"Silence."
After killing the leopard-man, Ji Fuyou's mind became more peaceful than ever before.
Fog swirled around him; darkness enveloped everything.
It could have easily passed for the set of a horror film.
But he no longer felt the slightest fear.
Looking at his torn palm, smelling the metallic scent of blood—whether it was his or the leopard-man's—he actually felt a strange sense of tranquility.
At that moment, Ji Fuyou seemed to notice something.
He bent down, ignoring the blood, and searched the body of the leopard-man whose skull had been pierced.
Soon, he dug out an irregular crystal about a centimeter in diameter from inside the leopard-man's head.
Before he could clearly see what the crystal looked like, it came into contact with the wound and blood on his palm—and instantly melted, transforming into a strange energy that flowed into his body.
Ji Fuyou was startled and quickly tried to shake his arm.
But it was already too late.
The energy entered his body, and he could clearly feel his temperature rising—as though he had a fever.
"What is this!?"
He stared at his palm.
Just then, a sharp voice echoed from within the mist.
"Drop the source crystal!"
A dark figure suddenly lunged out the next moment.
A fierce gust of wind swept toward him!
His instincts, honed through hundreds of deaths in dreams, kicked in. He jumped up instantly, standing straight. In one swift motion, his legs and waist channeled power into his arms, springing his body like a loaded spring as he swung the crowbar in his hands straight at the direction the wind was coming from.
Ruthless!
Decisive!
No hesitation!
No matter what emerged from the fog— Kill it!
Bang!
At that moment, the searing energy inside Ji Fuyou seemed to find a direction to explode in. It surged into his arm, and his strike was so powerful it sounded like it tore through the air.
"Damn!"
A figure lunging out of the fog with a flying kick felt the explosive power in Ji Fuyou's crowbar—so strong it could shatter stone—and cursed.
The attacker twisted his body quickly, blocking with an arm covered in a metallic sheen.
Clang!
A loud impact rang out!
The crowbar smashed into the metal surface, creating visible sparks.
Though the figure managed to block the blow, the sheer force of the strike sent his roughly 70-80kg frame flying sideways through the air.
Only then did Ji Fuyou see it clearly—what blocked his attack was a sword.
A sharpened sword…
A sword meant to kill.
Kill!?
Ji Fuyou's pupils shrank. His body entered a reactive state. The fiery energy within him surged again. Without a pause after sending the figure flying, he leapt forward once more.
Crowbar raised high, he aimed at the off-balance figure's head and struck with all his might.
"Stop!"
Another harsh voice suddenly came from the side.
In that moment, Ji Fuyou felt a terrifying chill explode deep in his heart.
An indescribable fear spread through him like venomous snakes, freezing his entire body as if he had fallen into an ice pit. He was paralyzed—unable to move, as though gripped by a nightmare.
This feeling…
Again this damn feeling!
The fear of being unable to move, the fear of failure, of cowardice—
Fear!?
What exactly are you afraid of!?
Death!?
If I could conquer fear and overcome death once—
Then I can do it again!
"Move! MOVE!"
The fire in Ji Fuyou's heart burned hotter than his feverish body.
Deep in his consciousness, a flame of defiance and unwillingness ignited with a roar!
"MOVE!"
As his spirit ignited, the ice-cold paralysis shattered instantly.
He regained control of his body and moved again.
The raised crowbar came down violently.
"A mental variant!?"
From within the fog came a shocked, pained exclamation.
But…
That didn't slow Ji Fuyou down at all.
However, the earlier shock had caused a slight delay. He missed the perfect moment for a killing blow. The figure, knocked back earlier, scrambled away and managed to escape his attack range.
The crowbar smashed into the ground, sending dirt flying.
The force was powerful enough to shatter a human skull.
He meant to kill.
Without question, his attack was meant to be lethal!
"Stop! We're government contractors—not enemies!"
A pained shout came from the fog again.
Moments later, a man in his thirties quickly stepped forward.
Ji Fuyou stopped.
Not because he suddenly believed the man.
But because…
He had a gun.
