Part 35: Update XXXIII - Featuring: Another filler dungeon

Update XXXIII - Featuring: Another filler dungeon

Music: The Daily Grind


Alright, we got the cats.



Let's go make that damn cafe.









Well done! Now you can rescue even more lost cats. It'll really help calm our workers down too, so you'll be killing two birds with one stone★ Oh, right. A guy from ISDF just brought Mio's cat over, too. Unit 13, go tell Mio. I'm sure she'll be thrilled★





Oh, sorry! I forgot to mention— Ichiro is my cat's name... You know how my name ends in o? It's like a zero. And what comes after zero? One! One in Japanese is "ichi,” so I named him Ichiro! He's like a little brother to me. *giggle* Thank you so much for doing all this for me... I'll need to make sure I thank Ms. Allie later...







Didn't you hear? Admiral Yoritomo requested I bring the cat over from the Nagumo residence.

Hey Yuma, give me a minute and I'll get to your quest.

You got Ichiro for me!?

He didn't seem very comfortable at first but now he's quite happy in the cat cafe. You should go visit him once your condition is stable.

I will...! Thank you! But... why is Mr. Yoritomo being so helpful?

Truly a mystery, that.

It seems Professor Nagumo and the Admiral go quite far back.

He's friends with my grandpa...?

I would be revealing classified information if I were to speak any further on the matter. I suggest you talk to him if you want to know more. Anyways, it's time I take my leave. See you.





I hope I get better quickly so I can pay everyone back!



You'll be cured soon.

But, Opal...

~

Just concentrate on recovering.

No... As soon as I can get out of bed, I'm going back to navigating.

~~

Modern science doesn't have an answer for Dragon Sickness. You can slow its progress, but there's no cure... I might as well do what I can while I still can... Oh! M-My symptoms are still minor, though! Nothing drastic is gonna happen any time soon! They told me I can go back to living a normal lifestyle, at least for now... You know, Opal... Ever since I learned I was sick, I thought there was no hope... But now that I know how much time I have, I want to use that time to help people, however I can. So... I'm going to work as hard as I can as your navigator!

*nods*

Thank you! OK! I'll get better quickly! Oh, and Opal... This is a thank you!

You obtained Venom Cut x1.

You obtained Mio-Made Cookie x1.

You obtained Cat Pendant x1.

It's kinda childish, but it's a good luck charm I've had since I was a kid. Also... O-Once I'm better, um... do you want to continue our date...?

*nods*

I'm so glad~! That was my first ever date... I can't just let it end like this~! Alright, it's a promise! *giggle*





Wh-What!? When did you get here!? I was kinda bored... Um... *giggle* This is kinda embarrassing...



The Mio-Made Cookie is effectively a full party MN heal, and will still give a good chunk even by end game.



The Cat Pendant, however, is worse than the Lesser Bracer we got earlier.

Now, where is the cat cafe?



On the other side of the Medical Floor.

Tough luck if you need to see the doctor and have cat allergies, I guess.



The mat is also a pun.

The cafe is named Nyadens in JP, natch.





Meow-nager Ai: Here you can use Cat Food to help bring about a moment of purr-fect relaxation. Playing with the paw-esome cats here will fully restore your LIFE and MANA! Plus, you'll even get skill points from the cats' power! Then if you upgrade the cafe later on... Well, I'll leave that as a purr-prise for now! This isn't anything major, but please accept it as a gift of appurr-eciation from the cats!

You obtained Cat Food x1.

Meow-nager Ai: Please stop by any time you'd like. I'll be waiting fur you. Meow!



We finally have a purr-pose for all that cat food we've been getting from Dragonsbane Seeds: the cat cafe acts as the replacement for the sauna in 2020.

From here on out, cats will appear in all dungeons for us to rescue, so we'll have to keep an eye out for them.

Music: A Place to Come Home




You gained 300 SP.



You can talk to the cats, but they just meow at you.



I have a lot of cat food on hand.



So I turn it into a free 3000 SP for everyone.



Team 2 gets some cat time, but everyone in the party gets the SP regardless of which team is in front.

Music: The Daily Grind


Up next is that training session with Yuma.



I see that you've accepted my request. Thank you for your cooperation. There was something I was looking to confirm today. A joint training session seemed like the best opportunity to do so.



Bring it.

*chuckle* This is exciting. You seem to be quite motivated.

~

We should just fight each other.

I understand your sentiment, but let's save that for another day. There is a reason I chose 7th Encount as our training grounds today.

~~

7th Encount... As a measuring tool for fighting ability, it is surprisingly accurate. Its flashy exterior was able to draw a large number of users for them to select from... You were but a mere amateur, and yet in a short timespan you've grown immensely. Enough to wield the Dragonslayer and defeat a True Dragon.



Even I'm surprised.

