Q opened her eyes to find herself standing in the middle of a bunch of flashing lights. No… they’re runes? Upon closer inspection it turned out the lights were indeed small runes which floated around Q’s body. When Q tried to reach out to touch one, it slowly retreated from her touch. “Okay then. I guess I’ll just wait here.” Q sat down and watched the runes as they floated by.
The runes all had different colors, though after a few minutes of watching Q was able to find some similarities in them. Though most of them looked like triangles, there were a few variations like a line going through the top, or a few dots in the middle. Just as Q was getting absorbed in watching the runes and their variations, a loud imposing voice came out of nowhere.
“Good. A patient personality, and curiosity to investigate and understand things around her…” Before Q could say anything, the voice continued to speak. “You will now be tested. Consider your answers seriously, and speak them honestly.”
“Okay...?” Q said with an uncertain tone of voice.
“Who are you?”
“Q.”
“What is your purpose here?”
“I wanted to open a door because some weird merchant sold me a key.”
“...” An awkward silence followed. “Do you seek power?”
“Not really. I just want to have some fun in this world. I mean power would be great to have and all, but I don’t think it’s necessary for me to enjoy myself.”
“... Between a cat and a dog, which would you choose?”
“A bunny rabbit. They’re small, cute and soft. Also, you don’t seem to be taking this too seriously.”
“I… ah screw it. I’m not cut out for this serious crap.” The runes floating around Q began to gather up in front of her and after a few seconds they disappeared, revealing a middle-aged man wearing a hooded cloak. “Hey, the name’s Alrune. Nice to meet ya.” He said with a wave.
“Oh… so you’re the Grand Wizard who helped create the Witches village.”
“Yup. So, you managed to find my key and get past my guardians huh? That’s pretty impressive for someone who doesn’t seek power.”
“It would be impressive if I did it by myself, but I had some friends and the other Grand Witches helping me.”
“They’re still alive!? What the heck… how long has it been since I died?”
“No idea, but the title of Grand Witch is probably passed down from generation to generation. I mean the current ones aren’t the same as the ones who have statues in the merchant’s district.”
“Oh. Yeah, of course…” Alrune seemed incredibly depressed for a moment. “Haa-, what was I expecting? Not that I can do anything about it anyway. Well whatever, let me explain my circumstances for a bit.” He cleared his throat and then took a deep breath. “First of all, you’re not really talking to me. This is my remnant will I left behind before dying.”
“Cool.”
“You’re not easily surprised are you?”
Q shrugged her shoulders. “When you’ve played as many games as I have, you sort of get used to these situations.”
“Games…? Er, back to my story, I was one of the most powerful mages in the world. I can’t really tell you how long ago it was because remnant will and whatnot, but I guarantee I was super strong. That being said, I never actually passed on my powers to anyone.”
“Why? Is it because they were too much for any person to handle?”
“Nah, I was too busy flirting with the Grand Witches to take in an apprentice.”
“...”
“That aside, at the time of my death I severely regretted not taking in an apprentice so I travelled all around the world using the teleportation arrays I created over the years. With the last of my remaining powers I sealed away the knowledge I had gained over the years in various locations, the underground library included.”
“Interesting... So what do you want me to do about it?”
“To be honest, you don’t really need to do anything. Since you’ve opened up this door, all of the seals I placed were lifted, so now anyone who finds those locations can use my powers. Of course not just anyone can use them, so these ‘wills’ I left behind at each of the locations will test them and make sure they’re worthy of using my powers.”
Sounds like a hidden class or something… Q thought. “So what are your powers anyway?” She asked.
Alrune grinned as if he was waiting for this question. “Tell me Q, how much do you know about runes?”
“Not a lot really. From what the Grand Witches taught me, they’re another way to cast spells. Each rune sort of represents an ‘idea’, and by channeling mana through them you can bring different iterations of that idea into existence.”
“Hmm… It’s a little more complicated than that, but you have the main gist of it. So now that I’ve mentioned runes, what do you think my powers come from?”
“Oh! You specialized in casting runes? So like… a Runemage?”
“Runemaster, but yes. Now to get to the whole point of me talking to you… Would you like to become a runemaster?”
