Chapter 278: Chapter 246: How Can Cherished Friends and Relatives Be Measured by Money?
"So dazzling! Where is this...?"
Just moments ago, he was still on the second layer, leading his pirates in a fierce battle against a group of "misers." Pirate Captain "Silver Arm" Marion Rod blinked and suddenly found himself in a strange place.
From the dimly lit underground labyrinth, he had entered a space glittering with golden light, momentarily blinding him.
Luckily, his Pirate instinct for blind fighting allowed him to sense that there was no danger around him, even with his eyes closed. He did not panic.
When his vision cleared, Marion was startled to find that what was glowing before him were countless treasures of gold and silver!
Gold Coins and silver coins were piled up randomly like little hills. Red, blue, purple... gemstones and crystals of all colors were carelessly scattered.
Knight’s armor, each piece worth a small estate, hung haphazardly on racks. There was a countless number of shining precious swords and sabers.
Boxes upon boxes of exquisite artifacts and antiques were buried within the mountains of gold and silver...
There were so many treasures that the pathways for people to walk on were squeezed into crooked and twisted trails.
Unable to help himself, Marion took a couple of steps forward, just about to dive in, when he was shocked to discover his Second Order power had been completely sealed.
When he noticed the denser White Lead cicada patterns on the floor, he finally realized he had inadvertently arrived at the third layer of the labyrinth.
And those average-level Bizarre Misers were also suppressed here, unable to revive and launch an attack on him.
He reached out with an arm carefully crafted by an Artisan, shimmering with the gleam of Mithril, and grabbed a handful of Gold Coins, watching them slip through his fingers.
"Silver Arm" Marion Rod’s eyes filled with surprise, "I’ve already arrived at the third layer? Does that mean the Aztec’s Cursed Coin that I desire is hidden in these piles of money, just waiting for me to find it?"
The back of Silver Arm’s hand split open, revealing a compass whose needle was spinning wildly—the Mysterious Object: Guidance of the Golden Eye.
The needle quickly settled, pointing in a direction, indicating the most precious item among these treasures.
"Silver Arm" Marion immediately rushed out.
As he scouted around for treasures, he couldn’t help but worry about his companions.
I wonder how my crew, still fighting bravely on the second layer, is doing. I must get what I want as quickly as possible, ascend to Third Order Great Pirate, regain my Extraordinary Power, and rush back to save them.
The pirate’s Promotion Ceremony is essentially a competition testing a series of abilities intrinsic to the pirate profession: individual combat prowess in boarding; methods of plundering rich targets; comprehensive skill in treasure hunting and adventuring.
Although the "Pirate’s Treasure Chest" requires finding the treasure of a Third Order or higher Great Pirate, in practice, it doesn’t necessarily have to come from a Great Pirate, as long as it’s a treasure of the equivalent level.
Upon obtaining the treasure map, the Silver Law, acting as "judges," will give a verdict on whether it can be used for the Promotion Ceremony. Otherwise, if the treasure hunting was restricted to their own Sequence, the number of Great Pirates in the Lighthouse Sequence could never grow.
The biggest restriction is actually the Sequence maxim: "To take by force is better than to toil."
Since they live by plundering, if the Transcendents of other Sequences had no yield, there would be nothing for them to take.
He ran and ran, then suddenly slowed his steps.
Because what appeared in front of him was not cursed coins, but a set of furniture made of Gold, inlaid with countless precious gemstones.
On the table lay a piece of sheepskin parchment that looked quite old, a quill with a Sapphire tip, a bottle of ink, and a silver tinderbox.
CLICK!
Just as "Silver Arm" Marion looked over in confusion, the tinderbox snapped open, emitting a blue flame.
A line of six stunningly beautiful girls, dressed in black and white maid uniforms, marched out. Each was as beautifully dignified as a princess from a fairy tale.
They curtsied gracefully towards Marion, simultaneously extending the most perfect smiles as they invited him, "Respected guest, please have a seat."
"Who are you...?"
Even as the pirate captain voiced his bewilderment, he found himself being led by the young maidservants to sit in the golden chair, as if possessed.
Before the maids could answer, his gaze was already drawn to the sheepskin parchment on the table, and he subconsciously read out the name on it.
"Faustian Contract."
