[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-nightmare-of-the-long-night":3,"chapter-eternal-nightmare-of-the-long-night-eternal-nightmare-night-chapter-554":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Eternal Nightmare Night",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},2222409,4052,"Chapter 554","eternal-nightmare-night-chapter-554",554,"\u003Cp>\"sp-02, a spiral overture of nothingness and dimensional reduction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Containment Procedures: One, conduct a routine patrol every thirty-three hours, thirty-three minutes, and thirty-three seconds. After every thirty-three routine patrols, conduct three highest-specification inspection-style maintenance sessions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two, at no time may anyone approach within three meters of the dense fog; it is best to maintain a distance of over thirty-three meters, as this is the safe distance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three, after entering the containment hall, you must not speak more than three sentences. If for any reason you have spoken three sentences (including sneezing—yes, I solemnly warn everyone: sneezing, yawning, or making any sound for any reason counts as 'one sentence'!), then please speak at least one more sentence within three seconds to ensure the number of sentences spoken is not three or any multiple of three.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Four, this rule is filler, meaningless, and can be ignored, but this rule must be included. I again solemnly warn everyone, especially those with Level 3 clearance or higher: if I see this rule deleted again, I will consider this containment station to have been eroded by sp-02 and will be forced to take extreme measures, including activating the 'non-existent' reality eraser you all keep discussing. You definitely do not want to see that happen; of course, if it were truly activated, you wouldn't be able to see it anyway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Description: sp-02 does not exist in reality. From any non-sentient investigation, it is essentially nothingness—empty. It possesses neither material substance nor any 'existential' characteristics in any sense. From radiation to particles, to information detection devices, to reality anchoring devices, to imaginary space and virtual particle detection—it simply does not exist!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No one knows when sp-02 was contained by us, nor does anyone know where we discovered it, how we contained it, or how the above three—damn it, the above four rules were determined. No one knows (I'm not bragging; as a Level 4 clearance holder who can speak directly to the administrator, I have truly asked countless people, and the answer is always unknown). Therefore, there is reason to believe that from the designation to the entry, to the containment hall, to the containment procedures, this entire thing is a single containment object... This is not an adjective; it is a whole, a containment object existing within our Foundation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As a single-digit containment object, sp-02's danger level is Level 5, which means it is extremely important. Therefore, since its containment, countless experiments have been conducted on it, consuming vast amounts of manpower and material resources. According to incomplete statistics (see Directory One), over one thousand personnel have sacrificed their lives in the research of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"sp-02 is a mass of dense fog standing in the sp-02 lockdown hall. Its size is thirty-three cubic meters, yet it occupies a room of thirty-three square meters. It does not expand, nor does it undergo any changes. From any angle, it appears as a mass of fog so dense that the interior cannot be seen. However, once one walks within thirty-three meters, one will see that there are objects inside the fog, usually long, strip-like items. Occasionally, one will see glowing spheres, and in extremely rare cases, one will see humanoid individuals walking, living, and conversing within the fog. However, these phenomena are only seen by sentient life; no information recorded by non-sentient life can detect these phenomena.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Any personnel who see the individuals, objects, or glowing sphere phenomena within the fog will enter a collective dream state for the next three to thirty-three days. They claim to be personnel from the Victorian era, a world at the peak of the Age of Discovery, where nobles enjoy the dividends of great voyages and discoveries—balls, songs, gorgeous gowns, beautifully dressed ladies, and banquets accompanied by waltzes and the scent of cream. Yet outside of this, gangs run rampant, prostitutes stand on street corners, the toiling masses suffer, and even lower are the colonized and the slaves...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A very small number of people with cognitive decay resistance levels reaching ten or higher will dream of a grotesque and disordered apocalyptic world. In that world, stars circle the apocalyptic planet, and sky-covering tentacles wrap around and annihilate the suns. Humanoid creatures turn into sludge and flow everywhere, chasing the flickering light in the sky, only to be burned and destroyed by the light. This is the liberation or sublimation they pursue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In extremely rare and accidental cases, Foundation special personnel with cognitive decay resistance levels exceeding fifty points will dream of entering a peaceful world. That peaceful world is prosperous and flourishing, but the ruling elite of that world are conducting forbidden experiments, secretly using a large number of citizens as experimental subjects and consumables. A resistance organization has begun to form in secret, with the goal of overthrowing such a government and its elite.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All personnel who have had these dreams will turn into ■■■■■■ within three to thirty-three days...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Directory One: No one knows how many people have disappeared. Once a person who has had the dream disappears, all information remaining about them gradually dissipates, as if they had never existed. However, this disappearance follows a process. Currently, there are records of two hundred and sixty-two people disappearing at this containment station, and there are three hundred and fifty-five documents containing only a few words. Yes, the owners of these documents with only a few words... they have already disappeared, and it is estimated they have been gone for some years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Directory Two: All people who are disappearing or are about to disappear because they have had the dream will experience continuous changes in their mental state. At first, they begin to question the reality of the real world. By the middle stage, they will experience persistent dazedness, memory loss, and cognitive impairment regarding reality and illusion. When they reach the later stages, they will continuously shout in unknown languages and sounds. Through reality anchoring devices used to forcibly determine cognition, the specific meanings obtained are basically things like 'This is impossible,' 'This is fake,' or 'I must wake up quickly.'