The Bone Plate Platform was in chaos, with more and more Headhunter Clan People swarming onto it.

Li Ziyu stood by the window, calmly watching the chaotic battle below. Strangely enough, as he faced the frenzied Headhunters charging onto the platform, he felt completely calm inside, even finding himself in the mood for a snarky comment.

’Speaking of which, do I have some kind of special Constitution that makes me a magnet for the scourges of the wilderness?’

’First it was the Lizardmen, then the goblins, and now the Headhunter Race has shown up.’

’Life is certainly colorful under the "care" of these scourges.’

The Headhunters numbered in the hundreds. As more of them charged onto the platform, some who slipped past the Undead rushed toward the Minotaurs and the Treasure Hunting Catmen. The other Headhunters fought as they grouped together.

Li Ziyu wasn’t worried at all about the Headhunters rushing the Minotaurs. There were just a handful of them; it would be a joke if the Minotaurs couldn’t handle them. He focused his gaze on the Treasure Hunting Catmen instead. They were the ones in real danger.

Since Liu Xingxing and Li Ziyu had signed a contract and formed an alliance, Li Ziyu had never actually seen the Catmen fight. He had no idea what the combat capabilities of those two cute-looking Catmen were. This was a good chance to find out. After all, only a single Headhunter was heading their way.

The Headhunter had its eyes on the Treasure-Hunting Catman Fortress. It brandished a club made from a femur and let out a garbled war cry. As it drew near, the fortress gate suddenly swung open, and a short figure blocked its path.

Treasure Hunting Catmen were a type of Beast-headed People from the Beastman Race, standing between 1.2 and 1.4 meters tall. They were a curious bunch who loved adventure. They looked furry, cute, and adorable, but that didn’t mean they lacked combat prowess.

Faced with an attack on their fortress, the Treasure Hunting Catman didn’t hesitate to actively step forward and confront the Headhunter head-on.

Seeing it was just a short little Catman, the Headhunter’s face twisted into a sneer. A mere Catman. Without a second thought, it gripped its Bone Rod and lunged. It swung the thick club, aiming to crack the Treasure Hunting Catman’s skull wide open.

However, things didn’t go as smoothly as it expected. Just as the club was about to smash into the Treasure Hunting Catman’s head, the short figure vanished. The Headhunter felt something brush against its face, followed by a sharp, intense pain.

"AAAAH—" The Headhunter shrieked, clutching its face as it stumbled back several steps. When it pulled its hand away, it was covered in blood.

Three deep claw marks now adorned the Headhunter’s face. Having landed a successful blow, the Treasure Hunting Catman did a flip in mid-air and landed gracefully. It shook its claws, flicking off the blood, then provocatively beckoned to the Headhunter with a hooked claw, striking a classic Huang Feihong pose.

"Meeeoow~"

It was meant to be an imposing moment, but the soft, cute meow completely ruined the atmosphere.

The ghastly wound on its face didn’t make the Headhunter retreat. Instead, it only further ignited its savagery. With eyes full of rage, it roared and lunged at the Treasure Hunting Catman.

Facing the charging Headhunter, the Treasure Hunting Catman unexpectedly dropped its stance. It stood up straight, primly, and gave a haughty toss of its head before meowing again.

The Headhunter froze, bewildered. Then, it heard a whistling sound from above as a massive black shadow grew larger and larger in its vision.

WHAM—

A wooden mechanical arm, tipped with a hammerhead, slammed unimpeded into the Headhunter’s chest. The Headhunter was splayed out against the hammerhead, pushed backward. With a shudder of the mechanical arm, the Headhunter was sent flying, landing hard in the distance.

The Treasure Hunting Catman dusted off its paws, turned to the cockpit, and gave a thumbs-up.

Inside the cockpit, the Treasure Hunting Catman operating the mechanical arm also stuck out a furry paw and returned the thumbs-up.

’Hmph! We may be short, but we have Power!’

’How dare you look down on us? We’ll pound you for it, meow!’

Li Ziyu, who had a clear view of the scene from the main building’s window, was momentarily stunned. A smile crept onto his lips, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. He never expected such an outcome. But his smile quickly vanished, because the Headhunter—the one that had its face clawed and was then sent flying by the mechanical arm—was actually getting back to its feet.

’It’s not dead after all that? It’s pretty tough.’

The Headhunter staggered to its feet, coughed twice, and spat out a mouthful of blood. It looked up at the Catman and the mechanical arm before it, the hatred in its eyes intensifying.

It crouched low, arms touching the ground and back arched, like a cornered Wild Beast about to attack.

The two Treasure Hunting Catmen were immediately on alert. The mechanical arm rose again and came whistling down.

THUD!

The hammerhead slammed into the Bone Plate, missing its target. The moment the arm came down, the Headhunter had sidestepped with an unnatural movement, dodging the attack. Kicking off with its legs, it shot toward the Treasure Hunting Catman that had scarred its face.

The Treasure Hunting Catman at the controls reacted swiftly, frantically working the control levers. The mechanical arm slammed down again and again toward the Headhunter, but with its heightened vigilance and increased Speed, the Headhunter easily dodged each time.

It wasn’t a dedicated combat machine, after all. The arm was too heavy, which slowed its attack speed, making it impossible to hit the creature.

Watching the Headhunter close in on its companion, the Treasure Hunting Catman at the controls broke out in a nervous sweat. But panicking was useless; the mechanical arm’s speed was what it was, and there was nothing to be done if it couldn’t land a hit. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The Bone Rod swung out. The Treasure Hunting Catman leaped up, dodging the club. Its sharp claws extended as it tried the same trick again, swiping at the Headhunter’s face.

The Headhunter snapped its head back, its neck bending at an unnatural ninety-degree angle, causing the Catman’s claws to miss. At the same time, it shot out its free hand and grabbed the airborne Treasure Hunting Catman by the neck, squeezing tightly.

"Meoow—"

The Treasure Hunting Catman cried out in pain, letting out a shrill yowl. Its claws flailed wildly in the air, trying to tear at the Headhunter, but the more it struggled, the tighter the hand squeezed, locking around its neck like an iron band.

The mechanical arm continued to slam down, but the Headhunter dodged while still gripping the Treasure Hunting Catman tightly, showing no intention of letting go.

Its oxygen dwindling, the Treasure Hunting Catman’s struggles grew weaker. The moment its eyes slowly closed, it saw the fortress gate open once more. A Human rushed out, charging at the Headhunter.

"Let him go! That’s my Catman!" Liu Xingxing, his face pale with terror and his voice trembling, gripped a Spear with both hands and charged out without a second thought.

’City Lord...’

Watching Liu Xingxing rush to his rescue, the Treasure Hunting Catman slowly closed its eyes.

’My Catman, that’s my Catman! He’s my subject, my companion who is supposed to live on with me!’

’As an ordinary person, of course I’m scared of a creature like a Headhunter. But a surge of passion wouldn’t let me just stand by and watch. If I just stood by while the Treasure Hunting Catman who accompanies me dies, what kind of City Lord would I be?!’

’I have to save him!’

"AAAAH—"

Liu Xingxing shut his eyes and screamed as he thrust the Spear forward, stabbing the Headhunter while it stared on in surprise.

The tip of the spear scraped against the Headhunter’s skin, hitting Scale Armor. It slid off without causing any harm. Instead, the Bone Rod slammed into the Spear’s shaft. The terrifying Power sent Liu Xingxing tumbling to the ground, and a foot stomped down hard on his head.