He was an ordinary, even boring, man, who occasionally had a rebellious streak and would run into an alley to fight with troublemakers. But no one knew his true identity.
The somber tone persisted for a long time, so boring that Levy felt he was about to fall asleep again.
One day, after he finished his deliveries and returned to the store as usual, a boy in a school uniform rushed over in the bright morning sunlight and snatched his electric scooter.
It was as if some bright color had suddenly shone into his life, and Levy's dormant nerves began to throb.
He saw himself following behind the indifferent boy, deliberately feigning weakness, and he also saw himself carefully concealing his identity, afraid of being discovered by the righteous boy.
He stood under the high wall, looking up at the boy angrily throwing his schoolbag at him, then unable to resist leaning closer under the streetlight and planting a kiss on the boy's cheek.
But before the boy's budding feelings could even begin, he was met with this person's sudden departure.
The hazy consciousness finally stirred strongly, like a sleeping beast stretching and preparing to hunt.
The rhythm of memory becomes cheerful and bright.
They met as teenagers, were dangerous and evenly matched rivals, and were also the most intimate lovers.
He saw his fingers brush against the young man's dark hair, gently pinching the cat's ears, and he also remembered the young man turning around and awkwardly grabbing the cat's tail in a cute way.
But in the end, what awaited him was the young man's heartless turn away.
Leave him behind.
This is a murmur laced with malice and expectation.
Don't let him go; keep him by your side completely, whether as a plaything or an opponent.
No matter what, he must belong to you.
He woven a large net with a mischievous intent, but inadvertently handed over his most vulnerable part to the other party. He struggled, even resorting to the most ruthless methods against himself, but he couldn't help but become addicted to it.
From then on, an important concept was added to his life.
elder brother.
Jealousy, desire, fear, and obsession.
He experienced a wide range of intense emotions, and became increasingly insatiable.
He wanted this person to remember him forever, to belong to him forever.
From malicious provocation to sincere and humble pursuit, it was as if an invisible taming had made Levy willingly relinquish his claws.
But this was not a domestication in the end, because the youth eventually peeled away his hard shell and accepted him.
Levy tasted happiness in his memory.
But alongside their happiness came an increasingly severe sense of insecurity. At some point, their mutual concern led to arguments. Because of this concern came fear, and because of this fear, they began to carefully conceal their feelings…
In the end, what he saw in the young man was something so tender that it was hard to criticize him.
Levy never denied that he was selfish.
He always only cared about his own life and death, and had no empathy for others. But he never imagined that one day he would take all the risks just to safely send someone away.
Although the separation was painful, Levy had no regrets whatsoever.
Because he received the sweetest confession in the world, and the most solemn promise.
"Wait for me...wait for me to come find you."
Levy always remembered those words and endured all the loneliness that followed.
During his long gaming journey with the mastermind, apart from this sentence, only the scenes that Qin Chu had experienced offered him comfort.
Levi followed in Qin Chu's footsteps, making all the choices Qin Chu had ever made. Until something happened outside, and the AI, acting as the mastermind on the other side of the game, suddenly banished him from the virtual world.
When he woke up, Levy's memories had been erased.
But he still vaguely remembered that sentence, and that an important person was coming to see him.
So when he woke up, yearning for freedom, he didn't leave, but looked at the people around him and asked, "Where are you princes all staying?"
This was the first time Levy had accepted the title of Crown Prince.
He came to the Royal Palace not for power, but to wait patiently in a place where he could be easily found.
During the recovery process, any remaining traces of memory completely disappeared.
Levy forgot that sentence, and he forgot why he stayed at the Royal Palace. He simply stayed in that wretched palace, living a boring life day after day.
It's like self-imprisonment.
Until one day, on an ordinary, sunny midday...
A man in black robes came to his palace and said to him, "Please listen to a story."
Author's Note:
I've finally gotten to this point.
When I started writing the beginning, this was actually the paragraph I was thinking of; after going around in circles, it finally connected.
Chapter 148 Return Voyage
"Noah, how's the energy situation?" Qin Chu walked to the screen and looked at the data stream outside.
“The energy supply is not a problem, but the enemy’s attacks are too intense.” Noah’s voice also became anxious.
