Chapter 3: High-Risk Experimental Subject  

“Is that so?”  

Jing Rong replied.  

System 626 had always been extremely interested in gossip: “He’s the eldest son of a duke, around the same age as you. During your youth, the royal family arranged a marriage between you two, and he agreed at first. But later, he discovered that Lienus had a double-S-level Mental Power, while you showed no signs of awakening yours.”  

“So he took the initiative to break off the engagement and went after Lienus, successfully becoming the Crown Prince’s close companion.”  

After hearing this story, Jing Rong said, “A fascinating tale. He made a rational choice.”  

System 626 looked at his calm expression and felt speechless for the umpteenth time.  

“I haven’t finished yet. Just when he thought he would never think of you again, a summons brought you back. Unable to restrain himself, he came to meet you personally—”  

626 vividly narrated while loudly questioning Jing Rong, “Didn’t you see the hidden pain in Joson’s eyes? Didn’t you notice his hesitant, unspoken emotions? Clearly, he realized he still loves you.”  

Jing Rong pondered for a moment.  

Due to his face blindness, he had obviously failed to comprehend the other’s expressions.  

Jing Rong objectively commented, “I take back my words. He’s already made his choice—to suffer over it now is irrational.”  

626 said, “But he’s still quite handsome. I believe if you were willing, he’d follow you back to the Snow Plains. Didn’t you want to find a wife?”  

Humans were such contradictory creatures. Often, only after making a choice would they realize what they truly desired.  

A Crown Prince with double-S-level Mental Power versus an unnamed prince exiled by the royal family for lacking Mental Power—most would choose the former.  

No one could be blamed for this. The worldline had unfolded this way.  

His time in the Snow Plains had been so long that even Jing Rong himself had nearly forgotten this identity.  

Jing Rong checked the machine and confirmed that the vending machine was indeed broken.  

He straightened up, briefly considering System 626’s words—”if you were willing.”  

He smiled.  

“I’m not willing.”  

The streets of Ork’s capital at night were thick with smog. The War Train blared its horn ceaselessly, and the thick smoke from burning coal poured unrestrained into the Lower District.  

Having grown accustomed to the biting winds of the Snow Plains, Jing Rong was in desperate need of the scent of tobacco.  

626: “Going to the Lower District to buy some?”  

“Let’s go.”  

Jing Rong glanced at the sky. It had already darkened, and faint stars were beginning to appear in the murky twilight.  

Due to the escape of a High-Risk Experimental Subject, Ox’s capital had imposed a strict curfew several days prior.  

Whether in the Noble District or the Lower District, no one was allowed outside after nightfall—not even members of the royal family.  

The only ones free to move were the military and the Adjudicators.  

Jing Rong walked toward the Lower District.  

Within minutes, the surroundings had grown noticeably silent, devoid of any human presence.  

The houses around him were dilapidated and worn.  

Most shops in the Lower District operated directly out of residents’ homes, as they lacked the funds to purchase proper storefronts.  

During the curfew, any open shops were subject to inspection. For this reason, Jing Rong encountered two general stores that had already closed for the day, their doors left ajar—but they refused to serve him.  

The surroundings had grown very dark, but Jing Rong didn’t give up. He aimlessly ventured deeper.

626 let out a mocking laugh: “Buddy, you’ve got quite the nicotine craving.”

Jing Rong ignored it.

He wasn’t familiar with the lower district and was choosing directions purely by instinct. After several turns, another lit storefront finally came into view.

As Jing Rong approached, he realized this wasn’t a general store but a laundromat.

The shop was small, with a glass counter at the entrance holding an account book. Beyond the counter, five or six people could be seen diligently scrubbing clothes, while freshly washed sheets and garments hung against the walls.

Hearing a customer enter, a plump female proprietor emerged from the back room. Wiping her hands on her apron, she asked Jing Rong, “Here for laundry service, sir?”

