"This place is also affected by the collapse of the plane; it doesn't seem like it will hold for long."
Su Ming walked down the castle corridor holding a rabbit. The black marble floor reflected his silhouette, although the reflection showed the rabbit looking much more excited than him.
"This is my first time entering the Sleep Demon's castle. The way you knocked out the castle's butler was really cool. How did you grow a tail?"
The white rabbit was wearing a little red plaid vest. One of its front paws clutched onto the seams of Su Ming's armor to steady itself, while the other held a cigarette from the Otherworld.
As for how the rabbit's paw held the cigarette or where it learned to smoke, Su Ming didn't know and didn't want to know.
"It's not a tail; it's a tentacle. Many marine creatures have them."
Su Ming dodged a falling boulder and glanced at the paintings hanging on the corridor walls. In these paintings were dreams, though unlike the bubble-like human dreams that floated freely in a wilderness, like balloons under the sun.
Instead, they were cherished within the castle, transforming into ever-changing paintings, placed in the dark corridors, perhaps occasionally glanced at by the owner of this place.
They were the dreams of other things, like a mountain, a lake, a castle, or even a cosmos.
Yes, for the Sleep Demon, everything dreams, and dreams are his power.
Unfinished stories, unwritten poems, unborn characters; all could be seen here in the Dream Country, for everything is a dream.
This all sounds incredible; why would he know about things that never existed?
Thus, the Sleep Demon became trapped in the logical paradox of 'I dream of being a butterfly, the butterfly dreams of being me.' Compared to his kin like 'Death' and his elder brother 'Destiny,' he appeared more elusive, neurotic.
However, Su Ming now had a hypothesis that the Sleep Demon's disappearance occurred before the Totality fell, perhaps because he had sensed that Papetua was about to awaken and had left to address the issue.
After all, he was once human, and the Barbatos event, in a way, was his doing that tricked Batman and the Main Universe.
Perhaps out of a guilty conscience, he planned to take action this time, but it seemed the problem remained unresolved, and instead, it seemed like he was resolved by the problem.
The Endless Clan, though strong, always has their superior. As rules, they aren't the strongest force in the DC Universe. True strength doesn't care about rules.
Su Ming had known that post-N52, the DC World wasn't complete, no longer the "Infinite Universe Infinite Earth" All-Powerful Universe level it once was.
Meanwhile, on the Marvel side, there was this All-Powerful Universe framework, encompassing universes like "Men in Black," now slightly stronger than DC.
The Sleep Demon and Lucifer... Could they be planning to take this opportunity to upgrade the DC Multiverse?
Breaking the Origin Wall indeed aligns with their intention, but what next? At such a critical decision point, can one count on Lucifer or God to step out and face off with Papetua?
Not very realistic, and Su Ming didn't like pinning his hopes on others.
Dealing with the Laughing Bat was just one aspect. He came here alone also with deeper questions needing answers.
Little Fortune Ape gave him hints to 'consult' here, but it was essentially about intelligence stealing.
That furry creature was quite familiar with Lucifer, after all, one ran a bar, the other a nightclub, serving similar clients, either warlocks or devils.
"You are a person who lives in dreams. I've heard you have special abilities to distinguish what is reality and what is a dream, right?"
Su Ming stroked the rabbit's ears, recalling the delicacies he had tried when he traveled to West River and visited the night market.
The rabbit didn't notice, proudly patting its chest, "Yes, just like these paintings on the wall, they are dreams, voids, existing in no location. But clever and witty rabbits like me, although creatures of fantasy, live in the Dream Country, so I truly exist."
"Hmm... this place sounds like an experimental ground for practicing fantasies." Su Ming petted the rabbit's head, recalling whether he had bought chili powder in Stormwind City.
He hadn't; the last time he rushed to buy a pack, he hadn't even practiced his cooking skills much.
"Maybe, but don't you think masked people like you in uniforms are also a kind of fantasy? You just live in your 'Dream Country,' no less. Reality and dreams are the same, visible to bystanders, but confusing to those within."
The rabbit took a deep drag of the cigarette, speaking profoundly, and flicked the ash off with a paw in a grand manner.
Su Ming paused; the rabbit had made such a good point that he was left without words.
Indeed, are these beings constantly seeing rules simply monsters?
"Alright, leaving that aside, I need your help to find something that should be some record or code." Su Ming released the rabbit's head, quickly surveying his surroundings, "Ideally, find clues about the Master of Dreams, if not, find some intel on the Multiverse."
"Then we shouldn't waste time here. Make a left turn at the end of the corridor, do you see a frame there?"
