After listening to Amamiya Rin's words, Dr. Kuroda's expression remained unchanged.
"Post-traumatic brain injury often results in sleep disorders and abnormal dreams. This is likely just a part of the recovery process..."
"It is not just 'abnormal'."
Amamiya Rin interrupted Dr. Kuroda before he could finish.
"This dream was so long that it reminded me of a ghost story I heard before. I believe it supposedly happened right here at Morita Hospital? The story goes that there was a patient who always had exceptionally long dreams. The time spent inside the dreams grew longer and longer, until finally, it was said that because the subjective time in the dream was so vast, his body couldn't withstand the sheer volume of memories, causing him to weather away into dust? Dr. Kuroda, have you heard of this rumor?"
The Hospital Ward fell silent for a few seconds, save for the rhythmic beeping of the monitor.
The smile on Dr. Kuroda's face gradually faded. He looked at Amamiya Rin in silence, the gaze behind his lenses becoming somewhat complex.
"It seems you are much sharper than I imagined, Amamiya-kun. That is correct, I know of that rumor. Furthermore, it is not a rumor. That patient was one I treated personally. It is a peculiar condition that we cannot fully comprehend; I call it the 'Long Dream'."
Dr. Kuroda sighed softly and pushed up his glasses.
"You were strictly injured at the time; your brain activity had nearly ceased, and the probability of waking up through conventional means was infinitesimal. I could not simply watch a young life vanish like that. So, I attempted an unconventional method. I took a certain substance left behind by that patient and injected it into your cerebrospinal fluid. I hoped to utilize its property of inducing lengthy dreams to intensely stimulate your cerebral cortex, forcibly waking you from your deep coma.
"The result, as you can see, is a success, Amamiya-kun. You have awakened. Although, it has brought about some obvious side effects, such as the endless Nightmare you are currently experiencing."
Amamiya Rin let out a cold laugh and asked Dr. Kuroda, "It's not as simple as just a Nightmare, is it? I only have a few months left to live? According to the content of that ghost story, three months should be the limit, right?"
Dr. Kuroda's gaze drifted, appearing slightly guilty. He spoke in a grave, earnest tone, "Being able to live for three extra months is surely better than never waking up at all, Amamiya-kun. Even if your physical body dies, you can continue to live on within the Dream World, can't you?"
"That assumes it isn't a Nightmare! Suffering eternal torture in an endless Nightmare—do you think this is for my own good?"
Amamiya Rin furrowed his brows, interrupting Dr. Kuroda once again. His gaze was cold and piercing as he stared straight into Dr. Kuroda's eyes.
"At least it is better than death."
Dr. Kuroda avoided Amamiya Rin's sharp gaze.
"Do one thing for me."
Amamiya Rin did not tangle further with Dr. Kuroda on this topic but bluntly stated his demand.
The implication was clear: as long as Kuroda agreed to help, Rin would not pursue the matter further. There was no other choice; the deed was done, and continuing to blame Dr. Kuroda was meaningless. What needed to be done now was to try and reverse his death.
Dr. Kuroda responded immediately, "Please, speak."
Amamiya Rin spoke calmly, "In my view, the 'Long Dream' counts as a semi-lucid dream. The reason I say 'semi' is that while in the 'Long Dream', one can recognize it is a Dream World, yet one cannot control the body. It is precisely because of this that the 'Long Dream' becomes a Nightmare."
Dr. Kuroda was a smart man. Hearing Amamiya Rin say this, he immediately understood his intent.
"So, you want to learn lucid dreaming, to turn the Nightmare into a sweet dream?"
It dawned on Dr. Kuroda; he hadn't considered this method. Because he never planned to reveal the 'Long Dream' to the public—the ethical implications involving the 'Long Dream' were too severe. Even if he hoped to use the 'Long Dream' to benefit humanity, he dared not expose it lightly.
"Exactly, Dr. Kuroda. I want you to hire a hypnotist for me, someone to help me learn to master lucid dreaming. It must be done before tonight! Yesterday I had a 60-day Nightmare, the day before I had a 30-day Nightmare. I do not wish to have a 90-day meaningless Nightmare today!"
"I understand."
Dr. Kuroda pushed up his glasses, a complex emotion flashing across his face. There was guilt, but also the joy of a researcher seeing a breakthrough.
"I will contact someone immediately and strive to find a suitable candidate within the day."
With that, Dr. Kuroda walked quickly out of the Hospital Ward.
Time passed slowly in waiting.
Amamiya Rin forced himself to stay awake and performed rehabilitation exercises. But the mental wear and tear brought by the 90-day Nightmare was far beyond imagination. Not only that, but Amamiya Rin could also continuously sense the consciousness of the other five people.
The consciousness of the fifth person was currently assimilating with the other four. Amamiya Rin felt this, yet could not stop it.
He could barely protect himself. An endless stream of female thoughts was invading his brain through the [Khala]. He had to exert all his effort just to prevent his own consciousness from being assimilated.
By evening, there was a knock on the ward door again. Dr. Kuroda walked in with a middle-aged man who looked to be about fifty years old.
The middle-aged man wore black-framed glasses, a white lab coat, and a tie. His sparse hair was plastered obediently to his scalp, tinged with gray. The muscle lines on his cheeks were stiff, his mouth pressed into a flat line, and his facial contours appeared somewhat rigid due to tension. His overall demeanor was serious, exuding a strange and mysterious aura.
"Amamiya-kun, this is Professor Matsuura from the Medical Department of Kamone University. He has profound attainments in the field of hypnotherapy," Dr. Kuroda introduced him, his tone carrying a sense of respect.
Professor Matsuura nodded slightly. He opened his owl-like eyes wide, his emotions appearing somewhat hyperactive.
"Dr. Kuroda has briefly explained the situation. An abnormally long Dream World... Hehehehe, what a truly fascinating phenomenon. Relax, Amamiya-kun, I will help you."
Amamiya Rin did not waste words and asked directly, "Professor, I can maintain lucidity within the Dream World. what I need now is to control the 'me' in the dream, or even control the dream itself. Can this be done?"
"It is my first time encountering a case like yours, so I dare not make any guarantees. However, using Hypnosis to allow your dream self to move freely—that sort of thing is tentatively achievable. As for teaching you to master this technique, that depends on your aptitude for learning..."
As Professor Matsuura spoke, he took an old-fashioned metal pocket watch from his pocket. He opened the cover, letting the shiny chain hang down to form a delicate pendulum.
"Alright, Mr. Amamiya, let us not waste time. Let us begin!"
Professor Matsuura's voice rose in pitch, a gleam flashing in his eyes, looking eager to try.
Amamiya Rin cooperated by lying flat. He, like Professor Matsuura, looked forward to the impending Hypnosis.
____
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