Book 3, Chapter 2.2: Arcane Palace (Part Two)

“Damn it! We ran into the border patrol!” Qi Gao cursed.

Chen Chuan looked back and saw two armored patrol cars with light machine guns installed on their roofs coming toward them.

Qi Gao stopped the SUV. If they didn’t stop after the third warning, the border patrols were going to start firing at them.

Resigned, he said, “Let’s step out. We have to let them check us.”

He then opened the door and got out.

Chen Chuan did the same.

The two patrol cars stopped more than twenty meters behind them. Three patrol guards with helmets, goggles, thick combat uniforms, and submachine guns came out.

The machine guns on the patrol cars were still aimed at them.

One of the patrol guards looked at Chen Chuan. His goggles flickered. “Temporary citizen Chen Chuan, Martial Valor University student, no implants.”

He then looked at Qi Gao. “Citizen Qi Gao, agent, works at Authorization Agency. Implants are the Third Gen Camel-Type Realm Pass, auxiliary endocrine regulator, external neural interface port, and multisensory node.”

Another patrol guard aimed at them with his submachine gun and said, “We suspect you two to be related to a case of vandalism involving corporate and public property. Please come with us for an investigation.”

Qi Gao cursed. “We have yet to enter the fucking Central City. How could we have destroyed any property inside it? Are you people retarded?”

The patrol guard didn’t react because of his tone. Instead, he just said, “You fall under suspicion due to your presence at the relevant time and location. Please cooperate with us.”

Qi Gao’s expression soured. He knew just how border patrol guards worked. If they caught the perpetrators, they would release the citizens immediately. But if they couldn’t find the perpetrators, they would use Qi Gao and Chen Chuan as scapegoats. Then, they would have to pay a hefty fee to hire lawyers to defend them in court.

“I don’t want to go with you,” Chen Chuan declared.

The patrol guards in front turned their guns on him warily. The machine guns also shifted toward him.

Chen Chuan brought a card up. At the same time, he suddenly appeared just two meters away from the group.

Earlier, he had been more than eight meters away.

The first patrol guard’s goggles flickered. “The Great Shun Republic’s Class B unrestricted defense permit. Power estimate, the Third Limit.”

The patrol guards exchanged glances before lowering their guns and quietly returning to the cars. Then, they drove off, leaving behind a large cloud of smoke in the empty space where they had once been.

Chen Chuan calmly watched them leave before putting away the unrestricted defense permit and walking back to Qi Gao.

The man gulped. “Say, Chen Chuan, what... did you show them just now?”

Chen Chuan had arrived in front of the patrol guards in a flash. Even Qi Gao hadn’t managed to register it.

“The unrestricted defense permit,” Chen Chuan answered casually.

“The unrestricted defense permit?”

Qi Gao observed him. He knew about the permit. Many students in the main campus had one, but what was more important was the superhuman speed Chen Chuan had displayed.

With his speed and the unrestricted defense permit, he had blatantly told the patrol guards not to cross the line, or he wouldn’t be able to guarantee how things would progress.

Qi Gao was just an agent and didn’t know much about Martial Valor University. Prior to this, he had a hard time associating Chen Chuan with the martial artists in the university, but now, he had a feeling that he might just be the same as them.

When they returned to the SUV, respect appeared in his eyes when he looked at Chen Chuan. He became much more careful with his words and no longer spoke as casually.

They did not run into any other obstacles. While they met armored patrol cars twice more, the constables didn’t ask them to stop for an inspection.

“There are so many patrol cars around. Something must have happened,” Qi Gao mumbled. The SUV drove past two towering buildings and went up an overpass.

At this point, the sun had fully set, and the sky turned completely dark.

Once they entered the city, Chen Chuan’s bone mask shone with a colorful light. The light from the road and the protective walls also shone on the SUV. When they landed on the SUV’s body, splashes of light sprinkled into the air before landing on the road, where they blended with the flowing neon lights.

Buildings of varying heights stood on both sides of the overpass, some so close that Chen Chuan could almost touch them if he reached out. When they passed them by, it felt as if the buildings were falling on them. The ones far away stretched to the end of the horizon along with the sparkling light on the road.

The contrast in distance stirred a hollow sense of alienation within him, born from the vast, empty space around him.

An hour later, the SUV got off the overpass. After turning at an arc-shaped corner, Qi Gao motioned at the building ahead. “Look. That’s Martial Valor University’s main campus.”

Chen Chuan looked over and saw a towering building before him. A full moon hung above it. The building was octagonal. At the top of the building were upturned eaves. Its arched bridges and surrounding corridors stood among ribbons of light and clouds. Suspended yellow lights floated around the building and rose gently into the sky.

Qi Gao gave him a look. “Beautiful, isn’t it? This place is officially known as the Arcane Palace.”