"Why a Djinn?" Pete asked, his eyes wide, locked to the tablet and its description of the race.

  "Djinns are perfect for a warrior class?" She thrust her finger at the screen.

  "Oh, come on, J, you're going for a basic warrior build." He looked affronted.

  I just sat to the side, trading glances with Greg, the both of us as silent as a grave. Watching the two maniacs debate their class choices. Jane was apparently going to be a warrior and a Djinn. Peculiar choices, I wondered what the reasoning was? Surely, the ever-practical Jane had some reasoning.

  "It will not be basic when im shoving a flaming sword in your gut."

  "Flaming sword! Oh, that is cool... but how?" He switched up from affronted to deeply interested.

  "Djinns are fire elementals; they have heat, lightning and physical damage resistance. Practically no fatigue considering they are partly immaterial. They are perfect for the warrior class, practically invincible in combat, and I can't stress this enough... flaming swords!" She listed excellent reasons.

  "Oh, I get it; the Djinn race complements close-quarters combat. Since you are resistant to physical attacks." Peter nodded furiously. "But what about the whole three wishes thing?"

  "That's just a myth." Jane shut that down.

  "Myth? We are literally serving mythological gods."

  "The established myth. Didn’t you go to the seminar?" Jane narrowed her eyes until they were slits.

  "You mean those lore seminars?"

  "Yes."

  "That would be a no," Pete admitted sheepishly.

  "Pete!" She raised her hand to slap him on the head, ready to bring justice down on this truant.

  "Come on, J, they are so boring." He narrowly dodged the blow.

  "They are vital in understanding the mythology of Grimgard."

  "Fine, I get your point, but can you just tell me, please." He gave his winning smile, only to get a scowl in return.

  "Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "The whole three-wishes thing is a false myth, established in Grimgard's lore. Djinns are just elementals leaning towards fire. They don't grant wishes beyond doing magical favours."

  "But that's Grimgard, right?" He said, "Other system worlds might have the whole wishing thing?"

  She shrugged. "Perhaps, but I didn't attend those seminars."

  "Hypocrisy!" Peter declared.

  "Yeah, but at least I attended the Grimgard ones, unlike someone at this table."

  She had a point, and he knew it, and thus he shrunk back into his chair, ashamed — at least he looked ashamed. Raising a calming hand, I tried to get everyone back on track. Suggesting we discuss our race and class choices before locking them in.

  "We know why Jane is choosing Djinn and Warrior, but what of your choices?" I looked at Peter.

  "Well, im going for the Fiend race because demons are cool, and as for my class, something magical."

  We all thought furiously, each coming up with several ideas. They ranged from a good old fashion wizard. Pete suggested a sorcerer, but that class differed from what he expected. He was working from Dungeons and Dragons lore, which really put his truancy on display. Likely, he missed or slept through many seminars on base classes. According to Jane, a sorcerer was like a wizard but focused their magic through artefacts like staves and wands. Apparently lots of overlap between the two classes, that they get lumped together.

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  "What about a bard? You remember your rap phase after Joey introduced you to Eminem?" Jane laughed.

  "A bard..." Peter trailed off, eyes cast into the distance, unfocused.

  "I was just kidding."

  "I'm not and to be honest," he stuttered a bit, "I've always wanted to be a rapper," his smile curved up from the side.

  "Really? I never knew that about you." Jane's tone softened, and the two smiled sheepishly.

  "Bards weave spellsongs, so it could be possible for a rapper to become a bard and vice versa." I suggested.

  "You think so?" His eyes brightened, hope in those emerald orbs.

  "The bardic class sounds appropriate; this is our opportunity to reinvent ourselves."

  "A demon bardic rapper," he tasted the words and from the look on his face, he enjoyed it immensely, "oh I'm going to make Eminem, Method Man and the Wu-Tang Clan proud, spitting bars on the enemies."

  I did not know what he was talking about and who these individuals were, especially this clan he spoke of. Were they part of the Xianxia sector? One of the sects? Well, it wasn't important; what mattered was his dream. We all had dreams, and this downsizing... perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.

  "So, I'm going to be a Djinn Warrior for the resistances, and Pete's going for a demon bard because it's cool. Greg wants to fulfil his Overlord fantasies, and Sammy wants to be a half angel, any reason?" She points to each of us, laying bare our dreams and desires, before settling upon me.

  I hesitated, my dream not fully formed yet, but I had already chosen my class. Was it the best build, complementing my race choice? No, it wasn't. However, it is what I want to be. And so with a heavy sigh, I told the truth.

  "Nothing practical, I chose Nephilim because it suited me and our peculiar predicament. For my class, however, I had thought of a swordsman like the heroes of old." I grinned, thinking back to the many tales I had a hand in creating.

  Despite all those grand tales, one stuck with me for years. Joey himself told me the tale so long ago. A man lost and alone on an island, lost at sea. It was there, in the shivering cold and treacherous lands, that a wealthy son mastered the ancient art of the bow and arrow. The young master, through many trials and tribulations, forged himself into a weapon of justice. Donning the green hood and mask, he returned to his home a new man, with a mission. And it was in that, I found my calling.

  "Archer, I want to be an archer."

  "An archer?" Jane asked, incredulous, brows furrowed.

  "Yes."

  "Like with a bow and arrow?" she pressed.

  "Just so."

  "So, like a ranger class, that could work." Pete came in, nodding a politely.

  "Perhaps... do you not approve, Jane?"

  The young woman stared at me, her eyes narrowed, her mind churning. It was as if I could see the thoughts racing behind her eyes. Pete was confused. He looked back and forth between us, trying to gauge what was happening. I took a sip of my coffee, still heated to perfection. The coffee mugs here magically keep the temperature perfect, and the breakroom is lucky to have them.

  "Oh, I approve, just surprised... I figured you for a King Arthur, sword from the stone kind of guy."

  "What makes you think that?" I queried, very curious about how she had come to that conclusion.

  "I don't know; we just heard stories about you from the old days. How you kicked off a bunch of knightly adventures."

  It was true that Grimgard was influenced by many of my quests and I had a tendency towards the heroic adventurer or knight. I am not entirely certain, but I think I may have caused knights to exist. The whole questing culture at least came about from several of my key system quests. I vaguely recall a human kingdom founded as the first frontier of human expansion into the savage lands. My quest drew heroes of old to seek injustice wherever they found it.

  Chuckling softly, I had to shake my head at the absolute irony. Here I was pondering becoming a literal monster, with a group of friends keen on the same path. And I was partially responsible for knights fighting monsters. Oh, they would have fought them anyway. I recalled that humans were already crossing the seas well before I gave them quests.

  "You shouldn't put such faith in old stories; the future is far better to ponder." I spoke sagely.

  "True dat," Pete said, throwing his hand out in an unfamiliar sign.

  "In truth, I seek something new, away from the typical, and an archer is the perfect place to start." We all nodded, and soon we decided.

  "So we all have our classes and races sorted, what else should we decide on?" Jane asked.

  "Spawn point, baby! We should be dungeon lords, so maybe we can spawn near a dungeon to conquer." Peter said enthusiastically.

  "I concur; a seat of power is a must for any Lich King," Greg declared with a deep voice he didn't have before.

  "Alright, chill out, Arthas, we need to check if we can even do this," Jane said.

  "I will confer with CR, but I am sure if I call in a favour we can all achieve our dreams."

  Therefore, we had a goal in mind, and we only needed to solidify it with Clerkan Resources. I knew Carol; we went way back, practically centuries. She owed me a few favours; perhaps it was time to call in a few of those to ensure our retirement. I grinned, seeing the future that awaited us, play out in my mind.

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