Part 9: Dreams and Purpose (I)

Update 8: Dreams and Purpose (I)


Music: Spooling Dreams
I didn’t want to show it until after Doll Plachta reenters the scene, but the title screen shows a different scene with two characters each time you boot up the game. Since I’ve already beaten the game, it would have shown off some characters and dynamics far before their debuts. Here's another:



Now, on to the game itself!


The Mayor and the Challenge

Wow, look at all these people! I never knew there were so many people in Roytale.

I did not expect such a turnout, either …

I guess this just proves how important it is to the people of Roytale, huh.



Indeed. It is quite a special occasion for a previously mayor-less town to finally induct one. Not to mention–
Remember, Ramizel has been the de facto mayor for the entirety of Roytale’s existence. Who, exactly, can be fit step in her shoes?

Sophie! Plachta!



Heya, slowpokes. Ya do realize it’s about to start?

Ehehe, sorry. We had, um, stuff …

Be honest, Sophie. You slept in.

Aw, Plachta! Don’t call me out like that!



Aw, c’mon!

I do apologize … I never for a moment thought we would be correct in our prediction.

We were talking about what might have been holding the two of you up. Then, Plachta said you probably slept in.

Whaaat?!

*Sigh* … So beneath it all, you truly are just lazy …

I-I’m not lazy! I know everyone says I’m a bit messy, but …

Same thing, kid.




Oho, it appears the festivities are beginning.

Oh, there’s Plachta–




Music: Nemo - Haruka Shimotsuki

Plachta?! But, what’s with the sash?

Ahahah! Lookin’ good! Real nice!

Well, she is Roytale’s first mayor ever! Go big or go home!

Who made that sash? Are you lot to blame for this?!

Awesome, eh? This way anyone can tell she’s the mayor of Roytale from a mile away.

I must offer my apologies … I attempted to stop them, however my efforts proved futile …

It’s fine! I think everyone really likes it.

Plachta looks really embarrassed …

Uh … Does this mean I too will have to wear that someday …

Fantastic. It’s good to see everyone so excited. However, we will need you all to quiet down for a moment. Okay, where should I start? I guess you guys want to hear more about the mayor, huh?

When Ramizel tells the crowd to be quiet, they listen.

Alright, you got it. Well, let’s start with a simple introduction. Can you all see her? This here is Plachta, your new mayor. Plachta here is a little special. She was transported to this world in a kind of accident.

An accident … That’s terrible …

To tell you all the truth, Plachta would love very much to return to her real world this instant. However, she didn’t want to make more work for all of the people of Roytale, who are already doing their best to achieve their dreams. That’s why she offered to help this town by putting herself to work for a short period.
I believe we can trust in Plachta. She’s got the seal of approval from Elvira, too. Now, all she needs is yours. So, what do you say, good people of Roytale?

We’re happy to have her! This is fantastic news!

If she’s got Miss Elvira and Ramizel’s approvals, that’s more than enough for me.

We’re looking forward to having you as our mayor, Plachta!

Thank you all … I am Plachta, and I will serve as the mayor of Roytale starting from today. I swear that I will do all that is within my power to help you realize your dreams as quickly as possible, and … to make this town an even better place to live and improve yourself in.

… We look forward to seeing what you do.

I will be sure to make you all proud.

Hm … Alright.




Is that really who I think it is …?!

I, um … err …

Elvira!!




Um, I … It’s nice to meet you all … I, um, I’m Elvira … I created this world and invited you all here, and, uh …



I … I’m a little scared of other people seeing me … because I look like this … But I wanted to speak with you all! So Ramizel helped me muster up my courage to be here!
I want you all to tell me about your dreams. I want to help all of you … So … Um …
Pl-please be friends with me!



You’re the goddess who gave us all hope! We’re so happy you’re here!

Wow … That’s the real Elvira … We love you, Miss Elvira!

…

Hehe … Isn’t this great, Ellie?

Yeah …






That was great, Ramizel.

Thank you. I thought a few contrarians might pop up, but I was glad to see everyone give their full support.

You lead this town in all but name. I do not imagine anyone would question your endorsement.

The easier the town is to live in, the easier it is for folk to realize their dreams, yeah? I reckon the townsfolk are just grateful.



You were able to do everything without so much as a plan?! You truly never fail to surprise me …

By the way, where did Elvira and Plachta … err, the mayor, get to?

They’ve gone to Kati’s tavern to discuss some work. The second floor of the tavern has been turned into the mayor’s office.

