Chapter 135: Forbidden Catalogue 0-13: Zenith Sword
Listening to the words of Dean Agatha,
Rast's gaze also involuntarily shifted toward the nearby rising platform.
And on the surface of that silver crystalline object—clear as crystal yet refracting a tallic sheen—there was a line of tiny numbers etched by laser:
「0-13」
Rast's gaze grew more solemn.
This small chanical crystal was the core component of the "Zenith Sword Prototype", the primary result he and Dean Agatha had achieved over the past month at the Ashen Institute.
But this 【Forbidden Catalogue】 ntioned earlier by Dean Agatha...
And the engraved number 【0-13】 on this crystal—what exactly did they refer to?
Just as the question arose in his mind,
The next mont, he heard Dean Agatha’s gentle voice once again ringing in his ears.
“The 【Forbidden Catalogue】 is a top-secret list stored within the Tower of Arcana.”
“According to the confidentiality protocols of the Tower of Arcana, only branch deans of Starfall University, ministers of major departnts in the Granwell Kingdom, and noble councilors of the Oath Council are qualified to access it.”
“And even for those of us with clearance, we are only allowed to view a small portion of the directory relevant to our own fields—for example, I can only view the entries related to the chanical domain.”
“The complete 【Forbidden Catalogue】 is likely accessible to only a handful of individuals, such as the forr Headmaster, His Majesty Allen, or the Dean of the Ruins Institute.”
There was a hint of solemnity in Dean Agatha’s voice now.
“As for the aning of the 【Forbidden Catalogue】, it’s actually quite simple...”
“Only those entities deed as 'Forbidden' by the Tower of Arcana qualify to be listed within.”
“As for the criteria used to determine the 'Forbidden' classification, I believe you’ve probably heard of them before.”
She looked at Rast, a faint smile appearing on her aged face.
“The evaluation process is extrely complex, requiring repeated verification and judgnt across multiple dinsions and domains. In fact, within the Tower itself, there’s even a dedicated committee for Forbidden classification.”
“But to put it simply—”
Dean Agatha paused briefly.
“Entities that are eligible and potentially capable of threatening a legendary being’s existence…”
“Are defined as【Forbidden】.”
…
Rast’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He had indeed heard of the term "Forbidden" before.
If he rembered correctly, when Dean Silver had introduced Akxia’s Nightblade "Angel of Death's Proclamation" to him, the two tags used were "extrely dangerous Nightblade" and "Forbidden".
Additionally, in the Epoch Remnant of the Sixth Era, when Chief Sisel and Gravekeeper legend Noah had spoken to him about the beings in the depths of the ocean, they had used the sa description: "Forbidden lifeforms".
Those entities dormant in the deep sea were not beings that had ascended to the legendary realm through the traditional path of the Sequence Staircase, one step at a ti, to the seventh stair.
However, they undeniably possessed destructive power at the legendary level and posed a potential threat to the lives of legendary powerhouses. Thus, they were classified under the category of "Forbidden lifeforms".
“Shiltina and Akxia, the ones you're familiar with—their Nightblades 『Infinity Blade』 and 『Angel of Death’s Decree』—are both listed in the Forbidden Catalogue.”
“Of course, as of now, their own levels are still sowhat lacking.”
“According to the Tower of Arcana’s assessnt, even for Shiltina and Akxia… only when they reach the peak of Tier Six and unleash their anomalously powerful Nightblades at full force, might they truly pose a threat to a legendary being’s life.”
“Therefore, people like them can only be said to possess the potential to threaten a legend. But this potential has yet to be fully realized.”
“Hence, their Nightblades are ranked relatively lower in the Forbidden Catalogue. The initial digit is 1, and they are categorized under Level 1 of the Forbidden Catalogue.”
Dean Agatha glanced at Rast, her tone still calm, yet tinged with a touch of amusent.
“By the way, due to your performance in the Nightworld Remnant…”
“The Tower of Arcana’s Forbidden Catalogue Certification Committee has already raised a proposal to list you under Level 1 of the Forbidden Catalogue. However, that proposal has not been officially submitted yet. Even if it is, it must still pass secondary review and approval.”
