Hearing that voice, identical to the one from the autobiographical poem at the maze entrance, Byron found it hard to believe, despite his earlier suspicions.
"Are you the great pirate Flint? You're really still alive? But why are you trapped on this ominous Silvergold Island? First Mate Thomas misses you dearly."
"Alas..."
The voice opposite him began with a long sigh, then continued in a feeble tone, "It is I. The story is a long one. Gentlemen, lady, please come to the core of the third layer of the maze. I will explain in detail on the way."
The rule of "like attracts like" descended once more, an invisible force pulling them hurriedly towards the core of the third layer.
However, upon reaching the third layer, Byron's abilities were sealed by White Lead, completely turning him into an ordinary person.
Violet's powers, though suppressed, were still usable. In her sapphire-blue eyes, there was an apparent eagerness to give Byron... a princess carry. But considering their height difference of 165cm to 190cm, she had to reluctantly abandon the idea.
She naturally took his hand and cried out, "Light as a seagull!"
The Boots of Wonder: Seagull's Wings on her feet sprouted two pairs of small wings, and guided by the attractive force, their speed increased further. Although it couldn't match Byron's Stormchild state, it was much faster than running on foot.
As they both followed Flint's directions, hastening their pace, a second perspective materialized before their eyes. They saw Flint's true form inside the Fourth Order lighthouse.
He was only a Spiritual Body residing in a contract. Most of it had already lost its human shape, transformed into something resembling a cicada nymph. It was covered in a golden carapace that shone like pure gold, with three pairs of legs on its thorax and abdomen. Only its head still broadly retained a human appearance. However, one eye had become a cicada's compound eye, and three red ocelli sprouted from its forehead, giving it five eyes like a cicada. Only his remaining human right eye still seemed lucid, faintly shining with the golden light of reason.
"HISS—!"
Even though Byron and Violet had seen many strange and Bizarre sights before, they felt a physiological revulsion at this fusion of human and insect. They couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
Flint chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"As you see, my current state is rather poor.
"My control over the Faustian Pact is nowhere near that of the fallen Evil Spirit within me, or what you might call my 'Beastliness'. If you hadn't made the right choice, I wouldn't have been able to communicate with you.
"Let me introduce myself. I was the Fourth Order Pirate Warlord Flint in life, also a Lamplighter responsible for guarding the World Rifts within the Lighthouse Union! I suppose, since you've come to the Bantaan Archipelago, you must have heard of the 'Lighthouse Union', perhaps even dealt with them, right?"
Hearing these terms, Byron and Violet exchanged glances. "Lighthouse Union? Lamplighter?"
They were, of course, very familiar with this organization. Every night, across the Bantaan Archipelago, pillars of light would pierce the darkness, soaring into the sky. Each pillar represented a lighthouse built by the Lighthouse Union. A human colony could do without a church, but it could never lack a lighthouse and a tavern.
Currently, a large lighthouse was being planned for Torrent Fortress; construction just hadn't begun yet. Catherine had been liaising with the staff at the International Port's Lighthouse Union office regarding the specifics.
As for the "Lighthouse Union" itself, it was an international organization formed by many Lighthouse Sequence Supernaturals. Formal membership was exclusively for Lighthouse Sequence Supernaturals. It boasted the largest number of Navigators, Pirates, Artillery Experts, sailors, and Navigators. Regardless of which power submitted a request, as long as the landowner paid the fee, they would construct lighthouses of three tiers—from low to high—wherever humanity settled. They had played an essential role in human overseas expansion. One could say that without this third-party public organization, the current Great Nautical Age would not be possible.
However, the term "Lamplighter" was somewhat unfamiliar to them.
Flint noticed their confusion and patiently explained, "Lamplighters are often associated with forbidden knowledge, belonging to restricted lore, so it's quite normal that you are unaware of it.
"In the Church's The Book of Genesis, the world is depicted as a giant sailing ship, voyaging across the boundless Sea of Origin Matter. Through the 'cracks in the deck,' which are also World Rifts, tidal flows of Source Material and hidden knowledge seep into our world. This gives rise to various Extraordinary Powers. But if the cracks between the planks become too large, water may leak through, allowing an excess Source Tide to surge into our world, threatening nearby humans and even the safety of our entire ship.
