Twist Off the Dog's Head

Nimrod arrived at the center of the Khanty-Mansi Dome with his two subordinates, where two guards clutching their weapons stood before a three-story gray building.

"Are you Nimrod?"

"That is correct."

Upon hearing this, the two guards cast wary glances at the laser rifle slung behind his back.

"You may only enter alone, and you are not permitted to carry any weapons."

Nimrod complied, removing his laser rifle and chainsword to hand them over to his subordinates.

The two guards breathed a sigh of relief, and the one standing on the left spoke up.

"Lord Dimitrov is waiting for you in the Arbitration Hall on the third floor."

Everyone they passed along the way stared at the boy in astonishment.

"Is he the one who killed Vulture?"

"Vulture must have been drunk to have been killed by a kid like this."

"I heard his marksmanship is incredibly precise, even better than the guards beside King Boleslaw; he hits the enemy in the eye with every shot."

"..."

Nimrod heard the hushed whispers of the crowd clearly, but he walked to the third floor with calm composure.

The entire third floor, spanning over four hundred square meters, was occupied by the Judgment Hall; after the two guards at the entrance verified he was unarmed, they let him inside.

Nimrod walked into the Judgment Hall to find a figure standing by the window with his back turned, wearing a gray uniform with his left arm replaced by a steel prosthetic.

"Woof, woof..."

The Chem-Dog, raised on chemical stimulants, stood as tall as an adult and was as broad as a tiger.

The Chem-Dog darted swiftly toward Nimrod, its green pupils locked onto his dark eyes, and it licked its long tongue toward his face, the thick, pungent odor reaching even outside the door.

"Yogane, come back!"

Dimitrov turned his head, and the large dog turned around to return to its master's side, wagging its tail.

The Arbiter stroked the beast's fur and looked at Nimrod.

"I heard the one who killed Vulture was a boy, but I thought it was just an exaggeration; I didn't expect you to be even younger than I imagined."

"Yogane, don't frighten the child."

Dimitrov emphasized the word "child" with deliberate intent.

"There is a saying on Old Terra: 'Heroes are not measured by their youth.'"

"If your dog doesn't know how to behave, I don't mind teaching him a lesson, such as tearing off his head."

Dimitrov narrowed his eyes, scanning the boy from head to toe, and upon confirming he carried no weapons, a confident smile appeared on his face.

He had been raising Yogane since he first became an Arbiter, adding many strengthening stimulants to the traditional Vostonia formula.

No matter how vicious a Hive criminal might be, once targeted by the Chem-Dog, they would be torn to shreds.

If Nimrod had a gun in his hand, he might have felt some apprehension, but an unarmed boy was nothing more than prey to be slaughtered.

Of course, it would be a pity for such an excellent boy to die.

"This beast does indeed need a lesson; if you can tear off his head, I certainly won't blame you."

"But if you are pinned down by him, it simply means you are too young and need training, and you will have to stay by my side to learn."

With that, he patted the Chem-Dog on the head, and the beast immediately leaped high into the air as if driven mad, pouncing toward Nimrod.

Nimrod kept his black eyes fixed on the Chem-Dog, peering through the thick brown fur to spot its throat, which was slightly yellowed—a telltale sign of Yogane's habits.

After consuming chemical stimulants, the Chem-Dog liked to hold them in its mouth for a moment; years of erosion had made its already fragile throat a weak point, though it was usually hidden by its dense fur.

When enemies faced it, they were often intimidated by its massive frame and choked by the pungent chemical stench.

The Primarch shifted slightly to the side, and the Chem-Dog missed its mark, slamming headfirst into the ground.

Nimrod clamped his arms around the Chem-Dog's neck, catching it exactly at the yellowed line, and squeezed his legs tightly around the beast.

With a sharp "crack," the Arbiter watched in shock as the boy snapped the Chem-Dog's neck.

Dimitrov stared at the boy in astonishment, as if looking at a humanoid beast; he could not believe someone could snap a Chem-Dog's neck with their bare hands.

"I will be taking this dog head with me."

Nimrod only needed the tongue, but he took the entire head to conceal the most vital alchemical ingredient for the "Lawyer."

