Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2894: Chapter 2895: Immersion

Right now, it’s more important to focus on Laplace’s situation.

Angel is currently located beside the whip-shaped crystal construct. According to the Gate of Dreams’ positioning, Laplace should be inside the crystal construct.

This crystal construct is a product of the Wonderland of Dreams, but what specific effects it has, and why it caused Laplace to ”disappear,” Angel has yet to clarify the key details.

However, now he can try to get answers from the Ability Tree.

Previously, the ownership of the Crystal Origin of Dreams was undetermined, and Angel feared that obtaining the information of the Wonderland of Dreams would cloud his judgment, causing him to miss the optimal timing. But now, the Crystal Origin of Dreams has eradicated the Eliminator of the Dream Realm and Mirror World, and ownership is determined; he should now be completely safe.

Unless, the Nightmare Realm refuses to remain dormant and becomes the third party, sending Eliminators to intervene.

But this possibility is very small.

Angel believes the Nightmare Realm is unlikely to send Eliminators.

His confidence comes not only from Shava’s identity, but also from his constant monitoring of the Nightmare Realm Portal beyond. Based on his understanding, even if creatures from the Nightmare Realm appear, they are at most small parasites, perhaps just Colorful Dragonflies. Angel can currently handle these, so he is not overly worried.

Now that the ownership of the Crystal Origin of Dreams is settled and people’s safety is temporarily secure, Angel can try to obtain limited information on the Wonderland of Dreams.

With this in mind, Angel slowly descended from the air, found a spot with fewer cracks, sat cross-legged, and directed his thoughts into the Ability Tree.

Soon, Angel locked onto the light on the Ability Tree representing the Wonderland of Dreams.

This time, Angel didn’t intend to obtain all the information, just to get a general idea, or rather, just to understand the mechanism of the Wonderland of Dreams.

With this in mind, Angel activated the Ability Tree, probing the Wonderland of Dreams.

A thousandth of a second.

That’s the total time Angel spent probing the Wonderland of Dreams’ information.

It was exceptionally, exceptionally brief. Yet, the influx of information felt like a flood breaking through a dam, leaving Angel temporarily dizzy.

It’s worth noting that this was still the result of Angel being prepared, restricting the duration and rate of information transmission. Without these limitations, he wouldn’t just be dizzy briefly; he might directly faint, affecting both reality and the Crystal Origin of Dreams, remaining unconscious for a short time.

Angel’s dizzy state lasted for about a minute before snapping back to consciousness.

Once alert, Angel stared blankly into space for another three minutes before his eyes regained brightness.

During these three minutes of daze, Angel was classifying and organizing the received information.

Unfortunately, the information Angel obtained was too complex, and three minutes was still not enough. He still hasn’t grasped the overall effects of the Wonderland of Dreams.

However, he didn’t come away empty-handed.

He obtained a means that currently seems relatively useful: activating the Ability Tree to examine the situation within the ”Immortal Realm.”

Without a doubt, Laplace is currently inside the whip-shaped crystal construct. Previously, Angel was at a loss with this crystal construct, but now, through the control of the Wonderland of Dreams via the Ability Tree, he can investigate the activities inside.

At least, Angel can now understand Laplace’s current condition.

Rising from the ground, Angel still felt a bit dizzy, somewhat like anemia, with a faint blackness in front of his eyes. However, this state only lasted a second or so before gradually recovering.

Angel shook his head, refocused his blurred vision, and then flew back into mid-air.

Looking at the crystal construct before him, Angel felt a tinge of excitement mixed with caution.

The excitement stemmed from immersing his thoughts into the ”Immortal Realm,” which enabled him to comprehend Laplace’s condition and roughly discern the capabilities of the Wonderland of Dreams. All his visual and spiritual perceptions could serve as evidence in his mind, aiding a quicker analysis of the truth of the Wonderland of Dreams.

The caution arose from the fact that some authorities might not be beneficial to life.

Just like the Mist of Sin in the Wilderness of Dreams, a power favored by the long-term development of the Wilderness but very unfriendly to its inhabitants.

And ironically, it was the Mist of Sin that was the first power ”lost” by Angel in the Wilderness of Dreams.