"When our Lighthouse Union constructed lighthouses around the world, we discovered that the number of 'deck fractures'—World Rifts—far exceeded human imagination. Especially in overseas regions, the farther from the Old Continent, the more numerous the World Rifts, and the greater the danger.
"Right, referring to the classification of influence for Holy Relics, World Rifts are also divided into four levels: Third-Rate, Second Grade, Level 1, and Zero Tier, corresponding to village-town level, city-state level, national level, and world level. The Lamplighters, who directly face these World Rifts and the entities beyond, are what we within the Lighthouse Union call the guardians of these rifts..."
Thanks to Flint's brief explanation, Byron and Violet quickly grasped the situation.
Because of the path they followed, Lighthouse Sequence Supernaturals were always stationed at the boundary between the Humanized World and the Natural World. Every Lighthouse Sequence Supernatural was a vanguard against the Source Tides. This was especially true for Lamplighters.
Lamplighters of the world, also known as lighthouse watchers, were responsible for using their own lighthouses to monitor the World Rifts appearing in this world, invoking the power of the Silver Law to suppress the Source Tides. They were known, alongside the Church's Night Watch, as holding the most dangerous professions in the world.
Of course, relying solely on the spirit of sacrifice from all members to maintain the organization's existence and noble cause was impossible. Such an expectation would go against Human Nature. Even if it could be sustained for a moment, for ten years, or several decades, it certainly couldn't last forever.
With responsibility came power, and with contribution came reward. Every Lighthouse Sequence Supernatural gained great benefits from their work as watchers. Not only did their Spirituality grow faster, but the challenge of their Promotion Ceremonies was also much lower compared to other Transcendents. Not to mention the discounts when inviting the Union to construct lighthouses.
As Flint spoke to this point, the formidable look on his face faded, replaced by deep helplessness. "There's a Second-Grade World Rift on Silvergold Island that allows Middle Sequence Bizarre entities to pass through. According to standard risk assessment, it isn't rated very high. I thought that with the strength of a Fourth Order Pirate, combined with the help of a Level 1 Holy Relic, the Faustian Contract, I could independently guard this Second-Grade World Rift.
"But the trouble is that from across the World Rift, the corpse of an entity exceeding normal parameters, Greed Worm Mammon, drifted here with the tide. Its Affiliated creatures began to swarm upwards in droves. And as a loner, my Anchor wasn't strong enough. I was being continuously corrupted by the knowledge released from the other side, and my fall became unstoppable.
"The so-called treasure map that lured others here was born from that corruption. Although I took corrective measures, setting rules for its appearance only in prime-numbered years, after a long time, I am about to fall completely. I'll become an Affiliated creature and minion of that Worm of Greed on the other side, no longer able to prevent its kin from entering the Mortal World."
The Lamplighter looked at the two with a burning gaze.
"I need someone to help me!
"The reason I haven't sought those true artists from the Hall Sequence is because they are too sensitive. Opening their Spirit Vision often means they see too much that they shouldn't; they are essentially ticking time bombs. Merely approaching the Faustian Contract itself could likely cause them to lose control on the spot.
"This is because that contract truly binds a Devil from the Sea of Origin Matter. Only someone like Faust could possibly remain unaffected and fulfill the mission of guarding this World Rift."
Even among the worst of humankind, there were always a few individuals who could truly be called heroes, and not just in terms of a Fourth Order Class. Although Byron and Violet didn't feel they could become heroes of that caliber, it didn't prevent them from holding such people in high reverence.
Until Flint, with a malicious smile, made a request, his half-human, half-insect face showing an especially spine-chilling smile, "Now it's time for you to make another choice.
"You can inherit my treasure, my Faustian Contract, and my seat in the Lighthouse Union council. You can even inherit a portion of my transcendent abilities through the 'Pirate's Treasure Chest' ritual.
"But in exchange, you must also inherit my duty as a Lamplighter: to guard this World Rift!"