Oh, cool. Guess I’ll pop by with some congratulatory snacks for them later ♪ Shoot, that’s right! I have to get back to work!

Dang, ya just gone and reminded me that I’ve got a client waitin’ on me! I completely forgot.

I too must tend to my blade.

Alright. I guess I’ll see you guys later.

Yeah. Back to the grind, I s’pose.

Bye, guys! See ya later!

Do let me know if you require my assistance at any point.

Now, let us pay a visit to Elvira and the mayor.

Sounds good. I actually have something I need to talk to Plachta about.

Yes … As do I.




Hey, Plachta! Congratulations on your appointment!

Oh, there you are. Hello, Sophie, Ramizel … and …



…?

*Sigh* … You really are me, after all.



I never expected that coming face to face with my past self would be so painfully embarrassing …

I don’t think there’s anything to be embarrassed about. Even your young self is so nice and proper.

Of course. I am a proper, first-class alchemist.

…

All that aside, I am very intrigued by your body. What happened to me? To be more precise, how did I manage to transfer my soul?

I guess … it’s no surprise you’re curious about that.

Mightily curious indeed.



Wh-what? I don’t understand what you are talking about.

You will understand when the time comes. Oh, goodness me …
They say we’ll know time travel is a thing when there’s a rash of teenagers getting the living snot beaten out of them by their future selves. The two Plachtas will be testing that thesis in live time

Returning to the matter at hand, please tell me why I became a doll in the future!

No, I cannot speak with you about that matter here. It is not a tale that can easily be told.

Oh … I see …

Besides …



No, never mind.

Anyway, what are the two of you up to? You mentioned having work to attend to …

Yes. I heard from Kati the other day that some of the townspeople were hurt by monsters near Roytale.

Well, it’s fairly normal for monsters to appear. Olias and the others always fight bravely to take care of them for us.

While I understand there were also some such cases in the past, it appears there has been a significant increase in incidents recently. In addition, reports say these monsters are unusually aggressive, and many have sustained injuries trying to deal with them.

The monsters are getting more aggressive, huh … Actually, I think Olias and Diebold mentioned something like that earlier …

Yes. They spoke of encountering some particularly hostile monsters emanating some sort of an aura …

I too have seen reports of hostile monsters shrouded in dark auras … That is why I wished to ask Elvira what she knows about the monsters, however …

I’m sorry … I don’t know what’s going on with the monsters either. It’s true that when I created this world, monsters were born along with it.



I had hoped we would be able to ask Elvira to do something about the situation … but it seems not.

Unfortunately, it appears that investigating this matter will be my first job as mayor.

I’m sorry … If only I’d done a better job …

Don’t blame yourself, Elvira. None of this is your fault …

Yes, it is the natural by-product of the creation of a world.

…

I will keep you abreast of any developments in this matter. In the meantime, you should all rest. You must have all drained yourselves helping me.

Will do. I’ll be taking it easy in the atelier.

Do be sure to continue with your alchemy training. There is to be no slacking off until you have passed the alchemy examination. And you … Please keep a good eye on Sophie for me.



Eeep …






Wow … You really are good at this. Your technique is very different from mine.

Ehehe, really?

Definitely … Plachta taught you that, right?

Yeah, she told me her … I guess “secret tricks”? But it was my grandmother who taught me the foundations. I wish I could have learned even more from her …

I see …



B-by the way, I’ve been wondering this for a while, but … don’t you use catalysts?

What are catalysts?

I have also never heard of such a thing. What are they?

I guess you could call them helpful items for synthesizing … Put one in with your ingredients and it’ll give the materials a bit of an extra push to help them connect.

What?! But my grandmother never told me anything about them!

Incredible!




Sw-swapping out your cauldron …? Why would you do that?

I-indeed …? That also piques my curiosity, but for now, catalysts!

Um, right. Well, rather than listening to me give you the rundown, I’m sure this will go faster if you give them a try yourselves. You can start by having a go using some catalysts I have on hand. Here.

Thanks! Alright, let’s get to work …

Sophie, wait. Given this is our first time using a catalyst, how about you and I engage in a little competition?

What? Again?!

Oho, that sounds interesting. In that case, I’ll be the judge.

Hehe. What is the matter, Sophie? You are welcome to pass if you are feeling intimidated.

Fine. I’m in … This may be my first time using a catalyst, but I don’t plan on losing!

