The Dominant Screwllum! Imaginary Implosion Pulse!

Screwllum was actually going to Penacony himself!

And he was going to confront The Family directly!

What is this?! The Genius Society of Erudition versus The Family of harmony?!

Penacony was already in chaos, and now this independent storyline was adding more fuel to the fire.

Moreover, since it's a standalone story, there was no worry about an incomplete ending.

This meant more information surrounding Chadwick would be revealed to the audience.

They were losing their minds with excitement.

-----------------------------

After finalizing the next steps with Stelle, Screwllum bid farewell to Herta and headed to Penacony.

Stelle could travel using Trailblaze fuel, and naturally, the geniuses had their own methods.

On the screen, the scene went dark.

When it reappeared, it was already in the lobby of a hotel in reality.

Amidst the bustling crowd, there was a tall figure.

"Hey, Hey! Over here!"

Not far away, Stelle was standing on tiptoe, holding a sign.

Screwllum mingled with the crowd, walking over calmly and unhurriedly.

The two met up.

Screwllum's tone remained as composed and proper as ever.

"Long time no see, Ms. Stelle."

"Indeed, it's been a while."

"But you got here so quickly." Stelle spoke, her face showing some surprise.

"Haha, praise be to 'Trailblazing' for the miracles it brings to this universe," Screwllum replied.

The two briefly explained the reason for Screwllum's swift arrival, but didn't dwell on irrelevant topics.

Led by Stelle, the two headed to the reception desk.

"It's quite surprising how highly you regard Chadwick," Stelle said, seizing the moment.

"You couldn't say much over text before, but now you can tell me what Chadwick did, right?

Something so significant it made you come in person."

"Of course, Ms. Stelle," Screwllum replied.

"Conclusion: Calderon Chadwick's greatest lifetime achievement is a weapon called the 'Imaginary Implosion Pulse.'

That weapon once robbed countless people of their homes and lives."

Screwllum truthfully shared what they knew.

The viewers' eyes widened at the mention of the Imaginary Implosion Pulse, a name that finally sounded connected to 'genius'— and was also tied to countless lives.

From Screwllum's tone, it was clear this wasn't theoretical but something that had already been realized!

At that moment, just as Stelle was about to ask further, there was no time.

The two had arrived at the reception desk.

"Welcome back to Penacony, Ms. Stelle. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

The receptionist, Miss Ellie, politely inquired, her gaze involuntarily drawn to the intelligent machine next to Stelle, "And this is…?"

"My name is Screwllum," Screwllum introduced himself.

"Miss, please forgive my unannounced visit and lack of prior arrangements. You should be able to find my name on The Family's 'Permanent Guest List.'"

Hearing this, Ellie's expression slightly shifted.

She did her best to maintain composure, but it was clear she was deeply startled by Screwllum's identity and name.

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Screwllum."

...

: Whoa, Screwllum's incredible—just look at their reaction!

: A permanent guest list of The Family! Truly worthy of being Screwllum!

: See, this is the kind of 'genius' we're talking about—VIP everywhere they go.

: Haha, a little bit of flexing there. If I were Ellie, I'd be stunned by Stelle's amazing connections too.

: Exactly! Stelle can summon anyone with just one call. That's next-level networking.

: The Trailblazer truly lives up to their name!

...

As the barrage comments rolled by, Ellie had already confirmed the list.

"I've verified it; your name is indeed on the Permanent Guest List. Welcome back to Penacony, Mr. Screwllum. Is there anything I can assist you with?" Ellie's tone instantly became much more respectful.

"Calderon Chadwick. Could you arrange for us to meet him?"

"As far as I know, he has been staying in Penacony for quite some time." Screwllum got straight to the point, with no trace of subtlety.

Ellie, as an ordinary staff member, wasn't aware of the significance of this name.

Just as she was about to go to the back office to look up the relevant information, a somewhat cold voice interrupted.

"That won't be necessary, Ellie." Two individuals with middle-parted hair and wearing the insignia of the Bloodhound Family approached.

When Screwllum mentioned the name Chadwick, they had already taken notice.

"Apologies, but Dr. Chadwick is not available to receive visitors," Moira said, crossing her arms and frowning at Stelle.

"Previously, in the Border of Dreams, we accommodated an exception."

"But the same thing won't happen a second time!"

"You should be glad Screwllum is with you, Trailblazer! Otherwise…" Moira's gloomy eyes carried a hint of threat, showing no regard for Stelle's nameless status.

Whoa! The audience were wide awake now.

"Seriously? We've followed Stelle everywhere and seen all kinds of things!"