"I see it; in the frame, there's a... gas mask."
"To you humans, it appears as a gas mask, but in our eyes, it's the crown of the Master of Dreams. Wear it, and you'll be the next King of Dreams."
"Is it that simple?"
"It's that simple. Just put it on your head, and you'll be promoted to the rules of the cosmos, becoming a member of the Endless Clan."
"Then why hasn't anyone replaced Daniel after he's been missing for so long?"
"Because we can only live in Dream Country. When you asked us to escape, where could we go? I know on Earth I would become an ordinary rabbit, turning into food for you humans. Even with the crown, it would just add some precious metal seasoning to your dish."
Su Ming understood that inheriting Dream Country also came with prerequisites; one must be human and have a world as their foundation.
Fantasy species in Dream Country can't inherit, nor can undead or demons.
Perhaps one also needs the approval of other members of the Endless Clan, and if so, that would be the hardest step.
"You don't seem like an ordinary rabbit; you know too much." Su Ming looked suspiciously at the white rabbit in his arms.
The rabbit exhaled deeply, its gaze profound, and said lightly, "Just because I speak eloquently and philosophically? None of this is a secret here, and who doesn't have a few stories?"
"Uh... alright, I'm not sure I have time for rabbit stories right now, but what's my next step if I don't want to become a rule of the Multiverse?"
"Same thing, take off the mask, put it on your face, and tell it you're just borrowing it. As a human from the Main World, you shouldn't have much of an issue, since you're kind of a colleague of our master."
"Are you sure there's no issue? If I'm bound by world rules—even Multiverse level—I'd suffer a significant loss. I'm proficient in BBQ, you know."
"Absolutely not a problem, this isn't some cursed divine artifact. It won't force power on you if you don't want it," the rabbit rolled its red eyes, saying somewhat helplessly, "Just communicate with it. Given the current situation in Dream Country, you're our savior. I wouldn't deceive you."
Su Ming reached for the mask hanging on the wall, very light, like holding a feather.
Strangulation and the cape sent messages, saying this item was ordinary, just a regular anti-toxic mask.
In terms of material and construction, there was nothing unusual.
That's the biggest anomaly, isn't it?
Su Ming took a deep breath, his helmet melted away, and he brought the mask close to his face. Through the mask's two glass lenses, he saw the rabbit looking up at him.
Put it on.
A strange scent filled the mask, not a rancid sweat smell, but a sweet, cake-like aroma.
The world seen through the mask didn't change much; everything just became a bit blurry, less real.
"Seems like... it's not doing much?" he asked the rabbit.
"You need to breathe, don't hold your breath. Relax and take a deep breath; experience the taste of the dream." The rabbit patted his chest, nestled against him, sensing his lungs hadn't moved.
"...Hiss... Hu."
There in the corridor he seemed like Darth Vader, the sound of breathing through the mask mimicking the Black Knight; all that was missing was a light saber in hand.
No, he had the light saber; the Godslayer could imitate one.
"How is it?" the rabbit eagerly asked.
"I see the path and the nightmare," Su Ming replied to it, acknowledging the rabbit hadn't lied, it was a good rabbit.
He had to admit, he was particularly wary of talking rabbits and cats, all because of the fairy tales he read growing up.
"Then let's go find the secrets the master hid. If the servants in the castle aren't all fantasy-created characters, they would've found the master by now."
The rabbit tucked its smoke into its three-part mouth, shifting to a comfortable position in Su Ming's arms, crossing its legs.
In Dream Country, characters are all fantasy, like the castle's butler Jiggs, who is a butler of a playboy from a TV series; Abel and Cain, responsible for chores, you know them from Brothers in the Bible stories; maid Lilith from Solomon's witch legends; and even the gardener came from Edgar Allan Poe's horror story collection.
"As a detective, I have a professional habit of liking to uncover others' secrets." Su Ming followed the newly appearing white footprints.
They floated about ten centimeters above the ground, swaying like smoke or clouds.
Perhaps this was the path Daniel once walked; the anti-toxic mask gave Su Ming guidance. Seeing what Daniel did before leaving could reveal the truth.
"You're a detective?" the rabbit's ears bounced with Deathstroke's run: "We have plenty here; do you know Sherlock Holmes? Or Poirot?"
Su Ming rolled his eyes; he wasn't Kudou Washing Machine, not keen on competing in reasoning with others, and what do these famous detectives matter here:
"Seasonal work, I can be a detective when needed, but more often I'm a murder suspect."
"Gulp..." The rabbit made a swallowing sound.