We shall see about that!

Okay, I’ll have you both make a Breezy Aroma. I think it’s the perfect choice for two catalyst beginners. Any objections?

Nope!

I can handle anything!

Alright, best of luck to you both. I’m expecting good things ♪


Alright FINALLY, catalysts! If I synthesize a catalyst right, I can have a 6x6 or 7x7 grid AND just like in L&S, components won’t be entirely deleted by overlapping ones! But that’s not all…


All this time, the game’s been gatekeeping the best effects on all our items behind catalysts. When synthesizing with catalysts, I have an option to do so with some of the panels inaccessible; doing so lets me access the highest effect thresholds. If I choose to synthesize without restricted panels like I’ve been doing up to this point, I’ll be shut out from the highest effect thresholds.

Operationally, dropping in a reusable catalyst sounds much more convenient than swapping cauldrons, which was how you got bigger grids in Sophie 1, and IS much more convenient than having to have a dozen Rubies (6x6 grid) or Philosopher’s Stones (7x7) on hand like in L&S.


I’ll start by upgrading my Growlia Catalyst. For now, I just want to max out the Lightning effects. While I hit 7x7, I fell short of Components Divided–the effect that allows component overlap.


That’s okay, because it gave a 7x7 grid to upgrade the Limitia Catalyst to have both a 7x7 grid AND Components Divided! (Not shown is me downgrading the Growlia back to a 5x5–I want one 5x5 grid on hand as it’s easier to fill out rows and columns and maximize my Super Success odds on a smaller grid. And don’t worry–restricted panels also count as free spaces toward that end.)

The other effect is Components Inverted, which allows you to flip components horizontally. Such a feature wasn't present in L&S, but also wouldn't have mattered anyway–I didn't have to think about chaining starred components back then.

As an aside, while this contest is running, I can only synthesize with Sophie; for some time, I’ll be shut out of all of Plachta’s recipes.


Sophie, Slob

Huh? Is it really that messy? I just put a few things down on the floor.

If it is only a few things, perhaps you should make an effort to clean up after your–

Yo, Sophie! Plachta! I brought ya somethin’ g–



I-it’s not that messy! You two are totally overreacting …

Ah, I can’t stand this! Outta the way! Just seein’ messy rooms drives me nuts!




Incredible … I did not know you had such skills …

Heheh … Do ya always make such a mess? You’d think you’d always be steppin’ on stuff.

Ehehe … I’ve always left the cleaning to my friends … I mean, was it really that bad?





Don’t get other folk to clean up your mess! You ain’t a baby, y’know!

Ahhh! I’m sorry!

Tch … You really mean it?



Ngh … that was scary … I didn’t think he could get so angry.

I personally found him an exceptional help. I do hope he comes by more frequently … Although, I wonder … what brought him here in the first place?

Sophie’s slovenliness must have made him forget. Moving onto something I’D like to forget…


Why am I putting one of my Red Neutralizers with Certain Critical into a Pure Water? Because once it goes into Pure Water, it can be used in another neutralizer or in Zettel, a Fuel item that in turn goes back into Pure Water. (If I max Yellow on Red Neutralizer, it counts as Fuel too.)


This way, I can get my best quality-boosting traits and Certain Critical onto one item, which, Super Success RNG willing, I can then use to loop indefinitely to raise quality to 999. With a Pure Water that has 999 quality, it can be used in a Neutralizer for a super good bomb. Unfortunately, I failed to hit 999. All the other ingredients needed in the fuels/Pure Water kept dragging the quality of the end products down. Hell, I think that Zettel was the highest quality I got with Certain Critical on it–a shameful display Shameful! So let’s bounce and see some character arcs.


New Job

Hi, Diebold! Is something wrong?

Ah, Sophie … I am faced with a most troublesome situation. I have been attempting to rouse Pirka for some time, but she refuses to awaken.

Huh? Come on, wake up, Pirka! Oh look, someone with lots of Cole is here!

Zzz … Zzz …



I have known few people to sleep quite this deeply. It is a little worrisome.

… Let’s keep an eye on her for a bit.




Pirka!

Hmm? Sophie … and Diebold, too? Welcome to my humble shop! What’d you like?

I’m so glad you’re awake … We were really worried, you know?

Worried?

We attempted to rouse you for several hours, yet you only awoke just now.


only in this franchise could you get an expletive like “what the barrels?!”

Are you feeling okay?