“I literally just became a Witch, but this could be interesting as well…” Q muttered to herself. “What can I do with this class?”
Without a word, Alrune began waving his hands and the runes in the air began to move around him at high speeds. “Earlier you said that each rune represents an idea, and while that’s technically true it’s not the whole truth. Runes are just another interpretation of those ideas, but they are very closely related to the origin of those ideas. Take this fire rune for example.” He held out a rune shaped like a triangle. “This doesn’t seem to be related to fire at all, but it was created as an interpretation of fire.” The rune then burst into flames and vanished from his hand.
“So… someone or something first witnessed these ‘ideas’, and then tried to represent them with symbols?”
“Exactly. My research shows that runes trace all the way back to the first gods when they appeared in our world. I believe that these runes are how the gods interpreted these ideas, and they were used back then as an archaic form of communication.”
“Mmm. Sounds a bit complicated, but you’re saying that because the first gods used them, they’re very close to the original ‘idea’ behind them?” This is starting to sound like Plato’s theory of forms…
“Yes! You’re a very quick learner Q. If I was still alive I’d probably take you in as an apprentice. So being so closely related to the origin of those ideas, using runes can display ridiculous amounts of power, like so.” Alrune held another fire rune in his hand, but this time the fire that came out was at least ten times larger than the first one, and completely enveloped Q’s view. “But using them this well takes a lot of practice. So how about it? Would you like to become a runemage?”
“... Okay.” Q hesitated for a while, but she accepted in the end. I feel a little bad for the Grand Witches since they went through all the trouble of making me into a Witch, but I think they’d be okay with me getting the power of their founder. Maybe.
“Wonderful. While normally I would explain some details about how to use this power, my will is fading and i’ll soon disappear. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out though. Oh yeah, about the key you used to open the door, just hand it over to my guardians and they’ll know what to do with it. Also tell them thanks and sorry for me.” Alrune smiled and all the runes flew towards Q! Q couldn’t even react as they passed through her body and images began appearing in her head. For a while she couldn’t begin to comprehend these images, but this feeling of wonder disappeared as soon as it occurred. She suddenly felt a feeling of clarity, and looked up to see a window in front of her.
[Congratulations! You have received the Runemaster class! As a result of receiving the Runemaster class, all of your current spells will be unlearnt, and will be converted into new runes. Conversion will now begin.]
“Woah, wait! ALL of my spells? Even Arcane Overload and Tri-Spark!?” Q was immediately alarmed as she rather enjoyed using those spells, and losing them would be very saddening.
[Exception - [Tri-Spark] is a unique spell, as such it will be unchanged.]
A window appeared as if to answer her question. “That’s a relief… though I’m still losing Arcane Overload aren’t I?” Q sadly waited for the conversion to complete, and once it did one final window appeared.
[As a result of receiving the Runemaster class, new skills and 30 skill points have been added.]
“Alright, let’s check out what happened…” Q brought up her status window and skill/spell list, and was surprised to see the changes!
