Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2946: Chapter 2947: Rabbit Mountain

Angel’s sudden inquiry left Laplace a bit puzzled, as this question could naturally be addressed after entering Rabbit Mountain, there’s no need to ask at the gate.

Once Laplace turned her head and saw Angel’s somewhat hesitant expression, she immediately understood.

This inquiry from Angel wasn’t out of genuine curiosity about the purpose, but from compassion for the Rabbit Girl. He wanted to deduce the purpose in reverse, to see if they could avoid going to Rabbit Mountain and choose another place instead.

Laplace’s guess was not wrong; it was indeed the truth.

To Angel, the "secret base" was not merely a place name but also the enlightenment of fantasy in the heart of a child, expectations for the future, the wings of a dream, and the source of aspirations. Trespassing a child’s secret base would not only cast a shadow over their childhood but could also destroy the dreams they are building.

Therefore, upon learning that this was the Rabbit Girl’s secret base, Angel was reluctant to intrude.

Especially when the Rabbit Girl was clearly resistant, he did not wish to insist.

Laplace looked deeply at Angel, and the Rabbit Girl also stared at Angel. At this moment, their thoughts were connected, yet their gazes toward Angel were different. Laplace was understanding, while the Rabbit Girl was bewildered.

After pondering for a while, Laplace answered, "The purpose of coming here is because it’s safe, concealed, and the space is stable."

Angel: "What do you mean?"

Laplace softly said, "Dream Crystal Origin, can you enter it in the Wizards’ Realm?"

Angel shook his head.

Laplace continued, "After you left the Naraku City ruins, do you not plan to enter the Mirror Domain?"

Angel continued shaking his head, without entering the Mirror Domain, how could he enter the Dream Crystal Origin.

Laplace: "Do you want to enter the Mirror Domain at the lowest cost when you want to?"

Angel: "...Yes."

Laplace looked directly at Angel, "Since you want to, then Rabbit Mountain is a very good choice. Rabbit Mountain can become a transit station. Just get the owner’s consent here, mark your presence, then find a stable mirror—well, the one given by Dudubi will work. Once you’ve met these conditions, you can call on Rabbit Mountain’s owner, Little Laplace, from anywhere, at any time, to open the mirror passage and reach Rabbit Mountain from the Wizards’ Realm."

One could say that Rabbit Mountain is the best transit station Laplace chose for Angel.

This is inside the Ghost Mirror Ring, undisturbed by mirror creatures. Even Adanis can’t reach here through the Immortal Ghoul Mirror.

With stable space as well, Angel can enter without the risk of dangerous passage crushing. With Rabbit Girl’s consent, Angel could even bring more people to Rabbit Mountain through the mirror passage.

This is why Laplace brought Angel here.

To Laplace, the Dream Crystal Origin is an opportunity she couldn’t give up. The owner of the Dream Crystal Origin is Angel, who must frequently access it. But Angel, being human, finds entering the Mirror Domain a challenge.

That’s why Laplace planned a route for Angel ahead of time.

At this very moment, Angel also understood Laplace’s painstaking efforts; when he hadn’t yet considered an exit strategy, Laplace had already thought of one for him.

Despite his gratitude, Angel still felt a bit uneasy.

"Must we use Rabbit Mountain as the transit station?" Angel asked.

Laplace: "There are other choices, for instance, the previous City of Hot Gold can act as a bridge for entrance. There are many mirror creatures stabilizing the space there, so the stability is sufficient. But as for safety... there is basically none."

City of Hot Gold could be an option, but it’s located in the Immortal Mirror Sea, always under the threat of the dome collapsing. Furthermore, as a human, Angel’s act of opening a connection between worlds would attract the attention of mirror creatures.

Though they encountered no powerful creatures at the City of Hot Gold, that was simply because the powerful beings were meditating in their respective mirrors. If Angel frequently opened inter-world passages, those powerhouses would definitely sense something amiss.

Therefore, there is no safety.

As for randomly picking a mirror surface elsewhere... who knows when that mirror might shatter.

A special place like Rabbit Mountain, with its unique mirrored space, is one-of-a-kind within the Mirror Domain.

Looking at the conflicted expression on Angel’s face, Laplace said calmly, "What, are you still thinking of setting up your transit station elsewhere?"

Angel glanced at the Rabbit Girl, who kept her head lowered and silent, and said softly, "I heard Adanis mention that there is an absolutely unfallen city in this Mirror Domain."

There is a place in the Mirror Domain shielded from the risks of mirror fragmentation, known as an absolute refuge, with the reputation of being unfailing.