“If everything proceeds smoothly, then by the directory number, you would be listed as『Forbidden Catalogue 1-97』.”
Rast: ???
“Your Eminence Agatha, I believe the Forbidden Catalogue Certification Committee may have so minor misunderstandings about .”
He gave a light cough.
If they were assessing his true Nightblade—『The Fool’s Library』—then Rast thought it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for him to claim a spot in the Forbidden Catalogue.
After all, the power of 『The Fool’s Library』 was evident to all. Even against abnormal Nightblades like those of Akxia and Shiltina, it could perfectly replicate them if the bond level was sufficient.
Moreover, what the Fool’s Library could simulate through its Origin Texts was not limited to Nightblades—it extended to Sequence abilities themselves.
If one day he could unlock all twenty-one divine ascension stairs in that tower-library and reach their peak levels…
Then to call himself an “Omniscient and Omnipotent Being” who wielded all Sequence paths and transcendent powers would be no exaggeration.
However, Rast had not forgotten—
The Nightblade he revealed to the outside world was not『The Fool’s Library』, but rather『Copy Eye』.
What “Omniscient and Omnipotent”, what “Library of All Things”, what “Origin Text rivaling the gods through a fool’s frailty”…
What did that have to do with , the Copy Ninja Rast?
This ti, during the Nightworld expedition, due to the instinctive sense of being watched within the Epoch Remnant, he had been especially cautious.
Though it appeared he had fought many battles, Rast was either backstabbing or toying with Grey the whole ti. The main spotlight had been left to Sisel and Noah, who arrived later. He himself hadn’t gone all out in a single fight.
By all logic, the true potential of 『The Fool’s Library』 shouldn’t have been exposed to the outside world.
“Your Eminence Agatha, my Nightblade is just a flawed mimicry tool that burns through energy when overused…”
“Hardly worthy of being compared with rule-breaking Nightblades like Shiltina’s 『Infinity Blade』 or Akxia’s 『Angel of Death’s Decree』.”
However, in response to Rast’s explanation, Agatha rely chuckled and shook her head lightly.
“No, the proposal to add to the Forbidden Catalogue was not made for your Nightblade.”
“It was… for you.”
Dean Agatha gazed at Rast, the smile at her lips deepening.
“I heard from that little one, Ophelia, about your past exploits.”
“You cooperated with Shiltina and cleared the Calamity Remnant…”
"Back then, you had yet to break through to Tier Four, and yet you maneuvered between multiple Tier Six and Legendary powerhouses, even joining the Gravekeepers—an organization itself considered Forbidden—to execute an infiltration plan."
"How could such a thing be possible for an ordinary person?"
"Indeed, compared to Akxia and Shiltina, you lack the level and rank that exceed common standards, and you certainly don’t possess the pure and overwhelming power that Nightblades can grant."
"But precisely because of that… the fact that you were able to accomplish such things makes it all the more worthy of attention."
Agatha’s gaze lingered on Rast’s face, carrying an inexplicable aning: "To endure centuries and still hold on to your original heart without wavering…"
"Such a person is truly terrifying… far more so than those who, over the ages, have predictably fallen, turned dark, or beco corrupted."
"Even if you hadn’t received my assistance this ti, I believe… when facing a hostile Legendary being within the Epoch Remnant, you certainly wouldn’t have sat back and waited to die."
"To list you in the Forbidden Catalogue is absolutely justified."
She chuckled softly: "But don’t worry..."
"Being listed in the Forbidden Catalogue also ans you’ll attract attention from the outside world."
"I’m also a mber of the Forbidden Catalogue Certification Committee in the Tower of Arcana. For the sake of protecting the academy's students, I’ll find a way to have your na removed."
"Then I must thank Dean Agatha."
"You’re welco." Agatha, though appearing elderly, now wore a mischievous and almost youthful expression. She winked at Rast: "That little girl Ophelia cares about very few things, but once she sets her eyes on sothing, she absolutely refuses to share it with anyone else."
