Chapter 1: The Melo Cat Tribe
The desert sun blazed like molten fire, spilling waves of heat that rippled across endless dunes. The golden sea of sand shimmered, its curves twisting in the air like ghosts born of mirage and flame.
Nestled within a weathered cliffside cave, a circle of red-pawed tents stood quietly around a crackling campfire. The faint scent of smoke mixed with the dry, metallic tang of desert wind.
A few black-furred Melu Cats, each standing upright on their hind legs like miniature warriors, were gathered beside a four wheeled wooden flatbed cart. Their tails flicked restlessly as they inspected its wheels and axles.
In the shadow of the cave wall, Li Ming lay sprawled on a straw mat, his legs crossed lazily. His bear-patterned pajamas looked ridiculous in this primitive world soft blue fabric amid sand, stone, and claws.
A month ago, he had transmigrated into the Monster Hunter world.
A world he once knew only through a game screen where mighty Hunters slew colossal beasts for glory, riches, and survival.
When he first arrived, he thought fate had handed him an adventure. He would rise, hunt, and carve his name into legend.
Reality, however, had other plans.
After just one day of choking heat, freezing nights, and the shrieks of monsters in the dark, his heroic dream shattered. His only remaining ambition became painfully simple to live until tomorrow.
Three desperate days later, starving and sunburned, he collapsed in the sands. That was when the Melu Cat Tribe found him.
Unlike the friendly Felynes known for aiding human Hunters, the Melu Cats were infamous their black fur and sticky paws had earned them the title of "thieving shadows." Yet compared to dying alone in the wasteland, their camp was paradise.
To Li Ming's surprise, these feline outlaws were far kinder than stories suggested. In exchange for food, he helped patch tents, pushed stuck carts, and occasionally waved a stick to scare off wandering Velociprey.
It wasn't glorious work, but it kept him alive.
Unfortunately, "food" in the Melu Cat Tribe meant two fist-sized meatballs barely enough to feed a kitten, let alone a full-grown human. His stomach growled louder with each passing day. Survival, he realized, was less about courage and more about calories.
Pop~ Pop~
Soft paw pads pressed into the sand, leaving behind tiny plum-blossom imprints.
Mi Duoduo, a black-furred Melu Cat wearing a crimson scarf, darted toward him with a plate of bright red tropical strawberries. Her golden eyes gleamed like coins in sunlight.
"Li Ming, did Ichigo Kurosaki rescue Rukia, meow?" she asked, ears perked, tail swishing with excitement.
Li Ming turned lazily on his mat, plucked the biggest strawberry, and bit into it. "Mmm… can't quite remember," he said between chews.
Mi Duoduo's ears drooped, and her paw tightened on the plate. She began to pull it back.
"Wait, wait—yeah, she got rescued," Li Ming said quickly, snatching another strawberry. "Definitely rescued."
"That's great, meow! Then what about Naruto? Did he find Sasuke?"
Li Ming blinked. "Did I tell you that one too?"
"You did, meow! Just last night."
"He found him," Li Ming said with mock solemnity.
"Wonderful, meow!" she squeaked, setting the plate back down with visible joy.
When Li Ming arrived in this world, he had nothing but his pajamas and his wits. But in a place where entertainment was as scarce as water, storytelling became a currency.
So he traded tales of his old world anime sagas, legends, and dramas for food.
Among all his listeners, Mi Duoduo was the most devoted. In his words, she was his Number One Patron.
From the flatbed cart, a deeper voice called out.
"Mi Duoduo! Hurry up, the rescue team's about to depart, meow!"
It was Aileron, the tribe's leader — an older Melu Cat with a single eyepatch and binoculars hanging across his chest like a general of fur and whiskers.
"Coming, meow! I'll hear the rest of the story when I'm back!" Mi Duoduo called as she dashed away, her tail streaming behind her.
"This time, the Hunters' team we're rescuing is in Area Four of the Sandy Plains! Depart!"
At his command, the Melu Cats heaved together, pushing the cart forward. A swirl of golden dust erupted as they disappeared through the camp gates and over the dunes.
Rescue work was how the Melu Cat Tribe survived.
Whenever a Hunter team was stranded or injured, they were the first responders. For each successful rescue, they earned one-third of the Hunter's total contract fee.
