"Good!" Ye Chen was slightly startled in his heart, and without further hesitation, he quickly pulled the trigger!

Bang!

The rotting leaves directly in front of the muzzle were instantly pulverized by the pistol's shot. The marble-sized bullet flew out at incredible speed, so fast that even an 800-level monster could not dodge it.

However, the Three-Eyed Wolf did not have its head blown off as imagined. The moment the energy bullet shot out, the hairs on its entire body stood on end, and a strong sense of terror surged from its heart. As an animal that had long survived on the edge of life and death while hunting for food, it was extremely **sensitive to danger. A split second before Ye Chen pulled the trigger, its body sprang forward with a powerful bound, darting sideways.

Pfft!

The bullet struck the Three-Eyed Wolf's hind leg. The energy projectile instantly detonated, blasting its rear limb apart midsection.

"Awoo—" The Three-Eyed Wolf howled in pain and quickly turned, its emerald-green eyes filled with brutality and savagery, fixing on the thicket where Ye Chen was hiding, entering a state of combat readiness. With a Constitution level of 55, it possessed rudimentary intelligence. The power of that energy bullet had shaken it to its core; had it been hit in the head, it would likely be lying dead on the ground right now.

Ye Chen’s expression was cold. He slowly rose from the ground, opened the charging port on the energy pistol, and aimed all eight barrels at the Three-Eyed Wolf. He did not pull the trigger, as he lacked the confidence for an immediate kill. Firing rashly might only enrage the beast, causing it to charge recklessly into close combat. Although entering his Superhuman State could easily slay the Three-Eyed Wolf, if his five minutes of enhanced power elapsed and another powerful monster emerged, his situation would become dire.

The Superhuman State was reserved strictly for true life-or-death situations.

The Three-Eyed Wolf also held back. It was completely unfamiliar with Ye Chen's strength, and the threat posed by the energy pistol deterred it from attacking prematurely.

With a flick of his finger, a silver ring on Ye Chen’s hand flashed, dissolving into countless streams of particle energy. Woven by an arcane script, these particles rapidly assembled in mid-air, forming a formidable, three-meter-long, blood-red greatsword that exuded immense dominance.

Ye Chen gripped the blade with one hand, feeling a surge of confidence. His gaze was sharp as he stared down the Three-Eyed Wolf, and his finger suddenly clenched the trigger!

Swish, swish, swish...

Eight beams of light shot out, raining down like a shower of light upon the Three-Eyed Wolf. The beast had remained on high alert, and the instant Ye Chen fired, every hair on its body stood up. It scrambled sideways, narrowly avoiding the two largest, marble-sized bullets, but three smaller, bean-sized energy projectiles struck its side flank and abdomen.

Boom, boom, boom!

Although the energy contained in the smaller, bean-sized bullets was ten times weaker than those from the main barrel, they were still capable of instantly killing a Level 100 monster if they hit the head. Striking the Three-Eyed Wolf’s abdomen, they exploded into three fist-sized bloody craters, the flesh seared black by intense heat, spraying gore everywhere.

"Awoo—" The Three-Eyed Wolf shrieked, its inherent ferocity fully awakened. It planted its three remaining limbs firmly, quickly steadying itself, its eyes blazing with murderous intent toward Ye Chen. It launched forward, but having lost a limb, its movement speed was drastically reduced, and its balance was severely compromised.

Even so, in Ye Chen’s perception, the Three-Eyed Wolf’s form blurred—its monstrous head, still a hundred meters away, suddenly materialized before him, the third eye on its brow shimmering with an irresistible, hypnotic power.

Ye Chen had anticipated the Three-Eyed Wolf’s terrifying speed. Simultaneously as he pulled the trigger, he thrust the three-meter blood-red greatsword horizontally before him. As the wolf charged in, it swiped its paw down. Its razor-sharp claws scraped against the greatsword, leaving not even a scratch. However, the sheer force of the blow sent a violent jolt through Ye Chen's sword-wielding hand; the webbing between his thumb and forefinger nearly tore open, his tendons spasming with distorted pain.

Bang!

The greatsword vibrated under the wolf’s claw, and Ye Chen’s body involuntarily staggered backward. Losing his footing, he retreated seven or eight steps to regain balance, each footfall cracking the earth and leaving a deep imprint. Thankfully, he did not completely fall, which would have plunged him into an absolute disadvantage.

While retreating, Ye Chen brought his other hand up, aiming the energy pistol and rapidly pulling the trigger again, unleashing another volley of eight shots. At such close range, the Three-Eyed Wolf had no time to evade and was struck by the projectiles. Three bullets missed their mark, but the remaining five hammered into its body.

Boom, boom, boom...

The Three-Eyed Wolf’s forelegs were blasted open, and two shots struck its back, tearing open two more fist-sized wounds that bled profusely. It howled in agony, seemingly realizing its doom was sealed. A desperate frenzy flashed in its eyes as it lunged at Ye Chen.

Fast!

