Soft paw pads landed silently on the grass. Jiang Zhiying pressed herself against the corner of the wall, body slightly hunched, fluffy fur bristling, round cat eyes narrowed into vertical slits as she warily surveyed her surroundings.
She had landed in the villa's courtyard. Under the effects of Evolution, the grass had grown wildly, towering above her head. Her pointed ears twitched—no unusual sounds detected. Jiang Zhiying struggled to push through the thick grass, making her way outward.
She couldn't see anything at all. She walked cautiously, grumbling inwardly.
"Hiss." Suddenly she stopped short, a pained expression crossing her face. She lifted her paw—a bloody gash had appeared on her pink paw pad. She lowered her head to examine the grass more closely. The edges of the green leaves were lined with sharp serrations, now stained with traces of blood. She nudged the serrated edge with her paw—hard and razor-sharp.
Under the effects of Evolution, the once-harmless grass had gradually become a dangerous weapon. In the Post-apocalyptic World, danger lurked everywhere. Jiang Zhiying tiptoed forward slowly, carefully making sure she didn't step on any more serrated blades.
Rustle—rustle—
After walking for a while, the sound of swaying grass surrounded her. Her mental alarm shot to maximum. Jiang Zhiying halted, glancing around cautiously.
Through the layers of grass, a pair of bright red eyes stared at her, filled with unmistakable hunger.
Whoosh—a blur shot toward her at an inconceivable speed. The threat of death loomed over her. Jiang Zhiying let out a sharp meow, puffing up into a furball. She arched her body, her four legs springing like coiled springs, and launched herself into the air. The strange creature's claws grazed past her neck, scraping her skin and tearing away a patch of fur.
Panting heavily, her heart pounding violently, the wound on her neck throbbing with pain, Jiang Zhiying stared in terror at the bizarre creature not far away. If she hadn't reacted quickly, she would have been killed.
She had only come out to find some medicine—she never expected to run into danger this fast. The fluffy fur on her back stood on end, her white whiskers twitched upward, and her tender paw pads, freshly cut by the sharp grass blades, burned with pain. The pampered cat that she was, a layer of moisture welled up in her round feline eyes.
Wuwu, it hurts so much!
There was no time to check her injuries. She warily studied the strange creature nearby and realized it was a rat—roughly her own size. Its black skin had a faint metallic sheen, two enormous teeth jutted out from its mouth, with translucent drool dripping from the tips. Short forelimbs bore sharp claws tinged with a hint of green.
Its crimson gaze fixed on Jiang Zhiying with predatory hunger—this Mutant Rat had made her its prey. Jiang Zhiying eyed the Mutant Rat warily and activated her Appraisal skill.
[Mutant Rat LV.1]
[Skills: Claw Strike LV.1; Rat Venom LV.1; Basic Defense LV.1]
She quickly scanned the Mutant Rat's information and breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least they were both level one creatures. She should have a fighting chance, right? She probably didn't need to call the spider back.
Even if she couldn't win, escaping shouldn't be a problem.
While she was thinking, the Mutant Rat launched its attack in agitation. It had no intelligence—it was simply drawn by the scent of delicious blood. Its beastly instincts told it that eating this cat would benefit it.
The Mutant Rat charged ferociously. Jiang Zhiying let out a meow, raised her claws, and bravely met its attack, finding an opening to viciously swipe at it.
Screech—
It was like scratching against a sheet of iron, producing an awful sound. Her claws ached from the impact. She glanced at the Mutant Rat out of the corner of her eye—several white scratches stood out starkly against its pitch-black skin.
Its defense was that strong?
One moment she'd been full of ambition; the next, Jiang Zhiying was sprinting away at full speed.
Are you kidding? She couldn't even break through the Mutant Rat's skin with her claws—how was she supposed to fight it? She had to create distance first, then counterattack slowly.
