Records of the Weakest Emperor

Chapter 139: Profession Bestowing Ritual

"Ascension System? What?" 

Calvin stared at Grace in doubt. Even though a goddess like her had enough power to comprehend the inner workings of a human being's mind, Calvin still doubted if Grace really did understand how gaming systems worked and what they really were.

"Look at you staring at me like that. The Ascension System isn't really that complicated. Let me explain..."

"The Emperor's Commandment is the strongest commandment available that can be bestowed by a human being. It is indeed overpowered and the other wanted me to give up my Emperor's commandment in exchange for theirs since they are saying that I wasn't even using it anyway. But why would I do that?" 

"Thus, to seal their mouths, I decided to fundamentally change the structure of the Emperor's Commandment. Instead of it being directly given as a Golden Class. I made it into something independent from the laws of this world. In other words, it is something that the other gods would find useless since they won't be able to understand it anyway..."

"Other than me, of course..." 

"Wait, does that mean that if you gave me the Emperor's Commandment, I will not be able to obtain my own Golden Class?" Calvin couldn't help but gasp.

If his theory was true and he wasn't able to obtain the Writer Profession or class in this lifetime, then the sacrifices that he made for the sake of obtaining the Notebook of Secrets that Will Destroy Your Life would all be wasted.

After all, that notebook could only shine if it was in the hands of someone adept in the inner workings of the Writer Class.

"No, that's not it... You can still receive a Golden Class. Wait..."

"Why are you saying that as if I am going to bestow you a Golden Class?" Grace lifted her eyebrows and stared right at Calvin.

Calvin repeatedly blinked, "Are you not going to?" 

The innocent look on his face made Grace unable to understand how she should react.

In the end, she sipped some matcha milk tea from her teacup, cleared her throat and continued, "The Ascension System works independently from a Golden Class, but at the same time, if you have both a Golden Class and the Ascension System, you will need the Ascension System to rise up the ranks."

"Just think of the Ascension System as a levelling system... It has no limits, but you need various ascension materials every ten levels." 

"It has no limits?" Calvin caught on what was crucial about the Ascension System, "Independent from the laws of this world... Is that what you mean?"

"Yes..."

"But why?" 

"Why would you give humans the ability to become gods themselves?"

Calvin didn't understand Grace's thought process as to why she created the Ascension System.

If this system did bestow upon anyone the ability to potentially become gods, didn't that mean that she was giving humanity the chance to topple the current gods and goddesses' ruling over the humans?

But why would she do such a thing given that she was also a god?

It didn't make sense...

"It's because I want to be free, Calvin..."

"Do you think that being a god is that awesome?"

"If I had a choice, I would've already disappeared somewhere else!" 

"Also, the Ascension System is still in its experimental phase. Once I am able to confirm that it can indeed break through the laws of this world, then I will also be using it for myself..."

"Don't you find it strange that why I still haven't bestowed such a strong commandment to someone suitable when I have the chance?"

"Well, simply because I couldn't find anyone suitable. What's more, the burden of finding the necessary ascension materials would be on the possessor of the commandment..."

"This complicates things since originally, anyone can ascend to a higher level just by praying to the gods whom they have received their classes from..."

"But since the Ascension System promotes independence from the gods, this means that the journey will be far harder for them than the others who rely on the gods for their ascension..." 

"All right, I understand..." Calvin let out a sigh.

To be honest, he was shocked that the strongest commandment that he had never seen even in his previous timeline had actually turned into a gaming system that Grace, the Goddess of Compassion and Light wasn't able to bestow upon someone else until the end times.

But the fact that Grace was a gaming enthusiast and Calvin, a previous game addict was just too perfect.

It was as if they were made for each other.

It was as if the system was tailored just right for a person like Calvin. 

"I will accept that Ascension System. But there's still one more thing that I want to know. Is the Emperor's Commandment still the strongest commandment now that it had become something like that?"

"Yes, it is!" Grace slammed the teacup down onto the table and exclaimed, "You know that everyone in this world only has a single shot when it comes to classes, right?"

Calvin nodded his head.

Grace's smile deepened as she continued to explain.

"Say, a Mage has mage-like skills, but she can never have the skills of a Swordsman unless she evolved into a Mage Swordsman upon her ascension, but even then, the skills that she would be able to use that belonged to the Swordsman class is limited..."

"But as for the Ascension System...?" Grace stared right at Calvin with expectations in her eyes. 

