Chapter 166: Retreat

Driving home alone, Castle reflected on Winston's subtle yet well-intentioned reminder. He began to reconsider his flamboyant style over the past few months. Ever since he had received a call from John Wick right after his unexpected arrival in this world, he had been gradually swelling with a sense of self-importance, spurred by the thrill of encountering characters from his previous life's movies.

Especially after discovering he had a "System," an essential tool for anyone who has traversed dimensions, the cautious and rule-abiding part of him that had persisted for decades in his previous life started giving way to more reckless inclinations. He had boldly joined John Wick on his quest for revenge, embarked on a solo trip to Paris with the initial intention of being an onlooker, but ended up rescuing Kim and turning the Parisian underworld upside down. His direct confrontation with Santino over the blood marker and the recent entanglement with Neal's situation were all clear signs of his growing recklessness.

These incidents, which he could have simply influenced from the sidelines, ensuring his own safety while gaining insights, turned into direct engagements due to his inflated sense of invincibility. It was only recently, after witnessing Esleeca's corpse with Beckett, that he decided to tone down his high-profile actions. However, Vincent's assassination attempt using Larsen forced him back into the limelight, reinforcing his reputation for being involved in every major event in New York.

While driving and reflecting, Castle realized the wisdom in Winston's advice. Over the past few months, he had indeed been overly high-profile. As Winston pointed out, almost every major event in New York had his involvement, which contradicted his initial resolve to stay low and avoid unnecessary attention.

Deep in thought about his overly conspicuous actions, Castle arrived home, greeted his daughter who had returned earlier, and then retreated to his study. He planned to take advantage of a free evening to reflect on his recent high-profile behavior and strategize how to better conceal himself moving forward.

One lingering question was about his System, which had been unusually quiet lately. Once he ensured his daughter was upstairs in her room, he mentally reached out to the System.

"System, you haven't been very vocal lately. Is there a problem with you or with me?"

As always, the System responded swiftly, "There is no problem with the System, nor with you, the Host. As I mentioned during the initial activation, I am merely an auxiliary system and will not dominate your life. Your recent actions do not warrant any specific warnings from me. Please note that I will not actively intervene or regulate your moral compass; these are for you to decide. Finally, my requirement for you to align with a 'Lawful Good' faction does not mean you must become an overly righteous person or a hypocrite. If your actions, even killing, are deemed as doing good, the System will still recognize you as a good person. The rest is up to you to figure out."

The System's ambiguous response made Castle see it in a new light. Clearly, it was merely a tool to assist him and had no effective means to control or punish him. He was particularly pleased that the System didn't intend to turn him into someone he despised—a sanctimonious do-gooder—but would judge his actions based on their context. This realization, especially for someone who disliked 'righteous hypocrites,' was a relief.

Furthermore, the System showed no objections to his plans with Neal and Mozzie to double-cross Vincent after dealing with him. This further confirmed his suspicion that the System acknowledged whoever he deemed as his enemy. This pattern had been evident since he killed Adam and claimed his antiques without any reprimand from the System.

Content with this newfound understanding, Castle felt a burden lift from his shoulders. The System was indeed just a support tool, as initially promised.

Having resolved his concerns about the System, Castle decided to heed Winston's advice. From tomorrow, he would shift from a high-profile approach to a more discreet one, focusing his attention on the police department and Beckett. He still had a main quest to pursue Beckett, and since he planned to keep a low profile for a while, why not dedicate his energy to the police work?

Unbeknownst to him, his decision coincided with Vincent's plans.

Vincent, meanwhile, had just shaken off his anger and fear after being stripped of his Continental Hotel membership. Larsen's failure and the hotel's demands made it clear that if he wanted to achieve his dream of salvaging the submarine, he needed to avoid Castle for now. A direct confrontation would be disastrous.

Assessing the situation, Vincent decided to continue his plans but shift them underground. He realized that in a direct conflict, his forces, being a wanted fugitive, were at a disadvantage compared to Castle's connections in both the underworld and law enforcement.

For Vincent Adler, nothing was more important than fulfilling his lifelong dream of salvaging that submarine. As a strategist, he quickly decided to avoid Castle and any further conflict for the time being, focusing entirely on his goal. After achieving his dream, he would settle the score with Castle.

Thus, Vincent began a strategic retreat, pulling his forces from New York and relocating to his stronghold in Argentina, where he could operate safely and continue his plans. From there, he could still hire mercenaries to trouble Castle, using his wealth to fuel his vengeance.

Vincent's withdrawal from New York went unnoticed by Castle and Neal, who were unaware of the shift in Vincent's plans. Castle, having recently been cautioned by Winston, might not have cared even if he knew. As long as Vincent clung to his dream, he would reappear, and Castle planned to give him a rude awakening then.

Vincent's retreat marked a temporary lull, a much-needed respite for Castle, Neal, and Mozzie, allowing them to search for the crucial music box and perfect their final strike against Vincent. The only ones likely to be displeased by Vincent's disappearance were Neal's partner and the FBI.

Unaware of Vincent's retreat, Neal was currently in a Manhattan shopping center, meeting his ex-girlfriend and partner, Alex Hunter. Despite Alex's initial hostility and her disdain for Neal's ankle monitor, Neal managed to pique her interest with the secret of the music box.

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