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Directory Three: At the request of Headquarters, at the request of the Supreme Management Council, and at the request of more than five administrators, the three special force explorations launched against sp-02 are as follows, can be expanded...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Directory Four: Fine, this rule didn't exist originally, but it must be added. I really don't want to explain the reason again, but since it has been added, I will include a video document that has not yet disappeared... No, this is not a pornographic film! I am an expert! I am a Level 4 clearance holder who can speak directly to the administrator! How could I possibly watch pornographic films!? In short... I do not wish to see any official staff members cross within the thirty-three-meter distance while on patrol again. I repeat: this disappearance is a 'deletion' where even your pension, survivor's benefits, and death allowances will completely vanish!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Directory Four expanded, video ID: 01...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a room with one-way glass, a haggard-looking young woman with messy red hair is sitting restlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A synthesized electronic voice sounds: \"Catherine, I hope you can understand that we can only converse with you in this way, because no one currently knows the logic by which sp-02 produces its memetic effect. In fact, we have already placed no fewer than ten reality anchoring devices around your room and this interrogation room. I think as a Level 3 clearance holder, you should know what a huge expenditure this is, but unfortunately... your roommate—sorry, I don't know what her name was—disappeared seven days ago, and the speed at which her files disappeared was extremely fast. Currently, we only know that such a person once existed, but whether she was male or female, what her clearance level was, or what contributions she had made, we have no idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-haired young woman says irritably and anxiously: \"Elnos, her name was Elnos, age twenty-one, joined the Foundation one term after me, Level 2 clearance holder, PhD in Biology... Forget it, this is meaningless. Even if I say it, you will soon forget her. Any medium recording her information will automatically 'delete' her, so it's meaningless, isn't it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, the electronic voice pauses for several seconds before saying: \"Then what do you want to tell us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-haired young woman gradually calms down. She has eyes full of intellect and wisdom. Once she settles down, her voice becomes steady. She says: \"I don't have much time left, but as a premise, there are some things I must say... I am special. I have been special since I was a child, because nothing can move me, and nothing can make me panic. No matter how exaggerated the event, no matter how terrifying the event—even when my parents died in a car accident—I just watched coldly. People say I am cold-blooded and heartless, and the doctors at the mental hospital think I am a natural sufferer of emotional apathy, or perhaps some other illness...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In short, my cognitive decay resistance level is, if not unprecedented, at least in the top five of the entire Foundation... five hundred and thirty-six!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice says: \"That's right, you are the pride and treasure of our Foundation. Because of you, we have decrypted over ten containment objects and redesigned six memetic containment procedures for danger level three. That is why you are a Level 3 clearance holder, and you may even become a Level 4 clearance holder in the future!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is no future...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine shakes her head and says: \"But whether it is because of my naturally cold nature, my naturally high cognitive decay resistance level, or my unwillingness to give up, I hope to tell you the truth about sp-02 as I have perceived it before I disappear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice asks: \"So... what exactly is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A civilization.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine says: \"A civilization that exceeds our understanding and cognition...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unlike what you think, after receiving information from sp-02, one is essentially already incorporated into its cyclic logic. We can discuss this later; please do not interrupt me now... After being incorporated into its cyclic logic, what is manifested is the dream within three to thirty-three days. But that is not actually a dream; it is the cyclic logic of sp-02. That is to say, you become the life within that dream. And I... because of my cognitive decay resistance level, have had millions of dreams over the past twenty-seven days. I became the life within them and cycled at least a million times.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And because I fully perceived and understood the information from those millions of identity cycles, I also understood the truth of sp-02... It is a civilization!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This civilization was no different from us at the beginning—real world, starry sky, planets. But they were different from us; they possessed extraordinary power. Every individual among them possessed extraordinary power on a spiritual level, and the best among them were called Transcendents, possessing the ability to turn the nothingness of the spiritual level into reality.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, they were invaded by an unknown terror—perhaps a meme, perhaps something else. In short, this invasion caused the individuals of this civilization to begin to have nihilistic thoughts... Can you imagine? An extraordinary civilization with powerful spirits, where the individuals of the civilization began to have nihilistic thoughts on a massive scale. Do you know what this means?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice is silent for a long time before saying: \"...The reverse manifestation of the Ultimate Anthropic Principle?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine says approvingly: \"Exactly! When all individuals of this civilization were eroded, as long as they closed their eyes at the same time, their world and universe—including their civilization, their planet, and all individuals—would disappear at the same time... Just as they believed, they did not exist, and the traces of their past existence were merely illusions they imagined!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice is silent again before asking: \"What evidence is there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine curses: \"If there were evidence, would I need to narrate it? Who is the idiot on the other side? I want to report this to my superiors and have your salary and bonuses docked!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice is silent for a bit longer this time, at least several minutes, before saying: \"Ahem, Ms. Catherine, please continue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine stabilizes her emotions slightly and continues: \"I have played the role of high-level government officials in that peaceful world many times, and thus learned the civilization's method of self-rescue. They planned to create a god, and then use the 'devouring' of the created deity as the ballast for their race. But obviously, this plan failed. However, it wasn't a complete failure. This omnipotent god they imagined didn't succeed, but it did shape three beings close to gods—the three most powerful Transcendents.