Chapter 18: High-Risk Experimental Subject  

The blizzard covered the desolate mountains, their peaks black as pitch, where even the finest horses struggled to advance.  

Jing Rong took stock of their supplies, securing a portion onto the horse’s back and discarding all magazines and bullets to lighten the load.  

He wasn’t heading into the mountains—just circling the valley entrance on horseback.  

Snowflakes whispered down, muffling all sound.  

626 suddenly spoke: “A group is approaching you.”  

626 watched the red dots on his map’s identification system. “Two columns, closing in from the east and west… Be careful.”  

*  

“You Tier, who is that?”  

On the northwest slope, the Longspearman clenched a chunk of ice between his teeth, his body pale and blue from the cold. “He doesn’t look like an Olke soldier.”  

You Tier pushed the Longspearman back slightly, his voice rough and hoarse. “No, he doesn’t… Damn it.”  

You Tier tightened his grip on his gun. One of his eyes was blind, covered by a white film. He coughed out a laugh. “It’s an Adjudicator.”  

Everyone looked up.  

“The stench of death on an Adjudicator… I’ll never forget it.” You Tier exhaled sharply, suppressing his breath to a minimum. “They’ve sent another Adjudicator to the front. Are they here to retrieve those people?”  

“The last Adjudicator slaughtered over three hundred of us… wiped out an entire branch.” Another man gritted his teeth. “Do we retreat, Captain?”  

“Can’t gauge this Adjudicator’s mental level.”  

You Tier kept his gaze locked on the young man at the valley entrance—dressed entirely in black: black hair, black eyes, a black cape, and a black horse.  

Like the Grim Reaper.  

The instincts honed by life-and-death battles told him at a glance that this was bait, a tactic Adjudicators often used. The one before him had at least a thousand lives on his hands.  

“You all fall back. I’ll ambush him. First squad, cover me.”  

You Tier counted the Mental Bullets in his possession, grinning coldly through clenched teeth. “These are good stuff—left behind from the frontlines. Let’s give the Adjudicator a taste.”  

“You’re going alone? Too risky.” The gunner took aim, his arm already broken, unable to hold the gun with both hands. Instead, he bit down on a bandage to prop up his other arm. “Live or die, we stick together!”  

“No. We still need people to rescue the townsfolk.” You Tier let out a hollow, mirthless laugh. “Damn it… an Adjudicator. This really is the end.”  

They had thought all the Adjudicators of the Olke Empire had gathered in the capital to carry out an execution against Jue, giving them the perfect chance to seize Jieke Town with minimal casualties.  

“God, do you truly have no heart?” the Longspearman groaned in agony.  

He already knew at least three of them would die by the Adjudicator’s hand today. But they had to.  

They couldn’t let this Adjudicator return to town—that would erase all hope of rescuing the townspeople.  

“Maybe not.” You Tier smirked darkly. “Maybe only I’ll die… That horse of his is fine, and there’s venison and gear on its back. The men haven’t eaten in two days…”  

The first gunshot erupted from Jing Rong’s west, deafening.  

Jing Rong tightened the reins, his fingers steady. He didn’t immediately turn the panicked horse around—instead, he urged it deeper into the valley.

You Tier sprinted along the ridge, struggling to keep his gun steady as he aimed, spitting out a curse through gritted teeth: “Damn it.”

“He didn’t retreat at all.” Longspearman’s heart sank. They had set up trip ropes behind Jing Rong’s path—any horse startled by gunfire would almost certainly be tripped.  

This was their foolproof trap, yet now it had failed.  

“Keep chasing!” You Tier growled. “We’ll split up—we must intercept him! Under no circumstances can we let him return to town!”  

*  

626 said, “They’re down one man.”  

Jing Rong led his horse while listening carefully to the sounds behind him. “I know.”  

He moved slowly. The black horse, trained under his guidance, responded smoothly to his commands, now walking at a speed deliberately slow enough to be caught.  

626 asked, “How far are you planning to go?”  

Jing Rong replied, “Not too far.”  

