A pair of glowing yellow eyes peered at him from the shadows, piercing through the thick foliage like twin daggers. The creature stepped into the light, revealing its hulking form—an enormous wolf-like beast with dark, matted fur and fangs sharp enough to tear through steel. Its snarl deepened, and its eyes locked onto Chen Yu with predatory intent.

"Oh, crap," Chen Yu muttered under his breath, taking a shaky step back. "Definitely not good. Not good at all."

The beast lowered itself, muscles coiling like a loaded spring, ready to pounce at any second. Chen Yu's mind raced, his heart pounding in his chest. He had no idea how strong the creature was, but the fact that it was eyeing him like a snack was enough to set off every survival instinct he had.

"Alright, think, Chen Yu, think!" His internal monologue was spiraling out of control. "What would a smart person do? Run? No... too slow. Hide? There's nowhere to hide!"

[System Notification: Danger detected. Incoming threat: Spirit Wolf. Recommended Action: Evade or subdue.]

"Oh great, thanks, System," Chen Yu muttered sarcastically. "Like I wasn't aware of the giant wolf about to turn me into dog food."

His pulse quickened as the wolf growled again, inching closer. Chen Yu could almost feel its breath, hot and rancid, even from a distance. He took another step back, his eyes darting around, searching desperately for an escape route. "Evade or subdue," the System had said. Right. He could barely control his eyes, and now it expected him to "subdue" a spirit beast?

The wolf crouched lower, ready to strike.

Chen Yu gulped. "Okay, subdue's off the table. Running it is."

*

Chen Yu's heart pounded in his chest as he scanned the forest for anything that could give him a chance against the relentless beast. His eyes fell on a tree with low-hanging branches, thick enough to support his weight.

"Alright, let's see if I've still got some lower body strength," he muttered, sprinting toward the tree as fast as his legs would carry him.

The wolf beast growled behind him, its snarls growing louder as it prepared to lunge again. Chen Yu's feet pounded against the dirt, each step feeling like it might be his last. He reached the tree just as the wolf's hot breath brushed the back of his neck.

"Too close!" he gasped, leaping for the nearest branch. His hands caught the rough bark, and with adrenaline surging through his veins, he hauled himself up just as the beast's jaws snapped shut inches from his foot. The wolf's fangs clacked together with a sickening crunch as it missed its prey by a hair's breadth.

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Chen Yu scrambled higher into the tree, his limbs trembling as he climbed, branches swaying under his weight.

He wanted to cry when he felt the wolf nearly bit his ass to bits. "Shit, this wolf is on my fucking ass!" That day, for no reason at all, Chen Yu decided to kill every wolf in this world when he become stronger. For now though, he didn't stop until he was well out of reach, perched on a thick branch, panting heavily. His muscles screamed in protest, but he wasn't about to stop now, lest he wanted his sweet ass be chomped on.

"Alright, that was too close," he muttered, trying to calm his racing heart. He glanced down at the wolf, which was circling the base of the tree like a predator waiting for its prey to fall. Its glowing yellow eyes stayed locked onto him, unblinking, as if daring him to make a mistake.

Chen Yu sucked in a deep breath, trying to get a grip on his nerves. "Okay, think logically, man. You're not dead yet. It can't climb trees, right? At least... I hope not." He winced at the thought, then shook his head, banishing the mental image of a tree-climbing wolf.

"Alright, next step: don't just sit here like an idiot waiting to die. What would the MC in a web-novel do right now?"

He scanned his surroundings, looking for anything that might help.

The branches around him were thick, sturdy, and littered with loose twigs scattered across the forest floor. Chen Yu's mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. He knew he wasn't strong enough to take on the wolf in direct combat, and his Qi reserves were nearly depleted after his earlier attempts to use his abilities. But he couldn't just sit there, waiting to become a meal.

"Alright, crazy idea number one: get out of here in one piece," he muttered under his breath. "I need an escape route."

He glanced down at the wolf still prowling below, its sharp yellow eyes locked onto him. A growl rumbled through its chest, the sound vibrating in the air, sending shivers down his spine. "Okay, wolfy… just stay right there."

Chen Yu closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to focus despite the fear twisting his insides. He could feel the faint pulse of Qi within his dantian, barely enough to fuel his abilities. But he didn't need to fight—he needed to outmaneuver the wolf. That's where the Universal Eyes came in.

"Let's see what I'm working with here," he muttered, activating the Universal Eyes and opening his gaze to the world around him. Immediately, the forest sharpened into focus. Every leaf, branch, and root seemed to glow with vivid clarity. He could see the faint streams of Qi flowing through the earth and trees, but more importantly, he could see the wolf's every movement, even the subtle shifts in its muscles as it prowled, waiting for an opening.

"Alright, think fast, Chen Yu," he whispered. He scanned the area around him, looking for anything he could use to escape. His enhanced vision revealed the layout of the forest in startling detail, showing him paths through the trees that were hidden to the naked eye. He traced the wolf's movements, its path weaving between thick trunks and low-hanging branches.

Then, his eyes caught something—an opening in the dense forest, just a few meters to his left, hidden behind a thick curtain of leaves and branches. It wasn't much, but it could work as an escape route if he timed it right.

Chen Yu glanced back at the wolf, its pacing becoming more aggressive. It wouldn't wait much longer.

"I've got one shot at this," he muttered. His muscles tensed as he prepared to move, watching the wolf carefully. His Universal Eyes allowed him to see every shift in the creature's body language—the slight twitch of its ears, the narrowing of its eyes, the way its paws dug into the ground. It was getting ready to pounce.

"Now or never."