Black Nightmare Setting Chapter (Optional)

Pacific Rim World.

PPDC Headquarters.

"Newton, I think you need some rest." Hermann Gottlieb looked at the heavily dark-circled Newton Geiszler and urged him worriedly.

"Me? Hermann, you don't understand! I don't need rest!" Though Newton Geiszler looked utterly exhausted, he was unnaturally excited. He flailed his arms about and shouted uncontrollably, "You have no idea what's been happening in my head lately. There's been a storm in my head! An Inspiration Storm! Do you understand, Hermann? My mind is overflowing with inspiration right now. I can't waste time—I have to record it all!

This might be the highlight of my entire life! I feel like this Inspiration Outburst is enough to push the technology of the entire world forward by another giant leap! We might even become a spacefaring civilization! We could harvest the vast resources of the galaxy! Do you understand how rare this opportunity is?

Trying to stop me now is a crime! A crime against civilization! A crime against..."

The more Newton Geiszler spoke, the more agitated he became. His exhausted body had even risen to its feet, but before he could finish, Mako Mori arrived behind him with four soldiers and knocked him out with a syringe of sedative.

"Sorry. I know your inspiration is important, but you need to rest." Hermann Gottlieb bared his teeth in an awkward grimace.

Two soldiers behind Mako Mori stepped forward, grabbed Newton by the shoulders, lifted him off the floor, and half-dragged him outside.

"Wait, where are you taking Newton?" Hermann Gottlieb sensed that something was wrong. He stood up and tried to stop the two soldiers, but Mako Mori grabbed him by the shoulder and blocked his path.

"Calm down, Dr. Hermann! Dr. Newton will be fine." Mako Mori explained rapidly to Hermann Gottlieb. Meanwhile, the other two soldiers behind her carefully gathered the various manuscripts and instruments on Newton Geiszler's desk, packing and sealing them away one by one as if no one else were present.

"What are they doing? Those are Newton's and my research sketches! Those are my unfinished drafts!" Hermann's nostrils flared violently with each breath as his chest heaved in anger. He tried to stop the two soldiers, but they shoved him aside without hesitation and continued their work.

"It's complicated, Doctor." Mako Mori grabbed Hermann and dragged him farther away.

"What exactly happened?" Hermann asked angrily.

"How long has it been since you paid attention to outside news?" Mako Mori looked helpless.

"I don't need to constantly know what's happening outside. It's enough for me to immerse myself in the world of mathematics." Hermann proudly straightened his back. "Besides, Newton is here with me."

"Some things have happened recently. A number of scientists have begun acting strangely. They suddenly entered periods of Inspiration Outburst and came up with one new technology after another," Mako Mori said.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Hermann frowned.

"But soon, people started dying. After three or four scientists who had produced vast amounts of new technology died, the authorities launched an investigation. Only then did they discover that many scientists in this field had similar symptoms: Inspiration Outbursts, extreme physical exhaustion, yet extraordinary mental vigor. If no one stopped them, they would devote themselves endlessly to researching their bursts of inspiration until they burned themselves out.

More importantly, they became increasingly irritable. Anyone who dared disturb their research would provoke a furious outburst. Without large doses of sedatives, it was difficult to make them truly calm down and rest. But that only treated the symptoms, not the cause. And those were the better cases. Some scientists couldn't secure research funding, yet the Inspiration Outbursts in their minds and their intense urge to conduct experiments often drove them to do unimaginable things.

One scientist undergoing an Inspiration Outburst received funding from unofficial sources and went so mad that he combined humans with preserved Kaiju genes, nearly causing a major disaster. In short, the research community outside is a complete mess. Countries around the world have communicated and decided that this situation cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. So, all scientists in an Inspiration Outburst period need to be properly placed under supervision until their condition returns to normal—or until we find a way to make them normal again." Mako Mori rubbed her forehead.

"And Newton?" Hermann looked at the soldiers who had finished packing and were preparing to take everything away.

"Yes, his symptoms match Inspiration Outburst Syndrome. Can you imagine it? One day, we would actually be afraid of a mass Inspiration Outburst among scientists?" Mako Mori found it absurd even as she spoke. "If we can't provide the funding and personnel needed to realize the technologies they think of during their Inspiration Outbursts, then these scientists are simply the most terrifying people imaginable. Seriously, do you know what Dr. Newton has been researching lately?"

"He..." Hermann swallowed. Under Mako Mori's stunned gaze, he said, "He wants to put clothes on the sun."

"What?" Mako Mori was completely dumbfounded.

"That's right. Exactly what you're thinking." Hermann nodded vigorously. "A Dyson Sphere! I've read his research and plans. It's insane! But it might be possible."

Large Magellanic Cloud.

Capital of the Kree Empire.

The Supreme Intelligence was absorbing and receiving information from soldiers returning from missions through the Sea of Consciousness. When it made mental contact with the target of an Imperial scientist and elite soldier named Korath, a pitch-black nightmare silently slipped through the mental connection and merged into the Supreme Intelligence's programs as a stream of information.

Lately, whenever Luke dreamed, he felt as though noisy voices were always ringing within his Sea of Consciousness. Then, when he woke up, the System Panel deep in his mind would contain quite a few new technologies. This strange phenomenon made Luke curious. After conducting deeper research and letting his thoughts wander, he discovered that this situation was closely connected to the Seeds of Black Nightmare he had previously scattered. From there, he made a bold conjecture and arrived at a conclusion that left him dumbstruck.

That was, he had already acquired a tiny conceptual aspect of a Dimensional Demon God.

The Seeds of Black Nightmare would automatically select suitable hosts. Influenced by Luke's own thoughts, they tended to choose people with flexible minds or those immersed in science. The Seeds of Black Nightmare would stimulate their potential, greatly increasing their inspiration by consuming their life force and physical energy. After the host died, all the knowledge possessed by the infected person would merge into Luke.

Just like Vishanti, the source of White Magic: everything belonging to every Sorcerer Supreme and everyone who had used Its power would return to It after death.

Luke could not yet reach that level. At most, that batch of Seeds of Black Nightmare had allowed him to experience a tiny fraction of that power in advance—at least until the Seeds of Black Nightmare he had scattered were completely used up.