“So, what do you want to be?”

“I don’t know, what do you want to be?”

“Arg! We’ve been at this for hours!”

“I’m getting the sense of deja vu,” Nicholas commented. He sat back in his chair and looked at the counter. They’d normally sit at a table whenever the team ate at The Feral Tomcat, but only he and Rex were present. This specific duo at this exact location brought back memories. The stone walls were still cold to the touch. Adventurers drank their fill, and delicious meals were always served. Nostalgia ran through the two men. It was here that they first met. Back then, they were naive newcomers talking about the same things as they do today.

“It’s the same tavern and same conversation,” Rex replied with a smile. The two initially argued over classes. Of course, they never expected to have additional teammates. It was the reason why Rex opted to be a [Knight] and Nicholas a [Wizard]. One needed to be the physical attacker while the other fought at a distance. In retrospect, they should have considered their classes more carefully, but neither of them expected to be given peasant classes.

“Yet we still don’t know what we’re doing!” Nicholas joyfully shouted. The two were just as clueless as to when they first arrived. The system still hindered them at every step. Money was tight, at least until a reward came for slaying sins. Their equipment was rudimentary. Slimes may no longer be an intimidating opponent, but they were replaced with the seven sins that always found themselves within the team’s reach. To make all that worse, novice adventurers were starting to look up to the four. It was hard to admit they didn’t know anything when gazed upon by eyes full of wonder.

“On the bright side, we know our options this time,” Rex said with a smile. Genesis had been kind enough to list the potential classes everyone had available to them. The exact classes varied, so their possible combination of classes was well into the thousands. Rex was given the choice between [Blacksmith], [Adventurer], [Fighter], [Striker], and [Fencer]. Each class had its own benefits and disadvantages. Thankfully, they each had information that could be read about how they operate and optimal scenarios.

“They also coincide with our current skills and previous class, so that’s nice. We can at least stick to what we know.” Nicholas said. Everyone got a unique set of proposed classes. The sets were derived from multiple factors. Starting class was important but so was known skills, their levels, and recent events. Genesis also took a person’s fighting style into account when cultivating the list. It was one of the rare moments the voice showed mercy rather than leave everything to the whims of fate. Nicholas was especially happy with his set. He had the option of choosing between [Scholar], [Adventurer], [Magician], [Summoner], or [Tactician].

“I’m still shooting for [Knight]. Which of my available classes would best suit that, Genesis?” Rex asked the voice from above. If anything was consistent in this world, it was Genesis’s ability to relay information. Thankfully, every participant was allowed to ask a daily question. The two men were smart enough to reserve theirs to gain the maximum amount of knowledge from a single query.

“OUT OF ALL POSSIBLE CLASSES, [FENCER] HAS THE MOST IN COMMON WITH [KNIGHT]. THIS CLASS PRIORITIZES SWORDPLAY AND BLADED WEAPONS. ADDITIONALLY, NEW SKILLS WILL BE ADDED THAT BETTER SUIT THIS WEAPON TYPE."

“Wizard is still on my mind. What should I choose with the future class [Wizard] in mind, Genesis?” Nicholas asked as well. He was conflicted with the different skills, so it was best to simply ask the all-knowing voice. Debating about the perfect option was meaningless, and Genesis offered immediate answers.

“OUT OF ALL POSSIBLE CLASSES, [SCHOLAR] HAS THE MOST IN COMMON WITH [WIZARD]. THIS CLASS COMES WITH A SIGNIFICANT BOOST TO BOTH INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM, AND AVAILABLE SKILLS. THESE ATTRIBUTES ARE CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF THE CLASS [WIZARD].”

“Seems like these are the best choices, but are they really?” Nicholas asked himself aloud. To be honest, he would have preferred the class [Summoner]. His slime recently evolved, so it made the most sense to become a class that would help it grow further. Plus, he’d be able to conjure more familiars. The only downside was his party’s layout. There really wasn’t a need for a summoner. That class was best for smaller groups or even solo adventures. With a full team, Nicholas didn’t need to rely on only himself and his familiar. His mind quickly jumbled into a mess of conflicting thoughts.

“I don’t see why Genesis would lie,” Rex responded. He was also confused about what was best. [Blacksmith] came with better forging skills. If Rex reached a high enough level in that class, he could make modern weapons that would upend this world’s balance. An argument could also be made for the class [Adventurer]. That class was available for everyone to use and acted like a jack-of-all-trades. It allowed a person to gain skills from all other classes, at the cost of twenty percent effectiveness. Any weapon was free to master, though the highest level of proficiency was limited. Still, it was a good class to maintain Rex’s current status quo.

“True, but I’d still like to know more before making a decision,” Nicholas said. He was still conflicted but knew a decision needed to be made. The team wouldn’t go anywhere if half the members remained stuck in the past. Xander and Robyn were probably already done with their selection and were on their way back. These two needed to hurry before they were embarrassed by their own hesitation.

“Geez. I feel like it’d just be easier to have Genesis pick one at random.” Rex said. His comment was meant to be half-hearted and forgotten immediately, but someone decided to latch onto it. Either that or Genesis got tired of waiting. Regardless, one should never say its name carelessly. The two men quickly learned that from the system’s next message.

“CONFIRMED. RANDOM CLASS SELECTION WILL BEGIN MOMENTARILY.”

“What?!” Both men responded. They had panicked expressions but quickly recomposed themselves. The other tavern patrons were looking at the duo with concern. Jenna and Mateo were also worried, but everyone swiftly turned their attention to avoid staring. Rex and Nicholas were left to wallow in their sorrow from Genesis’s newest stunt. They didn’t even get a moment to reflect before their lives were defined against their wills.

“CLASSES [STRIKER] AND [MAGICIAN] HAVE BEEN BESTOWED UPON THEIR RESPECTIVE PLAYERS. THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE GENESIS PROGRAM.”