(XXIV) Ascension Ceremony

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause after the pope's words. He maintained silence until everyone was completely silent, grinning as he scanned the audience.

"Many of you may not have known the arduous journey young Leon Astrahart has completed to appear today!" He said, his voice echoing, "Ten years ago, he was stricken with the uncurable Mana Poisoning disease!"

Some royals shared glances as the audience gasped loudly, and hushed whispers erupted in a dull roar as they gossiped over the disease. Mana Poisoning resulted from a buildup of mana within the body caused by blocked meridians hindering the flow of mana along the circuit.

When too much buildup occurred, it would stop the flow entirely, and the afflicted would become bedridden with a death sentence as they fell into a coma. Priests could delay the symptoms by performing daily cleanses of the body, but it didn't matter the priests' skill, number, or expertise; it couldn't be cured without the Heavenly Elixer, a legendary and mythical legend.

"Yet!!!" The pope shouted, pausing for dramatic effect as he balled his hand into a fist and waved it around, "By the grace of the loving and compassionate Goddess, Kurina, he was cured and awoke a year ago!"

Leon rolled his eyes as he stared at the ground beneath him, 'This guy is too much...'

"Now, on this prestigious day, we will all stand witness as he joins Gran Terra and receives his class from the Goddess herself!" The pope shouted.

He reached forward, touching the sword's hilt as a pillar of light erupted from the altar, rising above and splitting the clouds. Leon stood as he stepped toward the sword and the pope removed his hand from the pommel.

George nodded to his as he glanced at him, encouraging him to do well with only his gaze. The young man stepped closer and reached for the hilt of the sword, unable to stop the intrusive thoughts regarding a particular storytail from his childhood.

The blade was a work of art, its metallic edge glinting in the dim light of the chamber. Leon wrapped his fingers around the thick leather bindings on the hilt, feeling the weight of the sword in his hand. He could sense its power, and he knew that it was meant for him.

As he took hold of the weapon, a series of window notifications appeared before him, each one displaying a different symbol or rune. The particles of light that surrounded the altar began to swirl and dance, creating a dazzling display of color and movement that took the audience's breath away.

The nobles, who had gathered to witness the ceremony, were stunned by the sheer beauty and power of the sword. Even Alec, who had been waiting for this moment for years, was taken aback by the intensity of the reaction.

But as the particle effects faded away, Alec's expression changed from one of awe to one of pride. He looked at Leon with admiration, his eyes sparkling with anticipation of the announcement that was about to be made. With a voice filled with emotion, he declared that Leon was the chosen one — the one who would wield the sword and use it to protect the kingdom from all who would seek to harm it.

Franc stood beside his older brother, chewing on his lower lip as he angrily watched the events unfold, his hand balled into a fist as blood trickled down his fingers.

[The System has detected a number of applicable classes available to the User.]

[Please select which class the User would prefer...]

[Weaponsmaster]

[Rank: S]

[A class that has unrestricted knowledge of weapons and is a master of all. Has exceptional growth and unparalleled ability to handle any situation. Unlocked due to proficiency in over a dozen weapon styles and unlocks the unique [Weaponsmaster Proficiency] Innate Arte. Restricted to knights.]

[Spirit Weapon Master]

[Rank: SSS]

[A class thought to be a fable and not seen since the foundations of Gran Terra. It provides overwhelmingly destructive power and crowd control abilities. It is unlocked due to [Spirit Weaponsmaster] Spiritual Arte and expands its capabilities. It is restricted to the direct lineage of the Royal Family.]

[Forbidden Beast Mage]

[Rank: EX]

[A class unknown to the annuls of Gran Terra and lost to the history of time. Due to its ability to replicate the abilities used by monsters, it has unprecedented growth and the capability to handle any situation that arises. It is unlocked due to the detection of the [Beast Mage Beastiary] and expands its functionality. It is restricted to the System User.]

'Well shit...' Leon thought to himself, shaking his head, 'Nothing in life is ever easy...'

He was initially building his character to become a Weaponsmaster as it would provide him with the best benefits for his Beast Master sub class, allowing him to switch weapons using his inventory that best suited the Magical Beast he had summoned at the time.

His father threw a wrench in his plans giving him the [Spirit Weaponsmaster] skillbook and somehow that triggered an even greater class available to him. Even though he knew nothing about the class or even heard of it, the founder of Gran Terra was a monster of legend and undefeated, so it obviously couldn't have been a terrible class.

Yet somehow, the system provided the biggest wrench to his plans. Expanding the Beastiary? What did that even mean? There is literally no information regarding the Forbidden Beast Mage class and even the descriptions provided don't give much information.

'But...' He thought to himself as he stared at the ranks of each of the classes presented.

Not every class in The World Online was created equal. Receiving a subpar class would restrict your growth within the game, but this wasn't simply a game to him anymore; this was life and death.

Classes were separated into different tiers depending on their growth, available Artes, and the ceilings which are imposed. He had thought SSS was the highest, but there it was, revealed before him, an EX class.

Leon's mind felt conflicted as he stared at the screen in front of him. He knew that he didn't have much choice in the matter, but he still hesitated before selecting the class that the system had imposed on him. As soon as he made his decision, the window notifications vanished from the screen, and a sudden burst of light illuminated the room. A pillar of light shot up from the altar, and a beautiful display of fireworks erupted in the air. Leon watched in awe as the sparkling colors danced across the room, feeling a sense of wonder and excitement build within him.