Alex’s Choice

Alice, Abbie, and Alex rode the elevator to the fifth underground basement. This was where the training and simulation rooms were located. The beautiful blonde lady headed towards an elevated platform where several supercomputers were stationed.

"Alex, do you see that magic circle in the middle of the room?"

"Yes, Big Sister."

"Please, stand over there."

"Understood."

Alice typed something on the keyboard and Alex turned into particles of light, disappearing from the room. Abbie was shocked speechless by what she saw, but before she could strangle Alice and ask for an explanation, Alex reappeared. The only difference was, he was a hologram.

"A-Alex?" Abbie asked half in doubt. "Are you ok?"

"It is me, Master." Alex replied with a smile. "Don't worry, I am fine."

Alice continued to press the keys on the keyboard and Alexander's superman clothes disappeared. It was replaced with short trousers, a close fitting leather vest, lightweight brown leather boots, and a ranger's cloak. His short sword, Durandal, hung securely behind his back.

"Based on my observation, there are three job classes that might work for Alex.," Alice explained. "The first one is the Ranger Class."

"Um, Rangers use bows do they not?" Abbie asked. "Isn't this the norm for this job class?"

"Yes, however, not all rangers use bows," Alice replied. "We were programmed to think that Rangers are bow users. However, this is wrong. Some of them are proficient in using throwing weapons like knives, while others also use short swords."

"One of the reasons why this is one of the most ideal Job Class for Alex is because the rangers specialize in stealth, and setting up traps. Even though Alexander is of the [Fighter] class, I doubt that he is an excellent fighter. Are you proficient with the short sword Alex?" Alice asked.

"No, Big Sister," Alex replied honestly. "To be honest, I didn't receive any training in swordsmanship. Although I have a sword, I don't know how to wield it."

"I figured as much." Alice nodded her head. She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed at the young boy in front of her. "I'm not going to lie to you Alex. You don't look like a fighter. You look like a normal child carrying a sword on your back."

Alex nodded his head. Although he was a hero, he was not hero material. Abbie wanted to retort and tell Alice not to be harsh on him, but she held it in. She too thought that Alex was not a fighter, how could a little boy like him wield a sword that was almost half his size?

"Although you lack in the damage department, that could easily be fixed by one of the perks of choosing the Ranger Class." Alice smiled and tapped on the keyboard one more time. A gray wolf that was a meter tall and two meters long appeared beside the young boy.

"Rangers are able to summon their own [Animal Companion] to aid them in battle, Alice's smile widened. "Since Alex is small, he could also use his [Animal Companion] as a mount. Which makes it an ideal class for him. When he grows stronger, he would also be able to summon a [War Hawk] at the same time. With two animal companions by his side, he would be able to deal sufficient damage."

Alex rode the wolf around the room with glee. He was like a little boy who found a toy he could play with. His laughter permeated the surroundings, which also brought smiles to the two women watching over him.

"So, basically, Alexander would team up with his animal companion to fight his enemy 2vs1," Abbie commented. "If he can't beat the enemy, he could just run away using the animal companion as a mount."

She looked at Alice and nodded her head in approval. "You put in a lot of thought for Alex's well being."

"But of course. I am Alexander's supporter. I only want what's best for him."

"Mmm."

Alice's fingers danced on the keyboard and Alex found himself standing in the middle of the room once again. He was now wearing a silver half-plate armor that shone in the light. It covered most parts of his body. Alex was holding Durandal on his right hand, while a small shield adorned his left arm. There was also a small cloak behind his back which gave Alexander a noble presence.

"I like this look. He looks like a knight in shining armor." Abbie said with a satisfied smile. 'My Little Knight in shining armor.'

Alice also nodded her head. "This is called the [Paladin] Class. A knight that is able to wield weapons and use holy magic at the same time. They are the bane of unholy and undead magic. We can make a flexible build for Alexander that allows him to use healing magic and use his short sword at the same time."

"Unlike the Ranger Class, Paladins are very efficient fighters. They can hold their own in the battlefield and buff themselves with magic to make themselves stronger. Although this class doesn't have an animal companion, its strength and defense makes them a formidable Job Class."

"I agree!" Abbie said while taking out her I-Foam. "Alex, please make a pose. Yes, just like that!"

Abbie shamelessly took pictures of Alex. The little boy cooperated to make his master happy by striking cool poses which made Abbie squeal in delight. Even Alice stopped her explanation and joined the chubby girl in taking pictures of her beloved hero. The blonde beauty even chose the best picture as her phone wallpaper!

After playing around for a few minutes, Alice once again tapped on the keyboard. Alexander's Paladin armor disappeared and was replaced with a light-weight red plated armor that matched the color of his hair. You could even say that almost all parts of his body were covered in red. His gauntlets, boots, and even the sword's scabbard were red!

Abbie eyed Alice who was standing beside her. "Tell me, are you the one who chose the color for his equipment?"

Even if Alice denied it, Abbie wouldn't believe it. 'This girl's favorite color is red and she even dyed Alex in red? Isn't this like marking Alex as her own property? Although I admit that it really matched Alex's overall appeal, this get-up was just screaming "This shota belongs to me!". How can I possibly agree to this?!'

Abbie fumed in silence, but didn't say anything out loud. Somehow, Alexander looked so natural and his presence was like a real fighter.

"The prestige class [Weapon Master]," Alice said with pride. "Once a fighter reaches the highest proficiency in his job class, he may choose this as his prestige class. A Weapon Master is proficient in ONLY one kind of weapon. It means that his mastery over the short sword would reach the highest peak and very few would be able to fight him on equal ground."

"If Alex chose this job class, I have no doubt in my mind that he would be very strong. However, the journey to reach this stage is paved with thorns. I wonder if our Little Hero would be able to last until then?"

"He can, and he will." Abbie said with confidence. "I believe in him."

"I believe in him as well." Alice gazed at the young boy with fondness. She walked out of the platform and headed towards the center of the room. She stopped a meter away from Alex and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Alex, it's time for you to make a choice," Alice said using a serious tone. "Choose one among the three job classes I showed you. You can choose only one. Once you do, there is no turning back. I can give you a few minutes to decide, so take your time."

"There's no need for that, Big Sister Alice. I already made my decision."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Alex replied.

Alice saw the determination in the boy's eyes and she wasn't able to stop herself from grinning. "Very well, what is your choice?"

Alex turned his head to look at his master, Abbie. She was looking at him with a smile. Abbie slowly raised her right hand and gave Alex a big thumbs up. The young boy could feel the strong invisible bond that bound the two of them together. He could tell that Abbie trusted him with every fiber of her being.

There was a gentle warmth that was spreading from his chest and reaching to every part of his body. It made him feel safe, it made him feel loved.

"Big Sister, I choose…"