Qin Chu's expression was solemn.
The AI wasn't surprised that it knew about their plan beforehand. What Qin Chu truly couldn't understand was the AI's self-destructive attack method. Given the rationality that this artificial intelligence prided itself on, the AI should have been hiding and avoiding the attack at this time.
But now, as soon as they entered this world, they were attacked by the highest level of attack, and the attack has lasted for ten minutes without weakening at all.
Such an unfavorable start is most likely to damage morale and cannot continue.
"Switch from defense to offense!" Qin Chu commanded.
After holding out for a few more minutes, Burke, who had predicted the attack's landing point, returned to Qin Chu's side: "This won't do. This bastard is too difficult to deal with. How about we follow the second plan and disperse into other small worlds?"
This is indeed an option, but Noah has already expended energy to enter this world that must be conquered, and withdrawing now would be a huge blow to the entire mission.
"Don't retreat, keep fighting." Suddenly a voice came from behind.
Almost the instant he heard the voice, Qin Chu immediately turned his head to look.
Levi walked over, rubbing his forehead, and added, "This AI is just kidding you. I'm sure the mainframe has left the virtual world; this is probably just a program it left behind."
"Noah, continue the attack. The rest of you, stabilize your consciousness," Qin Chu ordered.
With Levy's words, the team members, who had been stunned by the powerful attack, calmed down and went about their respective duties.
Qin Chu then had the opportunity to look at Levi again.
His gaze was somewhat complex, carrying a hint of expectation, yet he concealed that expectation very well.
Although he had only been unconscious for a few minutes, Levi was different from before when he woke up, with a feeling that Qin Chu was more familiar with.
His words just now revealed some information, but Qin Chu was hesitant to believe it.
He opened his mouth, but in the end, Qin Chu only asked, "When did you wake up?"
“Just now.” Levi’s blue eyes curved into a smile as he said softly, “I had a dream. In the dream, someone confessed to me, saying they liked everything about me, both my strengths and my weaknesses. The dream was so beautiful that I almost didn’t want to wake up.”
Qin Chu's fingers tightened instantly.
He turned to look at the screen, concealing the emotions that were about to overflow.
After meeting Levi in the real world, he never mentioned Levi's memories, nor did he show any concern for Levi's memories.
But how could I not care?
Every minute and every second is a part of their past, filled with both joy and pain, but for the two of them, it is the most precious thing.
If he didn't care, he wouldn't tell Levy stories, again and again.
"Sorry." Levi reached out and hooked Qin Chu's finger. "I'm back."
Normally, even if there were other people around, Qin Chu wouldn't suppress his reaction; he might even grab Levi and beat him up.
But since they were still in the midst of battle, Qin Chu could only try his best to suppress his emotions.
Someone called out to Qin Chu from the other side, and Qin Chu took a deep breath and walked over.
But as he passed by Levi, he couldn't help himself, grabbed the man's collar, and kissed him fiercely.
There was a moment of silence.
A group of people kept their eyes down, pretending they didn't see anything, but couldn't help but sneak glances in their direction.
Qin Chu was in the command position; they couldn't help but see him even if they wanted to.
Although they already knew that Qin Chu and this Crown Prince had some kind of relationship, this was the first time they had truly witnessed the two of them being intimate.
It was actually Qin Chu who took the initiative.
The kiss was fierce and brief, lasting only a few seconds before Qin Chu released Levi.
His voice was a little hoarse: "Just you wait."
He then walked aside to continue directing the battle.
Levy was right; the mastermind outside was just a fake that looked fierce.
This high-intensity attack lasted for several more minutes before the entire massive and terrifying data mass suddenly collapsed and disappeared.
"Damn it! They really did betray us!" Burke cursed.
Noah's enormous body successfully entered this world and quietly docked in space.
Once the group settled down, they were finally able to look out through the window Noah had simulated.
"Huh, this world looks pretty much the same as reality?"
"That's the most dangerous part. What if you get lost? Don't look around too much!"
A low murmur of discussion arose.
Qin Chu said to Noah, "Replenish your energy as soon as possible."
They are not currently cut off from the outside world, but because of the different flow of time, their energy consumption rate is much higher than the energy supply rate from the outside world.