Laplace softly said, "You mean the ’Everstanding King City’?"

Angel: "I believe that is the place. I remember Adanis saying its full name is..."

Laplace: "...Mirror Lady’s Everstanding King City."

Angel nodded, "Yes, the Mirror Lady’s King City. Perhaps, I could establish a transit station there?"

Laplace was silent for a moment and said, "That place can indeed serve as a transit station. But like the City of Hot Gold, it’s unsafe and prone to the prying eyes of powerful mirror creatures. Unless... you can have the Mirror Lady grant you authority to traverse the two realms in front of the mirror creatures of the King City. Can you bring the Mirror Lady here?"

The Everstanding King City of the Mirror Lady is actually a little toy she once experimented with in the Mirror Domain, never taken seriously. After creating it, she abandoned it, and it even transformed into a city unbeknownst to her.

Nevertheless, the Mirror Lady’s creation provided protection and became a haven for the mirror creatures that later occupied it. They even vaunted themselves as her subordinates and protectors... just self-proclaimed so.

However, the Mirror Lady was unaware of subsequent events since leaving the Mirror Domain and never returning.

As to why she never returned, perhaps out of laziness? Or because she simply didn’t care about the Mirror Domain.

For this reason, even knowing Angel hailed from the Barbarian Cave and understanding that the Mirror Lady was one of its three Ancestral Spirits, Laplace hadn’t entertained the idea.

Because the so-called "Everstanding King City of the Mirror Lady" bore her namesake, but its mirror creature inhabitants acted independently.

Unless the Mirror Lady herself appeared, Angel staking a claim to inter-realm linkage through her protection wouldn’t earn any real attention.

"Can you compel the Mirror Lady to appear?" Laplace asked once again.

Angel rubbed his temples, showing a bitter face: "I can, but not at the moment."

Given Angel’s standing in the Barbarian Cave, with the Tree Spirit or Lord Reine’s request, the Mirror Lady would surely assist. Moreover, even without their asking, based on his own relationship with her, the Mirror Lady likely wouldn’t refuse.

Unfortunately, the Mirror Lady is currently in a slumbering state, making her personal appearance almost impossible.

Angel thought for a moment: "How about temporarily finding an unoccupied mirror? It doesn’t need to last long, just a while."

Although Angel didn’t know when the Mirror Lady would awaken, she was aware of the upcoming Tea Party to be held in the Barbarian Cave, and given her personality, she surely wouldn’t miss it.

Angel’s idea was to wait for the Mirror Lady to wake up to discuss the fixed transit station issue.

While Angel considered alternative plans, the Rabbit Girl, who had been silently holding her head down, finally lifted her gaze.

She quietly watched Angel and, after a moment, spoke in a soft yet firm voice: "Actually, there’s no need for such trouble... just establish the transit station at Rabbit Mountain, I, I can give you a quarter of the base."

Angel didn’t expect the Rabbit Girl to speak up suddenly.

He instinctively wanted to refuse, but when he looked at the Rabbit Girl, he suddenly froze.

The Rabbit Girl was staring back at him.

For the first time, the Rabbit Girl did not shy away from his gaze but looked at him seriously.

No confusion, no timidity, and no reluctance.

Seeing Angel remain silent for a long time, the Rabbit Girl couldn’t help but mumble: "A quarter is already a lot, it’s even enough for you to build a ranch..."

Suddenly, the Rabbit Girl seemed to think of something, and she looked at Angel with a face full of shock: "Could it be... Could it be that you still want to build a palace?!"

Angel felt amused; the Rabbit Girl’s imagination was indeed like a Rabbit Hole, deep and tricky?

Angel shook his head: "No, I don’t want to build a palace."

Rabbit Girl: "Then just a quarter, a quarter is enough for you to build a ranch."

Angel was a bit helpless, he hadn’t said he wanted to build a ranch anyway.

However, looking at the Rabbit Girl’s earnest expression, Angel strangely recalled the scene when he shared his secret base with his brother Lyon as a child.

A secret base is an innocent dream, the foundation of dreams, destroying it or invading it indeed casts a shadow over childhood.

But if the ’owner’ of the base willingly shares the secret of the base, then the nature is different.

This equates to a kind of ’recognition.’

Looking at the Rabbit Girl who was no longer timid towards him, with eyes full of seriousness, and calculations muttered from her mouth...

Angel smiled, no longer refusing, and said: "Alright, let’s build a transit station on Rabbit Mountain. A quarter is indeed enough, I won’t build a ranch... Hmm, how about I build a Rabbit Paradise?"