Yeah, I’m fine … Although maybe I shouldn’t have duplicated until so late last night.

Ah, sleep deprivation … I am glad you are safe, but you must take better care of yourself.

Ahaha! Of course, good sir! I’ll be more careful next time.

(She said there are no side effects to her duplication ability, but … There’s no way that’s a coincidence … )
Well, let’s hope Pirka finds some recourse before she works herself to death. Moving on…


I’ll need this book for the materials to upgrade my sickle and pickaxe. Unfortunately, I also need Alchemic Clay, which I can’t synthesize yet, so I have to put that on the burner for now.



We can dispense with greetings, I presume?

Certainly. We may be from different times, but we are still one and the same. More importantly … you know what I wish to ask, don’t you?



Yes. Could you please tell me?

I could tell you a part of the story if you would like.

Just a part of it? You won’t tell me all of it?

… I do not know. I am not certain it would be for the best to tell you the entire story at this moment in time. I have lived through far, far more than you could possibly imagine. Many of the memories I have are painful and difficult to recount … I am afraid I do not yet know whether it would be wise to share those memories with my past self.

I understand. You can tell me as much as you are comfortable with. If my future self decides to omit parts of the story, then I should trust that decision. I am sorry for rushing you … I will wait for when the time is right.

… I appreciate it. However, I can tell you that I adopted my doll form after I lost my memories and became a book.


Sophie 1’s full title is Alchemist of the Mysterious Book, after all!

Yes. In order to restore my memories, I thought I should at least make my form as close to human as possible … Sophie and many others helped me obtain this vessel and get my memories back.

I see … A book, without memories …

I apologize. That must come as quite a shock.

No, not at all. Learning that souls can be transferred not only into dolls, but books too … Mightily curious indeed. I feel like I have learned about a whole new facet of alchemy.

I see … There is no mistaking it, you truly are my past self.





Oh, this? It’s a registry of all of Erde Wiege’s inhabitants, past and present.

Wait, you mean … everyone who’s ever lived here?!

Absolutely. There’d be trouble if we weren’t keeping track, you know? Take, for example, if everyone thought that someone had gone home, but they were actually missing.



I’d never even thought about that …

Besides, it’s what I do best.

You prefer it to running a tavern? I would’ve thought keeping records would be even more work.

Like I said before, I’ve got a soft spot for this kind of thing. It used to be my career, actually.

You mean, you were a historian?

Hmm, something like that, but not quite. Do you know what the Observation Institute is?

… The obser-what now? I’ve never heard of it.
That’s a location that shows up in Firis, which takes place after Sophie 2 chronologically.

Ah, figures. It wouldn’t have been of much interest to anyone who wasn’t a scholar. The Institute is a historical archive of sorts. Well, I say “historical,” but it also collected material on monsters, geography, ancient literature … you name it.


Kati’s given age is 26 and Anne, the person in her position during Firis, is 29. I for one would not want to be in charge of “what if Wikipedia, but without the internet or any IT infrastructure to make it even remotely workable” ever, let alone at that age.

I’m not too sure what that means, but it sounds like you … were a super important person?

I don’t know if it was as illustrious as all that, but … It’s held in high enough regard, likely due to the obscene number of documents that need managing.
Again, checks out with Anne.

Whaaaaat?! That’s incredible!

Heh. Still, the workload matches the prestige. I barely had time to breathe. Compared to my work at the Institute, keeping citizen records here is child’s play. You can’t judge a book by its cover, eh? Anyway, since you’re here, let me get you some tea.






Hey, Sophie? Plachta was kind of angry.

Huh? Why?

She says the mess that’s been piling up in the atelier since you saved the other Plachta is giving her a headache.

Ohh … Ahaha … ha … Yeah, she’s probably mad about that …

Is it that bad?

Ahaha … Yeah … My friends used to complain about my messiness too. I’m really bad at cleaning, so my atelier back home always looked like a storm just blew through it. My friend Monika used to come by every couple of days to help straighten the place up …

… I’m surprised.

Ahaha … Have I disappointed you?



What?! No way!

I didn’t mess up my atelier as much as you do, mind you, but I did leave it looking like a bit of a pigsty. Every couple of weeks or so, a friend would drop by to help me tidy the place up.

Whaaat? That’s just like me!

Hahaha. I have the bad habit of leaving my alchemy tools and books out after using them.

Same! Like if I’m going to use it again right away, leaving it by the cauldron is so much easier.

