I Became a Mountain Tiger in a Fantasy World

< Chapter 5: Special Growth >

Growth.

Just hearing the word made my heart race.

Bboing.

I looked at my short, stubby forepaws. They had plumped up nicely after a few days of good eating. At one point, I even dreamed of an S-class cat’s life by looking at these paws.

‘……’

Now, would I have to say goodbye to this cuteness if I grew up? I wasn’t really… disappointed.

Cuteness? What a joke!

I’m a fierce tiger, one that mole dared to ignore. In the wild, such a small and insignificant appearance is useless!

‘……Wait a minute.’

Then, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

‘Why wasn’t that Barbaric Beak wary of me?’

Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen anything that was scared or running away at the sight of me. Could it be that the reason Barbaric Beak acknowledged me wasn’t just because I helped?

‘…Could it be that he didn’t see me as a threat?’

Brrr.

Ah, goosebumps. The fur on my entire body stood on end. After glancing around, I made up my mind and started climbing a tree.

‘I need to check!’

Swoosh!

‘Oh, what is this?’

I hadn’t climbed a tree before because I was worried about attracting attention. But once I started, I found that I could climb without any hesitation.

Then I remembered that felines were naturally good climbers. Leopards climb trees for safety, and tigers do too, but they are said to be disadvantaged by their weight.

I saw this on YouTube back then and thought it made sense. But now, having experienced it firsthand, I can say:

‘Am I on monkey level?’

With my abnormally strong muscles and light weight combined, there was no place I couldn’t climb.

「[Tree Climbing Lv.1] has been acquired!」

Correction.

I was not only the ruler of the ground but also the king of both the ground and the jungle. Any creature that messed with me from now on would get an ambush kitty punch from the trees!

I was definitely a clever Master Tiger.

「Using Leg Strengthening Lv.1!」

Swoosh!

And although it sounded like a joke, there seemed to be some truth to my thought. The reason I was climbing the tree was to confirm that suspicion.

Swoosh!

In no time, I reached the top of the tree. For the first time, I looked down at the jungle where I lived from a high place.

The grandeur of nature was beyond words, but what I really wanted to confirm was something else.

‘Nothing.’

The monsters here boasted large sizes and tough hides, but strangely, there were no creatures that looked like ‘dinosaurs.’

The reason for this was easy to discern.

【Brachiosaurus Bones】

The large beast’s bones were visible even from afar.

As I stared at the skulls left behind like an elephant graveyard, I realized who the owners of these graves were.

‘Brachiosaurus??’

No way, is that really a dinosaur bone?

Fossils that could make a fortune if taken back to Earth were carelessly abandoned here.

Through the fossils, I could figure out what happened to the big creatures.

The dinosaurs here didn’t go extinct due to climate changes or meteor impacts; they simply fell out of the competition.

‘Bulking up isn’t always the best.’

The animals here were not only strong but also smarter than I expected.

Why did I want to be a cat in the first place?

Because I wanted to seem less threatening.

I was tired of the cutthroat competition in society and wanted a cushy, pampered life.

But how are things here now?

Damn it. The monsters here are worse than modern humans.

These bastards don’t just metaphorically tear apart tigers with words; they literally tear you apart.

I don’t even hope for pampering anymore. Just avoiding ambushes would be enough.

Having a large, intimidating appearance wasn’t always an advantage.

Realizing this before growing up made me a lucky tiger.

‘Growth’ provided by the status window couldn’t be typical!

「Discovered a clue for new evolution. Acquired Karma.」

What?

This gave me real goosebumps.

What’s this? Scary. I must be a genius tiger.

Whap!

Using my enhanced leg strength and sensitivity, I quickly descended from the tree and caught another rabbit on the way down, lost in thought.

‘If I evolve here, I’ll definitely get attacked.’

Yelling, “Tiger Evolution!” and starting to evolve would always result in attacks, but these sly creatures wouldn’t wait for that.

‘I can’t use my lair either……’

The top-notch hideout where I hatched felt like a beginner’s safe zone.

If I outgrew the Pomeranian size, I wouldn’t be able to use it.

If I evolved there, I might get stuck and starve to death.

‘So, that’s the only way?’

But don’t worry.

This tiger has a plan.

* * *

I, who dreamed of becoming a web novel author, was fond of fantasy novels since I was a child.

