Chapter 225: Relic「Mechanical Flame Source」
“After clearing this Resonance of History…”
“Have I finally… reached the threshold of Legend?”
Staring at the flashing azure prompt in his mind, Rast let out a long breath.
Peak of the Sixth Step—this was the position he had currently reached in the sequence long stair of the 「Tower」.
If he immersed his consciousness into the tower known as the 「The Fool’s Library」, he would see that behind the card titled 「Tower · Rast」—
The long stair ascending level by level into the distant void already had six steps lit up by radiant light.
What remained were only the final three steps higher above, shrouded in void and darkness.
In a certain sense, Rast was already standing at the furthest edge of what humans could reach.
One step further—was Legend.
Whether it was Legend or Angel, both represented a transformation in the essence of life, an evolution from human toward the non-human… a true step into the mythic domain.
Of course, becoming a Legend, stepping into the divine realm… it looked like only a step away, yet it was a true chasm.
Since ancient times, countless exceptionally gifted transcendents had been blocked at the gateway of Legend, unable to cross that final gap even after a lifetime of effort.
Since the end of the initial Age of the Gods, even in the later golden eras when civilization flourished most brilliantly, there was never a time when the number of living Legends exceeded the count of two hands.
So it was in the Sixth Era, and so it remained in the present age.
“To become… a Legend?”
Rast murmured the thought.
By now, he was no longer that newbie in the world of the transcendents… Noah, Sisel, Little Grey—these were all Legendary beings he had met personally.
And within the 「The Fool’s Library」 were preserved the experiences and data of past Shoreguards who had broken through to Legend.
However, to Rast, those records could only serve as reference—they could not directly show him the way.
Just as Dean Silver had once said… the method of ascending to higher positions differed for each sequence.
Leader Sisel had built within his mind, using spiritual force, a model of a pseudo-star, a conceptual sun, to achieve the Legend of the 「Sun」 sequence.
Whereas Little Grey, through long cultivation and exploration, further sensed the flow of fate and deduced broader future branches, accomplishing the Legend of the 「Fate」 sequence.
As for Dean Silver, even now Rast didn’t clearly understand the rank or combat power of that ferret… But presumably, Dean Silver’s centuries of contact with humans, experiencing the brilliance of soullight, was the cultivation path of the 「Moon」 sequence.
Though the ways to break through to Legend varied, without doubt, each of them had walked a path independent of all else—unique, unreplicable.
Then, what about himself?
Rast looked at the 「The Fool’s Library」, at the illustration of himself wearing a pitch-black trench coat, slowly rotating on the 「Tower」 card.
On the back of the card was drawn a sky-piercing tower standing atop a mountain peak.
A bolt of lightning struck from the heavens, destroying this Tower of Babel. The entire tower, constructed from bricks and lacquered stone, was engulfed in blazing flames.
Amid the flames of destruction, countless people fell from the tower, plummeting toward the earth.
Among all twenty-two Major Arcana cards, this 「Tower」 card was the only one whose meaning—whether upright or reversed—was never auspicious.
It symbolized calamity, misfortune, unexpected loss of control and collapse, destruction and ruin born from the foundation.
Walking this sequence long stair of the 「Tower」 that no one had ever trodden, a path walked alone…
What would his path to Legend be?
Such musings only lasted a fleeting moment.
Very soon, Rast calmed his thoughts once more.
Whether it was to reunite with Little Ai, or to retrieve Little Grey from the Grand Wish to Fate deep within the Starry Sea—
Or to realize the ideal called「Shoreguard」 in his heart.
Whether Legend or Angel, they were obstacles Rast must overcome. He could not go around them—nor did he want to.
In truth, in his heart, Rast already had a rough direction—
A proposal bordering on madness.
It was also the road to break through the Seventh Step, to become the first-ever Legend of the 「Tower」 sequence.
But a proposal remained a proposal… it still had to be put into action, transformed from thought into reality.
With such thoughts in mind, Rast shifted his attention once more to the prompt from the Night World.
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【You have obtained the relic of the Sixth Era civilization:「Mechanical Flame Source」】
【Mechanical Flame Source】
【Category: Relic】
【Bound to: Rast】
【Relic Origin: Late Sixth Era · Human Federal Republic of the Western Continent】
【Description: This is a condensed product of the late Sixth Era human federation, integrating numerous cutting-edge scientific technologies such as「Pseudo-Artificial Intelligence」,「Virtual Reality Projection」,「Mechanical Modification」,「Sub-dimensional Folding Technology」,「Miniaturized Controlled Nuclear Fusion」.
It is the pinnacle crystallization of scientific advancement from this high-tech civilization—though short-lived, it painted a vibrant mark in the river of history. A radiant echo of a brilliant era.
More importantly, it is a gift from「Human Principle」, bestowed upon the hero who once changed the course of human history.】
【Relic Function: Stores all top-tier technologies from the Sixth Era civilization. Its internal structure can be freely adjusted according to the host's will, and using it as a core, the host can construct unique Machine creations.】
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In Rast’s hand, a block of metal—about the size of a Rubik’s Cube, formed seemingly from countless flowing metallic particles—quietly took shape, drifting silently in the air.
This was the only reward Rast received upon clearing this round of the Night World, aside from sequence experience.
Unlike the「Emblem Attire」he had grown used to, this was a relic named「Mechanical Flame Source」.
It did not appear large, and seemed unremarkable in Rast’s hand.
But Rast knew clearly—within that seemingly inconspicuous, Rubik’s Cube-like liquid metal shell, was hidden a Great Power enough to destroy an entire city district.