San Francisco, 49ers Training Facility. The Day After the Apartment Incident.
The explosive news of Levi's apartment demolition was quickly suppressed by the NFL hierarchy. Officially, the cause was declared a "pipe gas explosion," but internally, every staff member and media outlet knew the truth involved Levi's superhuman strength.
Levi, however, remained outwardly unconcerned. After dealing with the Shadow Subject, his System returned to normal, but he understood the confrontation was only the beginning. He was now exposed to a higher dimensional surveillance.
At the 49ers training facility, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Every player now looked at Levi with a mix of awe and stark fear. Jokes in the locker room ceased entirely whenever Levi was present.
Gary, a defensive end who had previously mocked Levi as a "mascot," gingerly approached him, holding a chilled Gatorade bottle with the deference one might show an owner.
"L-Li Ge (Brother Li)... here. This is chilled, just how you like it, right?"
Levi took the drink, his gaze level and calm, barely acknowledging the shift in the burly man's attitude.
"Mhm."
Gary visibly relaxed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Li Ge, about that... the team took up a collection. We bought flowers and fruit baskets for those three Cowboys guys who are in the hospital," Gary whispered nervously. "Do you think, maybe you could sign it, and we send it over..."
Levi raised an eyebrow, understanding their attempt to gauge his temperament using the "flower basket" test.
"No need," Levi said coldly. "Tell them not to rush their discharge."
"Because our opponent next week, the Philadelphia Eagles, will also need to be admitted."
Levi's words were quiet but struck the entire locker room like a bolt of cold lightning. Everyone fell silent, completely intimidated.
Just then, team physician Sophie Vance pushed open the door. Dressed in her white medical coat, her expression was ten times more strained than usual. She walked straight to Levi, her eyes complex—a mixture of worry, reproach, and probing inquiry.
"Come with me," Sophie commanded, her voice icy and brooking no argument.
Levi knew exactly what she wanted to discuss. Other than Sophie, no one knew the truth behind the so-called "gas explosion."
They arrived at the medical room. Sophie locked the door and activated all the diagnostic equipment, but she didn't ask Levi to lie down immediately.
"The apartment incident, was it you?" Sophie demanded directly, a slight tremor in her voice.
Levi looked at her calmly. "Gas explosion. That's what the officials said."
"Don't play games with me!" Sophie slammed her hands on the table, raising her voice. "Do you think I'm blind? In the on-site inspection report, I found fragments of Dimensional Alloy! That material is only found in the military's most secret laboratories!"
Sophie took a deep breath, her tone softening slightly, carrying a plea. "Levi, who exactly are you? The power inside you has already surpassed human limits. You must tell me what you are fighting!"
Levi was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: "I am fighting a group of 'Observers.'"
He revealed the truth about the Shadow Subject and the System Traitor. He knew that despite Sophie's clinical demeanor, her eyes held no malice, only the fervent curiosity of a scientist and a nascent desire to protect him.
Sophie listened, her face paling as she instinctively took a step back.
"Observers... Dimensional Alloy... this is beyond what the NFL can handle," Sophie whispered, her voice shaking. "You must stop playing immediately! If they intend to capture you alive, their next method will be far more terrifying than a puppet!"
"Stop playing?" Levi scoffed, his eyes filling with fighting spirit. "Impossible."
"Stopping means conceding defeat. It means I confirm their view of me as a 'failed experiment.' I will use my power to prove my worth, and show them that if they want to catch me, they will have to pay the price!"
Sophie looked into his unwavering gaze, a sharp pain in her heart. She knew the man before her had stepped onto a battlefield where he was utterly alone.
"Fine, you won't stop," Sophie conceded, but she immediately laid down her own terms: "Then you must accept my real-time monitoring. I need to understand exactly how the 'reactionary force' within your body operates."
Sophie produced a set of micro-sensor chips, smaller than a fingernail.
"These will continuously monitor your muscle fiber stress, bone density changes, and internal energy fluctuations. I want you to implant them."
Levi didn't refuse. He understood this was the only way Sophie knew how to protect him.
"Implant them," he agreed.
Sophie's hands trembled as she implanted the chips beneath Levi's skin. The moment she touched his body, she felt not the coldness of steel, but a fierce, scorching vitality.
After the implantation, Sophie's gaze became cold and professional once again.
"Levi, I have one final warning for you," Sophie stated gravely.
"Based on my simulation calculations, while your body absorbs kinetic energy, it is also compressing and storing a massive amount of energy. Every impact increases a 'Critical Threshold' inside you."
"Once this Critical Threshold is breached, the energy within your body could instantly erupt like nuclear fusion, tearing everything around you, including yourself, to shreds!"
Sophie's expression was utterly serious, her voice tinged with supplication. "Promise me, Levi. If you feel the energy becoming uncontrollable, stop immediately! Run to an empty, open area!"
Levi looked at the worry in Sophie's eyes, a rare warmth surging through him. The cold scientist seemed to be developing a touch of humanity.
He offered no promise, only an arrogant smile.
"Dr. Sophie," Levi stood up, pulling on his jersey, his gaze piercing the walls, fixed on the distant stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles.
"That 'Critical Threshold' you mentioned? I'm quite looking forward to it."
"After all, demolishing a goalpost was much more satisfying than winning an MVP."
He strode out of the medical room, leaving Sophie alone, staring helplessly at the constantly fluctuating "Energy Critical Threshold" curve on her screen.
Sophie watched the curve. The moment Levi left, the reading began to climb ominously.
"Damn it... his emotions are influencing the energy levels..."
Sophie suddenly realized her task had escalated: she wasn't just monitoring Levi's body; she had to monitor his mood.
She grabbed her phone and dialed Levi's private number through an encrypted line.
"Hello, Levi."
Levi's voice came through, filled with pre-game excitement. "What, already missing me?"
Sophie ignored his jest, her tone deadly serious. "The Eagles' defense strategy next game is 'Multi-Angle Clamping.' They won't hit you head-on; they will swarm you from all sides, hugging your knees and ankles to disperse your kinetic energy."
"You must be careful. This isn't about winning; this is about survival!"
Levi's voice deepened, imbued with unspoken confidence and dominance.
"Dr. Sophie."
"Do you know what my tactic is?"
Levi slowly spoke a phrase into the phone that sent a chill down Sophie's spine:
"I call it: Parting the Red Sea."
The call ended. Sophie stared at the energy value that instantly spiked past the warning line on her screen, trembling.
"Parting the Red Sea? He intends to charge through an entire defensive line alone?"
Sophie was horrified, realizing Levi was not controlling his power; he was actively challenging the Critical Threshold!