If the first power ”lost” in the Crystal Origin of Dreams is also similar to the Mist of Sin, Laplace might suffer.

Feeling apprehensive, Angel activated the Ability Tree and gradually immersed his thoughts into the whip-shaped crystal construct—

...

On the other side, Laplace is unaware of the tremendous changes happening externally, as she is currently searching for the faceless masked figures in a large house.

The interior decor of the house is far more lavish compared to its exterior.

From the outside, it appears just like a regular wealthy family’s abode, but the interior is rich with a nobility-themed style.

Circling corridors, carpets adorned with Big Mary Rose patterns, knight armor collections, oil paintings on the red walls... Even the lace-edged curtains carry the essence of a noble estate.

However, despite having a similar noble style and feel, it still lacks something.

It looks a bit like a nouveau riche yearning for aristocratic life, who has seen the surface of a noble family’s mansion and then applied it to his own home, but only managed a poor imitation. Moreover, the homeowner does not dare to reveal this to outsiders, so the exterior remains simple, as if to express his insufficient status and position, and to maintain humility. But the aristocratic decor inside betrays the homeowner’s ambition, his desire for power, his attempt to overreach, even if it means dressing wolves in sheep’s clothing to squeeze into the circle of the elite.

Laplace had no particular opinion about the disparity between the exterior and interior decoration, yet this ambitious homeowner, due to his yearning for aristocratic life, inadvertently left much information for Laplace.

For example, it’s rare for ordinary families to display their portraits outside, and indeed, they generally do not hire a skilled painter to create their portraits. Even if they want to decorate, they hang cheap landscape paintings at most as adornment.

However, this homeowner, with aristocratic inclinations, emulates noble practices not only by commissioning portrait painters but also by having portraits created for every family member, alongside inscriptions of their names and deeds, possibly fearing outsiders won’t know just how ”noble” their family is.

Laplace saw numerous such portraits along the way.

They were in the corridors, rooms, and especially the lobby. Singles, pairs, mother-daughter, father-daughter, family portraits; in just a few steps, Laplace gleaned the information of most inhabitants from the portraits.

Interestingly, Laplace couldn’t find the masked man among the portraits.

The masked man wears a mask; finding him among the faces in the portraits sounds difficult but isn’t quite so. The masked man has a very distinct physique, muscular enough to evoke a ”demonic muscle man” vibe even when clothed, as the outfit appears ready to burst.

Yet none of the portraits featured this physique of the masked man.

More often, they portrayed obese figures.

Except for the family matriarch who appears to be a thin, harsh woman, the rest were all fat, though varying in degrees of obesity.

The fattest were the patriarch and his only daughter.

And this patriarch’s daughter... Laplace had seen her before; she was the young girl being chased by the masked man, eventually becoming fertilizer for the Big Mary Rose.

If the patriarch’s daughter was the pursued, then surely the pursuer wouldn’t be one of her family members, right?

After all, along the way, Laplace noted that, from how frequently this daughter appeared in portraits, she seemed to be the family’s favorite. Given that favoritism, other family members probably wouldn’t target her?

Of course, if there is a resentful individual within the family, mutual harm among kin might be possible, but Laplace scrutinized the portraits and currently saw no evidence of other children besides the daughter.

Which means she was their only heir. Therefore, sibling rivalry should be unlikely.

So, who could the masked man be?

Laplace mused over this as she walked.

Along the way, she saw many places stained with blood, indicating the masked man’s pursuit kept persisting... perhaps this wasn’t just pursuit but rather a massacre?

If truly intent on killing the patriarch’s daughter, it could have happened the first time she was caught, yet the place is covered with blood, which appears illogical.

Soon, Laplace arrived at a fork.

One path led upward to the second floor; the other led through curtains to the main hall.

Laplace eyed both paths, ultimately choosing neither, instead selecting... a small compartment behind the staircase.

Rooms built under staircases are mostly storage rooms.

This storage room’s door wasn’t very high, roughly 1.4 meters. This isn’t a normal height; one must stoop to enter.

The homeowners likely wouldn’t enter, so perhaps it’s used by the servants?

The door wasn’t locked; a gentle push opened it.

The space within wasn’t large, containing items as Laplace expected—cleaning tools like brooms, cloths, drying basins.