"And a mere Bloodhound Family dares act this arrogant?!"

"Unacceptable!"

The barrage of comments was full of excitement, with everyone demanding that Stelle teach this Moira a lesson.

Then, Screwllum spoke up.

"I think there's no need for us to let the situation become so tense."

"I presume The Family members here wouldn't want to disturb the guests passing through the hall, correct?"

First, Screwllum politely and empathetically stopped any potential conflict from escalating. Then, he stated his reason for wanting to meet Chadwick.

"... As far as I know, the last three advanced medical products developed by Chadwick were intended for extending the lifespan of biological beings."

"This occurred two Amber Eras ago."

"My question is this: what method did The Family use to prolong Calderon Chadwick's life? Has this method been approved by the Interstellar Medical Organization and does it comply with Penacony regulations?"

These lines, courteous yet imposing, were flawless from every angle! They further highlighted Screwllum's character as someone both highly intelligent and emotionally adept.

But Screwllum wasn't even human—he was a machine intelligence!

Yet, paradoxically, he seemed more human than many people.

Moira was stunned into silence by this high-level display of emotional intelligence.

After a brief pause, she resorted to stalling, "I do not have the authority to answer your question, nor can I permit any unauthorized visit to Dr. Chadwick. Please leave. There is no room for negotiation here."

She attempted to deflect and block Screwllum's further actions.

In response, the highly intelligent and composed Screwllum gave a slight nod.

"Understood. All your actions are out of loyalty to The Family."

"Then, may I infer that, in order to uphold your principles, you are willing to push your entire family into opposition against Planet Screwllum? Can you bear the consequences of going against the 'Genius Club'?"

...

: Holy crap, where did this sudden pressure come from?!

: Screwllum is so cool! That aura of dominance!

: The contrast is amazing! Polite and gentlemanly at first, but as soon as the other side started stalling, he dropped such lines!

: Screwllum? Rupert the Third!

: This is so satisfying! What a power move! I wish I could say something this epic when dealing with people who try to stall. But alas, I'm just a factory worker...

: Even though Screwllum is usually gentle and refined, we almost forgot—this guy isn't just a genius, he's also the emperor of all inorganic life!

: Ahhh! Who can relate?! This makes me want to drink machine oil so bad!

: How is even a robot this cool in this series?!

...

Screwllum's shining moment blew up the comment section.

It must be said that this king's actions and words, paired with his identity as a machine intelligence, created a stark contrast.

This contrast was also the source of his irresistible charm.

Under the king's pressure, Moira left drenched in cold sweat to consult with her family.

When she returned shortly after, her and her companion's previous arrogance was gone.

"Our deepest apologies for the inconvenience caused."

"The Family head has instructed us to grant Mr. Screwllum… and this nameless lady passage."

Following tedious procedures, Screwllum's powerful identity enabled them to proceed smoothly.

Under Moira's guidance, they arrived at a certain room.

"Given Dr. Chadwick's current condition, he may be unable to answer the door."

"I will open it for you." Moira wore a subtle, complicated expression as she opened the door behind her.

"Please, come in, both of you."

Neither Stelle nor Screwllum noticed anything unusual at this moment.

Screwllum even paused at the doorway, offering a polite remark before following Stelle inside.

Upon entering, the cold, desolate room left Stelle momentarily stunned.

"Dr. Chadwick?" Stelle stepped forward to stand by the Dreaming Pool, looking around. Aside from some of Chadwick's dusty personal belongings, there was no sign of life in the room.

Screwllum said nothing further. After briefly scanning the area, he fixed his gaze on the Dreaming Pool beneath him.

In this lifeless room, the only thing that suggested time was still flowing was the bubbling, writhing liquid within the Dreaming Pool.

"Is The Family trying to deceive us?" Stelle frowned, clearly displeased.

"No, The Family is not lying. If my hypothesis is correct, the secret is right in front of us."

Screwllum slowly extended his right hand into the Dreaming Pool, carefully retrieving a shimmering bubble from the liquid.

As soon as it left the liquid, the bubble began to float upwards, eventually suspending itself mid-air.

Staring at the deep blue spherical object, Screwllum calmly said, "Hello, Dr. Chadwick."

This statement made Stelle's eyes widen in shock, as though she had been transported back to the moment she witnessed the robin's death with the sand gold.

The audience was the same.

...

: Damn … As expected, anything related to Penacony always comes with a twist!

: Chadwick, is this—this—just a brain left?!

: The Family is way too ruthless, aren't they? Did they really dare show this to Screwllum?

