From the Ship of Fools to Earl of Wugang

The next day, the morning sunlight streamed through the window and shone on Edmund's desk, causing him to look away from the computer screen.

He stood up and stretched after staring at the accounts and transaction records all night, feeling that his brain was still in an unusually excited state.

Tens of millions of Veridias were pouring into his anonymous account without pause, the thrill of revenge and immense wealth overshadowing his physical exhaustion.

He could almost see the damned Jacob tearing off his disguise and erupting in fury.

When I went downstairs to the restaurant, the butler Thomas had already prepared a simple yet exquisite breakfast.

"Good morning, Mr. Blake. It seems you worked very late last night?" Thomas handed him a napkin.

"Good morning, Thomas. Last night was a very productive one." Edmund sat down and calmly ate his breakfast.

Considering that Rebecca was unlikely to come in the morning, he made a request to Thomas.

"After dinner, could you please prepare a pot of tea for me? I plan to read in the study for a while and have no other needs for the time being."

"Of course, sir. The tea will be brought to the study shortly."

Thomas bowed slightly and then said, "Also, if you have no other instructions, I need to supervise the workers who will be arriving later in managing the mixed forest behind the house. If you need anything, please come find me in the woods behind the house."

"No problem, you can go ahead and get busy." Edmund nodded.

Thomas quickly delivered the teapot to the study and left. Edmund, who had just entered the study, glanced at the tall bookshelves on the three walls.

I randomly picked up a copy of "A Study of Folk Customs on the Northern Coast" and opened the title page, but my information horizons were not triggered.

It was somewhat disappointing, but also expected. After all, he needed some background knowledge about this world to fill in the gaps in his understanding.

Edmund patiently flipped through the pages, from the genealogy of the gods in the mythological era to the decline of the supernatural in the chaotic era, gradually piecing together a complete worldview from its fragmented beginnings.

When he turned to a travelogue that recorded strange tales along the coast of the Heartbreak Sea, a passage caught his eye.

"...In the far north of the Heart-Splitting Sea, terrifying legends circulate among the fishermen about 'sea spirits.' These evil souls, known as 'sea spirits,' originate from the dead who refuse to die. They typically appear as 'the blue of death' or 'the pallor of corpses,' possess superhuman strength, and can possess the living to haunt them..."

Edmund immediately thought of Farian Madeleine, who died on the Ship of Fools. It seemed that the extraordinary powers of this world were recorded in various forms in some unknown corner of history.

He also read several books about myths and legends about various gods. Although most of them were metaphorical and exaggerated, they provided him with considerable inspiration for understanding the mythological concepts of this world.

Concepts such as "spiritual tides" and "dream realms" seem to have appeared subtly in many myths and legends in different guises.

Before he knew it, the teapot was empty. Edmund put down his book, "On Magic and Ancient Rituals," stood up, and stretched.

The sun was high in the sky, but the temperature was still pleasant, which should not cause any trouble for the housekeeper who was working.

He walked to a row of bookshelves near the corner, intending to take out a few more books that looked older and browse through them.

Just as he picked up a stack of heavy hardcover books, the long-lost glowing words in his mind appeared without warning.

[A hidden compartment in an old study]

Hidden behind the bookshelf, a mechanism employing intricate weights and measures contains a persistent power to repel the living and seal away evil spirits.

In a hidden corner of this mansion, there are extraordinary items?

Edmund quickly put the book back in its place and listened intently.

The mansion was quite quiet; Thomas was clearly busy in the back and wouldn't be back anytime soon.

"Is this a pleasant surprise or a nuisance?" Edmund muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping across the bookshelf.

Since the cheat code suggests that the mechanism uses weights, the mechanism to open the hidden compartment must be related to some books or decorations on the bookshelf.

Edmund calmed himself down, carefully observed the bookshelf, and tried various methods to solve this intriguing puzzle.

The reading he had just done had its purpose; combined with the unusual markings he had observed on the spines of several books, the truth came to light.

With the help of the information stream, he spent about an hour analyzing the data. Then, following the order of an ancient star map from hundreds of years ago, he pulled out the marked spines of the books one by one.

Click. A soft mechanical clicking sound came from deep within the bookshelf.

Then, a back panel in the middle of the bookshelf slowly dented inward, and a palm-sized hidden compartment suddenly opened, from which two items fell out.

A yellowed parchment notebook, and a jade-like horn with a warm, lustrous surface that fell in front of Edmund.

【Horn of Zagreus (Mythical Artifact/Fragment)】

[Crafted from the broken horn of an ancient mythical creature, its surface has become jade-like due to long-term exposure to a high concentration of spiritual energy. It was once a sacred object used by a secret gathering to communicate with the god of wine.]

The holder will be forced into a contract for "Bacchus's epic play," becoming an actor in this lost god's stage drama.

The contract includes costs such as mandatory tasks and behavioral deviations.

This contract is "bound by mythological rules," and the current rank difference is too great to be exempted!

Upon seeing the last few words, Edmund's pupils suddenly contracted.

Not exempt?

Since his transmigration, no matter what difficulties he has faced, his infallible "exemption" ability has been his greatest source of confidence.

This inanimate object in front of him could actually bypass his cheat code?

Edmund instinctively wanted to back away, but an irresistible, strange attraction emanated from the jade-like horn.

The world before Edmund's eyes instantly distorted; the furnishings in the study lost their color and transformed into a scene outlined in black and white lines.

The sound of the sea breeze outside the window transformed into eerie orchestral music; and he felt a chain-like sensation that penetrated deep into his soul.

[Warning: You are now officially bound to the epic drama of Dionysus!]

[Current Role: Undetermined]

The first act of the play will begin in three days...

[Contract binding is currently non-exempt!]

"Damn it..."

Edmund cursed under his breath, forcing himself to calm down.

I never imagined that this small treasure hunt would lead to such a tragic outcome.

Since exemption is not an option, we must find a way to survive within the rules.

He sincerely hoped to figure out what exactly "Bacchus's epic drama" was and what its requirements were, so that he could survive by utilizing the rules, just like on the Ship of Fools.

Edmund's gaze fell on the remaining parchment notebook in the hidden compartment.

Since this horn is placed together with the notebook, this notebook is most likely a "manual" or "performance notes" left by the previous owner.

He took a deep breath, and this time he carefully picked up the notebook with only his fingertips and turned to the first page.