Given these arrangements, Laplace’s assumption was correct; this is definitely a servants’ room.

Laplace chose this small compartment because she detected a faint blood scent inside, and upon opening it confirmed her suspicion: there were bloodstains.

Yet, unlike the vibrant stains outside, these were slightly blackened and even shriveled.

This implies an earlier incident of bloodshed occurred here.

Could it be that the patriarch’s daughter was being slaughtered long before?

Laplace pondered further and felt that didn’t seem right; as a ”master,” why would the daughter go into a room designated for servants?

Or perhaps she was hiding here early to escape the masked man?

Laplace paused thoughtfully, then stepped out of the compartment and returned to the crossroads.

This time, Laplace chose to proceed toward the main hall.

The reasoning was simple: the hall wasn’t far off, though veiled by curtains, the bloodstains on them showed the masked man had been here.

And there were no bloodstains on the stairs leading to the second floor; based on this observation, Laplace intended to inspect the hall first.

However, to avoid missing anything, Laplace threw a scale in the direction of the stairs—to serve both as surveillance and as a weapon.

Having completed everything, Laplace walked forward.

Pushing aside the bloody curtain, the luxurious main hall was revealed before her eyes.

Laplace glanced around; it was unexpectedly cleaner than she imagined, with the only bloodstains on the curtain just now.

Laplace slowly entered the main hall, paying no attention to the surrounding luxurious setup, and eventually stopped in front of a fireplace.

From afar, there seemed nothing unusual near the fireplace; above it was the corridor of the second floor.

But upon closer inspection, one could notice a blank spot on the wall between the fireplace and the second floor, with a different color from the surrounding wall.

Laplace gestured slightly, basically confirming that this blank spot once held an elongated painting.

Due to long-standing warmth from the fireplace below, the spot where the painting hung differed in color from the surrounding wall.

But now, why is the painting missing?

Where could it be?

Laplace closed her eyes, extending her perception to search nearby. Ultimately, Laplace found the painting, half-burned, in the burning fireplace.

Laplace pulled the oil painting out from the fire in the fireplace.

As she prepared to inspect the contents of the painting, a sound suddenly came from behind.

Laplace turned around and saw another door of the main hall open, from which a robust masked man stepped out.

The masked man visibly froze upon seeing Laplace, instinctively adopting a defensive stance.

However, the masked man’s defense was still too late.

Laplace’s actions were much faster than the masked man’s. As the masked man raised his hand, Laplace’s hoof strike had already reached his face...

...

Angel’s mind sank into the whip-shaped crystal creation.

He immediately entered a strange perspective.

It was somewhat like God’s View, but slightly different, more akin to the Box Garden’s Eye perspective.

Angel, as the eyes outside the Miniature Garden, secretly watched everything happening in the mini garden birdcage.

Angel could see in a lofty perspective a very realistic depiction of a wealthy family, and the imaginary street outside the mansion.

With a thought, he could zoom in the perspective.

Through this peculiar Box Garden perspective, Angel quickly surveyed the situation inside the mansion and the external garden woods.

In the process, Angel not only got familiar with the Box Garden perspective but also saw some interesting things.

For instance, the strange carnivorous roses in the Rose Garden, and the head at the entrance of the Rose Garden, clearly stamped by a hoof shape... without a doubt, this was Laplace’s doing.

Angel also saw a girl buried in the soil; it’s noteworthy that this girl was still alive but currently unconscious.

However, Angel didn’t see Laplace outside.

Which means Laplace actually is... inside the big house?

With a thought, Angel further zoomed in, penetrating the outside of the house, directly seeing everything inside.

The house had three floors; Angel quickly glanced at the layout of each floor, then focused his gaze on the main hall on the first floor.

Because Laplace was currently here fighting a masked man.

To call it a fight is a bit generous to the masked man; he wasn’t even qualified to compare with Laplace. This fight was completely one-sided, the masked man defenseless before Laplace.

Yet Laplace hadn’t even used her trump card: scale bombardment.

Relying solely on the increased power from shedding scales, Laplace relentlessly beat the masked man into pleading for mercy.

Yet, regarding the masked man’s pleas, Laplace only paused slightly before continuing her actions.

