For a long time, everything in the laboratory proceeded in an orderly manner. Shu Bao found nothing suspicious within. The researchers in the dark matter observation zone didn’t seem different from those in other zones. Clearly, neither they nor anyone else here had any intention of bringing about the end of the world. In fact, the disastrous consequences had never crossed their minds.
The people here were exploring the secrets of the universe, searching for the origins of humanity and the cosmos itself, and immersing themselves in the ocean of knowledge. Although their experiments occasionally faced setbacks, even the smallest breakthroughs brought immense joy and fulfillment—so much so that even Shu Bao, an outsider, couldn’t help but feel infected by their excitement.
However, to the mechanoids, such human behavior likely seemed reckless. As recorded in the history of the mechanoids, humans had long forgotten their origins. Over time, multiple schools of thought emerged regarding the origins of humanity.
Even when the core laboratory was eventually discovered by others, these debates didn’t cease. Because information about the laboratory was strictly confidential, only a select few in the world knew of its existence.
As their research progressed, the scientists in the laboratory made a groundbreaking realization: in ancient times, human civilization and technology far surpassed what was currently known. This realization only deepened their curiosity—if humanity had once achieved such advanced development, how had their civilization vanished?
By continuously deciphering and replicating the technology of ancient civilizations, the galaxy’s present civilization began to experience explosive growth. Within just a few years, they had even achieved the ability to travel beyond their galaxy.
Yet, even with this level of advancement, the mechanoids still deemed it a primitive civilization unworthy of attention. That changed when the mechanoids discovered traces of ancient technology embedded in this galaxy’s science. This led them to suspect that the roots of this civilization’s progress were tied to ancient advancements.
Simultaneously, the laboratory uncovered evidence of another powerful civilization. Until then, they had been unaware of the mechanoids’ existence. In the decoded data, the immense power and terror of the mechanoids were evident, leaving the scientists uneasy about such a race’s presence.
Knowing that their current achievements were insufficient to counter the mechanoids, the laboratory doubled down on technological advancement. However, their progress was hindered by energy limitations, making the development of new energy sources an urgent priority.
Dark matter, as an omnipresent and immense form of energy in the universe, naturally became a key focus of research. During this period, other studies also advanced simultaneously. At the time, humans were confident, believing they had finally found a research direction that could surpass ancient humanity. Yet, they failed to consider why a civilization far more advanced than theirs had never developed dark matter energy.
Eventually, the day of destruction arrived. Whether it was by coincidence or the culmination of their gathered data reaching a critical point, the instruments in the laboratory designed to detect dark matter finally lit up. This confirmed that they had captured dark matter.
The news caused an uproar in the core laboratory. People cheered and celebrated, listening to the researchers’ descriptions while unconsciously imagining what dark matter might look like.
Inadvertently, the entire laboratory’s population became “observers”. As more information was shared, people’s conceptions of dark matter became increasingly vivid and it began to take on physical form.
It was only when they realized that dark matter was expanding uncontrollably that fear began to set in. They tried every possible method to contain the dark matter, but all efforts failed. The initial joy and exhilaration over this powerful yet uncontrollable energy gradually turned into terror.
They started to speculate on what dark matter truly was. During this process, dark matter integrated all their conjectures into itself.
Yes, that was dark matter—it was not a singular entity but an all-encompassing existence. It was also the origin of all tangible things in the world.
However, the dark matter birthed in the laboratory absorbed too much fear and the inherent human perception of darkness. This collective recognition grew clearer as the dark matter expanded, ultimately solidifying into reality.
The uncontrollable darkness expanded at an uncontrollable pace, quickly consuming the entire experimental planet. After all, nothing in the world moves faster than human consciousness. When someone feared that dark matter would devour the planet, it did; when someone feared it would devour the entire universe, it began doing so.
The immense influence caused by dark matter was soon detected by the mechanoids, who immediately dispatched teams to address the source of the chaos.
However, even exterminating every living being on the planet couldn’t halt the collapse of the universe. Dark matter’s consumption of the entire cosmos was already predestined, just as it had consumed the experimental planet.
To delay this collapse, the mechanoids attempted to take over the experimental planet for research. To their horror, they discovered that their heavily fortified bodies, designed to withstand even the most powerful attacks, were rendered ineffective here. The planet was now entirely governed by consciousness.
The mechanoids were defined by their awakened consciousness—a trait that now became their fatal weakness. One after another, the mechanoids that came to study the chaos perished, unable to leave the planet alive. Meanwhile, mechanoids without consciousness became inert lumps of metal as the chaotic environment severed all signals.
It was an unsolvable predicament. The mechanoids could only focus on external measures, containing the spread of information to prevent widespread panic and trying to delay the universe’s collapse as much as possible.
But humans are peculiar creatures. Although their individual consciousnesses are disconnected, they share a strange collective unconscious—a network linking all humans, even the dead. Without explicit information leaks, people would still dream or have sudden flashes of inspiration.
Subsequent events unfolded as Shu Bao read in the mechanoids’ records. The mechanoids tried every conceivable method to resolve the chaos source. Yet, even as they diminished due to dimensional ascension, the cosmic chaos remained unresolved.