The dragons in those stories always created a ‘guardian’ before entering hibernation to ensure their safety.

Exactly.

The safest haven for growth was a place guarded by a minion… no, an ally!

I went to find the friend with whom I had formed an alliance a few days ago by sharing precious meat.

He lived in a house built on a mountain peak that rose like a steep cliff.

Without a skill like [Tree Climbing], even I wouldn’t have been able to reach it.

“Keeeee-ack!”

As I climbed the cliff with difficulty, he appeared from the sky with a sharp, high-pitched cry characteristic of birds of prey.

From his somewhat surprised eyes, it seemed he hadn’t expected me to make it to the top of the cliff.

「‘Savage Beak’ nods at your perseverance.」

Good, affinity increased!

I waved my front paw in greeting.

“Grr!”

【Swift Savage Beak Lv.11】

What? Since I devoured the meat of the Razor Owl, Savage Beak had already surpassed level 10.

Indeed, a named beast is extraordinary!

I wanted to grow quickly and become a named beast too.

So, how about giving me some help…?

“Keee-rook!”

It seemed he wasn’t keen on the idea.

At first, Big Brother Savage Beak welcomed me warmly, but as I showed no intention of leaving his territory, he began to show obvious signs of annoyance.

「‘Savage Beak’ looks at you with irritation.」

What a guy with no sense of loyalty!

The house looked spacious, yet he wouldn’t even spare a room for a friend.

“Grr!”

“Kee-rook?”

But I didn’t approach him empty-handed either.

In fact, the closer the relationship, the better you should treat them.

I decided to show him something remarkable that a mere beast wouldn’t possess.

“Grr grr!”

He watched with interest as I gathered fallen branches from around.

He probably thought I was building a nest, but that wasn’t it at all.

Roll.

I wandered around the corner of the cliff, collecting small pebbles.

Testing them with my claws, I placed those that passed the test on the pile of branches. Then, signaling to Big Brother Savage Beak so he wouldn’t be alarmed, I struck with a cat punch.

Whirr!

A spark flew from the pebbles rubbing against my claws, igniting the branches instantly.

“Grrrr!”

I diligently blew on the flames with my mouth, stoking the fire.

Seeing me light a campfire in his yard, Big Brother Beak flapped his wings and expressed his displeasure.

“Keeeeee-ack!”

「‘Savage Beak’ is wary of you!」

Oh no, I couldn’t afford to lose affinity.

Before Big Brother Beak’s patience ran out, I quickly pulled out the prepared item.

Plop.

It was, none other than, ‘Rabbit Skewer!’

Carefully processing the branches and skewering the skinned rabbit was no easy task.

When I made five, two had already ended up in my mouth, making it even more so.

Slurp.

I salivated as I tossed the ‘Rabbit Skewers’ into the campfire.

In an instant, the aroma of cooking meat filled the air, turning Brother Beak’s front yard into a cozy camping ground.

“Kee-reuk?!”

Brother Beak widened his eyes, staring at me in amazement at the insane fragrance tickling his nose. Who would have guessed that skinning and roasting would produce such a smell?

I handed him a nicely roasted ‘Rabbit Skewer.’

“Kee-reuk!”

「‘Savage Beak’ is wary of you!」

Hmm, as expected.

In that case…

“Chomp, chomp!”

I demonstrated eating the ‘Rabbit Skewer’ first. Honestly, it was my first time eating it too…

“Grrr?!”

Suddenly, Brother Beak and I locked eyes.

“……”

“……!!”

In a flash, his beak and my tiger paw shot out, scrambling to snatch the rabbit skewer.

Ah!

Is this what meat tastes like at a campsite?!

Unbelievable. This is insane!

The freshly grilled tender texture filled my mouth with juice. I had forgotten, but now I understood why humans cooked everything. Hygiene aside, the taste was on a completely different level compared to raw meat.

“Keeeeeeee!”

Brother Beak, seemingly moved, chirped loudly and soared into the sky. A moment later,

Thud.

Brother Beak dropped a rabbit he had caught himself in front of me.

“Kee-reuk!”

「‘Savage Beak’ urges you!」

“Grrr!”

That day, we had a ‘Rabbit Skewer’ party.

「‘Savage Beak’ acknowledges your presence.」

「He will no longer be hostile toward you.」

「Friendship beyond species! Karma acquired.」

Ah! That’s it!

I grinned in satisfaction.

