My thoughts were all over the place, but I lowered my head and shook them off, proceeding to drink the water. Though it proved much harder than I initially thought, considering I couldn’t just slurp it up with my lips. I had to lick like a cat!
Each lick sent a ripple across the surface, distorting my reflection before I sat back on my haunches and stared into the murky water again, tilting my head.
[Everything is so confusing.]
I grumbled, or well, wled to myself. The sound ca out far less intimidating than I’d hoped.
I raised a paw and batted at the water, as if that would sohow erase my image, but there was no such luck.
"Aaaaggh! I can’t just accept this! There has to be another way to choose sothing else!"
I sighed, dropping my ears as my tail swayed behind in irritation.
Did the voice from my dream do this to ? Was my resurrection as a cat supposed to an sothing—so grand destiny I never asked for? Or was this just bad RNG?
I lowered my head to drink again, trying to shove the thoughts aside. Thinking about the dream and the voice made worry, but one problem at a ti, I told myself.
Drink, eat, and survive. Then figure out my purpose for being sent into this world.
But amidst my thoughts, a rustle in the bushes nearby made my ears perk up. Instinct took over before I even thought about it; my body tensed and my fur bristled as I crouched low.
My sharp hearing caught the sound of sothing moving, or rather jumping? I could sll it too—a bit musky.
[Crap, what the heck is that thing coming my way?!]
A mont later, a fat brown frog hopped out from the undergrowth with round eyes staring at as it made its way toward the water I drunk out of.
My stomach gave an embarrassingly loud growl as I blinked down at the frog before it blinked up at .
"...Don’t look at like that." I owed, but out of nowhere, instinct shoved all rational thought aside, and before I even realized what I was doing, I pounced.
There was a loud splash, and a startled croak, and the next thing I knew, I was crouched over the poor creature, pinning it to the muddy bank with my paws.
I hesitated, suddenly aware of what I was about to do. The frog stared at in silent horror, despite its expressionless face.
[Ugh... I can’t believe this.] I muttered, backing off and letting it scramble away into the tall grass. [I can’t do it... no way in hell! I’d rather starve.]
I sat there sulking and lashing my tails behind .
"...Yeah, run off and tell your friends about the weird cat who can’t even kill a frog!" I owed bitterly.
I was still debating whether I should try hunting a bug instead when the tall grass began to rustle again.
Rustle—Rustle—Splash... Plop!
"...Huh?"
Then there was another splash, and another, and another?!
One by one, more frogs hopped out of the undergrowth. Not just one or two either, it was at least a dozen fat brown bodies plopping onto the muddy bank and lining up like so kind of amphibious street gang.
"...You have got to be kidding !" I owed.
The first frog I’d let go of hopped forward to the front of the group, puffed out its throat, and let out a sharp, loud croak.
The others answered back in unison with their throats ballooning like little drums.
[Oh no... don’t tell that’s their war cry!]
I instinctively lowered myself closer to the ground, extending my claws nervously.
Then, as if on cue, the frogs hopped forward as a group—synchronized and weirdly nacing.
"Wait! I let your buddy go! I didn’t even eat him!" I tried to reason, but all that ca out was a frantic, high-pitched ow.
The lead frog leapt first, but I barely dodged with my small body rolling sideways as the muddy splash hit my fur. The thing had jumped like a spring-loaded cannonball, aiming right at my face.
Before I could regain my footing, two more launched at from the side.
I twisted on instinct, soaring my claws through the air to tag it, but one frog was fast enough to veer away mid-leap, though the other caught a slash to its soft belly and went tumbling back into the water with a loud splash.
[Holy crap... that actually worked!]
I didn’t have ti to celebrate. The whole squishy squad croaked angrily at before hopping toward in waves.
My tiny feline body was filled with adrenaline as the second wave ca at —four frogs at once. I leapt backward, narrowly avoiding a snap from one’s mouth, and slashed at another that got too close.
My claws left shallow marks along its slimy belly before it flopped away, dazed.
The third one tried to latch onto my foreleg but I yanked it free and kicked the frog aside, earning a surprised croak as it went tumbling down.
The fourth landed on my back.
