Chapter 1: Waking Up as the Hottest Prey

Li Wei had just reached the climax of his current webnovel binge. The plot was ridiculous, the female leads were all fighting for the same guy, and of course there was an accidental transmigration. A man waking up in another world full of dangerous creatures, beasts, and women who thought he was some sort of "precious treasure." It was a classic trope, one that Li Wei secretly found absurd but couldn't resist reading.

"I'm not falling for this one," Li Wei muttered to himself as his eyes skimmed over the page.

He'd already read twenty versions of this scenario. It was always the same—an average guy who ends up as a literal prize for some ridiculously strong, beastly women.

As if I'd ever get transmigrated into one of those lame stories, Li Wei thought as he clicked on the next chapter. Maybe I should just get some sleep...

One moment, he was reading about some guy dodging a dragon's fiery breath. The next, his entire vision blurred, and the room spun like a washing machine. His last thought before he blacked out?

If this is how I die, it better be worth it.

Li Wei woke up to the sounds of… growls? His eyes snapped open, and the first thing he saw was a massive set of claws descending toward him. His reflexes kicked in, and he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws that would've turned him into a pancake.

"WHAT THE—?!"

He scrambled backward, heart hammering. A towering creature with glowing amber eyes stood over him, half-wolf, half-human, and all fury. It bared its teeth in a snarl. Li Wei froze. This was it. He was dead.

No, no, no! Not like this! He wasn't going out as some webnovel side character. He had a plan to finish the latest novel!

Then a voice, smooth as honey but deadly like a knife, interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, how cute. Another human."

Li Wei's head snapped to the right. Out of the shadows emerged another figure—this one was a serpent, sleek and dangerous. Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she slithered toward him, every movement calculating.

"Do we have a fresh one?" she purred, licking her lips. "I do like them young."

Li Wei's blood ran cold. This was happening.

The wolf-woman growled, and the serpent-woman rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Charlotte? You've got to stop acting like you own every human you see."

"Shut up, Victoria," Charlotte snapped. "I saw him first. This one's mine."

Li Wei blinked, trying to wrap his brain around what was happening. Women. Beast women. Fighting over him? Like he was some sort of prize? This wasn't the typical hero saves the day scenario he'd been reading. He was the prize. The bait. The target.

Okay. Time to think fast.

Li Wei raised his hands defensively, putting on his best totally innocent and not terrified at all smile. "Look, ladies. Let's all calm down, yeah? I didn't sign up for this. I'm just a guy. A regular guy. I don't know why I'm here, but I can tell you, I'm not interested in being anyone's trophy."

Charlotte the wolf-woman smirked, showing her fangs. "Oh, you're going to be so much fun."

Li Wei gulped. Well, this is bad. This is really, really bad.

But before he could react, another voice, a deeper, more commanding voice cut in.

"Enough."

The ground seemed to rumble as a third figure appeared, walking with an air of authority. She was tall, imposing, and had a pair of large, leathery wings that fluttered in the wind, sending leaves scattering. Li Wei's jaw dropped. Was she a bat-woman?

She glared at Charlotte and Victoria, and they immediately backed off, only slightly, but enough for Li Wei to notice. The bat-woman's sharp eyes locked onto him.

"So, this is the new human," she said, her lips curling into a dangerous grin. "I'd say he's... interesting."

"Interesting?" Victoria hissed. "He's fresh."

Li Wei took a nervous step back. The situation was only getting worse.

"Fresh?" he repeated weakly. "I'm fresh?"

The bat-woman chuckled. "Oh yes, darling. Fresh. Young. And... absolutely perfect for me." She stepped closer, her gaze scanning him like he was an exotic fruit, ripe for the picking. "You see, in this world, humans like you are rare. Men. You're extremely valuable."

Li Wei had read enough to know what that meant. His skin prickled with dread. Oh no. This was going exactly the way he feared.

"I'm not anyone's property," he shot back. "I'm just a guy! Look, I don't even know how I got here. This is a huge misunderstanding!"

"Oh, sweetheart," the bat-woman purred, her sharp claws brushing his cheek. "There's no misunderstanding. You're a trophy now. And we all want a piece of you."

Li Wei took another step back. "I... I'm not some prize to be fought over! I've read enough stories to know how this goes. You—"

"Enough!" Charlotte, the wolf-woman, roared. "You've already sealed your fate. You're our catch, and we will take you."

"Let's make it a challenge," Victoria interjected, her smile wicked. "Whoever gets him first wins."

Li Wei stared at the three of them, heart pounding in his chest. He had no escape. He was the prize. And not just any prize, but the hottest one.

"Alright, alright," Li Wei said quickly, putting on his best negotiating face. "How about this: If I'm that valuable, then I get to choose which one of you I—"

"No," they all said in unison, their voices flat with finality.

Li Wei's brain raced. He needed a plan. Fast. He couldn't just roll over like some doormat. He had read enough webnovels to know that if you didn't take control, you'd end up being some beast queen's pet or worse.

"Okay, fine," Li Wei said with a sly grin, his confidence suddenly surging. "But how about I make you all fight for me? You know... battle it out. Winner takes me. And the prize? Me obviously."

The three beastly women froze, eyes narrowing.

"I'll give you a head start," Li Wei continued, his heart hammering. "You can start... now."

Before they could respond, he bolted into the trees, running like his life depended on it, because, frankly, it did.

Behind him, the sound of three beastly women's voices rose in fury.

"You little—!"

And Li Wei? He just grinned. He may be prey, but he was going to make sure they had to work for it.