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But by then, the nihilistic phenomenon was already very serious. The entire race's elite, plus the three near-god Transcendents, could not stop it even by working together. After the frantic research of that civilization's scientists and researchers, they confirmed that this nihilistic phenomenon was based on the reality in which they existed. And so, they carried out the final plan after the god-slaying plan...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They—the Transcendents, the government, the high-level officials, the wealthy, and all the elites of that civilization—linked the spirits of all individuals of the entire civilization in a certain way. I remember I said before that the uniqueness of this civilization was its extraordinary power on the spiritual level. After gathering the spirits of the entire race, they did an incredible thing... They reduced the dimensionality of their civilization!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice suddenly speaks. Even though it is a synthesized voice without any ups and downs, anyone could hear the surprise in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dimensional reduction? Reducing from reality to the mode of electronic programs, electronic games, or books?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine says affirmatively: \"Exactly. Some strange collective thinking, or some indescribable misguidance, made them believe that as long as they reduced the entire civilization from the real material level to a lower narrative information level, they could avoid the erosion of nothingness. So they reduced their dimensionality, abandoning the essence of all life in the entire civilization, reducing from the reality narrative to the underlying narrative layer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Using the self-existence logic of the three near-god beings as the anchor point, the individuals and Transcendents of the entire civilization all reduced their dimensionality... If I were to describe it, it was almost like the entire race committing suicide in an instant, and then relying on these three super-beings who also committed suicide to dream, re-dreaming them into existence...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice says incredulously: \"But even if it were dimensional reduction, it should be the existence of low-level narrative information. But we have tested everything—there is nothing! Let alone low-level narrative information, there isn't even imaginary information!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine reveals a mocking smile. While laughing, she pokes the wall with her finger. It is unclear whether she has lost her sense of pain or wants to use this method to resist something more terrifying, but her finger is bloody from the poking, yet she still does not stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She says: \"This is exactly what I want to say... They forgot that the nothingness emerged from the spirit of every single individual. Do you know what this means? Even if the individuals of this civilization reduced their dimensionality to low-level narrative information, even if they were all civilization individuals dreamed up by the three super-beings, their consciousness still carried nothingness. Even if they re-enacted and reconstructed the civilization in the fake low-level narrative layer, this nothingness still followed like a shadow... We all know that the dimensional reduction of the narrative layer will lead to a massive dissipation of information, just like reducing from four-dimensional space to three-dimensional, or three-dimensional to two-dimensional. Ninety-nine point nine nine nine nine... percent of the information will dissipate, because low dimensions cannot carry the multi-dimensional information expansion of high dimensions!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Originally, according to the civilization's plan, after reducing dimensionality to escape the erosion of nothingness, as long as the super-beings continuously and stably anchored, the accumulation of information would gradually re-enact the civilization and cause them to gradually recover... This time might be extremely long, but it was also a hope. However, before they could recover at this moment, their memories would appear as space-time paradoxes accompanying the dimensional reduction. That is to say, whatever they had done before, as long as the scene was similar or identical, they would still do the same thing. So when the erosion of nothingness appeared again, this recovering civilization did the same thing...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice makes an incredible sound: \"So... this civilization continued to reduce its dimensionality!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine says with a mocking expression: \"Exactly. They made the same choice they made originally. According to the axiom of space-time paradoxes, you cannot go back to the past to kill your grandfather. Similarly, in the same narrative scene, they could not think of any way to deal with it other than dimensional reduction. And so, in the low-level narrative information layer after dimensional reduction, they reduced their dimensionality once again. It became the three super-beings falling into an even lower layer, dreaming up their super-being selves, and the dreamed-up super-being selves dreaming up the entire civilization...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The electronic voice is completely silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine suddenly stops poking her finger. Her finger is gone, and she laughs bitterly: \"My time is almost up... By the way, regarding the information record, because of my personal uniqueness, this piece of information should be able to be preserved for a long time... I suspect!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This civilization did not just suffer from the erosion of nothingness. Perhaps they were subjected to another erosion from the very beginning, but they were unaware of it, thinking that their actions were their own judgments and thoughts...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This civilization was simultaneously eroded by two different effects: nothingness and dimensional reduction!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They are perhaps an extremely special civilization. Continuous research on them will bring unimaginable help to our world and the entire Foundation, but the premise is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There must be a large number of people like me, or... people who exceed my cognitive decay resistance level!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That person who exceeds it by a lot—ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times... countless times!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",3048,"2026-06-17T19:10:57.806Z","2026-06-18T03:30:09.135Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","0736d8442ed120b84792a7bdaa2c6ec1f3270b686d77674b240164c3df5cec6d","eternal-nightmare-night-chapter-555","eternal-nightmare-night-chapter-553",602,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-nightmare-night-cover.jpg"]