1 The Struggles of a Black Cat

*meow*

I woke up on the tree branch I was sleeping on and took some deep breaths to calm myself down. Yes, sleeping was the right decision. Because my mind was in turmoil after I woke up and noticed that I wasn't a human, but a cat!

How the fuck did that happen? – I thought to myself as I let my eyes roam across the vast wilderness around me.

[Catnip: You have been reborn]

"Fuck you!" I hissed with an angry growl. "I wasn't dead! Why should I have been reborn if I wasn't dead?! Explain!"

[Catnip: But you did, and now you are here]

*meow!*

I decided to ignore the thingy in my head. Not that I had an idea what it was, but I guessed that it was probably how cats experienced the world.

Anyway, I was now a cat and Catnip already explained to me yesterday when I suddenly woke up in the body of a cat and that I had to level up to become stronger. Why? Well, because I supposedly wasn't on planet Earth anymore, but somewhere else. He didn't tell me where though, only that I should try to level up as fast as possible if I wanted to survive.

It made sense when I thought about it. The first thing I saw after I calmed down was a something I recognized as a goblin. The little fucker tried to kill me with its wooden spear, and I had to climb on a tree to escape its pursuit.

Goblins weren't native on Earth – well, some bankers and politicians looked a bit similar to goblins – and I speculated that there should be more creatures that should only exist in the fantasy books I have read.

Nevertheless, I was now a cat, and I had no idea how to kill anything in order to level up. Goblins could kill me in an instant, and I was barely able to climb the tree yesterday. Hunting a mouse or a rat would become quite difficult if I couldn't control my new four-footed body.

And what does that even mean? Is this world like in these RPG-games I play when I am bored? Kill a monster, receive experience points, and loots its body for treasure?

[Catnip: Why don't you try it out? Go kill a monster and see it yourself]

"You are so funny!" I meowed. "How should I do that?"

[Catnip: Try to use your inborn ability for starters]

"My what?" I blinked in disbelief, suddenly remembering that I neglected something important.

Huh?

[Codex of the Blackest Night: Harvest the mysterious magics that exists in the moonlight to strengthen your body and increase your affinity with the shadow element]

…but its day! – I cursed inwardly and didn't even complain to Catnip, knowing that I would get a useless statement from him in return.

"Is that my magical talent or what?" I asked to confirm my thoughts.

[Catnip: Yes, you will need to use your inborn ability, like every other magical beast, to increase the odds of your survival]

'Yes… survival… that topic again' – I sighed.

Being a cat wasn't that nice as I always thought. My rich aunt has a cat called Alfredo, but that fatso is lazing around all day long, doing absolutely nothing besides enjoying the best food possible.

And me? Was I envious of a cat? Well, yes, since I was now a cat too, but hungry as fuck and my cat-assistant is telling me that I have to get strong fast or that I will die a horrible death. Fuck you, Alfredo!

"Supreme Master Catnip, please tell me what to do now," I miaowed in the most respectful way

possible.

I was too flustered and had no idea what I can or should do as a cat. Hunt a rat? Kill butterflies? No, I had the impression that I had to be extremely careful, and that I would end up as goblin-shit if I fucked up. Catnip should be the supreme ancestor that is guiding all cats towards to road of success. Well, he did a shit job with Alfredo, but I hoped that I would receive a little guidance so I can at least say that I have a plan which I to follow.

[Catnip: Sorry, I am not allowed to interfere with your life-decisions]

'He is not allowed? Does that mean that he has a superior?' – I pondered, perplexed.

I wasn't sure if Catnip was real or if I was actually put under strong drugs in an insane asylum for hopeless cases. Nevertheless, I could feel that I could trust Catnip and that he wasn't trying something wicked with me. It was just a voice in my head and sounded more robotic, than a real individual, but I decided to see him as my personal trainer since I needed his limited guidance to adapt to my new living condition.

'Does that mean that I have to suffer now until it gets dark?' – I thought to myself with a gloomy look.

I was pretty hungry and leaving my tree would mean that I have to risk encountering a goblin again. The green fucker didn't look witty… wait no! He looked like an idiot, but you don't have to be that smart to use a spear anyway. You stab, kill, and eat – repeat.

The worst was that the forest was dreadfully silent, too silent. There were some birds chirping around, but I wasn't able to hear any other animals or whatever lived here in the area.

'Maybe I get reborn again if I die?' – I hoped while frustration gnawing at my mind.

