Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1729 Artifact
"You want to take care of other things while you're at it? I must say, that's a great idea! How did you come up with that?"

"When I have this treasure in my hand, I just want to find someone to punch me."

Although this is a simulated prop, under this curtain, on the stage, in this specific environment, it is a genuine artifact.

In a sense, this is similar to Shangluo providing Zheng Shijie with the Foundation Establishment Pill earlier. It didn't actually provide enough energy to advance to a higher level, but it could simulate that feeling.

Moreover, unlike Zheng Shijie's brief promotion, as long as the curtain doesn't fall and the drama doesn't end, Shangluo can continue to wield the power of the Spear of Dionysus here.

It was a strange feeling of transcending everything. Like a dream, yet maintaining rationality. Because this insight wasn't based on madness, but on true perception. He truly could see everything; for example, what Phaethon most wanted to do now was gain greater power to suppress Shangluo, and what Apollonia most wanted to know was what Shangluo most wanted to know, and what Apollonia most wanted to know.
The two people's thoughts, each trying to read the other's mind, became entangled, as if short-circuited. The surrounding pheromone concentration suddenly increased, and the temperature began to drop—signs that magic was overloaded. Inside the director's room, Yanqiu reacted quickly and decisively, placing an impenetrable air wall between the two, blocking their connection.

The two of them, coming to their senses, realized that something was wrong.

[Ah! What are you doing! Why are you looking at my head!]

Why are you looking at me?!

[You and I didn't see it, did we? Wait, what's that in your hand? How can you understand my thoughts?]

"How would I know? Holding it in my hand, everything seems crystal clear. What about you?"

[I'm using passive defense. Think of it as some kind of quantum encryption—I won't spy on your thoughts, but I can know where the thoughts being spied on are ultimately intercepted.] This stability and self-correcting ability is something the Vulcan Core can also do, so it's not surprising that Apollonia can as well.

Wow, this thing of yours is really amazing. What else can you see?

"Huh?" Yanqiu in the director's room was shocked. "You didn't see me fantasizing about your fanfiction, did you?"

"I can't see you at all." Shangluo looked up at the sky. "It seems that this thing only works on the stage."

In other words, the Dionysian Spear did indeed grant him the insight to see everything, and even to some extent, to know everything. However, because its effect was limited to the panoramic simulation environment of the studio, Shang Luo could only see the thoughts of the people around him—for example, he could also peek into the mind of the head chef, a terrifyingly vast consciousness, but ultimately unified within a "toaster" thought framework.

Seeing Shang Luo's gaze, the chef humbly responded with a bow, bending the three legs of the toaster. He never forgot that his essence was merely a toaster, nor did he ever intend to usurp greater power.

“But Your Majesty,” the chef whispered, “this also seems very dangerous.”

"..." Shang Luo nodded after being reminded. This Spear of Dionysus did indeed seem somewhat dangerous. Its insight seemed to be a passive ability. As long as one held it, the fate of the past, present, and future—every detail of this vast world—would flood into his mind, as if he had plucked a branch directly from the World Tree and placed it in his hand. Holding it seemed to grant him a godlike transcendence over all things.

This is beyond the capabilities of human consciousness. The consciousness of just three or four people was already making him feel somewhat elated. If the consciousness of a vast world were to be gathered into his mind, his own original consciousness would be negligible compared to that.

"Fortunately...fortunately I conducted the experiment beforehand." Shang Luo didn't let go. Because this Dionysus Spear could indeed provide him with information, allowing him to think more comprehensively.

"So, how is this thing supposed to be used?" Shangluo asked in surprise. "No one can use it, right? Unless it's in the hands of a true god."

“Hmm,” Phaethon thought for a moment, “From the perspective of Greek mythology, Zeus seems to have used it with some skill.”

"for example?"

"For example, Zeus was actually an incredibly wise and sagacious hero before he ascended to the throne. But after he seized the power of the gods and ascended the throne, he became a sower of pleasure among mortals. The whole world was like his playground, and he did whatever he wanted, casting aside his former wisdom. We can think of it this way: Zeus shielded himself from the power of the true god by creating a mask-like personality and entering a state of frenzy, only revealing his true abilities at crucial moments."

In this way, Zeus's behavior, which completely disregarded social impact and cared only about his own instinctive pleasure, became a form of deliberate madness. And beneath this madness, the vast and boundless power of the true god was concealed.

As the son of Zeus, Dionysus, the god of wine, took this to the extreme. He was almost never sober, so that he could hide his bloodthirsty nature as an "ancient god" beneath flower petals and celebrations.

This is also the essence of the Dionysian cult itself—the worship of Dionysus is not an appendage of the Zeus cult. Strictly speaking, it was only attributed to the son of Zeus for the sake of legitimacy, making it easier for people to accept.

In reality, the Dionysian cult existed in isolation and was very popular among the Greeks.

The origins of the Dionysian faith are very ancient. As Shangluo knows, it stems from the understanding of agriculture: grapes grow, grapes are pressed, grapes ferment, and finally grapes become wine. This cycle is a symbol of life's self-renewal. The imitation of natural laws also forms the basis of many primitive beliefs.

This belief further incorporates some unique elements of Greek society—the Greeks as a whole emphasized reason, restraint, and order, and stressed the suppression of their own nature. But the more suppressed they were, the more likely they were to experience a "release."

The festival of Dionysus thus became a pressure relief valve for Greek society at that time—men and women, citizens and slaves, locals and outsiders could revel and get drunk in the same festival, releasing the irrational parts of their hearts.

When the Greeks went mad, they repressed more than just relationships between men and women.

(End of this chapter)