Chapter 123: The Brahma Project

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At this moment, Ji Ning was sitting on the toilet for a simple reason: tonight’s dinner had been somewhat greasy, and when Adonis had just come in, he hadn’t closed the door properly, letting the strong wind from the corridor blow in.

“655, did you hear what that guy said? If it really happens, what should we do?” Ji Ning gripped the toilet paper tightly. If someone suddenly barged in and saw his worried expression, they might think he had indigestion, but in fact, it was quite the opposite.

“What he said makes a lot of sense,” SCP-CN-655’s reply surprised Ji Ning. He had expected SCP-CN-655, no matter what, to at least say something like, “I’ll take you out of the dream.”

“If I get lost in the dream he constructs, doesn’t that mean you’ll never be able to go home?”

“Maybe he’ll build a world for me as well, then I’ll be home.” SCP-CN-655’s voice rarely carried hesitation, but now it did—an almost human tone that made Ji Ning almost think SCP-CN-655’s true identity was that of an old man secretly residing inside the ring.

“That’s all fake, fake—just like getting you hooked on hallucinogens. How is that any different from removing the prefrontal cortex and turning someone into a psychiatric patient stripped of emotions and memories?” Ji Ning was somewhat dissatisfied. SCP-CN-655 had been with him so long; how had it not learned even a sliver of his life philosophy? Falsity remains false; it could never be truth.

“Are you sure what the standard for truth really is? Does it hurt?” SCP-CN-655 suddenly countered.

Ji Ning opened his mouth but no sound came out. He suddenly realized he might genuinely have no way to define it.

If he had that ability, perhaps even the disturbances of dreams could not trouble his sleep. Yet precisely because he firmly believed the illusions in his dreams were real, they continued to play out in his heart. Conversely, if the dream’s realism reached a certain extreme, Ji Ning would find it nearly impossible to discern the boundary between it and reality—like a wanderer in the mist, unsure of what is real and what is illusion.

“I can’t really explain these truths and lies either. Probably only the man who dreamed he was a butterfly two thousand years ago could answer that. But I just feel it’s not good.” Ji Ning paused. “You should feel that way too, since we’re in the same boat.”

“Then why can’t it be you listening to me?” SCP-CN-655’s words today made Ji Ning increasingly convinced it was becoming human.

“Hmm, you make a good point. How about we toss a coin?” Ji Ning pulled a coin from his pocket—a one-pound coin leftover from change at a coffee shop.

“I’ll pick the Queen’s side, the one with the floral crown. If it lands that way, you win. How about that?” Ji Ning flicked the coin and tossed it up and down.

After a moment of silence, SCP-CN-655 finally said, “Fine.”

The coin soared high, bounced once on the ceramic tile floor, and settled flat.

The ever-enduring Queen remained immortal.

“I’ll help you get out of the dream,” SCP-CN-655 said, accepting the bet, which pleased Ji Ning. He thought that after being together so long, SCP-CN-655 had at least learned some virtues—they never made promises lightly, but when they did, they kept them absolutely.

Pressing the flush button and pulling up his pants, Ji Ning transformed into a slime-like form, returned to his wheelchair, and left the bathroom.

Since returning from Tokyo, perhaps because his body and SCP-CN-655 had grown more compatible, this ability to become slime no longer required SCP-CN-655’s control—Ji Ning could freely use it himself.

Back in the room, the atmosphere within the Seeker of the Forgotten group was unusually tense.

Catherine and Zhao Tianxing were continually discussing contingency plans. Nearby, Qin Mo, wearing noise-cancelling headphones, sat before Afra, who held a phone on a video call with Professor Christina. Christina murmured quietly, as if performing hypnosis.

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Ji Ning didn’t understand a word, but dared not ask. It wasn’t until Qin Mo collapsed into Afra’s arms, seemingly asleep, that Afra motioned for him to help carry Qin Mo to the sofa.

After covering Qin Mo with a blanket, he turned to ask Afra, “What’s going on?”

Afra’s expression was grave. She glanced at the clock—still over thirty minutes left. “We’ve already reported the situation to the Deer Academy. They’re sending help, but this space seems covered by some kind of barrier. Neither magical teleportation nor arcane transfer can be used. The Academy suspects that man called Adonis is mobilizing the dispersed psychic energy of everyone in this city. The massive psychic energy fluctuations make this space extremely unstable, so the Academy’s aid must come through modern means. The plane is probably still over the Atlantic an hour from now, so after that, we’ll have to face this alone.”

Ji Ning lowered his head to drink water, trying to mask his unease. “What about other local supernatural organizations in London?”

“They’ve mobilized the special task force ‘Omicron Rho’ for a decapitation strike. If successful, we’ll never see that Adonis again, and won’t have to worry about the dreams he brings.”

Afra’s tone shifted. “But we must prepare for failure. That man’s psychic power is outrageously strong. Even the head of the SCP Foundation’s London branch just issued a notice—they don’t think this can be resolved in under an hour. So the official advice is for all supernatural personnel to prepare for entering the dreamscape. They’ve even issued a regional EK-class apocalypse warning, meaning that humanity itself will survive, but its social structure and intelligent consciousness will vanish. Essentially, all humans become ‘walking corpses’ or regress to primitive beings.”

“Isn’t this like fighting a world boss?” Ji Ning was bewildered. How were newcomers like them supposed to handle a crisis even the SCP Foundation admitted was thorny? That’s why he had appeared so calm in the bathroom—he believed that someone higher up would handle it. Maybe before midnight, Adonis would already be sitting in a GOC or SCP Foundation holding cell awaiting humane termination. But Afra’s words made him realize that perhaps his casual conversation with SCP-CN-655 was about to become reality.