All Jing Rong wanted right now was a smoke. He placed a gold coin on the counter and asked politely, “No laundry. Do you sell cigarettes here?”

The woman studied him suspiciously for a moment, then glanced at the gold coin.

After some hesitation, the plump proprietress said, “Sir, we only have the rough tobacco rolls my husband smokes. Very coarse stuff.”

“Any tobacco will do,” Jing Rong replied.

The woman gave him another appraising look, perhaps deciding this man truly looked like he’d die without a smoke. She stepped aside, making way, “Wait here a moment then, I’ll fetch them for you.”

Jing Rong nodded and followed her inside.

The shop was cramped, with only a handful of laundry workers. The overhead light was old, its dim yellow glow making one feel drowsy.

626 suddenly remarked, “Hell.”

Jing Rong asked, “What is it?”

626: “They all have red hair.”

Jing Rong lifted his gaze, taking another look at the workers inside.

Though everyone wore aprons and headscarves, careful observation revealed crimson hair ends on each person.

This was an entire room of Sin Island People.

Jing Rong wasn’t surprised: “Sin Island People face discrimination in the capital. The lower district would naturally be their only settlement.”

626 continued, “Then do you know how many people are actually in this room, my esteemed Master Executor?”

Jing Rong narrowed his eyes slightly.

His vacation hadn’t dulled the sharpness honed through campaigns across the greater world.

His gaze settled on a corner near the counter where a snow-white curtain hung, swaying gently in the night breeze.

At that moment, violent footsteps and panting suddenly erupted from the alley outside.

A red-haired child of about seven or eight came running in panic. With just one glance, Jing Rong saw her bare feet and body covered in wounds.

The moment the child entered, one laundry worker immediately stood up, shielding her and ushering her into the back room.

Not a word was spoken throughout, but Jing Rong sensed his presence as an intruding stranger had become awkward.

All eyes gathered on him, the interloper.

The atmosphere grew delicate.

Jing Rong pretended not to notice, remaining calmly seated.

After a while, the plump proprietress finally emerged from the back room holding a box of hand-rolled coarse tobacco. “My apologies, sir. This is all we have left. Please take back your gold coin – we can’t make change for this.”

Jing Rong stood, accepted the tobacco, and said, “Keep the change. My thanks.”

Seeing him prepare to leave, the gazes fixed upon him finally withdrew.

However, before Jing Rong had taken more than a few steps, several beams of flashlight suddenly pierced through the darkness.

Two soldiers clad in Royal Guard uniforms approached the counter. Spotting him, they immediately demanded in a stern tone, “Please answer truthfully—have you seen a little girl with red hair run in here?”

In that instant, an indescribable tension seemed to silently thicken in the air.

Jing Rong lowered his head to light a cigarette, his expression casual. “What’s the matter?”

“She’s an important target we’re searching for. The High-Risk Experimental Subject we’re tracking is likely being hidden by the organization behind her! Every citizen of Ork has the duty to report the whereabouts of traitors!”

The air grew still.

Jing Rong took a slow drag from his cigarette before replying, “I haven’t seen anyone like that. I just came to buy cigarettes.”

“Buy cigarettes?”

One of the officers seized on the keyword, his brow furrowing deeply. “Who are you, daring to wander the lower district at this hour? Are you unaware of the curfew?”

Jing Rong lifted his gaze.

In that moment, the officer felt as though his Mental Domain had been pierced.

An overwhelming terror seized his heart.

This pressure was pure and unadulterated, sharp as the icy winds of a frozen plain. It wasn’t even the suppression of Mental Power—it was something far more primal, as if the oppression came from another world entirely.

“Y-you… are you…”

The other officer quickly noticed the anomaly and whispered, “An… Adjudicator?”

At these words, everyone froze, especially those inside the shop. They all looked up in shock, their eyes brimming with suppressed turmoil.

“Adjudicator No. 11. Just arrived this afternoon—haven’t reported in yet.”

