The dazzling neon lights flickered on and off, like pairs of deep, ghostly eyes examining every person in this city.
Levi was standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window in a high-rise, looking down at the bustling city below.
He lifted his eyes, and a line of data-formed information appeared clearly before him,
"…Guixu Port City."
He smacked his lips, his sword-like brows tightly furrowed. This information was probably something the Tethys System deliberately showed him.
But… why?
And Guixu Port City had clearly long been swept away by the Lament, reduced to ruins. Yet the city before him was still incredibly prosperous.
Judging by the sky, it was around ten at night. Some people were heading home after work, others meeting up with a few friends.
Young men and women, dressed sharply, laughed freely, as if celebrating a beauty that would never fade.
The confidence of expansion drove the people of this city, and also pushed this world forward.
Levi raised his head and looked toward the clouds. In front of him, a skyscraper over a thousand meters tall pierced into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
At this moment, Guixu Port City was technologically advanced, and its people lived and worked in peace. Through this skyscraper, they showcased their technology and prosperity.
Like the Tower of Babel in the story, they wanted to use it to touch the sky.
But had they ever considered whether such a building posed safety risks?
If the Lament were to occur, how would the people inside evacuate? Just like the Tower of Babel in the story, what they would ultimately receive would only be destruction.
And this building, which symbolized prosperity and advancement, would eventually become the tombstone of this city.
"So, what exactly is the Tethys System trying to do by bringing me here?"
Levi thought for a moment, then walked toward the interior of the skyscraper. If he wanted to leave this place, he would probably have to follow the "script" of the Tethys System.
Since the riddle was already laid out right in front of him, how could he back down?
But the moment he stepped into the building, Levi saw a scene frozen just before the wave of destruction.
Shadows from the past carried out their own tasks, moving about, talking, playing with one another, yet their faces were blurred.
The whole scene was indescribably eerie.
If he didn't know he was inside the sound domain constructed by the Tethys System, Levi would have thought he had entered some bizarre instance.
"Would you like a cup of tea, sir?"
An echo from the past came from beside him. Levi picked up the teacup handed over by the phantom and drank it in one gulp, smacked his lips, and spat out a bit of tea leaf residue.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
'Eerie? What's eerie?'
Stay single long enough and even something eerie starts to look pretty pleasing, alright.
Besides, from morning until now, he hadn't even had a sip of water. What's wrong with drinking a cup of authentic ghost Maofeng tea?
With that thought, Levi decisively walked to the dining area of the building, randomly found a shop, and sat down.
"Boss, one durian-flavored luosifen, extra garlic paste, extra cilantro, and also a plate of ketchup."
As soon as Levi finished speaking, the entire restaurant fell into dead silence.
"Um… sir…" A waiter-like phantom jogged over to Levi and bowed deeply to him.
"Our restaurant currently does not offer such… unique dishes. Could you please choose something else?"
Even for ghosts, this kind of eating habit felt a bit too underworld.
"Don't have it…" Levi looked a little regretful and let out a long sigh. "Then give me a mapo tofu. Extra spicy."
"Right away."
The waiter bowed deeply again, then turned and disappeared into the depths of the room.
Watching the waiter leave, Levi leaned back in his chair and lifted his eyes, constantly scanning the surroundings, as if waiting for something.
But until the waiter brought a plate of mapo tofu to the table, nothing around him had changed.
Only the ghosts coming and going, along with the echoes of that day, continued their noisy bustle.
"Hm?"
Levi frowned, then relaxed. Eat, pay, leave, all in one smooth motion.
However, the moment Levi stepped out of the restaurant, a sudden change occurred.
BOOM!
Accompanied by a strange tremor, the ground began to shake, and the sky outside the window was torn apart. Blood-red abnormal data surged in like a tide.
The peaceful past vanished without a trace.
Amid people's wails, viscous data opened its huge maw, devouring the phantoms of passersby one after another.
In that instant, prosperity and peace were replaced by the Lament.
Feeling the chaos around him, Levi frowned, rubbing his chin.
Because at the end of his line of sight, a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat appeared among the crowd.
"Please don't give up!" The woman in the Black Coast uniform was none other than Hode, whom he had seen before. "We won't abandon anyone!"
Hode ran around, comforting the despairing phantoms. Even within this sound domain, she was still carrying out her duty.
Fulfilling her mission as a flower-bearer of the Black Coast.
"This is the Devouring Star." A very familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind Levi, its tone calm.
Yet beneath that calmness was a faint trace of relief that was hard to notice. "You've finally arrived... me."
Levi turned around. At that moment, what he saw was another version of himself... Levi dressed in a white Black Coast uniform, with a black flower pinned to his chest.
"To be honest, I don't really want to see you, because this is already the second time I've been enemies with myself." Levi shrugged, lowering his center of gravity and taking a combat stance.
Flower-bearer Levi saw this and quickly waved his hands, explaining, "I'm not your enemy. On the contrary, I'm here to help you."
"Is that so?" Levi shrugged noncommittally. At the same time, the extremely bold guess in his mind was gradually being confirmed.
"You're trying to tell me that the Tethys System's target was never me from the beginning, but Levi, right?"
Flower-bearer Levi raised his brows, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked at him.
"How did you know?"
"Just a guess." Looking at himself in the flower-bearer uniform, Levi slightly lowered his guard, then stepped forward, passing through the chaotic crowd and running toward the upper floors of the building.
Seeing this, Flower-bearer Levi followed closely behind him.
Levi didn't pay him any attention, just kept running forward.
"Actually, after I revived, I started having doubts. Where did the Tethys System's so-called prophecy that I would die three times come from?"
"If the Tethys System really had the ability to predict, then why use the Devouring Star to observe the Lament? Wouldn't direct prediction be faster?"
Flower-bearer Levi followed behind him, quietly listening to his analysis.
"So I made a bold assumption, the prophecy that I need to die three times to revive is actually just a lie by the Tethys System…"
Turning a corner, several afterimages suddenly appeared on the only path ahead of the two Levis.
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