No matter how the masked man cried out, pleaded, Laplace didn’t spare him.

In a short time, Laplace disassembled all of the masked man’s limbs.

Following that, Laplace raised her scaly and muscular thigh, her hoof blade gleaming with dangerous light, aimed at the masked man’s head.

By now, the masked man’s terror peaked, his body trembling with sweat, his voice incoherent, seemingly trying to say something.

Unfortunately... Laplace couldn’t understand his language.

She could only guess from his terrified tones that the masked man was pleading once more, more vigorously than before.

This seemingly suggested that... the head actually was the masked man’s greatest weakness.

After arriving at this conclusion, Laplace suddenly hesitated.

She slowly withdrew her leg, her expression filled with confusion.

...

”Why don’t you take action?”

Just as Laplace fell into contemplation, a familiar voice suddenly came by her ear.

Laplace promptly awakened, suspiciously saying into the air, ”Angel?”

Angel: ”It’s me.”

Upon hearing Angel confirm his identity, Laplace didn’t hesitate and quickly threw out a series of questions: ”Where are you? What happened just now? What’s with this space?”

Angel: ”I’m outside, near a whip; do you know this whip?”

Laplace nodded: ”You mean the whip made from crystal? I was pulled into this space by this whip...”

Laplace swiftly recounted what she saw and what happened outside previously.

Angel: ”So that’s how you came in... But I’m beside the whip now, and it didn’t pull me in, does it mean this space can only admit one person at a time?”

Angel paused, murmuring, ”This feels a bit like a... single-player instance?”

”Single-player instance,” Laplace frowned: ”What do you mean?”

Angel: ”You can think of it as a single-player trial space.”

Laplace somewhat understood, not dwelling on the odd coined term, instead continuing to ask: ”What exactly happened just now, and what are those crystal creations?”

Angel didn’t hide it, recounting the birth of new authority.

”This new authority is likely connected to the crystal creations. But the specific effect of these creations, I don’t know yet; judging by your side, it seems to create a trial-type space?”

”This is the new authority? That’s too unreliable... I mean, too strange,” Laplace commented, asking, ”Since you can’t come in, how can you see my side and communicate with me?”

Angel: ”It’s also due to authority, I have a special authority that can influence other authorities to some extent. Just like now, I can see you, see what’s happening in this space, but that’s all. Regarding this space, I might know even less than you.”

Angel pointed out the overall effect of the ”Ability Tree,” but didn’t elaborate. Laplace didn’t pursue it either, as she previously thought corresponding authorities were akin to external laws, like elemental laws, spatial laws... etc. But now it seems all sorts of strange authorities exist, so what Angel said is possible.

Angel: ”By the way, why don’t you act? The whip in that masked man’s hand, I’ve sensed it’s the same as the whip I saw outside; maybe if you kill it, you can leave this space?”

Angel observed the whole process of Laplace dealing with the masked man, so he was puzzled. Clearly able to resolve the masked man, why did Laplace let him go?

Sympathy? Impossible. From the ruthlessness with which Laplace dismantled the masked man’s limbs earlier, Angel saw no sympathy.

If it’s not sympathy, why did Laplace let the masked man go?

”I now realize you’re indeed very ignorant about this authority,” Laplace calmly said after a moment of silence.

Angel: ”What do you mean?”

Laplace: ”Just as I was about to kill the masked man, some information suddenly appeared in my mind.”

Information appearing in the mind? What kind of... magical yet convoluted direction is this?

Laplace: ”The information only appeared for a moment, but the meaning was very clear...”

Laplace hesitated briefly but then narrated the information painstakingly —

Returning to not long ago, as Laplace attacked the masked man, she vaguely sensed some strange information swirling around, but at the time she didn’t pay much attention, merely thinking it was pheromones released by the masked man being attacked, which she would slightly notice. But unexpectedly, just as she lifted her foot to kill the masked man, those wandering pieces of information effortlessly drilled into her mind:

”Special character ???? in execution...”

”Currently Wonderland of Dreams ???, exploration degree at 65%.”

”Execution end will leave Wonderland of Dreams ???.”

”Execution end will gain ’question mark’ related information.”

”Unexplored area will undergo unknown changes upon leaving.”