The soft humming sound of the ceiling fan was the only noise echoing throughout the small apartment, which somehow created a tranquil scene that deeply contrasted with the chaos swirling around in Cyrus's mind.
He sat at the edge of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his eyes locked onto the wall clock opposite him that ticked steadily forward.
Its second hand moved with dispassionate indifference just as it had ten years ago before everything changed and the world was plunged into an unimaginable nightmare, a nightmare that people wanted to wake up from, but sadly that was the reality, not a nightmare.
The calendar pinned beside the clock was boldly circled in red ink: October 1st, 2025.
Cyrus had been staring at that date for hours without moving from his position.
There were only two months left, just two months to go before the apocalypse comes.
But he wasn't in a hurry because, for the first time since awakening in this second life, Cyrus felt an unexpected calmness—calmness he never had in his previous life.
The storm inside of him had settled; his pulse no longer beat like a heart in his ears. He had already confirmed this wasn't some sort of illusion, but it was real; he had really regressed back to ten years ago before everything changed.
But right now, his mind was on something else entirely; he was thinking of the cold and emotionless voice that sounded in his mind a while ago in the bathroom.
Cyrus blinked and coughed lightly to break the silence and shifted uncomfortably on his bed.
His lips parted hesitantly as he spoke with an awkward look on his face, "Ahmmm...Noah...is it?"
The moment he called out that name, the cold and emotionless voice immediately sounded in his mind.
"I am here," came Noah's cold voice. "I am always here; no need to shout; you can simply think, and I will hear you."
Cyrus stiffened involuntarily; his throat went dry. It didn't matter how many times he'd heard this voice before; its sudden intimacy still sent chills down his spine, especially since the voice came straight from his head.
Sharing space with an unknown entity living in his consciousness wasn't something one adjusted to easily.
"...Right," he muttered awkwardly while scratching at the back of his head.
He was quite unsettled as he took a few glances around the room with eyes full of wariness and then muttered silently to himself, "This… will take some time to get used to."
Cyrus took in a deep breath to calm himself down before asking, "So...eehh...Noah...who exactly are you? What kind of thing are you?"
For a moment, there was silence, a long pause.
"I can't say much," Noah's voice came, cold and dead calm, but it was also tinged with a hint of confusion.
"Because I have forgotten most of my past. Ninety-nine percent of my memory, facts, and functional core data are locked away in deep sleep mode. I currently have only 1% of my functions left. But I do know that I am the last surviving being of the Noah Civilization, a Level 9 Civilization that spanned galaxies before being destroyed."
Noah paused for a moment and then continued.
"My Civilization created me to carry on the legacy, the knowledge, and the technology of the Noah Civilization. I was also instructed to find a suitable successor, someone to carry on the light of the Noah Civilization."
Cyrus was in a daze as he listened to what Noah was saying; his already calmed heart was now beating again in his chest.
A Level 9 Civilization… just hearing it sent a shiver down his spine.
He had the basic knowledge to know what a civilization means.
According to what he knew, civilizations are ranked not just by achievements but by their mastery over fundamental laws and technology.
Humanity on Gaia had barely scratched the surface of Level One before its downfall... only near Level 0.5.
But Noah said it's from a Level 9 Civilization; nine whole levels above Earth. He could imagine how powerful the Noah Civilization might have been.
But Noah said it's from a level nine civilization, nine whole levels above Gaia. He can ascertain how powerful the Noah civilization might have been.
Noah's cold voice came again as it continued. "I have been drifting in Gaia's orbit for millions of years, slumbering, waiting, watching as the primitive life on this planet evolved and climbed through the cycles of growth and decay, until you awakened me, Administrator. Your vital signal resonated with mine; you were the signal that stirred my core. So I chose you."
The room fell silent as Cyrus processed what Noah was saying; his mind was racing with countless possibilities.
He understood the surface meaning but found himself flooded with even more questions.
Cyrus swallowed hard, his voice hoarser than before as he asked, "So how did I wake you up? I don't remember doing anything special."
There was silence in the room for a moment before Noah's voice came once again.
"I do not know."
"…What?" Cyrus was taken aback as he blinked in disbelief, mixed with surprise in his eyes.
"I cannot explain how you woke me up," Noah replied in its usual calm voice. "But what I can confirm is that when my consciousness stirred awake, it resonated deeply with your vital signal; your life pattern aligned perfectly with what I seek in a successor."
Cyrus froze momentarily, grappling with shock as he rubbed his face in disbelief. "So… basically, I'm just lucky... lucky enough to be chosen by some extinct godlike civilization?"
"Perhaps that is the case, Administrator," Noah replied simply.
Cyrus couldn't help but let out a half-laugh mixed with helplessness as he shook his head at the absurdity of it all.
To him, he didn't believe in luck at all. After all, in his previous life, luck had always run away from him, but here he was, chosen by something far beyond human understanding.
Noah was an enigma wrapped in a mystery, and as much as Cyrus wanted clarity, he found himself more confused than ever.
Every time he pushed for answers about the mysterious Noah civilization, the elusive meaning of a Level Nine, or why Gaia had been chosen, Noah's response remained frustratingly consistent.
He even asked Noah what could possibly destroy such a powerful Level 9 civilization, but it always gave him the same answer.
"99% of my core data remains in deep sleep. Unlocking it requires vast amounts of energy. Until then, I cannot say."
Those words completely cut off any other questions that Cyrus wanted to ask, which was quite frustrating to him, but he couldn't do anything about it.
After a while, and seeing that he couldn't get any other useful information from Noah, Cyrus simply stopped asking any other questions.
Cyrus leaned back, his hands on the bed, as his gaze drifted to the ceiling, and his thoughts spiraled into chaos.
Millions of years... level Nine civilization legacy... chosen successor.
It was all too much for one night, even for someone who had witnessed the end of the world.
Silence descended in the room as Cyrus was in deep thought.
The fan hummed softly in the background; the clock ticked steadily on.
And just then, Noah's cold mechanical voice came once again.
"Administrator."
Cyrus's mind was pulled back from his deep thoughts as he blinked his eyes twice. "…Yes, Noah?"
"Would you like to commence the initial stage?"
Cyrus sat up straight, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"…Show me."