Chapter 318: Tartarus Penitentiary

The armored caravan moved rapidly through the city streets, flanked by hovering police choppers and dozens of escorts. All major avenues were completely blocked off to ensure the convoy’s secure transit. They were heading directly to the Tartarus Penitentiary, Blue York’s most secure, heavily fortified prison designed exclusively for Awakened criminals.

Solomon had officially been classified as a high-value terrorist with a boss-level threat rating.

The reinforced transport vans drove through the prison gates and rolled directly onto a massive, industrial cargo elevator. The lift descended for what felt like an eternity, plunging deep underground until it finally reached the absolute lowest, most secure level of the penitentiary.

They then turned into different paths and scattered around. Each van contained suspects who were arrested just like Solomon, and they were soon to be interrogated.

The vans rolled to a halt in the center of a heavily fortified staging area. Everyone piled out. The city’s most elite tactical teams instantly surrounded the vehicle, raising their weapons and forming an impenetrable perimeter.

One heavily armored officer stepped forward and unlatched the heavy steel doors of the van, swinging them wide open while the rest of the squad kept their rifles aimed squarely at the dark interior.

Solomon was still bound by the rune-etched titanium bracers and magnetic tethers. It was highly unlikely that anyone could utilize their powers or innate talents while subdued by that gear. However, in incredibly rare cases where a criminal possessed a talent far surpassing the suppression threshold, the authorities had to remain extremely cautious.

"Step out of the vehicle slowly!" the squad leader ordered, his voice echoing in the cavernous basement. "Keep your hands where we can see them!"

They waited, but nothing happened. Solomon didn’t come out.

An officer aimed a high-powered tactical flashlight into the dark interior of the van. The bright beam illuminated the suspect.

Solomon was slumped comfortably against the metal wall, sleeping peacefully.

The elite officers looked at each other in sheer confusion. They simply could not believe it.

"He could just be pretending," the squad leader warned, keeping his rifle raised. "Do not let your guard down. Alpha Two, Bravo Six, move in and confirm his status."

Two heavily armored officers cautiously approached the van. They stepped inside, performed a quick physical check, and confirmed the suspect was indeed alive, breathing steadily, and asleep.

The teams slowly lowered their weapons, collective sighs of relief echoing across the staging area. The squad leader tapped his radio, calling for a specialized Awakened transport unit whose sole expertise lay in safely moving high-level, unpredictable targets.

The specialized unit arrived a few moments later. A telekinetic officer raised his glowing hands, effortlessly levitating Solomon’s sleeping body out of the van. The elite teams surrounded the floating teenager from all sides, marching in a tight, protective formation as the telekinetic officer guided Solomon’s body down the sterile, reinforced corridors.

After passing through several heavy blast doors, biometric checkpoints, and magical scanners, they finally moved Solomon into a specialized containment chamber.

The room was entirely enveloped in suppression fields, guaranteeing no one could channel aura or cast spells within its walls. Automated magical turrets and heavy containment gadgets were mounted directly onto the ceiling and walls, primed to subdue the occupant at the first sign of danger.

They placed Solomon into a bolted steel chair in the center of the room, keeping his wrists and ankles securely bound in the titanium restraints. The officers then exited the chamber, locking the doors behind them, and placed the suspect under strict, continuous observation through the reinforced glass.

Even after being levitated, dragged, and strapped into a steel chair, Solomon hadn’t woken up at all. He continued to snore quietly.

The teams remained on high alert, waiting patiently for the specialized interrogation unit to arrive so they could finally question the boy. No normal officer could make a boss level threat confess to his crimes.

Meanwhile, high above the prison, Police Commissioner Vane sat in his plush office at the precinct headquarters, monitoring the chaotic situation unfolding across the city. He gathered his files, preparing to head down to the basement observation rooms where he could watch the upcoming interrogation live.

Just then, a sharp knock echoed from his door.

"Come in," Vane called out.

The door opened, and Deputy Chief Valerina stepped into the office. She was the same commander who had secured the Good Life Financial Company crime scene earlier that morning. She kept her dark sunglasses tucked into her uniform collar, her expression entirely professional.

"Commissioner," Valerina reported, standing near the doorway. "The interrogation team has officially arrived at Tartarus. They are currently gearing up and preparing to enter the containment chamber."

Commissioner Vane stood up from his mahogany desk and grabbed his coat. "Excellent. Let us head down there."

As they walked together down the bustling precinct corridors, Vane glanced at his deputy. "Are the suspects’ profiles fully compiled? Do we know exactly who we are dealing with?"

Valerina nodded, handing a glowing digital tablet over to the Commissioner.

"We have arrested twenty-one suspects. Three among them are unregistered awakened. Five among them are B-Rank adventurers and seven are C-rank, and they claim they are from the guilds in the guild avenue. Four of them are A-Rank adventurers, and they claim they were there for employment. One is S-rank. And the last one is F-rank."

"F-rank?" Vane scratched his head. "Why would you arrest an F-rank?"

"He seemed highly suspicious."

"You are telling me that you arrested a civilian on the basis of suspicion?"

"That’s... what we are supposed to do...?" She responded with a confused look on her face.

"That’s not what I meant! If it’s confirmed that he is an F-rank adventurer, then why arrest him? How did you find him suspicious?"

"Well, he was driving an electric scooter while playing loud music and singing along. We received the report and immediately performed a background check on him, and upon confirming, we discovered that he possesses an SSS-rank talent. So we arrested him on speculation that he was faking his rank or his rank hadn’t been updated. The detailed report is yet to come."

"We don’t have any proof against any of them, right?"

"Indeed," She nodded. "But their interrogations have started, so we should learn everything soon. His profile is also in the report."