The Rabbit Girl’s eyes brightened: "Rabbit Paradise? Rabbit Paradise! What kind of Rabbit Paradise?"

Angel stroked his chin: "Perhaps a rabbit theater, rabbit Ferris wheel, rabbit roller coaster, rabbit carousel, rabbit hole ghost house, rabbit drink shop... What else do you think should be added?"

The Rabbit Girl looked yearning until Angel asked her, and she bewilderedly let out a sound "ah."

Then the Rabbit Girl anxiously thought, before speaking after a long while: "Can it have a rabbit circus?"

Angel: "It can, but the circus needs performers, how about I create some alchemy golems? Or, I’ll simply combine the circus performance with the log-in device, watching the performance will allow entry into the Crystal Origin of Dreams?"

Angel started to engage in whimsical ideas about the Rabbit Paradise, while the Rabbit Girl’s eyes grew increasingly bright, her little face blushing with excitement, even her fists clenched in agitation, shaking up and down, envisioning that wonderful Rabbit Paradise.

If Angel could truly create the Rabbit Paradise, she’d be willing to give not just a quarter, but even half!

However, though the Rabbit Girl was excited, she held back. Right now it was just envisioning, only a concept; it’s not too late to be excited when Angel truly puts it into practice.

The Rabbit Girl didn’t know if Angel would follow through, but at this moment, she was completely at ease with sharing Rabbit Mountain.

Laplace also noticed the Rabbit Girl’s change in mood; she stood quietly by and said nothing, merely watching the eloquent Angel and the excited Rabbit Girl. Yet, perhaps even she was unaware that a hint of a smile appeared on her usually indifferent face.

...

After deciding on building the Rabbit-themed park, the Rabbit Girl was no longer despondent and cheerfully opened the sealed door to Rabbit Mountain.

As the door opened, Angel saw a scene of bright white.

To be precise, it was a vast snowfield.

Above was a light source without temperature, coming from the two ’rabbit ears’ of Rabbit Mountain; one rabbit ear’s light source was stronger, while the other was weaker, their complement representing ’day and moon.’ At this moment, it was the stronger light source, meaning it was daytime.

The daylight, reflecting on this snowfield, made it increasingly pale, but the extreme brightness was contrasted by the increasing coldness.

It gave a sense of desolation.

Is this inside Rabbit Mountain?

Angel previously thought Rabbit Mountain would have beautiful mountains and waters, or at least have unique features like the mirror space where the Sweet Dream resided.

But unexpectedly, Rabbit Mountain was so bleak.

Is this considered a secret base?

While Angel was observing Rabbit Mountain, the Rabbit Girl shyly said: "This is the surface, I, I will give the surface area all to you."

Surface? Meaning there is a non-surface area here too? Just as Angel was puzzled, the Rabbit Girl hopped along to take Angel to a withered tree near the entrance.

With the Rabbit Girl tossing aside the cold snow on the ground, a lid the size of a well-mouth appeared.

The Rabbit Girl lifted the ground lid, revealing a tunnel entrance.

"Below is my real secret base."

Angel looked at the tunnel entrance, a sense of realization brushed through his heart; of course, a secret base couldn’t be plainly visible.

Without a hidden passage, can it still be called a secret base?

With anticipation, Angel followed the Rabbit Girl and jumped into the tunnel. Meanwhile, Laplace stayed outside waiting.

Half an hour later, Angel crawled out of the tunnel expressionless.

At this moment, he had only one thought: Is this a secret base?

One must admit, the space below the tunnel was large, occupying five floors in total. That was why Angel spent half an hour exploring it.

However, despite its size, the utilization rate was less than 1%.

The 1% utilization rate was even an overestimate by Angel; the actual usage was just a small room filled with treasures belonging to the Rabbit Girl... some ’merchandise’ related to rabbits.

Elsewhere, it was all desolate.

Truly using the term ’secret base,’ it couldn’t even compare with others nor with Angel’s childhood secret base.

Though Angel felt very speechless inside and like he wasted half an hour; on second thought, it was quite normal.

The Mirror Domain’s desolation was not restricted to here.

Even the City of Hot Gold was actually quite desolate.

For the Rabbit Girl to collect so much ’merchandise’ in such a desolate Mirror Domain, that in itself was quite impressive.

Thinking of this, Angel felt a little relieved about the shattered fantasy of the secret base.

But since he was here, Angel planned to try helping the Rabbit Girl transform her secret base. Of course, it couldn’t be done now; everything had to wait until the Rabbit Paradise was completed, for the Rabbit Girl to have some degree of trust in him before proceeding.