He continued, “Their men have been trapped in the snow for four days. A frantic chase will thin their numbers.”  

Then he added, “But they’re fast. This is a karst cave region—the guerrillas know the shortcuts well. I need to lure them onto the plains.”  

As he urged his horse forward, Jing Rong scanned the endless white snow ahead.  

Even the most skilled tactician couldn’t discern where a cave exit might be hidden beneath the snow.  

A second gunshot rang out!  

This time, the warhorse truly panicked, bolting in frantic terror.  

The bullet grazed Jing Rong’s cheek.  

626 gasped, “Shit!! That scared the hell out of me!”  

A trickle of blood appeared on Jing Rong’s face, but his expression remained unchanged, still intently listening to the footsteps echoing in the silence.  

Jing Rong said, “The two shots weren’t fired by the same person. The one who just shot is blind in one eye. His aim should have been precise.”  

The horse picked up speed, and Jing Rong no longer restrained it. The ravine wasn’t deep—the exit was just ahead.  

“Why isn’t he shooting?”  

Longspearman asked, “Is he really just a novice Adjudicator?”  

“He hasn’t even released his Mental Power.”  

You Tier had never encountered someone like this before. He sprinted through a shortcut, a Mental Burst Bomb clenched between his teeth, searching for the right moment to throw it. “If we keep chasing, we’ll reach the plains.”  

They couldn’t decipher their opponent’s intentions.  

The man never fired, as if luring them into open terrain.  

But now, even knowing it might be a trap, they had no choice but to follow.  

You Tier took another shortcut, moving at full speed until he reached a hidden exit on the side of the ravine.  

Concealed behind a rock, the exit was well-hidden. You Tier slowly straightened and saw the Adjudicator standing frighteningly close—barely twenty meters away in a straight line.  

And the Adjudicator had his back turned, unaware of his presence.  

Everything happened in an instant.  

You Tier pulled the pin on the Mental Burst Bomb and hurled it toward the Adjudicator, charging forward with a cleaver in hand.  

The bomb didn’t explode.  

A gleaming silver dagger intercepted it midair, slicing it cleanly in two without a sound. The fuse fizzled out before it could ignite.

You Tier didn’t even see the black-haired young man’s movements clearly. In the next instant, the young man was already in front of him, disarming him with one hand.

You Tier immediately erupted, lunging to choke the other’s throat: “Damn Adjudicator… I’d rather die today than let you return…”

Jing Rong didn’t use any weapons. You Tier’s physique was much larger than his, easily pressing him into the snow as they engaged in bare-handed combat.

626: “Hey man, take it easy.”

Jing Rong continued fighting while casually chatting: “I know.”

The other man was fiercely trying to strangle him in the snow, but Jing Rong blocked while studying his face.

Red hair, filthy, with extremely dark skin. One eye was blind, completely white.

Jing Rong murmured: “Another wolf king.”

Hurried footsteps sounded from the snow behind them, along with the cocking of guns.

Reinforcements arrived quickly—members of both the first and second squads were present. Like a true wolf pack, they calmly and cautiously tightened their encirclement.

They weren’t hesitating to strike; they were ensuring the Adjudicator had no chance of escape before killing him.

Jing Rong, initially pinned down by the legs, seized an opening to clamp his ankles around the other’s neck, flipping up and breaking free from the assault.

A wave of shock and fear surged through You Tier.

The man before him moved too fast—none of the others had seen it, but only he knew: when Jing Rong twisted his neck to stand, just a little more force would have snapped his spine on the spot!

But this terror lasted only a moment, suppressed like a wisp of smoke. Death came too often on the battlefield—he didn’t care.

“Master Adjudicator.”

Countless Mental Rifles were aimed at Jing Rong, who stood calmly, raising his hands in surrender.

Longspearman spoke: “Surrendering is good. But would you mind telling us how many more Adjudicators were sent out? And where they were deployed?”

Jing Rong’s gaze settled on the man’s face—one of his arms was clearly immobilized, but his other hand’s finger rested on the trigger.