Her plump body darted nimbly through the grass, the rat hot on her heels. Before long, several fresh wounds appeared on her tail. She let out a pained hiss, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes. She didn't dare slow down, running with all her might, mouth open, panting heavily. After a moment, the scratched wounds went from sharp pain to numbness, and at the same time, Jiang Zhiying felt her body growing slightly heavier.
Her heart sank. She knew the Rat Venom was beginning to take effect. After fleeing for a while, she was cornered against a wall with nowhere to go. Staring at the approaching Mutant Rat, Jiang Zhiying's heart pounded with dread. She sniffled, blinked hard, and forced the tears back.
Her gaze slowly sharpened. She knew this was just the first small trial after transmigrating into this book—more dangers would follow. So she had to defeat this Mutant Rat and survive!
"Meow!" With a fierce cry, Jiang Zhiying lunged forward and clashed violently with the Mutant Rat.
"Meow meow meow."
"Squeak squeak squeak squeak."
Stealth! Cat Paw Strike!
The grass flew in a chaotic mess as Jiang Zhiying used her only two skills, tearing and biting at the mutant rat's flesh with her claws and teeth. Once wasn't enough, so she went for a second time. The mutant rat fought back just as fiercely, biting into her flesh in return. Fortunately, the passive skill Body Enhancement made it difficult for the mutant rat to seriously wound her—it could only break the surface of her skin.
Ten minutes later, on the trampled, flattened grass, a battered and bruised Jiang Zhiying panted heavily as she faced off against the mutant rat. Her once-smooth fur was now a tangled mess from the bites, and a massive wound ran across her back. Drops of blood clung to her fur, matting it into clumps.
Jiang Zhiying's body felt numb, her limbs weak and limp as if she were stepping on cotton. She widened her eyes and shook her head forcefully, fighting off the invasion of the rat's venom. She absolutely could not fall—victory was right in front of her.
The mutant rat had a huge wound on its neck, blood gushing continuously from the hole, dripping drop by drop onto the grass. Its crimson eyes were slightly dazed, and it was now held up purely by its powerful vitality.
Her large cat eyes narrowed into slits, her gaze fierce and murderous as she bared her teeth. Jiang Zhiying glared viciously at the mutant rat. This was the final gamble—go all out!
Stealth!
Her presence completely concealed, taking advantage of the mutant rat's weakened state, she silently leaped onto its back. Claws and mouth working together, she bit down hard on the wound at its neck and refused to let go.
"Squeak—!" The mutant rat let out a shrill, miserable cry, shaking its body wildly in an attempt to throw Jiang Zhiying off its back. Her vision went black from the shaking, but she held a stubborn grit in her heart, clinging tightly to the rat's back as her sharp teeth sank deep into its flesh.
Her mouth filled with the rank, bloody fluid, which flowed down her throat and into her stomach, making her feel waves of nausea.
The mutant rat's struggles grew weaker and weaker, its crimson eyes gradually losing their vitality. It swayed once, then collapsed to the ground. Jiang Zhiying stayed pressed against the mutant rat, not daring to let go, afraid the rat was playing dead.
After a long while, she slowly released her bite, rolled off the rat, and lay on her back on the grass. Her front paws curled against her chest, her mouth slightly open, her gaze vacant.
She had actually killed that mutant rat!
After resting for a moment, she flipped over and got up, circling around the rat. Her eyes were filled with the joy of surviving a brush with death—just a little more, and that rat would have turned the tables on her, making her the most tragic person to ever transmigrate into a book.
A mechanical system voice sounded in her ear, and at the same time, several large words appeared before her eyes.
[Skills Cat Paw Strike, Stealth, Body Enhancement upgraded to Level LV.2]
[New skills acquired: Poison Resistance LV.1, Health Regeneration LV.1]
She had actually leveled up! Her cat eyes widened, and Jiang Zhiying jumped up in joy, only to pull at her wounds. She yelped in pain and tumbled back to where she was, hugging her battered paws and whimpering.
"Wuwuwu, it hurts so much." Lying pitifully on the ground, she slowly began to lick her wounds.