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.