As his eyes continued to move downward, seeing the contract terms below, his pupils dilated immediately. His breathing became heavy, and a fine sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"Mr. Marion," one of the maids said, "as a captain, you have the right to decide the fate of your crew. If you choose to sacrifice them to the owner of Silvergold Island, you can specify any treasure on the island to take as you wish. Furthermore, you are no longer bound by the ’Equal Exchange’ rule: the amount one can take from Silvergold Island—including water, fine food, treasures, and so on—must not exceed their own body weight. With this contract, no matter how much treasure is on the island, you can take as much as you want. Of course, the Alchemy of Transmutation is also within the range of your choices. You just need to sign your name to easily obtain all this."
This Faustian Contract and its seemingly devilish terms appeared to contain a strange, evil magic. It made one believe, uncontrollably, that its terms were sanctioned by the world itself and were one hundred percent true.
By signing one’s name, the contract would undoubtedly be executed.
Marion was immediately embroiled in an internal struggle.
A stern voice within him commanded, "Among the crew are comrades who fought side by side with me, brothers who grew up with me, and friends who share my ideals. When I lost an arm, it was they who pooled their money to have this Mithril arm made for me. And now, it is they who accompany me to achieve the ’Pirate’s Treasure Chest’ promotion. They are all my dear friends and family. How can I measure them with mere money?"
Another voice loudly retorted, "What are friends and family compared to money?! Wake up! People are unreliable; only money will never betray you. Once I sign my name, treasures, beauties, Miracles, and supreme power will all be mine. What is there to hesitate about? Once I become a Great Pirate, those useless fools won’t be worthy of me anymore. When that time comes, how many excellent crew members could I not find?"
Marion could tell both voices were his own. One stemmed from morality, the other from Desire.
And the latter’s voice was clearly much louder, also representing his most genuine thoughts!
He snatched the quill from the table and swiftly wrote his name at the bottom of the Faustian Contract.
At the same time, he roared, "Dear friends and family, all my dear friends and family! For the heavy price I’ve paid, you must add more! I choose... the Alchemy of Transmutation!"
No sooner had he spoken than a familiar chuckle echoed in his ear.
Suddenly, a sheet inscribed with forbidden knowledge fell from the heavens into his palm.
Unable to wait, he etched the sinister text firmly in his memory, Marion’s face gradually reddening with excitement.
If the ’Pirate’s Treasure Chest’ ritual doesn’t pass this time, there’s always a next. But if I miss this opportunity for the Alchemy of Transmutation, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.
And at the very moment he made his decision, the golden table and chairs, the contract, the tinderbox, and the maids beside him all vanished without a trace.
The light on the entire third floor visibly dimmed as well. It seemed his choice was linked to some deeper matter.
At the same time, each treasure hunter forcibly drawn to the third floor made their own choices. The price they paid was not always "dear friends and family," but certainly something precious and significant.
Kinship, love, friendship, freedom, knowledge, sanity...
Those who could still hold true to themselves in the face of such temptation were few and far between.
The light of the third floor dimmed even further.
In the deepest part of the labyrinth, atop the lighthouse standing on the boundary between the Sea of Origin Matter and the real world, a golden table likewise held a contract gleaming with Divine Light, upon which names were rapidly appearing one after another.
Clearly, this was where the true *Faustian Pact* resided. What faced the treasure hunters were mere projections.
And like the legendary dual contract, half of this pact had golden letters on a white background, while the other had red letters on a dark background.
As more and more people succumbed to their own desires, the dark portion began to expand rapidly. Faint chirping could be heard from between the lines.
Suddenly, a ghostly figure wearing a tricorner captain’s hat emerged from the contract. One half remained human, its eyes twinkling with golden divine Radiance, while the other half had turned into an ugly insect, its eyes filled with blood-red malice.
"Don’t even think about it! Greed will not govern humanity; you shall not get out."
The only response came from the same mouth, emotionless, "CHIRRR..."
*Faust* tells the story of the Devil and the creator each tempting Faust. But there has never really been a Devil or creator that descended from the heavens.
There is only the ’Beastly side’ in Spirituality representing chaos and corruption, and the ’Divine Aspect’ representing order and sublimation, mutually contending for the ’human self’ which embodies freedom and the power of choice.
In the past, it was Faust being fought over, but this time it had become... Great Pirate Flint!
Obviously, he had died, yet not completely.
And the various unresolved mysteries on the island all lay within this Faustian Contract.
At that moment, Byron, along with Violet and Thomas the macaw, also arrived on the third floor. They saw the golden table and chairs before them and the beautiful maid who elegantly curtsied toward them.
"Respected guests, please be seated."