Ye Chen felt a black shadow flash before him. The blood-red greatsword in his hand seemed to be struck by a sledgehammer. The terrifying force drove the blade inward, slamming it against his chest. A searing pain erupted in his sternum, as if his bones were scattering. Although Ye Chen possessed countless techniques to counter such scenarios, against absolute strength, all tricks were meaningless!

The Three-Eyed Wolf’s raw power exceeded his by 20 levels, equating to the strength of two hundred men!

Before Ye Chen could retreat, he caught a whiff of foul, rank breath and saw the Three-Eyed Wolf leap into the air, its monstrous jaws snapping down toward his head. The sight of those sharp, drooling fangs suggested that even a solid stone would be crushed into gravel!

A breath from death!

A hair's breadth moment!

The world seemed to freeze for a few seconds!

CRACK!

An explosion echoed through the jungle, startling numerous flying monsters roosting in the treetops, causing them to take flight and flee into the distance. Among the global bestiary, there were indeed herbivorous creatures, gentle and docile—much like these fleeing flyers.

Huu! Huu!

Ye Chen collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. He looked down at the Three-Eyed Wolf lying before him, its head a pulverized mess, and finally let out a sigh of relief. He had managed to dispatch the beast.

In the final instant, just as the jaws were about to clamp down on his skull, his arm reacted just in time, thrusting the energy pistol directly toward the wolf’s mouth. He pulled the trigger twice. The two marble-sized bullets pierced through the Three-Eyed Wolf’s mouth, detonating against the back of its skull, narrowly saving his life!

Every monster kill was a dance with the Grim Reaper!

"With my current strength, even relying on the energy pistol, killing a monster fifty times stronger than me remains somewhat perilous," Ye Chen thought with a wry smile. He quickly rose, grabbed the Three-Eyed Wolf's carcass, and, with a thought, connected with the old man of the Green Talisman. Immediately, a black portal, four feet in diameter, materialized nearby. He tossed the monster’s body inside; carrying a fresh corpse in the wilderness was clearly imprudent.

Although the Green Talisman old man had initially stated that the energy stored was only sufficient to open one spatial connection point, Ye Chen later learned that the size and energy consumption of each portal opening varied. The first one opened was fifty meters in diameter, consuming immense energy, whereas opening a portal only a few meters, or even less than a meter wide, consumed very little energy and could be done multiple times.

According to the energy calculations provided by the old man, the spacecraft still contained 800 Ku (the name unit for Rune Civilization energy). A single shot from the spacecraft’s small cannon consumed 1000 Ku! To open a spatial connection point 300 meters in diameter, large enough to bring the entire spacecraft out, would require 5000 Ku of energy!

Each meter of portal circumference consumed approximately 16 Ku of energy.

If Ye Chen opened a portal with a one-meter radius each time, he could still manage fifty openings. With the energy reserves the old man currently held, even using it all at once, he could only open one more spatial connection point with a 50-meter diameter. Since the spacecraft itself was 300 meters high, moving it out was currently impossible; the energy reserves needed replenishment.

Sniffing the air, detecting no other alien scents, Ye Chen retracted the blood-red greatsword and swiftly moved away. After the battle, the bones in his chest felt injured from the shock. Relying on his body's natural healing, it would take at least two to three days to recover fully, a period during which his combat strength would be significantly reduced.

"Fighting monsters above my level is still somewhat risky," Ye Chen sighed internally. That Three-Eyed Wolf had far surpassed him in power; its speed, coupled with its Level 55 Constitution, was terrifying. If he had upgraded his eye structure to the advanced Eagle Eye, he might have been able to track the wolf's movements, but he lacked a gene modification factory at the moment...

"First, I need to find some herbs to treat this injury." Ye Chen moved, suppressing his presence, striding swiftly through the dense forest, cutting down any weaker monsters he encountered with a single swipe.

The mountain forest was lush, with verdant grass everywhere.

Ye Chen had not run far—

"Hmm?"

Ye Chen stopped dead, his eyes brightening as he stared at a small, azure herb beneath a large tree not far ahead. Its leaves were dotted with small crimson spots, as if splashed with blood, yet there were no corpses or signs of a struggle nearby.

"Blood Tang Grass!" Ye Chen’s eyes sharpened with focus. "This is a peculiar variant that mutated under the virus. It is extremely nourishing, capable of rapidly curing severe injuries with remarkable efficacy. Fractures and torn skin will mend quickly upon ingestion, and it even possesses the benefit of improving physique, strengthening the spleen, detoxifying, and moistening the meridians!"

Ye Chen stood up from behind the bushes and began walking toward the Blood Tang Grass. After only a few steps, a chilling sensation abruptly swept across the back of his head, feeling as though an ice cube had been pressed against his skin.

Ye Chen startled, throwing himself sideways instantly, executing a forward tumble and diving into the nearby undergrowth. Everything happened in a blink. As he tumbled, a projectile whizzed past from a distance, embedding itself in the dirt where he had been standing moments before.

Hidden in the brush, Ye Chen narrowed his eyes as he registered the event, a flicker of killing intent crossing his features.