Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 501 - 499: Clumsy Tactics

As he was handling his documentation and registering his information, some gazes were already retracting from him.

His arrival, after all, had garnered the attention of many powers.

Imperial officials, the Inspection Department, and the Imperial Family all shifted their focus onto Lu Luo.

As for the Imperial families...

Sorry, the large Imperial families had been mostly crushed by the Imperial Family.

After witnessing Lu Luo’s performance, some nodded in approval, while others secretly shook their heads.

"Even with a certain level of power, he remains courteous towards ordinary people and lower-tier Transcendents. He also seems to follow the rules. Even for something as simple as processing identification, he does as required. From the current situation, Lu Luo ought to be classified as a law-abiding individual. He likes to work within a set of rules, and the freedom under those rules probably makes him feel comfortable."

"That’s not necessarily the case; maybe it’s fear of the Imperial Capital that makes him act this way. He might be acting cautiously because he doesn’t understand the power of the Imperial Capital well enough, so he hasn’t acted recklessly."

"What you say is only a possibility, but it is more likely that he’s law-abiding. And regardless, the fact that he didn’t choose a rash action at this time makes him stronger than many at the Seventh Tier."

"That’s true. Many who just broke through to the Seventh Tier feel as though they are no longer human, but a different species altogether. That kind of arrogance is truly nauseating!"

"Heh, let’s give this Lu Luo a good rating for now. The next steps will depend on what the Inspection Department arranges."

"Yes!"

The conversation between two elders was taking place somewhere in the Imperial Capital.

Some other forces and organizations also gave Lu Luo similar evaluations.

Orderly, stable, and at least under non-specific circumstances, he showed no signs of rashness.

This allowed many people to consider opportunities for manipulation, as well as space to operate.

For instance, if Lu Luo’s character was rather weak, then couldn’t they make arrangements for him?

A Seventh Tier Transcendent who could be controlled, and a very young one at that, was indeed interesting!

This idea took root in many people’s minds!

...

"Alright, Officer, I have finished registering."

The soldier glanced at Lu Luo’s form, then nodded and allowed him to pass.

"You may go."

"Thank you," Lu Luo said with a polite nod.

However, even this level of politeness led many to label Lu Luo.

And... soon some tests would come.

Many Observers, at least over twenty, and these individuals likely all belong to different camps.

"I know. There’s no need to bother with these guys. Now that I’m in the Imperial Capital, my movements will definitely be under constant surveillance and reported. I can’t kill these people, so it’s better to stay honest. If I’m not wrong, it shouldn’t take long for someone from the Empire to come and make arrangements for me."

Lu Luo was very confident in his guess because he was very familiar with bureaucracy. In his previous life, he had many interactions with such power structures. He was much more familiar with them than with the deformed Constitution of the Wasteland Alliance.

"Hey, wait a second."

As expected, Lu Luo had barely walked a few steps when a group of men in black stopped him.

"Is there a problem?" Lu Luo still maintained vigilance and politeness, which, to the few members of the Inspection Department present, undoubtedly seemed somewhat timid.

Moreover, they were from the Imperial Capital’s Inspection Department, and deep in their bones, they felt superior to others.

Even though they knew Lu Luo was a Seventh Tier, his behavior at this moment still aroused their innate arrogance.

"We are members of the Inspection Department. You are Lu Luo, right?"

Isn’t this just stating the obvious? It’s clear they would have identified you immediately upon your arrival.

It was nothing more than a show of force. Lu Luo didn’t care, and even if he did have emotions, he wasn’t planning to reveal them at this time.

"I am Lu Luo. Gentlemen, what can I do for you?"

"Indeed, there is a matter. Come with us. As for what it is, you don’t need to know."

To take arrogance to its extreme was, in truth, a form of foolishness. To Lu Luo, the people before him seemed very foolish; they must have been used by someone else as pawns.

So they don’t see a Seventh Tier as a big deal anymore, huh!

And he wasn’t just any ordinary Seventh Tier.

But this was a public area in the city district; he couldn’t make a scene here.

"Is that so? If you are here to investigate me, may I ask if you have an order?"

