 

As for water, I found it right away. 

My feline-originated sense of smell told me where it was. 

Other wild animals also came to the water source. 

When I watched casually, something lurking in the water bit into a wild boar that came to drink. 

…A dangerous waterhole. 

I can’t even be sure it’s safe in the first place. 

There must be parasites… I want to boil it. But unfortunately, I have no connection to fire whatsoever. 

Gulp, I swallow my breath. 

I have a skill called [Instinct Detection]. 

That instinct warns me of danger. 

When beasts or monsters approach the water, they’re eaten alive. 

…I understand. 

Perhaps this species called “Mill Cat” is one specialized in this sort of observational power. Or rather, survival abilities. 

As soon as my instinct declared it “safe,” 

I rushed to the water and drank. 

It wasn’t clean water. 

Even so, I drank it down and immediately escaped. 

A shiver ran down my spine. 

A moment later, a water-dwelling creature leapt out. It was trying to swallow me whole. 

I got away. 

…That moment, I collapsed onto the ground. 

It was hard to breathe. 

My body must be screaming because my eyeball was destroyed. 

Fortunately, the bleeding wasn’t as bad as I thought. It has already stopped. 

Even so… my body feels unbearably hot. 

I might die. 

“…Nyan.” 

I meant to mutter, “I have to evolve,” but only a meow came out. 

Using my unsteady legs, I started to walk. 

I have to kill a monster right now. 

I have to raise my level. 

If I evolve, my body will change. 

Whether or not my eye regenerates is unknown, 

but that’s the only way I have left to survive. 

My whole body feels like it’s boiling. 

It’s so hot I can’t stand it. 

Even so, I can’t stop shivering. 

My steps stagger. 

I don’t have the strength to hunt anymore. 

So I decided—this time too—to set a trap. 

By chance, I found an open hole (there are quite a few of these in the forest) and laid gathered tree branches over it. 

I covered it further with leaves to hide the hole. 

A hastily made pitfall trap. 

The hole is small, at best enough to trip a human. 

This was my limit for now. 

As for bait…….. 

I’ll use myself. 

If I lie limply, something will surely come. 

If nothing comes, I’ll just die. 

I feel like I’ll lose consciousness. 

I lie on the ground and close my eyes……… 

How long did I stay like that? 

A bug crawls across my nose ridge. 

It’s extremely unpleasant. 

I don’t have the strength to shake it off. 

My body’s getting cold. 

My strength is leaving me. 

I’m dying. 

Being lost. 

Color is draining away. 

Amid all that— 

a sound grazes my ears. 

A presence more unpleasant than insects. 

Using the last of my strength, I force my eyelids open— 

There it was, a green one, grinning nastily as it crept closer. 

A Goblin. 

Looking closely… 

Its ear is missing. 

On top of that, it’s dragging one leg. 

There are bite marks on the leg—and they were clearly made by a cat’s fangs…! 

It might have followed me. 

Maybe by the smell of bl00d. 

Don’t underestimate me. 

Did you think you could kill me? 

My life isn’t cheap anymore. 

Come. 

One step—the Goblin draws closer. 

I play dead. 

Come. 

Two steps—the Goblin raises its club, and then— 

It stepped… 

In that instant, the Goblin cried out in surprise. 

Before the sound finished reaching my ears, 

I used the last of my strength to leap up. 

The Goblin, assisted by its injured leg, began to fall. 

I leapt. 

The timing was perfect. 

—I [Bite] into its neck! 

My fangs sank into its soft skin. 

I won’t let go. 

Bl00d flooded into my mouth. 

It tasted awful. 

I didn’t care. 

I opened my eyes wide. 

My crushed eye gave me only a blurry view. 

With the other eye, I glared. 

The Goblin panicked and tried to tear me off. 

It grabbed my small furry body and pulled. 

A fist slammed into my belly. 

Once, twice, three times. 

I didn’t let go. 

Don’t underestimate me. 

You think I’ll let go? 

Don’t mess with me. 

You were planning to kill me. 

You didn’t think I’d fight back. 

『Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!』 

A scream like that of a victim.

No. 

You are not the victim. 

Nor am I the assailant or the victim. 

This is that kind of fight. 

Justice and evil have nothing to do with it. 

It’s just a battle. 

A battle of life or death! 

Were you prepared to die!? 

Sorry, I wasn’t! 

To not die, to win, to live—for that reason—I set the trap. 

The Goblin fell in fear. 

It landed on its rear. 

Because of the impact, my body was flung off. 

Taking that as an opportunity, the panicking Goblin pulled its foot from the pitfall and tried to crawl away to escape. 

—You made the wrong call. 

If you had just followed up and attacked me like that, 

if you had picked up the club lying on the ground, 

I would’ve been crushed flat. 

But now, 

you feared me, and pathetically turned your back on me. 

I pounced. 

Bit its neck. 

A scream. 

Bit its shoulder. 

A scream. 

Tore off its cheek. 

A scream. 

The Goblin twisted its body around to resist. 

Our eyes met. 

By now, the Goblin’s eyes were colored with fear. 

I couldn’t see any other expression in its eyes. 

It shouted something as if begging for its life, 

but I bit off its nose. 

A scream. 

I bite. 

I bite. 

I bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite. 

I bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite 

bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite. 

I bite. 

I… bite. I……―― 

—

Before I knew it, I was covered in bl00d. 

My fur, once dirty with mud and soil, was now completely dyed bright red. 

The Goblin’s bl00d is red too… 

Around my mouth is sticky and smeared. 

Bl00d pooled in the pitfall, forming a small red pond. 

Huff, huff, I breathe with my whole body. I was barely hanging on. 

My consciousness is fading. 

My body is cold, 

I can’t keep my awareness—this is— 

[————]

Just before my strength ran out, 

somehow, I lifted my heavy front paw. 

*Plap*, I feel my paw press down on something.