“Very well, here are your options. This choice is not permanent, but understand that it will get exponentially more difficult to change your class in any significant way as you get more powerful.” With that, the man pulled out five more pieces of paper and set them down, side by side in front of Mike. Each of the papers had a class, a description of said class, and a list of the stats he would gain from leveling the class. With growing interest, he read the first one.
Warrior
A frontline fighter who specializes in melee weaponry. The warrior wields their weapon as an extension of their body, showing proficiency with whatever weapon they may swing. Gain +3 Strength, +2 Constitution and Fortitude, +1 Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Perception, and Agility per level. Gain +3 free points per level.
Seemed like a simple melee combat class. It appealed to Mike, though he didn't know how much it would after getting in the face of whatever he was going to be fighting. He moved on to the next one.
Mage
A practitioner of the arcane arts. Bend the mana around you and within you to your will. Mages can shape the world around them with just a thought and are capable of defeating enemies with unstoppable magics. Gain +3 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom and Charisma, +1 Strength, Agility, Perception, Constitution and Fortitude per level. Gain +3 free points per level.
Magic, Mike thought with wonder. This very much piqued his interest. He looked up to the man in the tux, wanting confirmation that this wasn't complete bullshit.
“Oh yes, I forgot for a moment that your part of the universe did not initially contain more than trace amounts of mana. Yes, Magic is real, and very powerful. Why don’t I give you a demonstration?” The man raised his hand, a fireball blazing into existence above his palm.
Mike involuntarily flinched back as he felt the heat coming off the roaring flame. Before Mike had a chance to say anything, the magic flame flickered out, as if it had just run out of fuel. The man gave a small chuckle as Mike calmed down and sat on the couch, having not realized he stood up.
“Magic is real, powerful, and intimidating, understood.” Mike said, moving onto the next paper.
Rogue
Specializing in one on one combat, the rogue aims to end a fight quickly and efficiently. Often in just a single blow. A Rogue utilizes both ranged and melee combat, using both to neutralize their target. Gain +3 Agility, +2 Strength and Perception, +1 Constitution, Charisma, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Fortitude per level. Gain +3 free points per level.
This sounded an awful lot like an assassin, and Mike was fairly confident that he would not enjoy going down a path like that. He looked to the next paper, hoping it wasn't as morally questionable.
Ranger
The Ranger specializes in Ranged combat, using a variety of ranged weapons, encompassing just about anything that fires a projectile. With a sharp eye and steady hand, a Ranger can take down a target from vast distances. Gain +3 Perception, +2 Strength and Agility, +1 Charisma, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, and Fortitude per level. Gain +3 free points per level.
This class seemed like the choice for those who preferred to be far away from any kind of danger. He liked that kind of confrontation avoidance, but wasn't too sure he could aim a bow very well. Hell, the few times he went to a shooting range he could barely hit the targets. Moving on to the last paper, he could tell immediately it wasn't the one for him.
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Healer
Healers are the backbone of any fighting force, keeping their allies alive as well as providing them with various buffs. They often can be found in the backlines of a squadron of fighters. Not to be underestimated, a healer can pick apart an enemy as effectively as they can put an ally back together. Gain +3 Wisdom, +2 Charisma and Intelligence, +1 Constitution, Strength, Agility, Perception, and Fortitude per level. Gain +3 free points per level.
The whole idea of hiding behind a bunch of people while they did the fighting was not Mike's idea of a fun time. He did wonder about the line about picking enemies apart, but not enough to consider picking the class. With all of the sheets read, it didn't take long for Mike to pick a class. Handing a paper over to the well dressed man, he confirmed his choice.
“This one, it seems to fit me the best.”
“Very well then, just one moment.” The man wrote more on the paper, and Mike felt an odd feeling of something settling deep within him. “Have a look at your updated stat sheet.”
Mike looked at the paper, satisfied with his choice.
Name: Mike Jones
Level: 0
Race: Human
Class: Warrior (Level 0)
In the end, what made up his mind was the fact that it was impossible to mess up swinging around a sword. He had no idea how magic worked or how to use a bow. He also didn't like the questionable ethics of the rogue or the backline support role of the healer. He ended up picking warrior through process of elimination. He was disappointed to see that he was still level 0, but was also curious about why his class had its own level. As he was about to ask about it, the man in front of him spoke up.
“You have just 5 minutes before it is time to leave this room. As you have already chosen a class, you will be ejected immediately upon the option becoming available. I suggest you choose a weapon and armor before the time comes.”
As he finished speaking, a door he had not noticed opened to reveal a room full of weapons and armors. Mike walked in, with the Tuxedo man in tow. Along the left wall was every melee weapon that Mike could possibly think of. The wall stretched for at least 100 feet as it needed to accommodate all the weapons. On the other side of the room, there were 3 armor sets, hanging on mannequins.
One looked to be leather, another to be chainmail, and the last to be a solid metal of some kind. Mike immediately picked the leather, as he didn't want to be unable to move quickly if something was trying to kill him. He looked along the wall as he tried to decide on a weapon. He ran his hands across sharp looking blades of all kinds.
They all looked like they could do some serious damage. He contemplated some of the weapons, picking them up and testing how they felt to swing.
Some of the swords seemed to almost cut the air itself. Mike spent the next few minutes testing weapons, swinging many around, when he got to one in particular that stopped him. He picked up a hammer, one that felt heavy, but not heavy enough that he couldn’t put some serious force behind it. He swung it around, feeling how it could almost pull his body along behind it. Each movement felt like it could flow into the next perfectly, with the momentum only building with each swing.
“Oh I like this.” Mike said, coming to a stop, resting the head of the large hammer on the floor.
“Good pick, A maul would be well suited to your combination of decent strength and agility.”
Mike looked at the weapon, pretending that he totally knew it was called a maul, and not just a hammer.
The man continued on, “You have just 15 seconds before humanity's introduction starts, I wish you well and hope you can fulfill the infinite potential the system has brought you.”
Mike had one question he still wanted answered before leaving, “Hang on, what's your name?”
The man in the tuxedo smiled before replying, “I don't have one, but hopefully in the future we may meet again. Go, and grow in power. Farewell.” With that, Mike was once more teleported, and the Man in the tuxedo sat on the Leather sofa, waiting for all his other selves to finish speaking with the rest of the humans.