Q
(Friend of the Cute and Cuddly)
(Reckless Fighter)
Level 30Race: Fox-kinClass: RunemasterProfession: Tailor (Beginner)HP: 245/245MP: 385/385VIT: 27 (+12)WIS: 56 (+17)STR: 28 (+16)INT: 57 (+48)AGI: 40 (+20)DEX: 36 (+4)END: 9 (+16)RES: 18 (+30)LCK: 8 (+4)Leadership: 14Fame: 2596
EquipmentHead:Witch's Hat (Rare) Durability (30/30) - WIS +5, INT +15, RES +10Chest:Witch's Garb (Rare) Durability (50/50) - VIT +5, WIS +5, INT + 10, END +5, RES +20Arms:Magic Bangles (Uncommon) Durability (20/20) - VIT +5, WIS +5, INT +5Waist:Leather Storage Belt (Rare) Durability (20/20) - VIT +2, STR +2, END +2, Adds 3 extra inventory slots.Legs:Witch's Shoes (Rare) Durability (35/35) - END +3, AGI +10, Active Ability: Use 50 mana to increase movement speed by 20% for 5 minutes (Once per hour)Main-Hand Weapon:Cypress Wand (Uncommon) Durability (40/40) - INT +15Off-Hand Weapon:Iron Dagger (Common) Durability (25/25)AccessoriesRing 1:Ring of Trickery (Rare) Durability (20/20) - DEX +4, LCK +4, +1 to level of Stealth Skill.Ring 2:Ring of Minor Mana Regeneration (Rare) Durability (20/20) - WIS +2, +10% to mana RegenerationRing 3:Ruby Ring of Flames (Magic) Durability (25/25) - STR +5, Increases all fire type skills/spells damage by 10%, adds a 1% chance to burn with each physical attack.Ring 4:Black Wolf’s Spirit (Magic) Durability (40/40) - STR +7, AGI +10, 10% Increase to damage dealt by claws.Necklace:Guardian’s Heart (Rare) Durability (15/15) - STR +2, INT +3, END +3Bracelet:Guardian Bracelet (Uncommon) Durability (15/15) END +3
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SkillsPassive Skills:Description:Pain Resistance Lv.5Reduces amount of pain felt.Unarmed Mastery Lv.7Increases proficiency when not using a weapon.Claw Mastery Lv.7Increases proficiency with claw-type weapons.Dagger Mastery Lv.5Increases proficiency with dagger-type weapons.Throwing Mastery Lv.7Increases proficiency with throwing-type weapons.Climbing Mastery Lv. 3Increases speed and ease when climbing.Jumping Mastery Lv.4Increases length and height when jumpingSwimming Mastery Lv.2Increases the speed and ease when swimming.Rope Mastery Lv.4Increases skill and ease when using ropes.Dodge Lv.8Increases your chances of dodging an attackDeflect Lv.6Increases chance to deflect enemy attacks. Deflecting an attack reduces damage dealt.Silver Tongue Lv.5Increases chance to convince others to listen to your words.Riding Lv.5Increases speed and handling when riding a creature.Enhanced Hearing Lv.4Enhances your hearing range and sensitivity.Silent Casting Lv.5You can cast spells and skills without calling out their name or chanting. Using these spells/skills in this manner causes them to take more time to use, and also increases the mana usage. Note: You must have a proficiency level of at least 8 before silently using abilities.Active Skills:Beast Within Lv.5(No Cost, 8 Hour Cooldown) Increases strength and agility by 15% for 1 minute.Relentless Assault Lv.6(Consumes 50 MP, 30 Minute cooldown) Allows you to continuously attack a target
uninterrupted for 5 seconds, but you receive double damage while in this state.Magic Fist Lv.9(MP usage depends on spell, 1 minute cooldown) Coats your fist in the magic used on it.
Provides extra melee damage to the attack, and does not affect the original magic’s cooldown.Stealth Lv.3 (+1)(No cost, 5 minute cool-down) Activating this skill allows you to blend into the shadows, making you harder to find. Any fast movements or combat oriented actions will break stealth.Sense Presence Lv.4(No cost, 1 minute cool-down) Allows you to sense any presence nearby for 10 seconds.Summon Wolfy Lv.2(Consumes 300 Mana, 24 hour cool-down) Summon Wolfy with additional wolves for one hour and thirty minutes (or until they are defeated in battle). Wolfy’s level will be equal to yours, and the extra wolves are half of your level. Can currently summon 3 extra wolves.Mana Perception Lv.4(Consumes 5 mana per second) Enables you to actively sense mana.Rune-writing Lv.1(Consumes 1 mana per second) Allows you to create a rune with your magic power.Spell Analysis Lv.1(No Cost, 5 minute cool-down) Allows you to analyze a spell and learn new runes from said spell. Chance to successfully analyze spell depends on your stats, time spent analyzing the spell, and the level difference between you and the caster.SpellsTri-Spark Lv.8(Consumes 3 MP, 3 second cool-down) Deal weak Lightning damage to target. Allows you to shoot 3 individual lines of spark at the same time, and has a low chance of stunning target (each spark has its own chance to stun).RunesElement RunesFire | Water | Earth | Wind | Light | Dark | VoidCommand RunesMaterialize | Forward | Backwards | Sideways | Float | Upwards | Downwards | Follow | Gather | Absorb | Condense | Amplify | ReleaseSpecial RunesSummon | Weaken | Confusion
“That’s super… awesome! Does that mean that I can take any spell and use it with runes?" With a bit of investigation she found what each rune looked like by focusing on the words in the rune descriptions. "Hey Alrune, I- Alrune? Where did you go?” Q looked around her and noticed that the world around her was pitch black. For a moment she was confused when she suddenly felt the ground give way underneath! Not that there was any ground to begin with… Wait, I’m falling! Q looked underneath her to find that there was a white light rushing up to meet her! She closed her eyes and waited for an impact, but felt nothing. After waiting for a few seconds she opened her eyes and found herself in a small tidy room.
