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MHD Chapter 117: Meow Against the Swarm
🕑 Added 2025-08-13 04:45:22 +0000 UTC“What’s wrong, meow? Not feeling well? Want to rest a little longer, meow?” After brushing the sand off its paws, the squad leader turned to
“What’s wrong, meow? Not feeling well? Want to rest a little longer, meow?”
After brushing the sand off its paws, the squad leader turned toward the corner, speaking gently to a Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warrior whose face was clouded with worry.
Now that they had pinpointed the approximate location of the desert guardians, there was no need to rush. Their comrade’s condition came first.
After all, they had ventured deep into the Wildspire Waste—without being in good shape, danger could strike at any moment.
“It’s nothing, meow… it’s just… just… meow-woo-woo~”
As it spoke, the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warrior’s voice broke into a tone of grievance.
Seeing this, the others hurried over to comfort it, asking what had happened. But the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warrior stammered and dodged the question, refusing to say.
In the end, under relentless questioning and unable to avoid it any longer, the warrior reluctantly removed its armor.
Only then did the other cats notice that the area on its belly—where the black cat-paw pattern should have been—had mostly turned a dark red.
The striking change in fur color was like a once-polite, well-groomed young man suddenly covering his back with a colorful tattoo and dyeing his hair bright yellow.
Amid the crowd of otherwise normal-looking cats, it stood out so sharply.
“How… how did this happen, meow?”
“Yeah, what did you do to end up like this, meow?”
“I remember you were still chasing after a she-cat, meow. How are you supposed to court her like this, meow?”
The barrage of voices from its companions made the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warrior’s ears droop. It crouched down, clutching its head, and let out a pitiful whimper.
“I don’t even dare take off my armor in front of her, meow!”
It felt that if it didn’t find a way to fix the color of that fur marking, it might end up single for life, meow!
“Did you eat something you shouldn’t have, meow?”
“Or maybe you rubbed against something red, meow?”
“Or could it be some strange illness, meow?”
As that last suggestion fell into the air, the chatter died, and silence took over.
“Meow-woo-woo~~”
Alright, that poor cat outright began to cry quietly. What it feared most was that it had contracted some strange illness. In that case, being single for life would be the least of its worries—there was also the possibility of being forced to leave the tribe entirely.
Either it would return once cured… or it would die alone out there.
For the Grimalkyne, whose medical capabilities lagged far behind, if one developed an unusual, unknown illness, this was how things were always handled in the end—for the good of the tribe.
“It’s alright, meow. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think. Look, other than the change in your paw-print marking, you haven’t had any other symptoms, right, meow? So don’t worry too much. Once we get back, we’ll ask the Chief, or even request an audience with the Fire Wyvern boss, meow. He’ll definitely have a way, meow.”
Comforted by its companions, the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warrior sniffled, then nodded firmly at the thought of Logan.
That’s right—Boss Fire Wyvern would surely have a way, meow!
“Charge, meow!”
“Take down these nasty Vespoids, meow!”
Just as they finished consoling their comrade, shouting and the sounds of fighting from other Grimalkynes echoed from the distance.
The Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors exchanged a glance, quickly donned their armor, and dropped to all fours, sprinting toward the source of the noise.
Before long, cresting a sand dune, they saw seven Grimalkynes locked in combat with a swarm of Vespoids, each about 1.4 m in length.
Up ahead were four shield-bearing warriors, meowing provocations at the Vespoids to draw their attention, while in the rear three Grimalkynes armed with bone spears thrust repeatedly at the low-flying insects under the cover of their teammates.
Before long, working together in this way, the desert guardian tribe brought down nearly a dozen Vespoids—some skewered to death outright, others crashing to the ground after their fragile wings were broken.
Just as the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors thought the battle would soon be over—
A sudden buzz of rapidly vibrating wings cut through the air, so clear it could be heard even from their distant position.
At that sound, the faces of the desert guardians below changed in unison, a hint of retreat flashing in their eyes.
“Fall back, fall back, meow!”
“It’s too late, meow! Fight them head-on, meow!”
They wanted to withdraw, but the Vespoids had already cut off their escape.
From a fissure in the rocks emerged a female Vespoid, a full size larger than the others, with a crown-like chest plate, a more developed abdomen, a body length of 7 m, and three pairs of iridescent wings shimmering with rainbow hues.
A spray of corrosive hormonal toxin burst from the queen’s maw. The Vespoids it touched had their strength and ferocity instantly amplified, forcing the once-composed desert guardians into a fluster, sometimes unable even to raise their shields in time.