"An order? Does the Inspection Department need such a thing to carry out our duties? We are here to take you now. I’m just asking, yes or no, one word."

As this person spoke, the other members of the Inspection Department had already surrounded him.

Their strength was indeed good; the leader was a Soxth Tier, and the others were all Fifth Tier.

This level of power was a notch above the local Inspection Departments.

After all, there is a vast gulf between the Fifth Tier and the Fourth Tier—the difference between one with a Domain and an ordinary level.

However, Lu Luo had no intention of fighting back. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded to the leading member of the Inspection Department team.

"I can go with you, but I also hope that you can abide by the rules during the process of taking me away."

Lu Luo spoke clearly, believing that these people must have something like listening devices or similar items like law enforcement recorders on them. So, by clarifying the preliminary conditions now, there would be less trouble if there was a need to get physical later. He preferred to follow procedures.

"Why all the nonsense? It’s uncertain if a fellow like you can even come out."

"I see!"

Lu Luo nodded, now certain of one thing: someone wanted to put him in his place.

But lacking intelligence, he also did not know the factional system of the Imperial Capital. He knew nothing about the local powers, so he had no idea whom he might have offended. Or maybe he hadn’t, and someone just wanted to curb his edge.

At that moment, one of the Inspection Department members was about to grab Lu Luo’s hair, leaving him puzzled.

"Hey, even if you need to take me away, there’s no need to grab my hair, right?"

"The Inspection Department is handling this. Why ask so many questions? We are going to put a blindfold on you now; surely, you don’t think the place you’re going to can be entered or exited at will, do you?"

Lu Luo nodded again, rational but not convinced. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Alright, let’s do as you say then."

"Put on his blindfold. Oh, and the earplugs too; these people are strong enough, soundproofing is necessary."

This Inspection Department member put the earplugs and blindfold on Lu Luo.

These two items were specialized equipment, exceptionally effective at isolation.

Without the aid of the Observer, Lu Luo indeed could not see anything and could hardly hear a sound.

Clearly, these two items were specially designed by the Imperial Inspection Department for important criminals, and unexpectedly, they were being used on him.

"Quite the special items."

"Go."

The man pushed him, and Lu Luo could feel that he was getting into a car. The engine then started, and the group left under the gaze of passersby.

"Scan!" Lu Luo mentally commanded.

The Observer immediately activated and began scanning the surroundings.

They were heading west, where the flow of people was diminishing. It was possible that their destination was a secret base of the Inspection Department.

Lu Luo observed silently, recording everything in his memory, striving to familiarize himself with the terrain.

Although the Observer also had recording capabilities, relying on it was much different than relying on one’s own memory.

Soon, the vehicle stopped in front of a tightly-guarded military fortress.

The guards checked the vehicle and Lu Luo. After verifying that there were no issues, they raised the gate and allowed them to pass.

"Go in, it’s all clear now."

"Good, this time we’ll give him a proper treatment."

These Inspection Department members let out some unsettling, awkward chuckles, leaving Lu Luo somewhat puzzled by their intentions.

Brokeback Mountain? Lu Luo thought. That’s rather disgusting.

But once out of public sight, he didn’t need to hold back as much.

He had come to the Imperial Capital well-prepared for this visit.

In such a lawless place, he didn’t need to worry too much.

If it came down to it, he’d start a devastating crisis – an artificial intelligence catastrophe!

The Inspection Department’s Imperial Capital base, huh? The equipment here is pretty impressive!

Blindfolded and with earplugs, Lu Luo followed the group through layers of obstacles to a room resembling an interrogation chamber.

The air in this place was foul-smelling, a mixture of mold, decay, and a hint of blood.

Even without using the Observer, Lu Luo could tell that many had died here.

The reek of blood was too strong; being brought here was definitely suspicious!

WHOOSH!

One of the men snatched off Lu Luo’s blindfold and pulled out his earplugs.

Then, the seated Inspection Department members began the second round of questioning, starting with a simple demand:

"Name?"

"Hmm? I thought I already told you. Didn’t you confirm this before fetching me?"

"Just answer when asked! Why all the talk? Do you think you’re something special?"