Though it wasn't aimed at Ji Fuyou, the natural caution of civilians toward firearms made him pause.
The figure who had been attacked ran to the man's side, both frightened and furious. "Brother Pei, he tried to kill me! Just now, he tried to—"
Before he could finish, the man silenced him with a cold glare.
Ji Fuyou now got a clear look at him: a young man, probably around twenty, wearing a jacket, with bleached yellow hair—looking like a thug or some flashy internet celebrity.
"Brother, this is a misunderstanding."
The older man quickly said, "I'm Pei Zhaoye, a team leader from the Armed Division of Star Shield Group. We're contracted by the government to deal with beastmen in Mount Fulong."
He glanced at the leopard-man's corpse beside Ji Fuyou. "Like the one you killed."
Star Shield Group.
One of the big corporations in Xingguang City.
Since federal employees are expensive to compensate if injured, the government often outsources dangerous work to private firms.
These two clearly belonged to that category.
"Beastmen?"
Ji Fuyou never took his eyes off him. "Where did they come from?"
"The official explanation is: failed biolab experiments," Pei Zhaoye replied.
Then he paused. "Internally, the truth is a bit different. If you're interested, we can talk more privately."
The younger man shot Ji Fuyou a glare, still frustrated.
Ji Fuyou ignored him and asked again, "What is a source crystal?"
"A rare resource."
Pei Zhaoye looked at Ji Fuyou with a hint of envy. "Only a few beastmen or monsters carry it. As for its effects—you've already felt it."
"Enhancing the body?" Ji Fuyou said.
He could feel how the crystal's energy had improved his strength, stamina, and reflexes.
"Exactly."
Pei Zhaoye nodded.
"Then…"
Ji Fuyou stared at him. "What's a mental variant?"
Pei Zhaoye looked into Ji Fuyou's eyes, admiration gleaming in his own. "Some people are born with heightened perception. They can sense things others can't—like criminal investigators. When subjected to extreme stress and push past their limits, they might undergo a mental mutation."
He said with some emotion, "Every mental variant is a naturally gifted psychic!"
"A psychic?"
"Someone who can harness mental energy. For example, hypnotists can be considered Tier 1 psychics, though they use only basic techniques. The more advanced ones…"
Pei Zhaoye paused. "Like what I just did—mentally overwhelming you—that's a technique used by Tier 3 psychics."
"Tier 3…"
"Source crystals from monsters or beastmen come in different colors and effects. Most strengthen the body. A rare few…"
He tapped his temple. "Enhance the mind."
He didn't say more than that.
Ji Fuyou nodded.
"That's enough."
The question-and-answer session between him and Pei Zhaoye was, in effect, an unspoken apology.
"This beastman's body—can we buy it from you?"
Pei Zhaoye smiled. "You earned it. I'll pay 100,000."
"100,000?"
"Yes."
Ji Fuyou glanced at the corpse.
This thing…
Could be killed with a gun, and it's worth 100,000?
"Okay."
He agreed.
"No signal right now—give me a number, I'll transfer it when we get off the mountain…"
Pei Zhaoye paused, then seemed to realize it might seem like a trick. He took off his watch: "Piaget New Century Tactical Watch. Stylish and practical. Market value 130,000. Considering depreciation, call it 100,000. Deal?"
Ji Fuyou didn't know watches.
But he had heard of Piaget, a world-class brand.
"Deal."
"Good."
Pei Zhaoye handed over the watch and a business card. "If you want to know more, or if you're interested in psychic abilities, contact me."
Ji Fuyou accepted them.
Pei Zhaoye then expertly wrapped the leopard-man's corpse in a body bag.
Very practiced hands.
"Best keep tonight's incident quiet," Pei Zhaoye said. "No need to scare the public… though honestly, the fog zone doesn't leave evidence. No one would believe it anyway."
Lifting the over-100kg corpse with ease, he and the younger man turned and left.
Ji Fuyou watched them vanish into the mist, still on guard.
Only after a full minute passed did he finally lower his crowbar and stride away.