Everything was so strange, and I was nervous as fuck that I would end up as a kebab for a crazy goblin. And I was sitting high above the ground on a branch, too afraid to climb down because I feared that I would slip and break my legs. Sure, cats were good climbers, but I wasn't a motherfucking cat until yesterday and had no cat-mother that could teach me – I wasn't good at sports even when I was a human.

"This is unfair bullshit!" I miaowed angrily, thinking about my sudden and unexpected death.

Being reborn in a world where magic was a real thing sounded awesome, and I would have probably danced in joy if something offered me this chance a week ago, but I quickly realized that it was actually a pretty shitty deal. A scam!

Was I the only one who was able to cast magic? Probably not.

Do I have any noteworthy advantages? No… what advantages? I am a housecat goddammit!

I was clueless and afraid. There was nobody who could help me, nor was there any other cat I could ask for advice. It was depressing, and I was sure that I would end up dead soon if I am not able to accomplish any progress with my cat-magic this night.

'Yes, maybe I should just risk it...' – I thought with growing desperation.

Who knows if I could succeed in achieving anything with my cat-magic when I wasn't able to think straight or concentrate because of my empty stomach that was bullying me. The pain would surely disrupt my concentration, and that would be my end. And I wasn't even sure if I could learn any spells or whatever after a single night of training – I needed food, and that now!

'Guess I have to do it' – I thought with a firm nod of my little kitten head.

I lifted myself up and gave the ground below me a wary look before I turned in order to climb down the tree trunk. The bark was luckily broken with small cracks, and I miaowed happily when I saw that my little claws weren't that useless as I thought and that I could climb down without much trouble at all.

"That was easy!" I meowed with newly won confidence.

Nevertheless, I moved swiftly and lowered myself in the high grass to avoid being seen by any goblin or worse. It was the first step to success, and it would be a real shame if I fucked up now.

'Can a cat even eat plants?'

It was a legit question since I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to hunt anything, not to speak of eating the raw flesh of a mouse or rat what made me shudder in disgust. However, raw fish was ok since I like to eat sushi.

The grass around me didn't look very tasty, and I decided to explore the area before picking the final straw and turning myself into a vegetarian cat. I also remember all of a sudden that a vegetarian once told me that all animals were herbivores originally, I wasn't sure if this was legit science, but I guess that I would see it soon enough if I failed my quest.

'Why didn't I reborn as a tiger?!' – I thought in the back of my head as I saw how huge everything looked like for a little black housecat like me.

The trees looked like giant skyscrapers while the grass was almost as tall as myself. It was a bit frustrating, and I couldn't help but curse whatever god was responsible for this mess.

Most likely the cat-goddess that was called Bast from the Egyptians, nobody else could have done this since I was sure that Anubis would have kept my soul for himself instead of turning me into a jackal. And as for the Greek gods like Zeus? Well, I wasn't a beautiful maiden and uninteresting for them. The Norse gods like Odin would have turned me in a raven, or maybe in a golden pig… who knows.

Anyway, I promised myself that I would seek out whoever was responsible for this and scratch them to death!

If I survived, of course. And I also needed to satisfy my hunger that slowly started to become painful. There was nothing worse than being a hungry little cat that had to struggle for its poor life in a world where angry spear-wielding goblins were plaguing the lands.

…

My surroundings stayed the same as I continued my expedition in search of a good meal, and I didn't find much besides large trees, bushes, and grass. There were some bushes that offered small purple berries, but they smelled odd and I decided not to test out my luck. I could simply eat some of the grass and turn vegetarian in the worst case.

I also came in contact with some of the wildlife that inhabited the area, mostly small birds, and I must say that I didn't have the impression that I was on a different planet.

Sure, the goblin I encountered was proof that I wasn't on Earth anymore, but it wasn't all that bad if this world was similar to my old one. Why? Well, because I hoped that I could use most of my old knowledge to improve my odds for survival. I wasn't really sure how to use my human life experiences as a cat, though. Igniting a campfire was impossible with my little paws, but I luckily had a coating of fluffy black fur keeping my body warm anyway.

"Miaow?" I blinked in awe when I saw a silver-green stag with large majestic antlers appearing before me.

[Silverleaf Stag – LvL 2]

The stag spun his head to the side and gave me a curious look for a couple of seconds before it lowered its head to eat small brownish thingies that looked like hazelnuts to me.

'Yes, nuts!'

My eyes lit up, and I rushed towards the friendly deer in the hope of satisfying my growing hunger. However, the deer huffed angrily when it saw that I wanted to eat one of the many nuts that covered the ground around the tree.