Afra spread her hands. “There’s no way around it. Nobody wants this to happen, but it’s happening.”

“Forget it. Whatever comes, comes. What’s wrong with Qin Mo?” Ji Ning’s attention quickly shifted to Qin Mo, now in light sleep nearby.

“According to the Deer Academy professors’ simulation of Adonis’s abilities, this power has almost no weaknesses—almost.”

“Professor Christina, after reviewing medical reports of those still hospitalized, created an initial model. She believes Adonis’s method of pulling people into dreams is both the simplest and most complex form of transition. He detaches your spirit from the real world, then instantly creates a vast dreamscape enclosing the target. This is our key to breaking the cycle.”

“When constructing the dream, no matter how strong his psychic power is, he needs time. Although this time is imperceptible to humans, we call this process ‘prohibition.’ During prohibition, ordinary people blink and it’s over; they don’t even realize they’ve entered the dream.”

“In simulations, Professor Christina found that some targets experience a brief freeze during the transition, as if frozen in place. One moment they’re chatting and pouring coffee; the next, all movement and thought stops. This usually happens to those who have encountered elder gods and resisted their corruption. Though the Academy can’t yet explain the elder gods’ control over psychic power, it’s clear those who’ve been in contact with elder gods differ in psychic strength from ordinary people.”

“Qin Mo is our trump card. She was once sealed by an elder god, her sense of existence closed off, and her spirit forcibly pulled into the elder god’s dreamscape. She has that experience. Humans are highly adaptable; such experience gives her an innate advantage, like someone who’s recovered from illness developing stronger immunity after reinfection.”

“Qin Mo can prolong the prohibition process, giving enough time to react. We can build a mental shield for her. As long as she awakens this shield before prohibition ends, she can enter the dreamscape clearly. When she’s conscious, Adonis won’t be able to control her as usual. She’ll become an anomaly in his psychic world—a kind of virus. Then she can observe all the dreams Adonis constructs. Because Adonis subconsciously wants to pull Qin Mo into the dream, she retains permission to enter dreams and can choose which ones to enter. From there, she can enter our dreams to wake us.”

“Professor Christina plans to have Qin Mo begin meditation training, gradually building her mental defenses. She’s currently under Christina’s guidance.”

Ji Ning didn’t disturb Qin Mo. He joined Zhao Tianxing and Catherine’s discussion, carefully noting the knowledge they shared about the psychic realm.

After a while, Qin Mo quietly woke. She opened her eyes and searched around until seeing the familiar figure nearby, then relaxed slightly.

“You’re awake?” Ji Ning felt a hand on his shoulder. Without looking, he knew who it was, but still turned to Qin Mo.

She nodded, then looked up at the clock on the wall—ten minutes until midnight.

In the final moments, they all sat together listening to Professor Christina’s instructions.

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“The first law of the psychic world: if you die there, you die here…”

“Don’t rush. Time in the psychic world is detached from reality. Even if you spend ten thousand years there, for those outside it’s only a moment…”

“There are many ways to exit the dreamscape. The most common is for the dreamer to realize everything is false and unreal. This usually requires a strong emotional surge because once the subconscious stirs, the psychic imprint Adonis imposes loosens. Sometimes just a fragment of memory can make the dreamer realize they’re dreaming. So when you enter the dream, keep your inner peace. This helps Qin Mo manipulate your emotions within the dream, making it easier for you to break free.”

With only minutes left, Christina paused. “You still have time. Adjust your mindset and prepare. Remember to repeatedly remind yourself to watch for anything strange. This leaves traces in your subconscious. When you realize it’s all a dream, you can leave.”

Qin Mo sat quietly beside Ji Ning. She wanted to say something but thought of how flag-bearing characters in movies usually ended up, so she said nothing.

The room was so silent it felt as if even the air had frozen. Only the ticking clock echoed in the vast space, steady and strong like a heartbeat. Everyone’s nerves were taut, as if ready to face an unknown storm.

In this sealed chamber, time seemed slowed; every second stretched unbearably long.

Each person immersed in their thoughts, the atmosphere thick with an indescribable tension that felt suffocating.

Ji Ning broke the silence. “What’s the name of the operation you’ve planned for Qin Mo?”

“Brahma,” Afra answered, then explained, “In Indian mythology, all existence is Brahma’s dream. When Brahma wakes, all things vanish, until he dreams again—a cycle of reincarnation. Given what we suspect, there’s no name more fitting.”

One minute before midnight, Qin Mo quietly leaned toward Ji Ning’s ear. “If you stay in there long, please don’t forget me.”

Ji Ning reached out and hugged her. “Alright, tonight I won’t care about the dream. I’ll only think of you.”

“If you say it, you have to mean it.” Qin Mo lowered her head, trying not to let Ji Ning see her shy expression. Though embarrassed, she loved hearing those unguarded words from him.

“Of course. I’ve been thinking about getting regularized at work, after all.”

Just as Qin Mo was about to tell him that such a thing didn’t really exist—that he had always been her beloved boy—the clock’s hour and minute hands aligned.

A long-anticipated downpour began to fall in torrents.

It was as if Odin, king of the gods, rode his steed Sleipnir and hurled the eternal spear Gungnir at the earth. Wild lightning tore through the night, plunging the entire city into chaos beneath the endless storm.

At the city’s highest point, a phantom gate to the dreamscape opened. One step forward would mean falling from the skyscraper—but also stepping into the world your heart most desires.

Here, the boundary between soul and body was manifested. False comfort and cold reality stood side by side, forcing people to make their choice.