Jing Rong’s voice was calm. “I’ll leave after finishing this cigarette.”

“Our deepest apologies for offending an Adjudicator!” the two officers loudly apologized. “Since an Adjudicator is present, we’ll search elsewhere.”

Jing Rong offered them a sincere nod with his eyes. “Wishing you success.”

The two officers departed.

Jing Rong remained standing in the laundromat.

Everyone inside, including the owner, stared intently at him. One of the laundry workers stealthily reached for a weapon hidden in the shadows.

The tension was palpable, ready to erupt at any moment.

Jing Rong’s gaze drifted to the white curtain from earlier.

The floor of the laundromat was filthy, stained with soapy water and grime—blackened. But upon closer inspection, one could see specks of deep red scattered amidst the darkness.

At the hem of the white curtain, blood slowly dripped, drop by drop, sizzling as it met the heated air.

Only a hand’s breadth separated Jing Rong from whoever was behind the curtain.

626: “Do you think the person behind the curtain could be the SSS High-Risk Experimental Subject themselves?”

Jing Rong replied, “I believe so.”

626: “Then guess—are you at risk of being killed at any moment by this High-Risk Experimental Subject’s explosive high-energy Mental Power?”

Jing Rong remained unperturbed. “I suppose I am.”

He had traveled through countless worlds, yet never once had he been killed by a key figure in the world’s narrative.

Now, it seemed imminent.

With the situation critical, fleeing was the wisest course.

If he died here just for buying a pack of cigarettes—without even finding his target—626 would mock him for a hundred years.

Taking a deep breath, Jing Rong politely addressed the owner, “My apologies for the disturbance. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Mr. Adjudicator.”

Jing Rong stepped out of the shop when he heard the proprietress call him, as if she wanted to confirm something.

Without turning back, Jing Rong waved his hand behind him. “I’m on leave today. Thanks for the cigarette.”

The night breeze carried away the last lingering trace of tobacco.

After glancing around furtively, the people in the laundry quickly closed all doors and windows before hurriedly taking down the curtains that had been hanging.

Behind the curtains, a pale young man in shackles leaned weakly against the wall, his face covered in cold sweat.

His body was covered in wounds, and the shackles on his wrists remained unbroken.

“Get the first aid kit quickly! The leader’s injuries are severe.”

Someone immediately brought over a medical kit and knelt down to bandage the wounds of the young man being supported by others.

Seeing his injuries, the person administering first aid couldn’t help but curse.

“Those damned Adjudicators went too far!”

“It was Ryans who did this!” the little girl from earlier spoke up. “They’ve already started using Mental Pollution Weapons—they’re trying to drive us to our deaths!”

“Damn it, let’s fight them to the end!”

“David, calm down.”

A steady voice intervened.

The severely wounded young man opened his eyes.

His crimson hair was matted with blood, yet his gaze remained composed and steady. “We’re far from being finished yet.”

“I’m carrying a tracker that can’t be removed. They’ll find us soon. I’ll leave before dawn.”

The young man spoke each word with perfect clarity. “Follow the original plan and leave this city. Staying here will only make you a burden to me.”

His voice was calm yet forceful, brooking no argument.

It was precisely this composure that gave him the power to lead and command trust.

“But is it safe to leave the city now?”

Someone clearly remembered the recent visitor and began hesitating. “Leader, that Adjudicator just now… could there be a problem? Why did he just leave like that?”

“He sensed me.”

The young man said in a lowered voice.

Beads of sweat soaked his crimson hair. While hiding behind the curtains, he could clearly see Adjudicator No. 11 through the gaps.

For a moment, he had nearly lunged forward, wanting to snap the man’s neck, but ultimately held back.

That was an exceptionally handsome young man with an unfamiliar, quiet face.

Black hair, black eyes—he had been smoking while looking down at the ground.

He knew the Adjudicator had been looking at his blood.

He had never seen such a strange Adjudicator before.