After scanning the surroundings, Jing Rong spoke his first words.

“Twenty people. Seems everyone’s here.”

“Wh-what?”

Everyone doubted their ears.

Jing Rong slowly raised his hand.

At that moment, thinking he was about to unleash Mental Power, the encircling squad fired without hesitation!

Four shotguns, three Mental Guns—all aimed at the center of the encirclement. But after the deafening barrage, the expected outcome didn’t happen.

Jing Rong appeared behind You Tier, fingers pressing against his carotid artery. Simultaneously, the others’ equipment clattered to the ground.

Gun straps were severed, barrels bent by some terrifying force—now all their gear was reduced to scrap metal.

Everyone stood gaping, utterly horrified.

You Tier’s hands trembled violently.

This wasn’t their first time witnessing an Adjudicator’s overwhelming power—but it was the first time one had disarmed them completely without even using Mental Power.

The hunter’s oppressive force evoked abyssal fear, and fear ignited even fiercer combat instincts.

You Tier let out a furious roar, flipping over to drive his elbow viciously into Jing Rong—every ounce of his strength was mobilized. Even if his bones shattered, even if he had to tear with his teeth, he would make sure this Adjudicator learned a lesson.

“What do you want? Whatever you’re planning, I’m telling you, you won’t get away with—”

With a bitter laugh, You Tier pulled the last explosive from his chest and shoved it directly into his own collar, locking Jing Rong in a death grip to prevent escape while shouting, “Everyone else, scatter! Now!”

Seeing this, everyone immediately retreated.

Two seconds remained until detonation.

To restrain Jing Rong, You Tier even clamped his teeth onto the man’s collar with desperate force.

But it was all futile.

Jing Rong didn’t resist. He simply reached out and plucked the explosive from You Tier’s grasp.

You Tier had no idea what he intended—what horrors this terrifying Adjudicator was still capable of. “You fucking bastard—I’ll carve you up—let’s meet the King of Hell together!” he bellowed.

Jing Rong’s movements were immovable. With one hand, he seized the explosive, while the other calmly flung You Tier aside.

As effortlessly as tossing a kitten.

The bomb detonated in Jing Rong’s hand. You Tier was sent flying, tumbling down the slope.

A Mental Power explosive—its blast ravaged the consciousness and Mental Power of everyone within three meters. Like an “Adjudicator,” its power lay in shattering and damaging the mind.

Silence settled.

Everyone looked up in shock at the figure staggering to his feet from the snow.

Jing Rong’s vision swam with crimson.

626: “Holy shit, holy shit, bro! You’re alive, bro!”

Jing Rong said, “Not bad. Just a few scratches. The physical damage is minimal.”

Only shrapnel had embedded itself in his palm and side, along with some burns.

The last time an Adjudicator had descended, he hadn’t taken a direct hit, so his mental domain had remained unharmed. This time, he’d willingly intercepted the blast—some mental strain was inevitable.

Jing Rong closed his eyes, his expression still composed as he stood there. “Everyone, have you calmed down now?”

You Tier regained his senses from the overwhelming shock.

He finally realized—this man before him bore no intent to kill.

Three times now, he could have slaughtered them all with each strike. Yet he hadn’t.

This wasn’t something an Adjudicator would do. To an Adjudicator, wiping them out would be as effortless as crushing an ant.

“While he’s reeling from the Mental Bullet, Chief, let’s finish him off!” someone whispered.

Even the usually reckless Longspearman sensed something amiss. “No! He’s still standing… He’s not someone we can kill…”

You Tier, maintaining his clarity, asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”

Jing Rong said, “I’m an explorer from the Ork Geographical Society.”

626, matching his tone while helping to stabilize Jing Rong’s mental turbulence, sent an emoticon: ^-^

“……”

Hearing this answer, everyone was dumbfounded.

This utterly irrelevant response in such a scene was almost comical.

Jing Rong said, “I’m here to send you all back.”

Author’s Note:

The team leader will wake up at midnight later and slap himself: “I’m such a piece of shit.”