As a venomous snake, I evolved into a god through devouring.

But as it turns out, plans never keep up with changes.

Three days later, at dawn.

"ha!!!"

Kasper did not go out on patrol as usual, nor did he take Simba to the goblin cave for a buffet.

At this moment, he stood up and breathed wildly into the bushes that were more than 20 feet away.

Kasper wasn't just idly cosplaying as a silly cat; the presence lurking nearby forced him to be on high alert.

Through the gaps in the interlacing bushes, Kasperah's target was revealed.

That was a leopard.

The smooth muscles undulated gently like waves beneath the colorful fur, every line containing explosive power and elegant killing aesthetics.

A pair of amber eyes stared intently at the menacing snake opposite him. He took two steps forward, then two steps back.

This process was repeated to test the waters.

Casper, facing off against him, showed no weakness, revealing his white fangs, ready to spray venom at any moment, while his mind raced.

Based on his judgment, this leopard was in its prime and could be considered one of the top predators in the forest, an opponent that he could not defeat in a direct confrontation.

The best outcome would be to use its venomous fangs to perish together with the enemy.

If he could, Caspar would love to find a cave to crawl into right now and save himself.

However, behind them was the cave where Simba was hiding.

"Damn it."

Kasper cursed inwardly.

He had anticipated the presence of apex predators in the vicinity, but he never expected them to approach his dwelling so quickly.

It wasn't Kasper who attracted the leopard, but Simba.

For a leopard, a wolf cub separated from its pack is nothing more than a walking piece of fat meat.

A single, effortless lunge can crush the opponent's skull, chew it up, and swallow it whole.

Kasper cannot back down now; if he shows even the slightest sign of cowardice, the leopard will pounce.

The other party must realize that the effort and reward are not equal, and voluntarily give up the hunt.

But the other party clearly still has the patience to wear him down.

The leopard's rough and thick paw pads made its movements almost silent; it lingered and wandered around the vicinity like a ghost, unwilling to leave.

It was trying to find the snake's blind spot.

Constantly changing direction can effectively deplete the opponent's stamina.

In the leopard's experience, venomous snakes are not very energetic, and if they remain in a stalemate for a few minutes, their reactions will slow down.

Then it can try to knock the other person unconscious or kill them with its claws.

Even if it cannot kill the snake, a venomous snake that realizes it is no match for the opponent will often retreat immediately, at which point it can enjoy its breakfast.

A plump wolf cub.

To the leopard's surprise, the bright yellow venomous snake had remained highly alert and energetic from the beginning, showing no signs of fatigue.

Not only that, but it also made several attempts to attack them proactively.

This is not good.

The leopard refused to leave the bushes, fearing that the other party would spray venom into its eyes and blind it.

Even if it can kill a venomous snake, it is very likely that the snake will seize the opportunity to inject venom.

The risk is too great.

The leopard stopped, staring at the not-too-large venomous snake opposite it, a hint of human-like resentment in its eyes, before finally turning away and leaving.

Kasper didn't immediately relax after watching the leopard disappear from sight. He stayed where he was, looking at the bushes for a while, and only after confirming that the leopard had really given up the attack did he breathe a sigh of relief and turn back into the cave.

Simba, who had been waiting for a long time, strode over with his short legs.

Unlike his usual enthusiasm, this time Grey Dumpling didn't try to rub against her.

It crouched on the ground next to Casper, lowered its head, and looked up at him with its beady eyes, looking timid as if it had done something wrong, and made a whimpering sound.

"I am deeply sorry for the trouble I have caused, my Lord."

The seemingly meaningless sobs fell into Kasper's ears and were automatically translated into words.

This was also the first time Casper had heard the other person speak in a clear and logical sentence. Although it was a little hesitant, it was enough to prove that the little guy's intelligence was growing rapidly and that he had considerable potential.

"Looks like you're not completely stupid."

Kasper concealed his joy and maintained his composure.

"Remember everything that has happened today, and repay your master with even more food and drink in the future."

"Yes."

After giving the wolf cubs a lecture, Casper went outside the cave again.

The sunlight gradually intensified, but Kasper lacked his usual leisurely sunbathing mood.

"This incident is not over yet."

Kasper knew that the leopard's retreat was only temporary.

Knowing there's food here, that guy will inevitably come and loiter around from time to time, looking for times when Casper isn't around.

Once it gets the chance, it will rush in without hesitation and devour Simba.

"Don't even think about it!"

Kasper gritted his teeth.

"You're going to eat my Pokémon that's about to hatch? Who's going to provide for its nutrition afterward?"

But you can't guard against thieves forever. He can't stay at the cave entrance forever. There will always be times when he goes out to hunt for food and can't take care of Simba the wolf cub.

Kasper now has two paths before him.

First, we should temporarily avoid direct confrontation.

Abandon the remaining food in the goblin cave and the current stable living environment, take Simba to settle elsewhere, and return here when the latter grows up.

But Kasper was unwilling to do so.

The goblin corpses in the cave had already provided him with a considerable number of evolution points, and he still had many left.

Even after removing the portions used to feed Simba the wolf cubs, it would still be enough for him to level up again.

If it gives up this opportunity, it will have to go to unfamiliar areas to rebuild its presence and adapt to the environment, a process that could delay the registration process by several weeks or even a month.

By then, winter will likely have already arrived.

A desperate gamble or a slow death?

Kasper already had the answer in his heart.

"I happen to have some evolution points left over from this period, let's go all in!"

Kasper opened the system page.

[System, give me some points.]

[Currently available evolution points: 50. Please select the part to enhance.]

[Fangs, venom glands, scales.]

Please allocate the evolution points proportionally.

【3:5:3】

Kasper answered immediately.

Adult leopards weigh between 70 and 100 kg. Kaspar's venom is potent enough, but a single injection dose is still not enough to take down an opponent.

After the venom glands are strengthened, they can secrete more venom; after the fangs are strengthened, their penetrating power is increased; and the scales are strengthened to prevent the opponent from noticing them, so that the claws can take them down in one go.