Rune Warrior

After killing the Ghost Overseer Commander and the army it led, the players were filled with joy.

That night, many were destined to lose sleep. Yet when the players logged in the next day, they discovered an additional display notification in the game.

Berserker First Advancement Class: Rune Warrior Showcase

Many curious players clicked on the information, and the scene before them immediately changed, placing them in a vast wilderness.

At the center of the open area stood a towering warrior, his body engraved with runes flashing in all kinds of colors.

Class Introduction:

Rune Warrior: In pursuit of ultimate strength, Berserkers abandoned weapons, using their own bodies as vessels to inscribe the runes of heaven and earth and forge the strongest physique.

Class Trait: Each newly inscribed rune greatly increased the user's strength and granted the characteristic skill of the embedded rune.

Usable Weapons: Bare hands, gauntlets

Class Requirements: Initial class must be Berserker, and level must reach 30.

After the introduction vanished, the Rune Warrior in the clearing moved. The runes on his body began to glow, emitting a humming sound like an engine.

"Rune of Strength!"

With the Rune Warrior's shout, the red gem on his body flashed. His arms gradually swelled, veins bulging across them. He slammed a fist into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust as a massive crater appeared and cracks spread outward.

"Rune of Defense!"

With another shout, the blue gem radiated dazzling light. The Rune Warrior crossed his hands over his chest and bent slightly, and a blue arc-shaped barrier immediately appeared.

At the same time, a figure holding a staff appeared before the Rune Warrior.

"Death Descends!" With the mage's furious roar, a meteor shower condensed from yin energy fell from the sky.

Yet when those attacks struck the blue barrier, they produced nothing but faint ripples and could not break through its defenses at all.

"Rune of Speed!"

After the attack ended, the green gem lit up. A misty cyan aura enveloped the Rune Warrior, and his figure flashed before instantly disappearing from his original spot, continuously flickering around the area.

After the demonstration ended, the game introduction appeared once more.

The Rune Warrior class possessed multiple growth paths. As levels increased, the number of embeddable runes could be expanded.

This update added the Berserker advancement class: Rune Warrior, and a new NPC: Class Advancement Mentor.

Rune Warriors had to complete a class advancement quest in order to advance successfully.

Class Advancement Quest Details: More information could be obtained from the Class Advancement Mentor, "Master Qu."

The moment the update was announced, it caused a sensation throughout the Battle Online forums.

Peppa_Boar: So strong! So freaking strong! Looking to buy advancement materials at a high price!

Lonely and Carefree: Damn! Why isn't there anything for other classes? Is the Berserker this game's beloved child or something? Is it still too late to change classes?

Keyboard Assault: I strongly condemn this. Why is there no advancement for us great Assassins? I have fallen into jealousy.

Pay-to-Win Player: Sad. Will my sewer-dwelling Mage never have a day to rise?

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Pay-to-Win Player: Fellow Mage here. Let's hold each other and cry.

Ruler of Thunder replied to Crayon_Shinchan: Count me in. Let's sob together, and give the developers the middle finger while we're at it.

Strike_Gold: Good thing I picked Berserker. I'll just watch you all turn purple with jealousy.

While the players were heatedly discussing the matter, a question thread appeared on the forums.

The thread also included an image detailing the Rune Warrior class advancement quest.

Rune Warrior Advancement Requirements:

Phase One: Hunt designated monsters.

Phase Two: Gather materials to forge a rune. Must complete one of the following.

Rune of Strength fusion materials: Black Cinder Ore (produced in the Langya Scorched Earth Mining Zone), Molten Core (produced in Blazing Hell), 10 Black Armor Shards (dropped after killing Black Armor Evil Spirits).

Rune of Defense fusion materials: Black Cinder Ore, Corpse Water Core (produced in the Corpse Water River Domain), 10 Netherworld Pearls (dropped after Netherworld Warriors died).

Rune of Speed fusion, Destruction Rune fusion, Flight Rune fusion, Explosive Rune fusion, Special Rune of Qiu Niu fusion, Special Rune of Xing Tian fusion...

Phase Three: Advancement successful. Class progression mode unlocked.

BeastFighter:

Can anyone tell me what the hell these advancement materials are? Other than Netherworld Pearls, I don't recognize a single one of them. I don't even know where these places are.

Replies:

Lonely and Carefree: 666. The harder, the better. It'd serve you Berserkers right if the search drove you into depression.

Pay-to-Win Player: Agreed with the poster above. But after looking at it, this class's growth potential really seems absurdly strong. All those buffs... No, I'm already jealous. I curse you all to never find them.

Peppa_Boar: I'm dumbfounded. Rune Warriors are seriously fierce, but the difficulty of advancing is definitely far beyond what you imagine. Among the Netherworld Warriors we know of, only a handful of people can solo one right now, let alone those other monsters that sound incredibly powerful.

Strike_Gold: I'll still try to gather the simplest ones first—Strength, Defense, and Speed. It feels like there is no way one person could obtain those special runes with their own strength.

Ye_Xue'er_is_the_cutest: Strongly protesting! Why don't us great Assassins get such a powerful advancement? I demand a Rune Assassin!

Ye Xue'er's Little Follower replied to Ye_Xue'er_is_the_cutest: Everything Xue'er says is right!

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Ye Xue'er's Little Follower: Simp, simp—simp to the end, and you'll have nothing!

Watching the players' discussions, Lu Wu smiled and rubbed Bei Li's little head.

"You really are something. You actually developed a new class from a single rune!"

Bei Li used her little head to push Lu Wu's hand away, her face full of pride.

"Of course. I'm currently researching Mage advancements. When the time comes, I'll release three Mage-class advancement paths at once for the players to choose from."

"Which three?" Lu Wu asked curiously.

"The Curse Branch, which specializes in control and debuffs; the Demon Branch, which specializes in damage output; and the Sprite Branch, which specializes in transformation. Each has its own traits, and all of them are very powerful."

"Amazing!" Lu Wu gave her a thumbs-up.

"What about Assassins? What should their advancement be like?"

"I'm still considering Assassins. The classes I've created all require special materials from the underworld to be added to players. It's equivalent to creating new body templates for them. I can't just add whatever comes to mind, so every advancement has to be carefully considered and repeatedly researched!"

"Is there anything I can help with?" Seeing Bei Li bury herself in research every day, Lu Wu felt somewhat guilty.

"You... you just need to buy me lots of delicious food every day. Research is very mentally draining, so I need all kinds of tasty food to replenish my nutrients. As for helping with research, there's no need. Research requires great talent and intelligence, after all. You definitely can't help."

Bei Li's serious words made Lu Wu's self-esteem ache faintly.