Feral(Monster Evolution) - Chapter 1 (Patreon)

You know, one might not think so, but, even with a fur, animals caught in the rain, tended to get cold.

Truly, I am learning all manner of things today.

Like boxes are surprisingly comfortable. I was never much one for small, enclosed spaces after childhood, but hey, this wasn't so bad.

Or it least it hadn't been…until it started raining.

My shiny, new box, was getting all damp and soggy for crying out loud man.

One might ask, why I seem to be residing in some form of cramped box.

Well, I would point them to my right, where a large shard of broken glass, lay against the wall of a rather decrepit quite conveniently for me to look at.

And gaze upon my reflection.

And see the face of a sodden, bright blue eyed tabby cat staring back at me from the confines of the box.

Can cats even see in colour? I have no idea. Maybe I'm just special. I mean, cat, or rather kitten or not, I am one good looking feline.

Soggy fur withstanding.

Still, not exactly how I expected my afterlife to end up. I was hopeful for those pearly white gates radiating warmth to open up and welcome me, but was expecting toasty flames roasting my skin and a pitchfork being jabbed into my ass, probably followed with a pineapple.

I mean, I wasn't a bad guy, not a great one, but not a bad one. Thing is, it would just be my luck to end up in hell.

Course, even I apparently couldn't predict my crappy luck now. Because I so was not expecting to wake up as an abandoned baby kitten in a box, in a crappy alleyway after I got jumped, lost the fight against my four attackers, stabbed to death and looted like a common scrub.

Things just be that way sometimes, I suppose.

Well, one way or another, I know at least, nothing about this is common or normal.

…Beyond you know, apparently being reincarnated as a kitten.

Honestly, it's a wonder I'm not completely freaking out and going crazy, but, I just feel kind of numb. Like, I'm completely and utterly out of fucks to give.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye, where a small blue light seemed to light up around the edge of my vision.

Name: -    
Title: -    
Species: Kitten   
Level: 1/5    
Skills Claw: Attack, Night Vision    
Strength: 1  
Endurance: 1    
Durability: 1    
Agility: 2    
Magic Power: 1

What looked like the status screen from a video game filled my vision once more. It had appeared the second I opened my eyes in this new…life of mine.

With a thought and a blink of my eyes, I could dismiss it and by just focusing my vision on it, I could bring it back. Pretty nifty all said and told.

…My stats on the other hand, not so much. I apparently couldn't input a name myself, or at least just thinking of my name and the like. I don't know what the title thing is about, but in some games, titles provided you benefits to stats and such, but since I don't have one, it doesn't matter.

My species…is listed as a kitten. Does that mean, I'm stuck this way until I grow up? Interestingly, I actually had levels. But, had a level cap of…five. Hopefully, that increases, because looking at my stats, well, they aren't very impressed to look at, they're the very bottom of what numbers can be really, beyond agility.

There's no point thinking on my skills, they're just basic cat inborn abilities really, I mean, cats can see in the dark and well, I can sheathe and unsheathe my tiny little claws.

Go me.

Honestly, the most interesting part of all though, to me at least, is the stat listed as 'Magic Power'. I definitely ain't in Kansas anymore.

Not that I ever was to begin, but semantics.

I blinked, banishing the status screen with a thought and sighed, curling around to lay in my box to think.

At least the box lid kept some of the rain out and off of me.

…I don't really know what to do here.

I'm kind of helpless right here and now. And I can already feel the pangs of hunger making my cute little kitty tummy rumble.

There's garbage cans I suppose, so I can rummage through them if I need to. But…nasty.

I shivered at the thought. I don't exactly have high requirements for food, I was pretty lazy when it came to preparing dinner and shit, but…I'm a modern person who also was not a hobo in life.

Not the best off or anything, but I'd never eaten from a god damn trash can before.

Maybe I could scrounge at peoples doors or windows for a bowl of milk or something?

Either way, I'll have to come up with a plan soon, before I starve to death and become to wea-

A loud keening screech made my ears ring suddenly, before it was cut off and a second later, a wet, squelchy splatter-like noise, almost reminiscent of a sodden cloth hitting the ground echoed from outside my box.

"Haha, you got it Timmy! What a cool toy!" the high pitched laughter of a child followed.

"Told you my pa gets me the best stuff!" another replied.

Curious, I peeked my head slightly above the box lid and peered out, just in time to see two kids, one with a slingshot in hand laughing together and walking away from the alleyway.

Leaving behind the bloodied, twitching form of a pigeon laying outside my soggy wet box of a home.

Huh.

Convenient.

"Prr…" the birds legs twitched back and forth as it tried to move, but to no avail, it was barely clinging to life from what I could see and it was just waiting to die.

Kids are such cruel little monsters. Poor, poor little bird.

Yet, as I stared at the dying pigeon, I felt suddenly ravenous, and there was an itch at the back of my head.

I licked my lips, and before I knew it, I was climbing out over the lid of the box, landing on my feet on the cold, wet alleyway pavement, claws already sliding out.

The pigeon saw me, and its twitching intensified, legs kicking back and forth with all the remaining strength the dying avian could muster.

To no avail, it was a sitting duck.

I stopped at its head and on instinct, brought my clawed paw to its face, and then with a sharp jerk, pushed one of my claws through its eyes, up into its brain.

It gave a gurgling warble, before falling limp.

As soon as I did, a rushing sensation rushed through me.

It felt…it felt good. Really good actually. Way better than good, I could feel my heart pounding in my tiny furry chest and a feeling of exhilaration run through me.

And in a way…I felt, stronger?

Like my tiny little furred legs had become firmer, more steady, stouter, yet at the same time, somehow I felt almost like I could spring around in ways I couldn't previously.

…It couldn't be….could it?

I focused on the blue tinge of light in the corner of my vision and called upon my status screen once more.

As it sprung up in my eyesight, my eyes went wide and I gaped.

Name: -   
Title: -   
Species: Kitten   
Level: 3/5   
Skills Claw: Attack, Night Vision   
Strength: 3   
Endurance: 3   
Durability: 3   
Agility: 6   
Magic Power: 3

…Just by finishing off this dying pigeon, I've jumped up two levels and my stats have more or less, tripled?

Holy crap!

This really is just like some game. I get experience from killing things? That…

That changed things.

Immensely.

'There was a few mice I saw earlier scuttling about, I should have went for them as well!' I cursed myself for my earlier foolishness.

There was still a problem of course, with my level cap. But, my eyes drifted to the listed species. Kitten I was listed as, not a cat, or specific type of cat at that.

Perhaps, once I reached level five, I'd be able to ascend upwards, and become a 'cat'.

The daze that plagued me earlier was gone, my mind ran a mile a minute and exhilaration urged my body onwards.

I eyed the dead pigeon on the ground before me, before my mouth opened almost involuntarily, and I sank my tiny fangs into its neck and began feasting.

Cats can eat birds and not get sick, right? God I hope so. It would be just my luck to end up with salmonella.

But, it can't be helped. First, I have to satiate myself, then, I can worry about levelling up and seeing what other options are available to this cute little reincarnated kitten.