Seeing the desert guardians falling into disadvantage—and the queen still yet to attack—the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors didn’t hesitate for a moment and charged straight into the fray.
“Don’t be afraid—we’re here to help, meow!!”
A large boomerang flew out in an arc, slicing through the wing of a Vespoid that was about to ambush a desert guardian, then spinning back neatly into the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warrior’s paw.
Greatswords, long staves, and longswords lashed out at the Vespoids, and with the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors joining the fight, the tide turned instantly.
The weapons in their paws weren’t just roughly hewn bone tools, but finely crafted pieces forged by the Research Commission from mixed ores. In sharpness and striking power, they could easily pierce through a Vespoid’s defenses.
The Vespoid—one of the lowest-tier small monsters in the world’s ecosystem—was only slightly stronger than those harmless environmental creatures.
Even an ordinary human, armed with a sharp weapon, could take on several at once.
Just like wasps in Logan’s previous life, these creatures relied entirely on numbers and their unique paralyzing toxin to harm their enemies.
Their fragile bodies and unimpressive strength posed no real threat to the monsters of this world; even the scales of a Jagras, a small monster itself, could easily block their attacks.
But for creatures like Grimalkynes or humans, whose defenses could be breached, Vespoids still carried enough danger to be a serious threat.
Wave after wave of Vespoids fell under the cats’ attacks, until at last the Queen Vespoid began to lose her patience. Her colorful wings vibrated rapidly, emitting a series of low, rhythmic sound waves.
Before long, another massive swarm appeared, darkening the sky as they descended.
“Meow! So many mosquitoes, meow!”
“That’s a Vespoid, you idiot, meow! Everyone fall back, don’t stay out here, meow!” The squad leader of the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors sliced a Vespoid clean in half at the waist, barking orders as he led the cats toward the cave entrance.
The Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes had armor, making it hard for the Vespoids’ stingers to reach their bodies through deliberate defense.
But the Wasteland Protector Tribe Grimalkyne weren’t so fortunate—their fur alone couldn’t stop the Vespoid’ attacks. Surrounded by such numbers, they couldn’t properly defend themselves.
Thinking of their mission, the only choice was to escort the Wasteland Protectors into the cave first. Without that worry, the squad could fight at full strength.
Following the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne’s command, the Wasteland Protector cats didn’t hesitate. Shield-bearing cats covered their retreat, and in no time, the whole group had slipped into the cave.
With the Wasteland Protectors out of harm’s way, the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes’ pressure eased instantly. Coordinating with one another, they pushed straight toward the Vespoid Queen.
Though a queen among Vespoids—and an impressive 7 m in length—her low place in the food chain didn’t change. Her strength was only on par with a small monster.
Working in pairs, covering each other, the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes cut through the swarm’s defenses and closed in on the Queen.
Before they could strike, the Queen Vespoid abruptly turned tail and fled, clearly unwilling to fight in person.
“Don’t let her get away, meow! Her hive is right above our nest, meow!”
From the cave mouth, the Wasteland Protectors—who had been holding off the Vespoids with the terrain’s advantage—shouted loudly, then charged out without a thought for their own safety. Their actions made it clear that even if the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes didn’t intend to act, they themselves would pay any price to stop the Queen.
The Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes, ready to disengage, heard this and didn’t hesitate further—they moved to cut off the Queen’s escape.
Fortunately, while the Queen Vespoid could fly, she wasn’t particularly fast. A Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne drew his boomerang, took aim under his teammates’ cover, and locked onto her.
At that moment, a sudden warmth spread from the patterned mark on his belly, and his whole body grew uncomfortably hot.
“Meow!!”
With a powerful cry, the boomerang was hurled.
Sharp-eyed cats noticed that the weapon, which should have been a dull gray-white, had somehow taken on a crimson hue. As it spun through the air, flames suddenly ignited along its edges.
Carrying searing heat, it struck the Queen Vespoid completely off guard—cleanly slicing through one of her wings, then raking across her back. Sparks flared, and she crashed to the ground in agony.
“Meow-meow-meow?”
The Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warrior who had thrown it froze in shock. What in the world was that?
Especially when he saw the flaming boomerang turning back toward him—he let out a startled yowl and dove to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding being struck by his own weapon.
On its return, the boomerang sliced through a Vespoid in its path as effortlessly as cutting a cake, then buried itself in a mound of sand. A faint wisp of blue smoke rose, and the orange-red flames flickered out.