"What the fuck!" I meowed, pissed. "You greedy bastard!"

The deer stomped with its front-legs in a threatening way, and I could suddenly feel a dangerous aura spreading from its antlers. I acted quickly and turned before speeding away to hide inside the closest bush.

'Shit! Shit! Shit!'

My heart was beating madly as I was trying my best to stay unnoticed. I was not sure what happened, but the sensation of imminent danger erupted in my head and told me to flee quickly or die a painful death. It felt like I was stung by an electric shock, and I was glad that it did happen because my eyes widened in shock when I saw that the patch of grass around the spot I was just standing on was cut into small pieces.

'That motherfucker would kill a small little kitten because of a handful of nuts?!' – I cursed in the back of my mind, royally pissed.

[Catnip: Charity is a dying concept in a domain where ferocity and cunning reign supreme]

"Yeah, I can see that," I huffed angrily, throwing the stag a couple of poisonous looks.

I always thought that stags were good animals, the protectors of nature and so on, but they were actually evil statans. What godforsaken soul would kill a defenseless cat for a couple of nuts? That's ridiculous!

"Just see that I don't meet you again after I received my cat-magic!" I growled angrily.

There was nothing I can do against the huge bully and I decided to stay low and wait in the hope that it would eat its fill soon. Or even better, that a huge tiger would appear and rip it to pieces!

'Where are my big cousins if I need them?' – I thought jokingly, imagining all kinds of wild scenes where a huge tiger would beat up the arrogant stag so I could collect some nuts for myself.

The stag was oblivious about all very the painful deaths it experienced in my daydreams and continued to eat nut after nut until there was nothing left. It then started to use its stag-magic to shoot wind-blades out of its antlers at the tree above it. More nuts dropped on the ground and I could only watch furiously as it began to eat again.

"This evil bitch-ass motherfucker!" I growled angrily.

My hunger grew stronger and the pain in my stomach made it hard for me to stay still. It felt like I had a piece of molten iron inside me, and I could only silently curse the villainous stag as it continued to enjoy its food without a care in the world.

*Meow?*

However, I blinked in confusion when the silver-green beast lifted its head to look around as if it was alarmed by something. A high-pitched hissing sound suddenly filled my ears, and I watched in shock when a silver arrow impaled the head of the deer – dark-red blood and pinkish brain-matter was splashed all over in the area.

'What the fuck is going on?!'

I lowered myself until I was glued to the ground and prayed that whatever killed the stag would be too distracted by the kill to take notice of my presence.

"Hahaha! That's a silverfang stag!"

"Let's sell its corpse to the guild and get drunk today!"

"Hahahaha! Yes, we will!"

My eyes widened when my ears were suddenly filled by the familiar voices of what I assumed were humans. Their voices sounded old and husky like chain-smokers that loved to drink booze more than water.

[Human – LvL 2]

'Eh?'

I blinked in disbelieve when I saw the small notification appear in the corner of my eyes. The fact that I could see the levels of humans too felt… odd.

'Oh, shit, they are real humans!' – I thought in the back of my head, a bit agitated.

Anyway, my guess was right and two tall, burly men with massive crossbows in their hands appeared beside the lifeless body of the corpse of the stag. From head to toe, they were entirely clad in leather-armor that was worn out and made them look like mountain bandits. The way they talked, and their mess and untidy appearances at that, made me assume that I either ended up in a really poor third-world country or that the humans in this world were still living in a medieval era.

"Oh? Hey Gorgy, see here, this tree gathered enough mana to produce magical nuts!" one of the brutes said after he tasted one of the many nuts that were lying on the ground.

"For real?" the second guy grabbed a handful of the supposed magical nuts and wolfed them down in one go. His hairy face twisted into a greedy smile. "By the nutsack of the king! They will be worth a fortune, and we might be able to afford a couple of visits in the brothel if we collect them all!"

"Hehehehe! Yesssss, let's do it!" said the first guy with a wolfish grin.

To hell with my bad luck! – I cursed inwardly when I heard them mention that these nuts were actually magical.

Eating magical stuff was definitely very nourishing for a little cat such as me. I could only helplessly watch the two goons collect all the nuts from the ground and from the tree as well until nothing was left for me.

'Greedy sons-of-bitches!'

They grabbed the stag by its feed and left the area with pockets full of magical nuts, laughing like the bastards they are. I couldn't help but meow in frustration when I felt my stomach ache again.

'Wait…. the blood! Yes!'