"ACK—GET OFF!" I shrieked, spinning and rolling in the mud until the stubborn amphibian was flung into the grass.
Now all the frogs backed off, croaking at from the water’s edge. I crouched low, panting with my whiskers twitching, and feeling my uncomfortable wet fur.
[Ugh... I see why cats hate water now, wet fur feels like walking around in wet clothes!]
Preparing for their next attacks, they suddenly changed their tactics. One of the frogs leapt high into the air, above the tall grass as it temporarily blocked out the sun from my point of view.
"What the?"
What ca next shocked to my freaking core. It opened its mouth and shot a spitball of green water at .
"Huhh?!"
I instinctively dodged to the side, but when the spitball splashed to the ground, most of its droplets collided with my fur.
"Ew, gross!" I yowled, shaking myself like a wet dog. The droplets clung to my fur like oil that made my skin crawl.
Then the sll hit ; it was acrid, almost tallic. My nose wrinkled, and I started connecting the dots with my small feline brain.
[Wait a second... this isn’t just gross water.]
Almost instantly, a stinging sensation spread where the liquid had touched my fur—it was a prickling heat that turned into a sharp, throbbing ache.
[Oh crap. Oh crap! That’s poison!]
I staggered sideways with my claws digging into the ground for balance as the frogs croaked in unison like so sinister war chant.
The one that had spat at landed with a wet plop, glaring with those beady, soulless eyes.
"Y-you little jerks!" I hissed with my fur bristling, despite the wet patches that clung to . "You spit poison?! What kind of frogs are you?!"
Another one leapt forward with its mouth bulging before it spewed another arc of the sa green liquid.
I jumped sideways again, but a few more droplets splattered across my back paw. The burning sensation imdiately went up, making wince.
[D-Damn it! First I get reincarnated as a cat. Now I’m about to die from frog spit. What kind of Isekai joke is this?!]
The frogs croaked louder this ti as their throats started glowing with an eerie greenish light as they prepared for another volley.
[Oh no you don’t!]
Fueled by sheer survival instinct, I lowered myself closer to the ground and sprang at the closest frog before it could fire.
"Take this! Phantom Claw!"
My claws flashed in the sunlight and slashed across its body, completely ignoring its tough skin. The frog let out a strangled croak and tumbled backward into the stream, dead.
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in shock.
"D-did I just... kill it?" I whispered to myself, staring at my own paw.
The frog’s limp body floated down the murky waters, leaving ripples as the greenish glow in its throat fizzled out.
[Phantom Claw... I just thought of the na, and it worked. Is it that easy to use skills?]
There was no ti to gawk; the other frogs croaked in alarm as they took a step back, but most of them puffed up in fury and sprang forward to avenge their fallen comrade.
[Guess they’re not gonna back down. Fine then... bring it!]
I dropped low once more with my tail lashing behind like a black whip. The ache from the poison in my paw was acting up again, but the rush of adrenaline dulled it just enough for to stay focused.
The next frog lunged at with its jaws snapping shut right where my ear had been a second earlier. But cats had the reaction speed of 20 milliseconds, thus, I twisted mid-leap, slashing across its back with another Phantom Claw.
The cut left a glowing slash mark across its slimy hide before it let out a weak croak and collapsed.
A second frog imdiately tried to latch onto my leg. I kicked out, raking my claw against its face as it tumbled backward into the mud, but all of a sudden, two more ca from the sides, launching in perfect unison.
[J-Just how many are there? And are they coordinating?! Frogs aren’t supposed to be this smart, bro!]
I ducked under the higher one, feeling the wind from its leap brush my fur, then spun and t the lower frog head-on.
My claws cut right across its soft belly and sent it flopping into the grass. Another glob of green spit ca flying toward from the tall grass, but I sprang aside just in ti as a few sizzling drops grazed my tail.
Almost imdiately I felt the burning sensation spread up its length like fire.
[Haaah... this poison’s no joke. If I keep getting hit, I’m done for.]
[[Prolonged Exposure to Frog toxin. Poison Resistance (LV: 1) Gained.]]
"Eh?"
There was that voice again—wait a second—poison resistance?
[M-My body doesn’t hurt anymore! It’s like the poison isn’t affecting all of a sudden... am I immune?"]
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