The Nexus Armament on Levi's wrist burst out with a dazzling light. In the span of a moment, accompanied by the heavy thud of something hitting the ground, several obstructing afterimages turned to ashes.
Bloom Bearer Levi saw this scene and opened his mouth wide in shock.
He hadn't expected that his future self would actually be this strong.
After dealing with everything, Levi continued rushing forward.
Since the Tethys System had taken action to block him, it meant his actions were correct.
With that thought, Levi sped up, running toward the upper floors of the building. The core of the wailing was most likely there.
"The Tethys System's target, from beginning to end, has always been Rover." Levi spoke in a low voice, explaining to himself behind him. His tone was cold, carrying a thick trace of anger.
It didn't matter what happened to him, whether it was death or losing his frequency.
But the Tethys System had actually set its sights on his Rover.
That alone was unforgivable.
"If the Tethys System's target was Rover from the very start, then everything makes sense."
"Whether it's my three deaths or the abnormalities in Guixu Port City, at the root of it, it was all to lure Rover deeper into the Tethys System's trap, creating the conditions for it to absorb her."
The Tethys System knew very well that only after humans lose something do they realize how precious it was. So it fabricated the lie of three deaths.
A smile curled on Bloom Bearer Levi's face as if testing him, and he continued, "Just based on these guesses of yours, you can conclude that the Tethys System's target is Rover?"
As the two advanced, the fleeing past phantoms around them became fewer and fewer. In their place were afterimages shimmering with a crimson glow all over their bodies.
To stall his steps, the Tethys System had deliberately strengthened these afterimages.
But even facing these far stronger afterimages, Levi's speed didn't decrease in the slightest. He charged straight into the cluster of afterimages.
Facing Levi in an unstoppable state, the Tethys System hurriedly spawned a Nether Abyss Guard, standing in front of him like a wall.
Seeing this, Levi leaped high into the air. With a swift flip, in an instant he appeared behind the suddenly spawned afterimage and split it into two.
Then he shook his hand, thinking it had been a long time since he fought, his body felt a bit stiff.
"In Guixu Port City, an awareness called Hode once warned Rover, 'They want you to become a part of them.' With this clue, all the doubts connect."
As he spoke, Levi's figure flashed like lightning, weaving back and forth among the afterimages. In just over ten seconds, dozens of afterimages were killed with a single strike to the throat, heads separated from bodies.
"Hode…" Hearing this name, a shadow flashed through Bloom Bearer Levi's eyes.
"She used to be a physician of Black Shores. When the wailing in Guixu Port City happened, she, like the other Bloom Bearer, was evacuating the crowd there."
"By the way…" At that moment, Levi looked at the continuously spawning afterimages and interrupted him, "let's not dwell on the sad stuff for now. Can't you come help a bit?"
As he spoke, Levi rubbed his brow with a bit of a headache. These mobs that didn't drop materials were pointless to kill, just slowing him down from reaching Rover.
Hearing this, Bloom Bearer Levi first smiled slightly, then snapped his fingers. A strange frequency spread outward with him as the center.
At the same time, as the frequency spread, the afterimages that touched that ripple melted like ice touching flame, gradually dissolving into ashes.
At that moment, Bloom Bearer Levi's voice came again. Compared to before, it now sounded a bit more hollow.
As that snap echoed through the building, Bloom Bearer Levi's body trembled, and his solid form began to turn transparent.
This reverse invasion of the Tethys System had almost exhausted all the data consciousness he had hidden within it.
But at this moment, a smile appeared on Bloom Bearer Levi's face.
"How did you know I had the ability to help you?"
Watching his other self gradually dissipate, a strange feeling rose in Levi's heart. He'd heard of bringing misfortune to a spouse, heard of bringing misfortune to family, but bringing misfortune to yourself was a first.
"I didn't. But I know that 'I' am definitely not someone who sits around waiting to die." Levi shook his head with a smile, but his eyes as he looked at Bloom Bearer carried a trace of seriousness.
"If you really are me from the past, then you would never just stand by and watch Rover walk into a trap."
Bloom Bearer Levi froze slightly at those words. On his now transparent face appeared a helpless smile. "So that was your test too?"
Levi neither confirmed nor denied, just shrugged. If the person in front of him wearing the Black Shore's Bloom Bearer uniform was truly an echo of his past, then what difference did it make whether it was a test?
Seeing Levi remain silent, the nearly completely dissipated Bloom Bearer Levi didn't mind.
"Right. How could 'I' possibly let the Tethys System set a trap for Rover?"
"When it devoured 'my' frequency, 'I' went all in. I left the frequency to it, and with my remaining consciousness, I reverse-invaded the Tethys System, seizing part of its control."
"Not long ago, when it used data to construct another body to lure you into the Sound Domain it created, 'I' took advantage of the situation and seized control of that portion of data."
Bloom Bearer Levi paused.
"And now, I'm going to transfer this part of the Tethys System's control to you of this life."
As he spoke, Bloom Bearer Levi's nearly vanished body suddenly gathered together, turning into specks of starlight that flowed into Levi's right hand.
Bloom Bearer Levi completely dissipated, but his lingering voice echoed one last time in Levi's mind, "Here are some memories from before, as well as everything about the Tethys System."
"Take these… go save her… go turn this imperfect world… into the way you hope it will be."
The lingering echoes drifted, as if still ringing by his ears.
But Levi understood that everything about his previous life, frequency, body, consciousness… from this moment on, had completely vanished like smoke.
"Hmph. As expected of me. Even while about to disappear, still had to act a bit edgy."
Levi's tightly clenched right fist trembled slightly. For himself, for the countless souls imprisoned in the cycle within the Devouring Star, and for Rover, he had to land a heavy punch on the Tethys System's mainframe.
"Don't worry. I won't let Rover fall into danger. I swear it on my life."
As his words fell, Levi instantly turned into a streak of light, rushing toward the top floor of the building.
In the memories of his previous life, the wailing of Guixu Port City originated from a black hole. After the wailing occurred, the Tethys System directly contained that black hole and turned it into a new Devouring Star.
By repeatedly observing the wailing, it predicted the wailing.
Thinking this, Levi quickly arrived in front of a door shrouded in chaotic crimson data streams.
At this moment, intense sounds of fighting were coming from the other side of the door.
It seemed that while he didn't know, Rover and the others had already gone deep into the Tethys System and started trying to tune the Devouring Star.
Bang!
Levi's fists collided, and a surge of battle intent shot into the sky.
"The real fight is only starting now."