However, my eyes lit up when I smelled the strong stench of blood in the air. It was nourishing, and I once watched documentations about survival, saying that one could drink the red liquid in times of desperation. Humans consumed blood all the time through ancient history, for various reasons and purposes, and I guess that it can't be that bad for my body to drink some of it since I am a cat.

"Haha! Stupid stag, now you will nourish me with your precious elixir of life!" I miaowed in a wicked tone and rushed to the tree before another, a lot bigger predator would be attracted by the smell.

'Yes!'

My eyes were met with the sight of a big dark-red puddle of blood where the head of the stag rested. I ignored the sense of disgust that spread through my body and started drinking like a dried out vampire.

'Tastes like rusty metal, but still sweet' – I thought in the back of my head as I used my little tongue to transport the red life liquid into my mouth.

It was a strange feeling to drink the blood of a dead animal, and from the forest ground at that, but I was soon sensing a warm coziness spreading through my body. My hunger disappeared almost instantaneously, and I continued to drink as much as I can while focusing my senses to prevent myself from getting ambushed by a competitor.

[Catnip: Consume as much as you can of the blood and you might be able to level up before sundown]

'Bloody awesome!'

My eyes lit up and I started sucking at the pool of blood as if my life depended on how much I could drink. Well, thinking about it, my life actually did rely on it since I had to get stronger to increase my odds of survival.

…

A couple of minutes later and I felt like a living water-balloon as I was made my way back into the safety of a bush to digest my juicy meal in peace.

[Catnip: Congratulations youngling, you are finally able to level up. Choose one of the three evolution-paths that will decide what kind of cat you will become in the future]

'Evolution?' – I repeated in the back of my head before three lines popped up in my field of view.

[Path of the Feline Ferocity: With teeth and claws, tear your enemies apart, make them bleed and end their lives with the most brutal savageness]

[Path of the Cunning Predator: Whether night and day, lush jungle or a barren wasteland, you always find a way to the throat of your prey]

[Path of the Mystic Hunt: With the force of your will, unleash arcane energies and dominate the cowardly spirits of those who wish you ill]

'Fuck!'

My mind stopped working for a couple of seconds after I finished reading the messages that appeared before me. I was overwhelmed, not because of the prospect that I could finally learn some magic, but because I could feel three dreadful auras washing over after I have read the names of one of the paths – as if three dreadful beasts were watching me right now.

These must be my new ancestors! – I thought in the back of my mind with boundless awe.

The auras weren't threatening me, but I sensed a close kinship to each of them, just like I would feel towards my family.

The first aura was full of boundless savageness, like a giant bloodthirsty lion that was the leader of a terror regime. Nobody was safe from his claws, and everyone that entered its territory had to pay with their life and blood.

And as for the second aura. Well, it was hard to explain, as if it was just an illusion to trick my mind, but I felt as if I was being observed by an assassin that hid himself in plain sight, right in front of me, and I needed to blink just once to lose my life.

And lastly, the third path. Its aura was radiating with a sharp intelligence that didn't cut its prey with claws, but with something way worse, more painful. It was complex and made me feel dizzy just by trying to understand it.

'Hmm…' *meow?*

My mind began to calm down after the initial shock, and I could finally start to properly consider what path I should be the best for me.

"No, I don't like being too savage," I miaowed thoughtfully.

I couldn't say that found the first path attractive, being a wild beast that shredded its prey to bits. Yes, it sounded nice in theory, but I wasn't a natural-born melee fighter with the mind of a warrior and never fancied either hand-to-hand combat or direct confrontations.

The third path sounded nice, and I was sure that it would provide me with a lot of crazy magic that would increase my odds of survival. However, the problem was that I had the feeling that I needed to be damn smart in order to excel in this path. I wasn't stupid, but I was aware of my strengths weaknesses, outstanding intelligence was never one of my more prominent traits.

"I guess I pick the ninja path," I mused with a determined nod.

Being a ninja kitten was probably the best I could do at the moment. I wasn't smart nor ferocious enough, but I believed that I could learn how to stalk prey and kill it when the time was ripe. Hmm, well, the second part didn't say anything explicit that it would turn me into an assassin, it was my only own impression, and I hoped that I was right with my choice.

"Catnip, I pick the Path of the Cunning Predator!" I miaowed with a resolute expression.

[Catnip: Alright, as you wish]

Whoa! *meow!*

My mind was suddenly overwhelmed by an influx of information, and I felt like I was about to faint. It felt like somebody was poking my brain with a hot iron rod. I did my best to stay conscious but failed eventually when the pain became too much as it spread across my whole body.

*meow!*