Chapter 9: The Catch
The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
Avon lay in bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.
Waiting.
The trap was set.
Positioned.
Tested.
There was nothing left to adjust.
Which meant—
Now it came down to the wolf.
Time passed.
Minutes.
Maybe longer.
Then—
A sound.
Soft at first.
Then—
SNAP—!
The silence shattered.
A violent struggle erupted outside.
Wood cracked.
Dirt shifted.
A low, furious snarl tore through the night.
Avon sat up instantly.
"…It worked."
The wolf thrashed.
Growling.
Fighting.
The rope snapped tight—
Holding.
The ditch had done its job.
It couldn't move forward.
Couldn't escape clean.
But it wasn't done.
Not even close.
The noise carried through the house.
Heavy footsteps followed.
James.
The door burst open.
Avon moved to the window.
Not rushing.
Watching.
Learning.
His father stepped out, blade already in hand.
No hesitation.
No fear.
The wolf came into view.
Large.
Far larger than Avon expected.
Black fur.
Thick.
Its body strained against the trap—
Muscle stacked over muscle.
Easily—
Six feet tall when it reared up.
Heavy.
Powerful.
"…Yeah," Avon muttered.
"That's not normal."
The wolf lunged again—
The rope held.
Barely.
James didn't wait.
He moved in.
Fast.
Precise.
The wolf snapped toward him—
Too slow.
The blade flashed.
Clean.
Direct.
A single strike across the throat.
The struggle ended.
Just like that.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Final.
Avon watched from the window.
Not impressed.
Not surprised.
Just… aware.
"That's the gap."
His trap worked.
His plan worked.
But the finish—
Wasn't his.
Yet.
James stood over the body for a moment.
Then exhaled.
"…Got you."
He crouched, checking the rope, the ditch.
Then looked back toward the house.
Toward Avon's window.
Their eyes met.
A small nod.
Not praise.
Not approval.
Acknowledgment.
Avon nodded back.
Lesson understood.
…
Later that night—
Avon sat on his bed.
Quiet again.
Thinking.
Then—
[Mission Complete]
The system appeared.
[Main Mission: Eliminate or Capture the Wolf] – Completed
Reward: Granted
A pause—
Then—
[New Passive Acquired]
Eagle Eye
A faint pressure settled behind his eyes.
Not pain.
Adjustment.
His vision sharpened.
Edges clearer.
Movement easier to track.
Details—
More defined.
He blinked once.
"…Yeah."
That was useful.
Very useful.
The system faded.
Avon leaned back slightly.
The wolf was gone.
The farm was safe.
But more importantly—
He understood something now.
Planning wasn't enough.
Execution mattered.
Power mattered.
And right now—
He didn't have enough of it.
Not yet.
But he would.
Because from this point forward—
Every day counted.
Every decision mattered.
And the next time—
He wouldn't be watching from a window.