"If I let you appear on the Forbidden Catalogue and a bunch of nobles started coveting you, that little girl would definitely co after with her life."
Rast: …
He felt that the image of Ophelia in his mind—soone he had never even t—was becoming more and more distorted.
The once lofty and perfect imperial princess image had been completely shattered.
Moreover, Rast realized his previous impression of Dean Agatha was also shifting.
He had originally thought this old lady was a refined, scholarly figure who minded her own business and imrsed herself in chanical research.
But now it seed that gossiping and chatting were truly part of a woman’s nature—even a respected dean of the Ashen Institute and one of the continent's greatest chanists was no exception.
"Ahem, I’ve strayed off topic again…"
Dean Agatha seed to realize she’d gone off track, and gave a light cough.
"The Level 1 Forbidden Catalogue refers to entities with the potential to threaten a Legendary being."
"Then, as for Level 0 Forbidden objects..."
She paused for a mont: "Naturally, those are the ones that can directly threaten a Legendary’s life."
"Whether chanical weapons, Forbidden lifeforms, certain extraordinary Nightblades, or one-ti-use transcendent artifacts… all fall within this range."
"The『Forbidden Catalogue 0-07 · Orbital Railgun』is a massive chanical weapon designed with mythical creatures and Legendary beings as its theoretical targets."
"Currently, its prototype is floating in geosynchronous orbit two thousand kiloters above the Tower of Arcana. If any anomaly occurs within the Tower’s End-Nightworld, and an apocalypse-level disaster that once caused the end of an epoch descends, the Orbital Railgun will be launched imdiately… to annihilate the source of all disasters descending into the physical world from the Nightworld."
"And the『Forbidden Catalogue 0-13: Zenith Sword Prototype』is a modified, miniaturized version of the Orbital Railgun focused on featherweight portability."
"The effect range of the『Zenith Sword』has been scaled down from the original railgun’s 'anti-army' to 'anti-individual', with a corresponding substantial reduction in wide-area destructive power."
"However, what’s gained in return for the decreased firepower is extrely high portability."
"Through the combined use of『Dinsional Folding』and『Spatial Compression』technologies, all the chanical components of the『Zenith Sword』are folded into a small sub-dinsional space, allowing even a single person to deploy it."
Agatha gazed at the silvery-blue crystal resting on the distant platform.
"Originally, even considering the Night Travelers’ need to conquer the Nightworld, Level 0 Forbidden items were never to be loaned to Starfall University students."
"However, the featherweight and miniaturized modifications of the『Zenith Sword』, including the spatial technology patent for『Dinsional Folding』, were all completed by Ophelia alone… she holds over seventy percent ownership of the blueprint for this mythical weapon."
"Which is why you’re allowed to borrow it this ti."
"Now, let’s begin the final step of the process."
As she said this, a pure white light suddenly shone in Dean Agatha’s eyes.
That beam of white light expanded outward, forming a small domain around her, encompassing the crystal and the control platform within.
At the sa ti, accompanied by a gust of wind pressure, all dust and dirt particles within the field—including even many invisible to the naked eye—were swept out of the white domain.
Nightblade『Land of Penance』
This was Dean Agatha’s Nightblade, and one of its effects was to create a perfectly dust-free area around her.
This effect had no combat significance in itself, but for a chanist who often needed to work with precision components and high-accuracy rune carvings in sterile environnts, it was an excellent support ability.
anwhile, under Dean Agatha’s operation,
A magnificent rune radiating a dreamy glow was slowly etched onto the chanical crystal marked with the code「0-13」.
Rast recognized the rune—it was for soul-aura recognition and verification.
Only with a certified soul aura could one gain permission to use this Forbidden weapon.
"Rast, co input your access authorization."
Urged by Agatha, Rast stepped forward into the pure white, dust-free domain.
Then, channeling his own spirit, he left a trace of his unique soul aura within that blank crystal.
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