It is a large oil painting in black and red, which is suspended on the wall closest to the spiral staircase.

Like most of the paintings in this "mansion", it appears blurry and chaotic, with rough and eerie lines and patches of color on the surface, making the viewer feel dizzy and unable to discern anything meaningful, like graffiti made by a madman in a hallucination.

However, when Duncan's gaze stayed on the picture and looked at it for a long time, he suddenly noticed that there was something in the chaotic and dark color patches that seemed to be slowly changing—some lines emerged from the shadows, and between the chaotic colors, something could gradually be distinguished.

It was as if there was a burning flame, and in the flames there was something like the hull of a ship, which was sweeping through the thick clouds and crashing into the sea, and the sky was split in two by the flames, and the sea boiled and rolled under the impact of the flames, and behind the flames, there was a dark red chaos, as if it was constantly chasing the approaching doom.

The whole picture is still blurry, everything is extremely abstract and chaotic, but such a vague scene makes Duncan's gaze change slightly.

He subconsciously remembered the scene he had seen in his vision—a flaming three-shuttle spaceship falling from the sky and crashing into the sea in an explosion.

Duncan paused, turned around and took a closer look at the scene on the painting.

Soon, he realized that the scene in the painting was not exactly the same as what he saw in the illusion - the spaceship he saw in the illusion was clearly styled, and its transcendent technological level and huge momentum could be seen at a glance, but the "thing wrapped in flames" in the painting was only a hazy hull, which even looked like some kind of wooden structure, and the flames around it were more like simple burning than the propulsion flame behind the starship.

This gives people the feeling that it is like a mad painter living in the Middle Ages who accidentally sees a spaceship in the future era in a dream, but cannot understand what kind of existence it is, so he can only wake up the next day with his limited knowledge and imagination, relying on the superficial impression left by the dream, to restore the plausible picture on the canvas.

The headless butler's voice came from behind him: "Guest, are you interested in this painting?" ”

“…… Where do all the paintings come from? ”

"They've been here since the beginning, guests." The headless butler said.

"In the beginning?" Duncan said with a puzzled voice, "When did it start?" When was this 'Alice Mansion' born? From the moment 'Alice' became the hostess here? ”

"From the beginning of time," said the headless butler patiently, "before anything else. ”

What is the answer?

Duncan frowned subconsciously, feeling that the headless butler's answer was the same as not saying it, but he stared at the polite figure, but he couldn't discern any emotion from the other person's gesture - this headless man, with neither expression nor eyes, only polite and appropriate words, with empty courtesy.

After thinking for a moment, Duncan asked two more questions: "...... Does this painting have a name? Do you know what it depicts in it? ”

"There are no names, every painting here has no name, they are natural, they don't need a name and no interpretation, as for the things described in the picture...... Sorry, this is beyond my knowledge. ”

"Aren't you the butler here? You don't know anything about this mansion? ”

"I'm just a servant, and this mansion has a myriad of secrets that it guards that are not the realm of a servant."

The corners of Duncan's mouth twitched.

He had the urge to put a little fire on this butler, but in the next second, he forcibly controlled this dangerous thought.

Because this is Alice's mansion, this butler is part of the mansion - he must be very careful to avoid causing any harm to Alice.

Duncan took a soft breath to calm himself and swept his gaze over the other paintings hanging in the hallway—countless of them, painted in countless incomprehensible colors.

But none of the other paintings underwent any changes under his gaze.

“…… Let's go," Duncan said to the Headless Butler with a hint of regret, finally withdrawing his gaze, "Take me to the 'garden' in your mouth." ”

The headless butler bowed slightly, turned around and continued to lead the way, he led Duncan through the second-floor platform, down the spiral staircase, and then turned and walked towards the depths of the hall on the first floor, where there was a short passage that led to the back garden of the mansion.

Duncan, however, stopped in front of the passageway, and glanced back curiously in the other direction across the hall—at the end of the long red carpet stood a very tall and grand dark wooden door, flanked by slender windows, which seemed to be overgrown with thorns.

It looked like the "entrance gate" to the entire building.

"What's outside that door?" Duncan asked suddenly.

