Hearing their words, I quickly realized that my tour of the city might end with me in police custody. I had planned to have a night out with my disciple, yet here I was, arrested at noon. I glanced at my watch; it was 2 PM.
The system said, "It's normal, Host. Don't be discouraged. Most boys' night out plans end with them in lockup. You just got arrested before the night even started."
I sighed. The situation had taken a turn for the worse. The best course of action was to comply with the police. I raised my hands, and so did Lu Xiaoran and Roman. Some people in the crowd behind me also raised their hands, but I ignored them for the moment and cooperated with the police. Soon, a police officer approached me with three high-tech handcuffs that had unknown runes carved on them, giving them a mystical look. He placed the cuffs on my wrists before doing the same for Lu Xiaoran and Roman.
Now that I was handcuffed, I could feel the uniqueness of these cuffs. They had a mechanism that prevented the wearer from using spiritual energy. They felt sturdy enough to contain someone at the Golden Core stage, though I couldn't be sure. Golden Core cultivators typically have methods to break devices like this. As a Void Traveling Realm expert skilled in both mage and body paths, I could easily break these cuffs, but I chose not to. I wanted to keep a low profile, so I even concealed my cultivation aura. Anyone trying to assess me would see me as a Golden Core realm expert. I used telepathy to instruct my disciples to do the same. Now, Lu Xiaoran and Roman would appear as middle and peak stage Foundation Establishment realm cultivators. As for their other powers, they remained hidden. I employed the Maya Manifestation technique for the first time, though I used it partially since I still didn't fully understand it; I was essentially a beginner.
The officers started taking us into custody. Some people in the crowd expressed their dissatisfaction and argued with the police, but the officers ignored them. Even when a man who looked like a lawyer tried to make a statement in our favor, the police simply told him to come to the station to register his statement. While I'm not a law student, I knew the police were supposed to register eyewitness statements in such cases. Yet, they completely ignored it. This seemed like a corrupt police department. I had previously encountered a police officer who was secretly a gangster, and now this. I felt the need to visit their higher-ups.
We quietly followed the police as they took us to an exit lift, bringing us to the ground floor. All the while, two police officers kept their guns pointed at us. I felt like a wanted criminal, but I had no way to prove my innocence.
The system chimed in, "Host, you are actually wanted for causing chaos in this city while driving a tank at 200 km/h."
I replied, "System, that's not something I did willingly. I just got caught up in the fun."
The system shot back, "Every cold-blooded criminal says that."
I sighed and didn't respond. I had more important things to deal with. When we reached the ground floor, I saw numerous police cars and backup units. They must have been on standby in case of an emergency. If not for their corruption, the police here were quite impressive. I hoped not all of them were corrupt.
While I mulled this over, I followed the officer, who led us to an armored vehicle that appeared to hover off the ground. I didn't know whether they used magnetic or anti-gravity technology to make this vehicle float, but I made a note to ask someone about it later.
Once inside the vehicle, we found a spacious area with seats on either side. After we settled in, a police officer closed the door, and we realized we were alone. The interior felt more like a high-security vault than a police van. Though the view was obscured, I could see through my powers that this vehicle began to drive while police cars followed behind us, even Lin Chen was there in a luxury hover car that resembled a Rolls Royce. Soon, we arrived at the police station. I recognized it as the governor's district station, the very place I breached that morning. The world is indeed small. I noticed some workers fixing a broken wall outside the station.
Once we arrived, we were taken to a cell that looked like a typical prison cell with bunk beds on either side and a simple toilet. However, there were no bars; it was completely open. My doubts were cleared when, after we all entered the cell, a police officer pressed something on his device, and electric field bars appeared, enclosing us. This seemed pretty cool. I decided to ask the officer about our charges, and he informed me that they hadn't been decided yet, but they were considering something related to attempted murder. He didn't mention any evidence against us. Then he asked if I knew a good lawyer.
I thought for a moment. I didn't know any lawyers. The only person I had met was the self-proclaimed lawyer from the tower, but I didn't know his name or how to contact him. I doubted he would help us, so I shook my head. Just then, an older police officer walked in. As soon as he arrived, the younger officer saluted him, saying, "Good Afternoon, Vice-Chief." The vice-chief nodded and ordered that we be released.
The young officer followed his order, and once we were free, the vice-chief apologized for the inconvenience. He explained that our lawyer had cleared all charges against us and provided evidence from eyewitnesses and cameras on the tower to prove our innocence. He said my lawyer was waiting for me in the reception room.
Confusion washed over me. Did that lawyer really come to bail me out? Was he some kind of big shot? Was I unintentionally aiding someone important? If that were true, there must be a heroine associated with him who would thank us for our help. Finally, my time as a protagonist had come.
The system interrupted, "Host, don't start daydreaming. There could be something else."
I heeded the system's advice. Soon, we arrived at the reception, where I saw an older gentleman waiting for us. He had short gray hair, a clean face, and hazy gray eyes similar to his hair. He wore a typical lawyer's suit with a hat, resembling someone from the Victorian era.
Noticing me, he bowed and introduced himself. "Hello, Master Vik. My name is Winston. My lady asked me to bail you out. She is also waiting outside to meet you. Please follow me, along with your disciples."
His words made me think that maybe my initial assumption was correct. I glanced at my disciples but saw no signs of confusion. They likely thought this was all my plan. I hid my surprise from them and decided to follow Winston. If a dangerous situation arose, I would unleash my full power and escape with my disciples.
With newfound confidence, we followed him to the parking area, where I spotted a limousine painted in gold and white, resembling a royal car. It was unlike anything I had seen, even in my old world. Winston kindly opened the door, inviting us inside. As soon as I entered with my disciples, I saw someone familiar seated across from me, looking at me with a predatory gaze. It was Louriel. As soon as our eyes met, she said,
"Finally, you came back to me, my beast.