From the Ship of Fools to Earl of Wugang

Another lie detector spell... I hate lie detector spells!

Edmund's mind raced. What was he afraid of? There were countless answers to this question, but most of them were best left unsaid; in this situation, the more he said, the more mistakes he would make.

"I...I'm really afraid of injections."

The old woman raised an eyebrow, and the short, thin nun behind her looked at Edmund with pity once again.

"Also, I'm a little afraid of them...the commotion they made tonight was really frightening."

Edmund glanced around. "I just saw a lady writhing like a snake..."

"It's normal to be afraid, child. When facing the unknown, fear is a warning bell for the soul." The old woman smiled kindly.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, reached out and drew a circle on Edmund's forehead, adding a horizontal line in the middle.

Edmund felt a faint warmth spreading from the point of contact.

[You have received the "Peaceful Rest" blessing mark, which can dispel mild mental pollution and aid in falling asleep.]

[The dispel effect can be exempted.]

Edmund breathed a sigh of relief; this probably meant that the old woman hadn't discovered the true nature of his soul?

The old woman withdrew her hand: "You've recovered very well, Mr. Hall... remarkably well."

Edmund's heart leaped again, but the old woman had already stood up.

"Go to sleep," the old woman said. "Sleep is the best medicine for the soul. Good night."

She turned and left, the young nuns following behind her.

The hatch closed again, the sound of the latch closing was exceptionally clear in the silence.

"Amazingly good"—is this praise or doubt?

In any case, tonight's ordeal is over. Edmund closed his eyes, forced himself to relax, and soon drifted into a dreamless sleep.

-----------------

The next morning, Edmund was awakened by a commotion and opened his eyes to see two nuns untying his restraints.

"Get up, sir." The older nun spoke. "Please wash up and then go to the dining room for your meal."

Edmund got up after thanking him and stretched his stiff body.

He looked around and noticed that the restraints on the other patients had also been removed.

Some people were sitting on the edge of the bed, while others had already started making the bed.

It seems that the daily routine on the ship is to untie the "patients" during the day to let them move around, and then tie them back up at night.

After mimicking other patients by washing his face and teeth with a small cup of water, Edmund received his food from a nun in the dining room on the lower deck.

A wheat flour pancake, a bowl of oatmeal porridge, and a small piece of corned beef—that was all the food I ate.

Edmund had no objection to this, because he noticed that the nuns serving the meal didn't even have corned beef.

He found a corner seat and began to enjoy his first meal after his rebirth.

He was initially quite pleased to have transmigrated to a world with hamburgers and computer games, so being resurrected was an unexpected bonus.

It's all that damned Jacob's fault, and those cult members' fault too. He'll never be the same person as Lockman if he doesn't get revenge...

To get revenge, he first needed to find a way to leave this ship of fools; he didn't want to end his life as a madman.

If I manage to disembark, I should try to learn some of those wondrous spells; my special abilities should shine brightly in that area.

Not to mention there's a huge sum of money waiting for him; if he were to take that money, Jacob might just be thrown off that cliff too...

With this not-so-malicious thought in mind, Edmund, while munching on the dry, hard bread, also kept an eye on his surroundings.

Based on last night's information and what I've seen and heard today, the sixteen nuns of the Silent Mother of Mary Charity Sacrament on board are divided into two categories.

One group of younger members are likely lower-ranking members responsible for daily tasks, while the other group of older members exude a sense of being well-trained.

Sister Maria was clearly the leader, and was probably the only nun Edmund had seen with supernatural powers.

As for the thirty-seven "passengers," apart from one patient who suddenly sang loudly during breakfast and was dragged away by the nuns, the other patients looked no different from normal people, probably because they were well-disciplined.

James White, 35, office worker. Diagnosed with multiple murders after attending a secret gathering...

John Coresom, 33, a dockworker, was diagnosed with COVID-19 after beating his foreman to death.

......

Just as Edmund was marveling at the bizarre nature of the patients, he saw something interesting.

Maurice Gallon, 37, lighthouse keeper. Diagnosed after breaking into the local police station at night... He has a rare, foreign bloodline that can cause him to fall into delirium under certain influences.

[Under the influence of "The Song of Pearl," I was forced into a dream at night, witnessing parts of the underwater city and experiencing corresponding ramblings due to pollution.]

[Immunized by delirium!]

Looks like this is the unlucky guy who got injected with the special calming oil last night.

Edmund looked at the middle-aged man whose face had turned green and guessed that this should be a good breakthrough point, and maybe he could get some information out of him.

Of course, it's best to have a private conversation, and you need to be careful not to let the nuns find out.

After the breakfast self-examination and browsing session, Edmund and the other patients were not asked to return to their wards.

The nuns seemed to allow the patients a certain amount of freedom of movement during the day—as long as they didn't do anything out of line.

Edmund carried the empty bowl toward the recycling area.

After last night's harrowing experience, he decided to fight for more of his chances of survival on the ship.

If all goes well, perhaps he can find a way to leave this ship of fools? After all, he doesn't want to waste his precious third life in an asylum.

"Let me help you clean up," Edmund said to the young nun who was clearing the table.

The nun paused for a moment, then shook her head: "No need, you can..."

But Edmund had already picked up a rag: "I'm just sitting here anyway. Besides, getting some exercise is good for your health, right?"

The nun did not display any information, but the rosary on her wrist seemed to react.

[Silver rosary beads, one of the basic items distributed by the Sisters of the Silent Mother. The tiny runes engraved on each bead provide some spiritual protection.]

It seems that only things with extraordinary power or influence can trigger the information.

Edmund scanned the information quickly, his hands moving non-stop.

The nun ultimately did not stop her; she simply whispered "thank you" and continued with her work.

For the next hour or so, Edmund helped out with chores in the public areas while carefully observing his surroundings.

The nun politely turned him away from the door as she put the chair back in its place, wiped the portholes, and even helped carry a basket of clean sheets to the laundry room.

The somewhat modern passenger ship was larger than he had imagined.

"You're number 17, right?" a voice came from behind.

Edmund turned around and saw that it was the tall, fat nun from last night.

"I heard from the sister that you're helping out, which is good. But don't go into prohibited areas, and definitely don't take the opportunity to discuss your 'symptoms' with other patients. Understand?"

"Understood, Sister."

The nun took a small notebook out of her pocket, wrote something down, and then turned and left.