I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 40: A New Evolution Path

Episode 40: A New Evolution Path 

▽ Episode 40: A New Evolution Path

I leveled up a lot. 

It was a battle on the edge. My MP was nearly depleted, and the physical damage I had taken wasn’t something I could ignore either. 

Even so, I managed to win. 

My level shot up all the way to 37. 

The enemy was superior to me in class. On top of that, I have the equipment skill [Desperate Battle Growth・Extreme]. Because I won a desperate fight, I was probably able to level up efficiently. 

I spat bl00d onto the ring with a “peh”. 

My head sways. I feel like I might collapse at any moment. 

Even so, I can’t afford to fall here. 

If I fall here, I’ll become food for the Armor Ogres. 

Some of the Armor Ogres are weeping in grief. They were aiming their weapons at me. 

But their fellow Armor Ogres are desperately stopping them. 

Apparently, Armor Ogres possess a strong sense of pride and intelligence. This, in a wild life, doesn’t necessarily become a handicap. 

Pride and intelligence become powerful weapons. 

“Anything goes” means not choosing your methods. 

That might seem strong at first glance… but it mostly ends in cheap tricks. If your mind constantly comes up with “useless tricks”, then in high-level battles like those in Rank V territory, it leads to fatal delays in thinking. 

Pride leads to self-confidence, and self-confidence allows you to take “one step forward that normally wouldn’t be possible.” 

In the harsh world of the wild, that one step can sometimes become a tremendous trump card. 

Armor Ogre. 

One of the strongest races even in Rank V. That’s how I praise them. 

For the victor to remain on this battlefield isn’t really something to be praised. 

Frankly, it’s uncool. 

And uncool guys are weak. 

As a cool victor, I gallantly left the battlefield. 

That, at the very least, was my parting gift to the remaining Armor Ogres. 

▽ 

Now then. 

The ecosystem didn’t change as much as I thought. That’s because a new Armor Ogre King was born again. 

That crown seems to be quite a powerful item. 

Even though it was an Ogre, it used so much magic. 

I believe the secret lies in that crown. 

On top of its already powerful close-combat ability, it had wind magic and a massive amount of MP to support it. 

If they stick to group hunting, they’ll probably be able to evolve one of their kind again. 

I have no intention of touching the new King. 

Though I do want the experience points. 

Probably, the next time we face off, the enemy will already know all of my cards from the start. I know their cards too, but there should be individual differences in skill abilities. 

I won’t lose. 

I don’t intend to lose, but I’d still have to carry the risk of getting seriously injured. That, I’d like to avoid. So from now on, whenever I encounter an Armor Ogre, I just give them a bow and pass by. 

They’re smart. 

They understand the meaning of my bow. And they bow back. We’ve built that kind of relationship. 

That said, it makes hunting a problem. 

While the strength of Armor Ogres made them troublesome, their large numbers made them easy to hunt. 

It was inconvenient in many ways. But even this hunting situation has undergone a revolution. 

A cooperative relationship was formed. 

After I helped some Armor Ogres who were struggling a few times, I came to be completely treated as an “ally” or even “reinforcement”. 

Now I’m a full-fledged bodyguard. 

Apparently, when you fight together, experience points get shared. 

Even so, by sheer numbers, I can still forcefully hunt to some extent. 

Thanks to that, my experience gain efficiency skyrocketed. 

Also, I have [Subordinate Enhancement・Extreme]. 

The Armor Ogres who hunt with me grow visibly stronger. 

As a result— 

I hit the level cap in just three months. 

From the Armor Ogres, three new “Kings” emerged. 

Now then— 

It’s finally time for that long-awaited evolution. 

1. 1. [Frenzy Cat] 

 A cat immersed in madness and battle. Rank VI. 

2. 2. [Death Undead Cat] 

 A cat that presides over death and calamity. Rank VI. 

3. 3. [Drago Felis] 

 A magical cat with dragon genes. Rank V. 

4. 4. [Nightmare Cat] 

 A cat that presides over nightmares. Rank V. 

5. 5. [Hunter Cat (Mutant Species)] 

 A cat specializing in hunting. Rank II. 

This is the list of evolution paths. 

Let me say it clearly: 

This is very troubling. 

First of all, Frenzy Cat and Death Undead Cat are rejected. 

I want to reach Rank VI, but I get the feeling I wouldn’t be able to stay normal anymore. 

Basically, it’s like turning into a “Crazy Dog” or a “Zombie,” right? 

I don’t want that.

Skipping one, let’s talk about Nightmare Cat—it also seems kind of tricky. 

Nightmares… I think it’s a cat that can put enemies to sleep. 

There’s a high chance I could obtain [Black Magic], the option I had previously lost. 

A cat with overwhelming strength against sleeping opponents— 

Is that the vibe? 

It’s honestly not bad. 

And lastly. 

A Rank II option showed up out of nowhere. 

Normally, that would be impossible. But being able to increase inherited skills from Rank II could be useful. 

…………No, let’s drop that. 

There’s the issue of a cat’s lifespan. 

I’ve already lived quite a long time. 

Starting from Rank II now and collecting inherited skills—I don’t think I have the time for that. 

If I had killed that Parasite quickly, it might’ve been a valid option though. 

That Parasite will probably become an “uncontrollable monster” someday. 

Before that happens, I need to somehow kill it. 

It’s not something I *have* to do. 

That’s what I think, but personally… it feels like a kind of mission. 

If it seems impossible, I’ll have no choice but to run. 

Yep, I’ve decided. 

I’ll evolve into Drago Felis. 

Still… what is “Felis”, anyway? 

The description says “cat”, so I’ll believe it. But……. it’s not some weird monster, right? 

I evolved.