I do that a lot, too! It saves more time and effort than putting it away.

Haha, you’re the first person who really gets me on this.

Great minds think alike, huh?!


Sophie being a slob is a punchline throughout the OG Mysterious trilogy. Sophie 2 introduces (much to Plachta’s consternation) the question: is Sophie messy by nature or by nurture?



Plachta?! How long have you been there?

Oh, no need to worry about me. Please … do continue with your merry conversation.



Sorry for making the place a mess …

We won’t do it again …

Goodness … You two never stop causing trouble …




It was a very long time ago.

Long time my ass. You showed up here way after I did.

How long have you been here for, Olias?

Long enough to have already been Roytale’s number one super bodyguard when Diebold here turned up! No one could match me, so I got all the bodyguard requests. Coulda died of overwork!

A “super bodyguard” …?

I have never heard of it. Is that a new career you are pursuing?




Point is, when Mr. Ex-Knight first got here, I asked him to join me. Took a lot off my plate, lemme tell you. Dunno where I’d be without him.

It is I who should be thanking you, for taking in a man still overwhelmed by his new surroundings. I will never forget your kindness … Simply recalling it summons anew my feelings of gratitude.



Gah, I told you right at the beginnin’ that I don’t like that kinda stuff! “Sir” just don’t sit right with me. Call me Olias or nothin’ at all!

Hm … If you say so, sir.

What did I JUST …?! This guy’s a lost cause …

Hehe, you two are such good friends.

Given how straitlaced Diebold is, one could be forgiven for thinking he’s ribbing his good pal Olias in his own way there. Moving on!



Are there really that many?

It is more that they each need to be handled individually. Some aid would not go amiss. Someone with experience in building restoration, for instance. Another for the agricultural aspects. Alas, those here were not gathered with infrastructure in mind, so true experts are rare. Now, what next …?

It’s a tough job to do, especially if you’re not used to it. Why are you acting as the mayor, anyway?

I owe quite a lot to the people in this world. They went to such great lengths to aid me. So, if I can do something to make Roytale’s citizens’ lives easier, then I shall do it. Simply put, I am returning the favor.



Ahaha … I mean, I really wish we could spend a little more time together.

Well, there is little time to relax, yet perhaps this is for the best. I am certain that all these experiences, and the people you meet, will help you grow even more. That is what I believe.


Sophie, Sensei

Yeah, I know … No such thing as a free meal, and whatever …

Hm, it sounds like they might be talking about work …

Huh? Oh, hey there, Sophie. What can I get for you?

Nothing special. I was just in the area, so I thought I’d drop by. Chatting about money again?

Of course! That’s our livelihood!



Hey! I don’t screw up that often!

Oh … Guess I’m just gonna have to stick to the usual stuff for a while.

Hold up. Wouldn’t the successful alchemy stuff fetch a way higher price?

Sure, but then I’d have to pay to get the goods in the first place, right?

… W-well, it’s not like I can just give you the good items for free … Alchemy is my job, after all.

In that case, how about you learn some alchemy yourself, Alette? That way, the sky’s the limit.



If I was an alchemist, I could just make things myself, and then sell whatever I wanted!

Exactly! And since you can pass on all your mistakes to me, it’s a win-win kinda deal.

Huh? But Pirka, you wouldn’t be doing any of the work …



Yeah!



Whaaat?! I-I can’t do that! I mean, I’m still getting lessons from Plachta myself …
not like that’ll stop her from taking Firis on as her apprentice after this game’s over with

Aw, don’t be like that! C’mon, please! Pretty please!

A-alright, alright! I’ll show you something simple the next time you come to the atelier.

While we’re back in the atelier…




Let’s combine Red and Green Surge in a White Neutralizer; the traits merge into Yellow Rhythm. With my Limitia, I can not only hit the top effect thresholds, but have the real estate to max out ALL the effects to boot; it’s truly a liberating feeling




Now, let’s put my Yellow Rhythm!White Neutralizer into a Flame Emperor Dust with a Blue Surge!Yellow Neutralizer. These traits combine into…



Pure White Resonance, a 5* trait! Since Flame Emperor Dust counts as Gunpowder, I can loop it back to Red Neutralizer, and thus into Refresh Oil, and into Pure Water, and into another neutralizer and into Pure Water and Refresh Oil, which can ALSO be used in Polish, which counts as Sand and can go into a Yellow Neutralizer, which can go into–you get the picture. Pretty much all my intermediate syntheses will be something from this loop.



