American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

"Unstoppable."

The metallic voice's response cooled the blonde man's newly invigorated heart, but the next moment, the addition from the metallic voice restored some color to his face.

"But it can be delayed."

"The Seed of Nightmare is closely related to one of the Lord's authorities, and is a concrete product of this authority. If you cannot break through a certain limit, you will not be able to escape its influence.

This is the price of using the power of the Seed of Nightmare! It is an unstoppable and unavoidable price!

The only thing I can do to help you is to delay the arrival of this disaster and minimize the cost as much as possible. As long as you can carefully maintain a balance with it, without breaking it, then your time will be relatively abundant.

Of course, you can also put it on a high shelf and forget about it. But this is just wishful thinking. I don't think those researchers can resist the temptation of the Seed of Nightmare, and the characteristic of the Seed of Nightmare is that once it captures this thirst for knowledge and mystery, it will spontaneously integrate and influence. This process is irreversible. Unless it is completely bound and sealed."

The metallic voice caused the blonde man's emotions to fluctuate erratically, but soon, he forcibly stopped himself from thinking about those troubling issues.

These issues should be left to the empire's high-level officials and top researchers to discuss and decide. What he can do, and must do, is to take this Seed of Nightmare, which has already been recorded in his information database, back with him. Whether it's him, his sister, or his servants, they are all just playing the role of tools in this mission.

They cannot decide anything.

And the tasks they can do have been planned and set before they came. Their autonomy is limited to the circle of completing the tasks. After returning, they will also need to semi-publicly upload information about this experience from their memory database.

"You are quite clever," the metallic voice seemed to capture the blonde man's psychological fluctuations almost instantly, and there seemed to be a hint of a smile in the rigid voice.

"Why are you telling me this? I'm even starting to suspect that you gave us the coordinates of this universe, and subtly guided us with various pieces of information to make this trip at all costs, not to repair your own body, but to have us bring the Seed of Nightmare back here," the blonde man said softly, with a somewhat complicated mood, as he looked at the easily cracked and opened vault door.

"You are very perceptive," the metallic voice's answer made the blonde man's face turn even paler in an instant. This answer almost confirmed the blonde man's speculation.

"Don't be nervous, your emotional fluctuations are so obvious that I'm a little uncomfortable," the metallic voice reminded.

"I have no malice towards you, and I can still say that now. I am just trying my best to fulfill your wishes and requirements. If you don't want to become a substitute for a civilization, and want to quickly and explosively improve your civilization level and knowledge accumulation, then the Seed of Nightmare is the most suitable for you."

"You said you can help us delay and reduce the cost associated with using it?" the blonde man asked as he entered the vault, his eyes scanning the neatly arranged items on both sides.

"Knowledge/Truth Altar. A device that replaces life as a host, or rather, a central hub."

"Sounds a bit like the naming style of those magical empires that play with energy and mysterious civilizations."

"It does involve some knowledge systems and power applications in that area."

"What is its function?"

"As an alternative host, it bears the cost of life loss for you. Within the range covered by the altar's operation, you can gain inspiration and wisdom."

"What's the price? Since it's an altar, what do we need to offer as a sacrifice?"

"Emotions!"

"Emotions?"

"Yes, the spark of life, the fluctuations of emotions, will automatically collect a kind of energy under the supporting facilities, and this power of the mind and emotions can be used as a sacrifice, becoming the energy source for the smooth operation of the Knowledge/Truth Altar. How much energy you collect will determine how much the altar can function."

"Sounds like a good deal," the blonde man pondered for a moment, making a judgment in his heart. He knew that there must be some unknown hidden dangers in this, but this kind of conversion that spreads the individual burden to the group to bear undoubtedly reduced the so-called losses and burdens. Compared to life, the cost of emotions is not heavy. And those top researchers do not need to sacrifice their lives to gain inspiration in pursuit of knowledge and the future.

"What are the hidden dangers?" the blonde man asked bluntly.

"Apart from the emergence of some chaotic and extremist individuals, there are no hidden dangers. At least before the final day arrives, all the hidden dangers are something you can bear, and can alleviate and suppress," the metallic voice also gave a straightforward answer without any concealment.

"The final day? Are you referring to the destruction of civilization?" the blonde man pressed.

"More terrible than that. You can think of it as the swan song of civilization, the end of the universe. You will attract the prying eyes of unspeakable forces. I think you need to know that all the cost reductions and delays only postpone the time of their outbreak. And while you gain more and more abundant time, those disasters that accumulate little by little, waiting for an outbreak, will also become larger and more intense.

Following the established order, only your civilization may be destroyed. But using the altar, what will be destroyed in the end will include the universe in which your civilization is located."

"Specifically? The disaster you are talking about, is it formless? Or is it tangible? Can it be described? Or is it unspeakable? Is it some kind of conceptual natural disaster? Or...?"

"I've said enough. Knowing too much is not good for you now. On the contrary, it will attract the prying eyes and attention of those things earlier."

"Those things? In other words, are they entities? Or...?"

"Don't guess anymore. Those things are conceptual beings, the offspring of some kind of power. They have no good or evil, but obviously, the impact they bring when they appear will be regarded as evil by all civilizations. They are the noble collective of all living beings, and also the base fusion of all lives. They are generally called Evil Gods.

Before you have advanced to the point where you can get rid of the influence of the Seed of Nightmare, no matter what stage your technology climbs to, you will not be able to face them. Unable to face them also means no resistance. Your civilization will not be wiped out by some kind of force in an instant, but will gradually move towards darkness and collapse in your despair and powerlessness. Like the embers of fire in the darkness. Either walk out of the darkness and move towards the light. Or burn everything and become the dying embers of civilization."

(End of this chapter)