"I don’t consider myself to be that special, but as a Seventh Tier, I should be stronger than you lot, right?"

Upon Lu Luo’s declaration of being Seventh Tier, the faces of the men changed slightly, but then they quickly regained their composure.

"You don’t think Seventh Tier is anything great, do you? You can ask around and find out what the strength of our Imperial Inspection Department signifies. A Seventh Tier in the Imperial Capital is just one of the stronger ones, nothing more. There are many stronger than Seventh Tier. As a suspect arriving in the Imperial Capital, you should behave like one. Don’t look for trouble for yourself, and don’t bring trouble to your family! Understand?"

The man’s voice was irritating, his threats insignificant.

However, when he mentioned Lu Luo’s family, the temperature in the interrogation room plummeted!

The pen in the man’s hand suddenly stopped writing. He frowned slightly, shook the pen, and realized that the ink from the pen’s tip had frozen.

Only then did everyone notice that the temperature in the room had indeed dropped significantly.

This was not malice or illusion, but a display of real power!

"Did you cause this?"

Lu Luo didn’t answer. He simply tilted his head up slightly, appearing somewhat defiant.

"It would be best for your superiors to come and speak with me. To do such foolish things at this time must have been arranged by someone else, right? If your superiors haven’t chosen the wrong side and aren’t particularly foolish, they shouldn’t be treating me like this."

"What did you say?"

The member who had brought Lu Luo here flew into a humiliated rage upon hearing his words.

He kicked towards Lu Luo’s waist with a heavy and powerful blow—a Soxth Tier attack.

But Lu Luo didn’t even bother to dodge; he just turned his head slightly and calmly watched the other man.

BANG!

The kick landed, and the powerful force and vibration made the entire room tremble.

Yet, Lu Luo still stood there, his body not showing even the slightest ripple of movement.

The attack from the Soxth Tier expert was just taken head-on by him, standing still.

Your Constitution has reduced some of the damage. Your ’Unbeliever’ status has made you immune to this attack.

Lu Luo’s expression remained indifferent, a departure from his previous politeness and calm.

The reason he hadn’t struck back yet was simply due to his unfamiliarity with the Imperial forces. He was unaware of the Empire’s true power and the people behind the Inspection Department.

He knew the Empire was strong, with numerous Eighth Order and even War God-level powerhouses.

Those powerhouses could even hold their own against an Angel Envoy.

Therefore, he always maintained a sense of awe towards the Imperial Capital, but such tolerance always had its limits.

He felt that the Empire should not be so petty. Perhaps, something unknown to him had happened during this period.

"What are you going to do?" These people were sensing something off about the atmosphere.

Arrogant and domineering as they were, they still cherished their lives.

If Lu Luo was truly driven to retaliate at this moment, this group of people might not be enough for Lu Luo to kill.

"What am I going to do? Don’t you find it laughable to ask this question? From my arrival in the Imperial Capital to this place, I’ve always been reactive. Shouldn’t I be the one asking you guys this question? You brought me here. What exactly do you want to do? Give me an answer!"

The man holding the pen seemed to sense something amiss and had just prepared to leave when Lu Luo suddenly flashed in front of him with a teleport.

The door was firmly held shut, and the man with the pen was now held in Lu Luo’s grasp.

"Put down Mr. Wu!"

Lu Luo gave a smile. At this point, he could basically confirm that these people were acting on their own.

If this Mr. Wu were their colleague, they would likely address him as Captain Wu or something similar. Not Mr. Wu. This was clearly a term of respect.

So someone from outside had arranged this, right?

"So your surname is Wu? Hmm, it seems you are not from this system. Who sent you here?"

"URGH! URGH!" The man known as Mr. Wu wriggled his legs, clearly unwilling to answer Lu Luo’s question.

While struggling, he glanced towards the other Inspection Department members, seemingly hopeful that they would come to his rescue.

But Lu Luo’s presence was simply too intimidating.

Right now, he was far stronger than the average Seventh Tier. Such oppressive force placed upon Fifth and Soxth Tier Transcendents amounted to absolute suppression.

If they didn’t want to die, they wouldn’t dare move forward.