Recruited a Grade 1 Guardian.

* * *

“Grrr!”

“Kee-reuk?”

“Grrr, grr!”

“Kee-reuk!”

That night, I set up a hideout in a spot where Brother Beak could easily see it. Just in case, I pointed to the hideout and mimicked sleeping, but Brother Beak patted his chest as if to assure me not to worry.

Do Named ones get smarter?

I liked Brother Beak’s bold personality.

‘Well, shall we start evolving?’

Whew. A tense moment.

I found a place near the mountain peak, nestled in the crevices of rocks, and camouflaged myself with branches. Blinking from my cover, I saw Brother Beak watching me with a satisfied expression.

It seemed protecting someone suited him quite well.

“Grrr…”

I felt at ease seeing the majestic figure of Brother Beak and slowly closed my eyes.

As drowsiness took over, a message appeared in the darkness before my eyes.

「Verifying the potential within your body.」

1. 【Agile Siberian Tiger Cub】
2. 【Sturdy Siberian Tiger Cub】
3. 【Siberian Tiger】

Oh, options popped up.

Choices 1 and 2 would strengthen the ‘weak’ tag attached to me, and choice 3 was a safe option.

I thought of Brother Beak. Didn’t he also have the prefix ‘Swift’?

In that case, instead of choosing to evolve immediately, selecting a strong trait was a more forward-thinking decision.

‘But it’s a bit disappointing, isn’t it?’

I wanted to be a Named like Brother Beak! Was it too much to expect, given that I was only at level 5?

But who was I?

「Trait: [Potential] provides new options through karma.」

I am the infinitely potential-packed, super tiger!

Cheering internally, I examined the new options.

「Head Position」
「Hint for New Evolution」
「Friendship Beyond Species」

The achievements lit up brightly and transformed into new messages.

1. 【Fire Siberian Tiger Cub】

‘What?!’

I was shocked as soon as I saw the first option. Below it, attributes like ice, wind, earth, and lightning were listed, each seeming extraordinary.

Hurray! This was why I went through all that hardship!

Climbing trees and forging an alliance with Brother Beak had been the best choices ever.

Humming cheerfully, I enjoyed my moment of decision. Choosing specifications for a computer or selecting runes and traits for a game character was always the most fun part.

And this choice was directly linked to my future, making it even more crucial.

‘Let’s check the skills first.’

【Fire Siberian Tiger Cub】
– Traits: [Fire], [Skill]
– Skills: [Blazing Slash], [Flame Dash]

Wow, the traits were impressive from the start. The only downside was that I couldn’t preview what [Skill] meant or the exact forms of the skills.

I imagined wrapping my claws in blazing flames and delivering a powerful smash. Honestly, even that didn’t sound bad. Plus, being able to start a barbecue party anywhere was quite appealing.

‘Oh, Thunder Blow? Maybe I could use Thunder Storm later?’

While happily considering my options, I noticed a peculiar choice.

10. 【Tigrasis Cub】

What was this?

The word “Tigrasis” seemed unfamiliar. It appeared to be a compound word combining “Tiger” with a term from this world…

– Traits: [Special], [Instant Transformation]
– Skills: [Miniaturization], [Magnification]

Seeing the traits and skills, I couldn’t help but exclaim aloud.

[Miniaturization], [Magnification]?

If I could use Magnification immediately, I’d have no reason to regret my physicality as a ‘cub’ anymore.

Moreover, roaming around in a miniaturized state would solve any size issues.

This meant I wouldn’t become a target by being too big like a Brachiosaurus, nor would I die of starvation due to poor fuel efficiency.

Furthermore,

[Special]

I thought of the strong individuals I’d seen so far.

In fact, there was only Brother Beak.

He didn’t have the prefix ‘Special.’

And, more importantly, the word ‘cub’ was different from the others.

Everything else was written as tiger, so why was this one ‘cub’?

Could it be… a Named?

‘Kiya-ho!’

Further contemplation was pointless.

「You have chosen 【Tigrasis Cub】.」

「You have confirmed the potential for exceptional growth.」

.

.

.

The text glowed, creating an ominous atmosphere.

And I realized that my choice was correct.

I did not just grow.

Rather,

「You are evolving into a ‘Tigrasis Cub’.」

I evolved beyond that possibility!!

Mirthin.

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Tiger-mon, evolve!!!