In this lengthy history, Shu Bao discovered the origins of Mr. Sea Urchin. He wasn’t initially involved in dark matter research but specialized in genetic engineering, knowing little about dark matter.
Mr. Sea Urchin’s primary goal was to enhance the human genome, believing that stronger genes existed in other species. His research subjects were various animals and humans. By the time the dark matter catastrophe occurred, he had already successfully created a hybrid of feline and human genes—likely the earliest ancestors of the Beastfolk.
Upon learning this, Shu Bao felt a chill run down his spine, recalling the words someone had said before they entered the elevator: “After all, those monsters are my children too. Perhaps, you are as well.”
Mr. Sea Urchin was the creator of the Beastfolk. Coupled with the fact that the experimental planet was originally an ancient ruin and that its records were remnants from ancient times, Shu Bao realized that when their universe entered the Chaotic World, one of its purposes was to conduct forbidden experiments here. The data on dark matter and genetic engineering all originated from their universe.
Among the ancient beings who fled back, there must have been participants in these experiments. Perhaps some of them, unwilling to abandon their ambitions, resumed their work upon returning to their universe, ultimately creating the Beastfolk. This could explain the chaotic spectacle Shu Bao witnessed during his earlier competition.
However, this was just a fleeting thought in Shu Bao’s mind. The truth was impossible to ascertain.
After the experimental planet fell into chaos, everything there descended into disorder. For Mr. Sea Urchin, a mad scientist, this became paradise—an unrestricted playground for his experiments. Yet, surviving on such a planet without mental corruption was impossible. Even he was aware that his psyche had suffered damage. Still, for some reason, his consciousness didn’t collapse.
Eventually, he discovered why: his soul had merged with that of a mechanoid. The mechanoids’ formidable mental strength sustained his sanity, allowing him to retain his self-awareness.
The irony was profound. The mechanoids, so disdainful of humanity, had ended up fusing with a human consciousness. Mr. Sea Urchin couldn’t fathom their motives. He repeatedly tried to communicate with the other consciousness but always failed. Nevertheless, he was grateful for its role in preserving his mind.
What followed was an unending dark age. The transformations experienced by this planet surpassed human comprehension—hell itself would be less capricious. Surviving in such a place was no easy feat.
However, Mr. Sea Urchin managed to survive. Utilizing his research from years ago, he pieced together the remaining life forms on the planet. To increase the number of hands available and improve research efficiency, he transformed himself into the form of an urchin, discarding everything except his brain and hands.
On this planet, as long as your mind was strong enough, anything was possible—but escaping this hell was forever impossible.
As the scenes of light and shadow rapidly flashed before him, they finally arrived at the day Shu Bao and the others reached the planet. At that moment, Mr. Sea Urchin seemed to have an epiphany. He suddenly realized the purpose of his preserved consciousness—it was to wait for these three individuals!
Especially Shu Bao.
Mr. Sea Urchin felt there was something extraordinary about him. Soon, he understood that this intense sense of importance didn’t originate from himself but from the mechanoid’s consciousness fused with his own. It was the mechanoids that cared so deeply about the little mouse.
Mr. Sea Urchin couldn’t quite grasp what the mechanoid was trying to do. However, their long coexistence had taught him not to doubt them. Besides, how much worse could the world become?
Later, he guided Shu Bao and his companions to the Core Research Institute, helping them locate the source of the chaos.
The scenes ended with Shu Bao’s consciousness entering the source of the chaos. Before him lay only an endless darkness. He floated amidst the void, surrounded by nothingness. Yet Shu Bao didn’t panic. He had sensed that his arrival in this timeline was likely orchestrated by the mechanoids. Their dimensional ascension had likely succeeded, but they could no longer directly intervene here. Still, they must have done something; otherwise, Shu Bao wouldn’t have mistakenly crossed into this world.
But why him? No, Shu Bao wasn’t the only one with this question. Mr. Sea Urchin had once asked himself the same thing—why choose him, a genetic engineer with no understanding of dark matter?
Mr. Sea Urchin’s greatest accomplishment was perhaps being the “Father of the Beastfolk”. If the collective unconscious of humanity spanned the universe, then was the birth of the Beastfolk in Shu Bao’s universe also because Mr. Sea Urchin’s subconscious had been transmitted to someone there?
After all, such vast and detailed genetic data couldn’t have been acquired in Shu Bao’s universe. It was reminiscent of the story Shu Bao had heard: a man named Dmitri Mendeleev dreamt of chemical elements arranging themselves in a table, leading to the creation of the periodic table. Similarly, genetic engineering in Shu Bao’s universe might have resulted in the birth of the Beastfolk.
And the existence of the Beastfolk would normalize Shu Bao’s arrival. Subsequently, the starship Shu Bao was aboard accidentally encountered an ancient wormhole, leading to his arrival here.
Shu Bao ruffled his fur, a chill running down his spine. It felt as if every coincidence had been meticulously planned, as though someone had quietly orchestrated it all.