: There's only a memory bubble left. Gosh, is The Family planning to use this memory bubble to obtain that so-called Imaginary Implosion Pulse weapon?

: This seems to so against the path of Harmony, doesn't it?

...

The audience was stunned by this sudden reversal.

On the screen.

Facing Stelle's shock, Screwllum calmly deduced, "Why would The Family go to such great lengths, sparing no effort, just to suppress Chadwick's memory?"

He paused, seemingly reluctant to finish the thought.

At that point, Screwllum hesitated and didn't say the rest of his words.

But Stelle already understood.

This likely had something to do with the Imaginary Implosion Pulse.

However, what exactly it was and what it did was still a complete mystery to her.

"Ms. Stelle, please help me deliver something to Dr. Chadwick, who's trapped in the Dreamworld."

"I believe this item will help him recover his senses."

"While you dream, I'll try to negotiate with The Family to bring Chadwick's memory bubble out of Penacony."

"Until then, I hope you can learn the whole truth from Chadwick."

After briefly assigning tasks to the two of them, Screwllum left.

Stelle returned to her room and directly entered her dream.

In the dream, at the border between darkness and dawn, Stelle found Chadwick and handed him the pill given to her by Screwllum.

Looking at the pill in his hand, Chadwick's pupils suddenly dilated.

"I—I might not need to know the details, but I've heard some things about the Nameless."

"I suppose you're probably like those people from the rumors—well-connected and exceptionally skilled."

After saying this, Chadwick began to mutter incoherently like a madman.

He remembered everything, but only key fragments. How these things happened, how they occurred, and how he ended up trapped in this dream— Chadwick knew none of these detailed processes.

But deep in his heart, there was a voice shouting that Chadwick himself was somehow the key, tied to a 'garden' and a promise unfulfilled.

"I—I'm ready." Trembling, Chadwick held the pill, and with the help of Stelle and her Clockie trick, the pill's effects were catalyzed in a special way within the dream.

At that very moment, Stelle's vision blurred.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in an unfamiliar place. It wasn't large, and she could see its boundaries at a glance.

At the far end, there was a border made of countless fragments of memory.

It seemed to be Chadwick's own memories.

This wasn't Stelle's first time encountering something like this. She wasn't startled and walked straight toward the conspicuous crowd not far away.

The young Chadwick, with a calculating look in his eyes, was discussing something with an employee from a IPC called Dudley.

"That's correct, Dr. Chadwick."

"Starting from here, we—the R&D department and your team—will together create the future of the galaxy."

Dudley, a member of the IPC, stood confidently, his expression fanatical.

But Stelle could see at a glance that this fanaticism was partly fake—painted on like a corporate sales pitch.

Much of it was just an act.

"Don't over-promise, Dudley. I can't say I have 100% confidence in this project."

"This weapon is only theoretically feasible... and it could very well overturn the entire galaxy." Chadwick spoke with deep concern.

"Don't worry. We may not have your genius mind, but we aren't far behind."

"Ever since the Cancer of the Multiverse began spreading, the Antimatter Legion and other such forces have been growing increasingly active."

"The work we're doing here is preparation to counter these threats."

"I won't say our cause is righteous or anything—I know you're not that naive. But, Chadwick..."

"Sometimes, I think people should look at things more simply. It makes life a lot easier."

Dudley's attitude was sincere, his gaze blazing as he spoke to Chadwick.

This time, Chadwick didn't say much more.

At this point, the audience realized that this was a deep part of Chadwick's memories.

They were about to follow Stelle's footsteps and uncover the truth of this significant event.

What was strange, however, was that at first, everyone thought it was The Family who had imprisoned Chadwick.

But now, it seemed the IPC was also involved.

This was getting interesting.

Next.

Chadwick and Dudley walked to the end of the skybridge and entered an elevator.

Stelle quickly followed.

As the elevator descended, the two continued their casual conversation.

From Dudley's words, Stelle learned two things.

This was a secret development project co-funded by the IPC, with Chadwick as the lead. The IPC provided full support, including a secret base.

Of course, the location of this base was known only to the IPC's top executives, not even to Chadwick or his researchers.

However, Chadwick didn't seem to care much.

"I see. But you should know, if I want to, I can certainly figure out where I am. It's not that difficult."

Dudley chuckled but didn't directly respond. He clearly understood—after all, standing before him was a 'genius.'

At this point, Stelle had a revelation in her heart.

No matter the outcome, at least the beginning of this story was Chadwick's own choice.

And at this time, Chadwick, who had not yet created the weapon, already seemed to be a member of the 'Genius Club.'