"Hmm..." The Arbiter stared at the blood-stained carcass. "Foundry D-46 is yours; keep everything as it is."

"Fine."

Nimrod turned and left immediately; he felt no killing intent from Dimitrov, and he did not wish to challenge the old order of the Khanty-Mansi Dome just yet.

After stepping out of the Judgment Hall, he pulled out a rope he had prepared in advance, tied up the dog head, and slung it across his shoulder.

People along the way who recognized the Arbiter's Chem-Dog stared at the boy in shock.

Nimrod walked up to his subordinates. "Take me to the Hive Giant Rat."

"Yes, Boss."

A moment later, the two subordinates led him to a long, narrow passage.

"Boss, this passage is the largest Hive Giant Rat settlement among the hundreds surrounding the Khanty-Mansi Dome."

"Let's go."

"Boss, just the three of us? Should we go back and call for more of your men?"

The subordinate with a gray rat head tattooed on his left arm asked in surprise.

"Boss, you don't know, there are thousands of Hive Giant Rats in this passage. Even though your marksmanship is godlike, you can't hold back a tidal wave of rats."

"I have my own methods," Nimrod looked at the two, "Do you want to eat rat meat, or just the skin?"

The two looked at Nimrod, who held his sword in hand, their eyes full of doubt. Even if the Boss's swordsmanship was as excellent as his marksmanship, the Boss hadn't fully grown yet, and every Hive Giant Rat was larger than him.

Furthermore, those Hive Giant Rats were fast, their teeth could bite through steel plates, and most terrifying of all was their sheer number. In a place like this passage, they could drown the three of them in an instant.

If they had a choice, the two naturally wouldn't want to go, but they dared not refuse.

Nimrod killed without blinking, one shot per person; they had both seen it.

The two exchanged a glance, immediately reading the bitterness in each other's eyes, and spoke in unison.

"Boss, we'll go with you."

The two followed behind Nimrod into the dim passage, which was ten people wide, and immediately saw the Boss activate his chainsword.

The roaring sound was exceptionally piercing in the passage.

The passage began to tremble, the squeaking sounds made their scalps tingle, and countless scarlet eyes made their legs tremble.

The two didn't have time to stop him, and it was too late to run; they sighed inwardly.

We're dead for sure this time. We thought we were following a strong man, but it turns out he's just an arrogant kid.

Just then, Nimrod moved.

Every time he swung his blade, he killed a Hive Giant Rat.

The two men's eyes gradually adjusted to the dim environment, and they widened their eyes; the boy in front was like a ruthless killing machine.

Suddenly, they saw a Hive Giant Rat nearly two meters long pounce at Nimrod from above the passage.

"Boss, look out!"

Nimrod's movements were faster than their warning; he leaped to the side, dodging the ambush from above and the frontal pounce of another rat.

The two Hive Giant Rats collided. The ambushing rat let out a cry, and the other, smaller rat immediately froze, only to be bitten to death by the larger one.

Just as it tried to lift its head, Nimrod arrived at its side and kicked it in the head.

The Hive Giant Rat was instantly knocked unconscious, and all the other Hive Giant Rats stopped in their tracks before turning to flee.

The subordinate with the rat head tattoo slapped his forehead.

"Boss, you caught the Rat King; the swarm was scared off by you."

Nimrod slung his chainsword onto his back, "You two, each carry two Hive Giant Rats back; I'll reward you with meat."

"Thank you, Boss! The Boss is brilliant and mighty."

"The Boss is truly the King of the Underhive."

The two scrambled to flatter their Boss, now realizing that following him meant a bright future.

Nimrod hoisted the unconscious Hive Giant Rat onto his shoulder, "Let's go."

The two each carried a Hive Giant Rat about a meter long. Rodents were relatively light, each weighing only about thirty kilograms, so for men who lived on the edge of a blade, sixty kilograms was only slightly strenuous.

Nimrod did not return to the Foundry immediately; he first traded a one-meter-long Hive Giant Rat for 2000 milliliters each of black, gray, yellow, and green Helas Volt.

He only needed the black Helas Volt; trading for the other four was merely to disguise his potion ingredients.

Once I get back to the Foundry and pull a strand of Wire Grass, the potion ingredients will be complete.