Hearing this, the headless butler's body was visibly shocked, and in the next second, his always gentle and calm tone was flustered for the first time: "Don't be interested outside that door, guest!" Outside that gate is a place of no return, and no one can go back! ”

"A place of no return?" Duncan's expression became serious, "Why do you say that?" Is that subspace out there? ”

"Subspace? I don't understand what that means...... But don't try to open that door! The headless butler waved his hand in a panic, "This is the biggest taboo in the mansion, and no member can open that door under any circumstances......

"But I'm not a member of the group," Duncan deliberately showed eagerness to see the other party's reaction—it was the first time he had seen this headless butler so unprepared, and it made him feel like he had found a breakthrough in intelligence, "And you said at the beginning that I have the key, so I can open any door here." ”

"Of course you can have the keys in your hands...... But you must not do that! The headless butler said in a panic, as if he wanted to show a stronger blocking attitude, but perhaps due to some kind of restriction, he could only wave his arms anxiously a meter away from Duncan, and try his best to obstruct it with words, "Don't open that door, for all the occupants ......"

"What's out there that door?" Duncan stared at the headless butler in an extraordinarily serious tone.

"Outside that door...... Outside that door......" The headless butler hesitated, as if desperately sorting out the words, "Guest, the world outside that door has been annihilated, and the end of all things is coming—the door is blocking the end from approaching, don't open it, don't let the end in......"

Duncan frowned, listening to the nervous, flustered words of the headless butler, trying to piece them together with what he knew about the world.

The world outside the door has been annihilated...... The end of all things is coming......

He frowned and pondered, and after a long time, finally exhaled slightly.

"Relax, I'm not going to open that door."

After suppressing all the thoughts in his heart for a while, he nodded lightly to the headless butler and said.

The other party immediately breathed a sigh of relief - although there was no head, let alone a so-called "expression", his whole body was visibly relaxed.

"You're really scaring me, guest," said the butler, turning to lead the way, "please don't make jokes like that again, we must avoid Doomsday stepping through the gates—it has destroyed everything in the world, and this is the last barrier ......"

Duncan silently listened to the butler's fearful chatter, and followed the other without saying a word, and they passed through the short corridor, and finally came to a slightly narrow door—this door was made of large chunks of translucent glass, reinforced with steel, and the black steel frame divided the door into many large and small geometric figures, each of which was depicted with graffiti of many flowers and plants, which looked ...... There is an eerie atmosphere of fairy tales and horrors.

"The hostess is in the garden, please take care of yourself."

The headless butler stepped forward, turned the handle of the garden gate, and turned to Duncan.

"You're not with me?" Duncan was a little surprised.

"The garden is only accessible to the hostess and visitors with the key, and the gardener is only to enter the garden when necessary," said the headless butler, "and if necessary, pull the string near the door, and I will be waiting for you at the door." ”

“…… Got it, thanks for leading the way. ”

Duncan nodded to the strange butler, and ignored the other man's reaction, instead stepping forward and gently pushing the garden gate.

A slight creak broke the silence in the mansion and garden.

Duncan stepped through the door—and the incredible sunlight filled his vision.

Sunlight!

In the depths of this eerie mansion full of strange shadows, there really is a garden illuminated by the sun!?

With a hint of dismay, Duncan stepped forward, and the lush vegetation greeted him, the patchwork of nurseries, well-built bushes, and grassy paths that looked pleasing to the eye, and the warm glow above the vibrant garden......

Duncan looked up, his expression of surprise changing to a furrowed brow.

He saw the eerie "sky" – against a pale background, many children's graffiti-like brushstrokes floating high in the sky, depicting blue skies, white clouds, and a rudimentary sun, and around the sun there were many golden lines to symbolize the escaping sunlight.

The warm "sunshine" that shines on the entire garden is released from the ridiculous "sun" of stick figures.

Duncan couldn't help but feel a little wary in his heart, the sky above the "garden" no longer made him feel warm, but only infinitely strange.

He withdrew his gaze to the sky and, with great caution, began to observe the garden carefully.

A discoloration at the end of the trail caught his attention.

He walked briskly in that direction, skirting a bush and a low wall of flowers, and finally saw the source of the discoloration.

At the intersection of several paths, in the center of a clearing deep in the garden, a figure sat quietly, leaning against a marble pillar entwined with vines, as if in a deep sleep.

And there were many black thorns spreading out of the flower vines, wrapping around her body.

“…… Alice? ”

(End of chapter)