Picking herself off the floor, she looked around and noticed the room was very simple. There was only a small bed pushed against the corner, a bookshelf with a few books, and a desk with a figure slumped over it. Q cautiously walked over to the desk and saw that it was a skeleton wearing some familiar robes! “Alrune…” She bowed her head in silent prayer before investigating what was on the desk. She noticed that there was a small book on the desk as well, and Q picked it up. “My Diary… I guess Alrune wrote this? There are words on the bottom… ‘Unless I’m dead, opening this diary WILL eviscerate you with enough magic power to kill three greater dragons (and an additional two lesser dragons)... That sounds painful.”
Instead of opening the diary she placed it in her inventory and turned around and spotted a small wooden door. I think the Grand Witches will want to read this first. That and it feels kind of wrong just reading his stuff like that. Though he’d probably be fine with it… She remembered the smiling face of the man she had just been recently talking to, and let out a sigh. Q opened the door and found herself face to face with two pairs of giant eyes!
“...Hi.” Q froze up when she faced the two guardians. The guardians simply stared at her in response. No wait, they’re staring at… Alrune? She followed their line of sight and saw that their eyes were indeed glued onto the wizard’s corpse. Before she could do anything else, she heard her friends calling out in concern.
“Q! You’re okay!” Brie waved from behind the guardians.
“See? I told you she’d be fine.” Kukis said with a smug look on her face.
“You only knew she was fine because there was nothing wrong with her status in the party menu…” Phanos frowned.
“Er… I have my sources.”
“Q, it seems you’ve safely opened the door.” Pamerun was followed by the other grand witches as she fearlessly walked between the two guardians. For a moment Q was concerned, but seeing that the guardians didn’t do anything she relaxed a little. “Is that… oh dear.” Pamerun’s face became grim as she noticed the corpse in the room.
“Yeah, that’s Alrune. This is his diary by the way. I thought you might want to read it first.” Q pulled the diary out of her inventory and gave it to Pamerun.
“Thank you Q. Hold on, something feels different about you. Did you…” She trailed off.
“Ah, yeah. Alrune offered me his class and I took it. I can do this now!” She activated [Rune-writing] and a bright light appeared at her fingertip. She slowly drew the rune for fire, and once it was complete it hovered above her palm. “Um, I don’t actually know how to activate it so-” The moment Q said ‘activate’, the rune began to glow and then burst into flames! It was quickly extinguished but it still left everyone surprised. “Oh, that’s how you activate it. Anyway, sorry about that.”
“Why are you apologizing? This is amazing!” Pamerun’s eyes were practically sparkling. “To think that the abilities the Grand Wizard Alrune once wielded will be brought again into this world! It’s enough to make me feel like quitting the council and pour all my efforts into research!”
“I just thought you’d be a little mad since you put so much effort into giving me the Witch class, but then I switched to a different one soon after.” Q scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
“That’s quite alright Q. Now, I know we’re all very exhausted, but we should take this opportunity to investigate Alrune’s room and give him a proper burial.”
“Yeah…” Q once more looked at the slumped over skeleton and made a silent prayer. Alrune, thank you for giving me this power. I won’t let it go to waste.
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The return of the tables~
This time I actually made them myself. Like, before I was using a link that RRL provided in the forums somewhere for an BBCode table generator. It was pretty good, but it feels better to do it myself. Not sure why there's a huge gap between the equipment and skills, but whatever. Also late-night release ftw.
Fun-fact: Many adult moths don't eat any kind of food (Which means they're there only to move to an area, reproduce, and die).