"I will be able to use all the skills imaginable as long as it's within a reasonable range based on my ascension status?"

"Yes, that's right! Wow... It feels really good to talk to someone that can understand you."

Through their long talk earlier, Grace had already known that Calvin was a former game addict. Being a game enthusiast herself, it could be said that she found a kindred spirit whom she could talk to about anything in regards to games. 

But Calvin furrowed his eyebrows, "Isn't that too overpowered...?" 

"Yeah, I know what you are thinking..."

"You can use any skills imaginable, but it depends on how strong you are."

"Say that you are an individual whose ascension status is at the weakest."

"But with the Ascension System, even when you are at the weakest..."

"As long as you know how the skill works and understand how that exceptional skill creates that particular phenomenon, then you should be able to recreate it..."

"However..." 

"The strength of that recreation wouldn't be as strong as it should be if you used it when you're at the peak and its duration would also be pitifully short."

"Nevertheless, an Apex Predator skill is still an Apex Predator skill..." 

"Its strength should never be underestimated or anyone who does would pay a painful price."

Grace lifted an amused smile on her lips.

The smile on Calvin's face looked as if it was about to be turned into a permanent smirk.

The Ascension System was just too awesome! If he could choose any Apex Predator skill to use at any given time, then that would practically turn him into a being that should only be weaker than a genuine god.

But...

Calvin didn't believe that there wasn't a drawback in this kind of broken system.

Grace had said earlier that the Ascension System was still in its experimental phase, so there must be a stupid drawback somewhere. 

Calvin didn't raise this issue directly as he just stared at Grace as if he was expecting her to talk about it.

"Oh..." Grace's lips twitched, "I know..."

"I know..."

"The Ascension System is still in its experimental phase, so there is indeed a drawback to it." 

"The number of skills that you are able to imagine and recreate through the Ascension System is supposedly unlimited, but you need to unlock those spots first..." 

"What do you mean unlock those spots?" 

"Sigh..." Grace let out a sigh, "It would be easier for me to show you what it will look like the first time..." 

She lifted her arm and a transparent window appeared right in front of Calvin. 

It said...

[Skills Available in Slot: 0/???] 

"Wait why is that number at zero? Is it what I think it is?"

"Yeah..." Grace felt somewhat embarrassed, "You will need to find a way to manually unlock the skill slots necessary to slot a skill in so that you can recreate it. What's more, these slots are consumable so once that skill is in the slot..."

"There is no way for you to remove it."

"In other words, if you want to use more skills, you need to constantly unlock these slots..."

"And how do I unlock them?" 

"Hmmm..." Grace pondered.

"I..."

"I don't know...?"

"..."

"Are you serious?" Calvin stared right at Grace.

"I've already told you that the system is still in its experimental phase! Why are you looking at me as if I am worthless?!"

Grace puffed her cheeks and glared angrily at Calvin.

Staring at the Goddess of Compassion and Light and the literal god figure of billions of beings in the land of Las Felipinas acting cutesy as if she was being wronged...

Calvin didn't know what to say.

In the end, he could only let out a sigh as he said, "All right... Let's just continue the Profession Bestowing Ritual and get me out of here. Also, don't forget to heal my body and give me that Emperor's Comma Ascension System, okay?" 

"Why do I have to heal your body for you?"

"That's the least that you can do for turning me as your guinea pig! Come on, hurry up!" 

"Fine..."

Thus, the Profession Bestowal Ritual concluded...

The Gamer God- no, the Goddess of Compassion and Light healed Calvin's bodies of all injuries and also bestowed upon him a Golden Class.

Calvin now had the class that everyone thought to be the weakest.

The Writer Class.

However, an excellent craftsman never blamed his tools. 

The Writer class might be the weakest in the eyes of everyone but in his hands it might as well be called a cheat.

What's more, he also had the Emperor's Comma no, the Ascension System in his arsenal. 

Calvin followed the bright tunnel out of Grace's heavenly abode with utter excitement and anticipation for his future.

But as soon as he opened his eyes, his pupils massively constricted for he noticed that he was standing in front of the statue of the Goddess of Compassion and Light. Before the statue stood a man whom Calvin recognized to be as the Cardinal of the Lumiere Cathedral.

'What...?'

'Where am I?'

'What the fuck is this?!' 

Calvin tried to move his body but he found himself strapped with chains. 

'How did I get here? Just what happened when I wasn't here?!'