How humble of you. But I think it is clear the battle in Atlantis was no miracle.

~

But I'm not match for you, Yuma.

That is only a matter of battle experience. You will grow even stronger with more time.

That is true, we don't even have our Tier 3 skills yet!

~~

Anyway, I thought this game would be an ideal way to test the extent of your current abilities. And... I wanted to compare your abilities to my own.

*nods*

Thank you. Let us begin. I'd like you to have all six members with you, Unit 13. However, I shall go alone.







Again, there's no one in the pods.

These things must beam you off to cyberspace or something.



Music: Tokyo - Cascading Ordeals


I've experienced simulation training at ISDF, but... The accuracy of this simulation is incredible. I can understand why it is so popular. Can you hear me, Doctor Julietta?



Is the tuning complete?

Just as you requested.

I asked the doctor to adjust the level of the monsters to a more appropriate setting.

It should be balanced to be slightly above your battle capabilities, Unit 13. Sheesh, I'm already swamped and you have to come along and add to it with such an interesting job...

I'm grateful you chose to accept this unreasonable request of mine.

It's no problem. As promised, we'll be measuring your vitals as well, Yuma.

I expect that will merely become the reference for ideal soldier performance. I don't mind.

Hmph, if you're lacking in anything, it's certainly not confidence. Alright, it's all set. You guys are free to do whatever you want in there. Don't get too steamy~!



Unit 13, I will not cover for you. I expect you to treat me the same way. Even if things get dangerous for me, do not step in. Just focus on your own survival.

*nods*

Also, just in case...





You can't go wrong with a free 900 LF worth of healing!

Things may get quite intense in here due to the rebalancing, so please use this when necessary. Let us begin!





This is just a third trip through 7th Encount.

Although this would be our first time back if I didn't have the DLC.



But the fights are now scaled up, so at least we can actually get SP now.



We got some new enemies at least. The other one is a Nighthawk.



Yuno used part of her cafe SP to nab her last T2 summon.

Bizarrely, while her other summons use enemies that match the point where she can use them, Summon: Ltg IIBatteryman Charger summons an enemy from the bonus dungeon.



There's nothing on 1F.



But there's an event marker on 2F.



The marker is a dragon.



Unit 13, stand back. I will test the extent of this rebalancing.

*nods*

*giggle* Show us what you got.

I expect I'll need about 20% of my power...

Oh god, he's gone full anime.









My body feels so light... Everything seems to be in order. It appears the third installment was successful. With this power...

This can't be...! The difference between you and Unit 13 wasn't this vast back in Atlantis...!

What's so strange about it? Just as Unit 13 grows, I too grow.

Did you say this is growth? Those numbers can't be written off as something as simple as that. This is just not possible... Surely I made a mistake in the balancing process. Unit 13! Show him what you're made of! Take down the next dragon!





There's another marker on the next floor.



With another dragon.





Music: Battlefield - Furious Predator


A new dragon!



It hurts.



Ow.



Aiden hits harder.



It dies.



The cyber dragons still give Dz, in case you were wondering.

Music: Tokyo - Cascading Ordeals


That means... the incredible numbers from that boy were the correct values!?



It's hard to believe that you had zero true battle experience until only just recently. However... from what I've seen, it is clear that you've yet to adjust to battling as a team. When fighting a strong enemy, coordination with the rest of your unit becomes very important. Keep that in mind in the future. If you hone that ability, you will be able to grow even stronger.

Oh don't you worry, Yuma. Opal will get very, very good at fighting as a team...

*nods*

Now then, let us continue.



And that's it for the floor.



Although these Leader Pods are new.





3F has another event.



Also recolored worms.



I bet it'll be another dragon.



*nods*

Hm...? Hold on a moment. It's just as I thought. The ability of this game to recreate dragon behavior is... amazing. Unit 13, there is a dragon hiding in the shadows over there. What a devious move by the doctor. When you go to attack the dragon ahead, the other will come and ambush you from the side.



I can handle it.

*chuckle* I knew you would say that. We seem to be quite similar, Opal...

~

You want this one?

No, I'll leave this to you. I told you earlier, didn't I? I want to see your true strength. I know you haven't shown me everything you have to offer.

~~





How does that count as in the shadows?

Music: Battlefield - Furious Predator


As you might expect, that second dragon will break in after the first turn.



The Twinhorn Dragon isn't as bad as the Tyrano.



But then his good buddy the Bloom Dragon shows up.









Having to deal with four attacks a turn is rough, plus the Bloom Dragon likes to stick the entire party with Blind to drag things out.



But they just can't break past my invincible strategy of 'just spam items lol.'







So they die like the rest.



On the plus side, we've pretty much broken even on the cost of the cat cafe!

Next time: Even in death, Nyala gets zero respect.