I Am the Weakest Cat, but If I Keep Evolving, Can I Become the Strongest? - Episode 43: Breaking into Rank VI
Episode 43: Breaking into Rank VI
▽ Episode 43: Breaking into Rank VI
I have arrived in the Rank VI zone.
Surprisingly, the natural environment of the Rank VI zone isn’t bad at all. Probably, it’s because the good land was taken away from monsters of higher Ranks.
Others were always pushed further and further back by powerful monsters. As a result, they probably adapted to the dangerous Rank V zone to avoid being ravaged by Rank VI.
Also, the Rank VI area is the largest of all.
If the diameter of Rank V is the size of a prefecture, then Rank VI is… the size of multiple prefectures. It’s a vague explanation, but I can only say it like that.
“Nya~.”
With a silly voice, I found myself looking up at a giant tree. Each tree standing tall seemed to pierce the sky and was massive.
In Japan, any tree around here would probably be considered a “sacred tree”.
The air is also clear and delicious.
The soil is fluffy, and the plants coloring its surface are full of life. The strong impression is that there are many beautiful flowers.
At that moment, I heard a “woof woof” sound.
It was just a stray dog’s bark. Just a normal dog. Unlike other regions, this Rank VI zone has many creatures like those from Rank I.
There are many weak creatures.
That’s allowed. The reason is simple: any monsters with a certain level of strength have all been culled by the Rank VI monsters.
These weak creatures are snacks for the Rank VI monsters.
At a glance, this place might even seem like a paradise.
The number of monsters is fewer than in other regions. That may be because Rank VI itself has fewer monsters. For example, this Rank VI zone is about the size of the Kinki region. The number of Rank VI monsters in it is about 170.
Those 170 monsters each have their own territory and live their days in peace.
It’s about the same number as the universities in the Kinki region.
If you expand the territory distribution, it’s about the same too.
The goal here is to become Rank VI.
And also to defeat the Parasite that has a history with me — the “Absorption Demon”. Not that the latter is “a must”, but surpassing that thing will be one kind of guidance.
Even outside this forest, I’ll surely end up facing battles against stronger opponents.
Running away is meaningless.
Someday, when I can no longer escape, the past of “running away from stronger foes” will eat away at my life.
Through my long wild life, I’ve learned the power of surprise attacks.
Running away is meaningless.
If I have to fight anyway, then I’ll go kill them from my side.
“Nyaa.”
Well, that’s only if I become Rank VI.
▽
If I were to describe the Rank VI environment in one word, it would be “territory”.
Right now, the one I’m about to face is a giant snake of Rank VI. Its size surpasses even the human idea of “huge”.
In one word — a tower apartment.
(Note:
A Tower Apartment for Comparison
)
If you lay a tower apartment on its side, it would be just about the same size as that snake.
Centered around that snake, there’s a zone where hundreds of other snakes live.
By the way, most of those surrounding snakes are Rank V.
“Nyao.”
It’s a monster.
Rank V is just far too different in “biological status.”
The giant snake is tightly occupying its territory among the sacred tree-class trees.
I’ve named it *Tower Apartment Snake*.
The Tower Apartment Snake, despite its giant body, moves fast.
Its scales slithering between trees at the speed of a train — it’s an overwhelming sight.
From what I can tell, this one seems to be the weakest in the Rank VI zone.
Well then, let’s get to cooking.
I activated [Generator]. I had intended to charge it up for a full minute. But at that moment, I saw it.
The sky was dyed purple.
It was some kind of magic cast by the Tower Apartment Snake.
Probably something like [Poison Magic] or something similar.
A toxic liquid covering hundreds of meters around was about to rain down from the sky to the ground.
Apparently, I had been noticed.
I held back a sigh and began casting my magic.
“Nyaa ([Hard Blast]).”
What I released was a type of magic obtained through [Fire Magic・Intermediate].
Its effect was “to generate a tremendous blast of wind.”
It didn’t do explosion damage or anything like that.
It was just a support technique that used hot, violent wind to sweep away many things.
Let’s agree not to say, “Wouldn’t wind magic be better for that?”
But it can burn the target, or take away their sight with heat. So it has some advantages different from wind magic.
With that, I blew away the poisonous liquid.
For the time being, I had dealt with the [Poison Magic].
The moment I thought that, the Tower Apartment Snake was already moving.
Twisting its body, it was trying to crush me to death.
Honestly, I didn’t even know where the Tower Apartment Snake’s face was.
It simply twisted its body — and even just by doing that, it could generate immense force.
It was a crude move that seemed to say, “Most small creatures would die just from this.”
I began shaping my magic.
What I activated was a new [Fire Magic・Intermediate].
“Nyao ([Burning Chain).”
It was a chain made of flame.
When activated normally, chains of hellfire would be generated from the caster’s feet.
They would sluggishly advance toward the target. And in the end, they would bind and burn the enemy.
It’s kind of a slow-paced magic.
But I’m a kitty who has mastered [Spatial Magic].