But the risk was high.
In games, a Melu Cat's fainted body simply revived after a timer. In reality, death left only a shallow grave and a fading pawprint in the sand.
The small mounds scattered near the cave were grim reminders of that truth.
The rescue team would be gone for at least a week. If Li Ming didn't hunt, he'd starve.
He patted his stomach with a sigh, then poured the remaining strawberries into his backpack.
At the far end of camp stood the Meow God's Altar , an oval stone etched with a crimson paw print. Offerings were piled beneath it like junk: cracked potion bottles, broken ropes, catnip stalks, fish bones, and bits of wood.
Li Ming rummaged through the pile until he found a strip of red jerky. He sniffed it, brushed off the sand, and took a bite.
"Mmm… not bad," he muttered, chewing contentedly.
Of course, stealing from the Meow God was only safe when the tribe was gone.
After filling his stomach halfway, he clasped his hands in imitation of the cats' daily prayers.
"Great Meow God, I'm going hunting. I may not be one of your kin, but please… bless me too."
A faint shimmer of mist flickered before his eyes.
You have obtained [Meow God's Spirit Blessing (Small)]
Effect: Small chance to reduce damage taken for three days.
The text faded into the air.
"Small again?" Li Ming grumbled. "Last time was medium. Maybe I should've eaten more jerky."
He still had no idea where these words came from , some strange interface only he could see. He decided to treat it like a cheat system, one that kept him alive.
He gathered his things and prepared for the hunt.
By the campfire lay a few worn whetstones
relics left behind by Hunters and collected by the cats. Li Ming sat cross-legged, drew a curved short knife, and began to sharpen it.
Zzz~ Zzz~
Sparks danced as steel kissed stone. When he lifted the blade, sunlight glinted across its edge like a flash of lightning.
In his old world, it might have been a formidable weapon. Here, it was barely a carving knife , a humble Hunter's Knife used for butchering materials. Still, it was the sharpest thing he owned.
After refilling his waterskin from the underground spring, he tied his bamboo hat and closed the wooden gates of the camp. He camouflaged the entrance with tumbleweeds, just as the Melu Cats had taught him.
Then, with his map in hand, he set out into the vast, trembling horizon.
Hours later, he crested a dune and froze.
A small oasis shimmered below, ringed with green vegetation. By the pond, three Apceros massive, turtle-backed beasts grazed peacefully. Two adults and one youngling. A family.
Li Ming crouched behind a patch of grass, heart steadying.
He couldn't fight them head-on. Even a "peaceful" Apceros could crush him with a single swing of its tail hammer.
He needed to separate the young one.
He picked up a stone and threw it.
Clatter!
The rock struck the young Apceros's shell. The two adults lifted their heads, blinked, then returned to grazing.
The curious youngling, however, stomped and turned, snorting as it searched for the source.
Li Ming rustled the grass twice. The creature's eyes snapped toward him.
It let out a low growl, calling to the adults but they ignored it.
Thump… Thump…
It started to approach, one cautious step at a time.
Even "young," it was five meters long , a wall of muscle and bone.
Li Ming's pulse quickened. He tightened his grip on the knife and aimed at the tender, golden skin beneath its neck.
Pfft!
The blade sank in shallowly.
"Too shallow," he hissed.
He stood, pressed both hands to the hilt, and drove it deeper.
Thwack! Blood sprayed.
Roar!
The young Apceros shrieked, collapsing as its parents turned, bellowing with rage.
Li Ming slashed sideways, slicing through the windpipe. The creature thudded to the ground.
The adults charged but their turns were slow, their stamina poor. Li Ming ran, lungs burning, until the thunder of hooves faded behind him.
When he looked back, the female had lowered her head to the fallen young, pressing her snout against its lifeless form. The male stood still, silent, before finally turning away.
The female lingered for a moment longer, then followed.
Li Ming exhaled, eyes heavy.
"Sorry… I'm not strong enough yet. Next time, I'll let you all reunite."
He walked back to the body, knife in hand — but froze.
Three clusters of white mist floated above the young Apceros's corpse.
Within one, glowing words appeared:
Skill: young apcero Headbutt
Li Ming's eyes widened, heart pounding as realization dawned.
"Don't tell me… I can extract skills…?"