At the same time, I used [Another Point]. I made it appear right in front of the enemy’s body.
The number of flame chains I summoned in one breath was more than ten.
Thanks to the species skill [Dragon Orb], the precision of my magic had greatly increased.
The amount and quality of magic power I could handle had jumped dramatically.
What came to mind were the countless spears the Undead Dragon had once displayed in the sky.
Now, I too could fight at that scale.
It was because I had defeated the Undead Dragon, that I was able to evolve like this.
I’m really glad I went out of my way to take it down.
Ten chains entangled the enemy.
That alone wasn’t enough to stop a Rank VI.
But I had successfully slowed it down dramatically.
In addition, I put up a [Dimension Wall].
Stalemate.
The barrier of space magic and the brute strength of the Tower Apartment Snake were in balance.
A few moments later, the space magic barrier shattered with a *crack!* sound.
However, I had already succeeded in nullifying most of the power behind the attack.
I extended my claws.
“Nyaa ([Gladius Tonitrui]).”
My claws roared with purple lightning.
This technique was an evolved version of [Thunder Claw Slash].
Lightning stretched from my small cat claws. It turned them into something like a longsword.
It wasn’t that my claws physically grew.
Rather, some kind of lightning energy was being released from the claws.
And it wasn’t just ordinary energy — it boasted sharpness greater than my natural claws.
It’s a technique that purely combines physical attack power and magical attack power — perfect for me.
The range had also been extended.
And its power had increased dramatically.
It’s a pretty strong skill.
I really regret not being able to inherit [Flash Claws].
If I could’ve used it together with this, these claws would have had absurd power.
Now that I think about it, losing [Lightning Enhancement・Small] also had a big impact.
Although my magic attack power had increased since losing it, the scale of the lightning I released had dropped one tier.
I really wish I could have inherited that skill too…
While regretting that, I slashed with [Gladius Tonitrui].
At the side of the approaching Tower Apartment Snake.
『Shyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!』
“Nya.”
『!!??』
I had cleanly slashed it head-on, successfully cutting through half of its body.
Thanks to the evolved skill, and also to [Battle Fur] and [Dragon Orb], which increased my strength.
Most of the Tower Apartment Snake’s flesh had burst and flown apart with explosive force.
Its hard scales were meaningless.
If I had inherited [Flash Claws], I probably could’ve sliced it clean in two.
Honestly, I think inheriting [Light Magic] might have been a mistake.
Well, it’s useful though — for buffs.
My small body was helped along by the recoil of my own attack. It was blown backwards.
But it looked like the Tower Apartment Snake didn’t have the room to follow up.
Maybe I should try out the other [Fire Magic] too.
A bit of greed is coming out.
Just when I thought I should pull myself together, a shock hit my body.
It was probably a strike from an invisible tail.
It hurts a little.
…Yeah. Just a little bit.
It’s probably the same technique that the Undead Dragon once used.
This Tower Apartment Snake should have more physical power than the Undead Dragon.
And yet, I didn’t even get injured, and just thought “that kind of hurt.”
What the heck.
That just means the effect of [Reverse Scale] is that strong.
I think it’s a pretty useful species skill. I want to inherit this one too.
Well, there’s also the existence of [Battle Fur].
That means I had double layers of defense.
Thanks to that double defense, I nullified the Tower Apartment Snake’s attack.
“Nya…”
Even though I’m in the middle of a battle against a superior enemy, I still have room to think like this.
That just shows how extraordinary the title “Dragon” is among monsters.
Honestly, I don’t feel like I could lose to an enemy of this level.
Even with that tail attack just now, [Instinct Detection] didn’t activate — it wasn’t even a threat at that level.
But the “Invisible Tail Slap” is something that can’t be avoided without [Instinct Detection].
Is it too fast, is it invisible, or does it “hit” the moment it activates?
I don’t even understand its true nature.
From now on, maybe I should assume that all enemies with tails will use “this”.
Although the impact lands quickly, its power is reduced.
If not, I would’ve definitely taken more damage.
Even back with the Undead Dragon, I wasn’t killed by a direct hit — that proves it.
“Nyan.”
Still, I was way too careless.
The opponent uses poison. Even one hit could be deadly. And yet I instinctively treated it as a lower-ranking threat and just kept thinking about “testing out my abilities.”
That’s not good.
I decided to pull myself together and go all out.
“Nyan ([Super Acceleration]), nyan ([Hard Blast]).”
I spread my Dragon wings. And right after that, I activated [Hard Blast] behind me.
It was to rapidly accelerate using the intense blast.
On top of that, with [Super Acceleration], my speed was quadrupled.
Flying at an almost uncontrollable speed.
As we passed each other, I tore open the wound on the Tower Apartment Snake — the one where half of its body had already been cut — with my claws.
Of course, [Gladius Tonitrui] was activated too.
That was the end.
The Tower Apartment Snake had its body cut clean in two. And its life was gone, just like that……..