Whoa! A-Alette?

I’m here for my lesson! You said you’d teach me alchemy, remember?

Ahaha … Right. I just wasn’t expecting you to come racing in here like that … But, I guess that just goes to show how much you’ve been looking forward to it. Okay, how about we get started?

Yes, please!









*Cough* *Cough* … Ooh, that didn’t work out …

Sophie, what gives?! You never said alchemy would be this hard!

Sure, it’s not the easiest thing in the world, but … you just might not have the knack for it. Alchemy’s kind of special that way … You have to be born with a natural talent for it.

… A natural talent?



Alright, this alchemy plan’s a bust!

Huh?! But, you were so interested in it. You’re already giving up? Just like that?

Well, no talent means no chance of success, right? If something’s not pulling a profit, you’ve gotta switch things up. Quick thinking’s the name of the merchant game!

Oh … I see …








However, they are mistaken. In my experience, they make for most excellent weapons.

But why pay for it in the first place? Didn’t that cost a fortune?

In my previous profession our equipment expenses were covered, so … *Chuckle* Anyway …




Never seen him in action before? He could talk the hoops off a barrel about weaponry. Once he gets going, there’s no stopping him. He’s probably forgotten we’re even here.

So he’s like a weapons expert? I bet he’s seen and tried out lots of different kinds.

He used to lead an order of knights, so he had to be knowledgeable in such things.

Yeah, that’s– Wait, what? Diebold used to lead his own order?!

He sure did. You didn’t know?



Whaaat?! I never knew he was that big of a deal! But why would someone like that quit being a knight to become a bodyguard instead?

Wow, would you look at the time! I gotta skedaddle! Good luck, Sophie! Bye now!

There she goes … What was that all about?

I am merely trying to say, what would remain if one subtracted all the artistic elements from– Hm?



Gosh, I get what Pirka means now!





Anyway, offscreen, I crafted Fire Seeds with Certain Critical and Trait Gatherer S and stuck it in the greenhouse.


Certain Critical is a 5* trait, so my haul was good, but didn’t have any of the endgame traits I wanted.


So let’s try that again! I’ll put a PWR!Pure Water into a Zettel and go for broke with Fire components…



…because doing so produced a Zettel with a 5-panel Light component that let me hit the threshold for Trait Harvester XL on this take. This wouldn’t have been possible without catalysts, as I couldn’t have hit the threshold for that light component or advanced to an effect threshold beyond Trait Harvester L on Fire Seeds without one.


Yields–what items I get, how many I get, and what traits are on them–are seeded the moment I plant, so if I’m going to save scum to get what I want, I’ll have to save right before this. After planting this PWR!Fire Seeds and waiting 5 days…




I got a good deal of the traits I was looking for, but not everything. Let’s plant the other seeds…



Awakening is a trait that upgrades other top-end equipment traits and it’s the one that I’d have otherwise had to wait until the final dungeon to gather conventionally. All for One and Inner Ambition were also top priority for me because they let me upgrade Trusty Leader to its final stage.


Inner Ambition is on the Sand Bamboo, which counts as Gunpowder and can be used in Red Neutralizer. Let’s make that and add a Trusty Leader!Pure Water to the mix…


And the two traits merged into Benevolent Ruler! But we’re not done yet.


I want Awakening in my greater trait pool and to loop my All for One in to what I’ve been crafting. To this end, I start by making Polish, and in doing so, I have to be VERY careful that Awakening doesn’t prematurely merge with another trait.


Like this. Bad! Let’s hit B and make sure there’s no other traits in the pool that will merge with Awakening.


In hindsight I should have put Transcendent Mastery–the Awakening equivalent for top-end buff and debuff traits–on too for this one, but I have another ingredient with that trait in the wings; it won’t be lost to me forever despite this decision. Now that we have 4 Polish with Awakening, let’s see the trait in action.




Awakening merged with Supercharge All Stats into All-Stat Power, an endgame trait that can go onto all my equipment–weapons, armors, accessories, and talismans. And since I have many more Polish, Yellow Neutralizer, etc. with Awakening, I can use them later on to get my desired endgame armor trait loadout for when the next tier of cloth comes online.


Eventually, I merge Benevolent Ruler and All for One to make Tyrant King. These stat boosts are nuts, especially at this point in the game, even if Tyrant King can only go on weapons.


Now let’s combine Skillful Attack with Awakening.



Between Tyrant King, Persistent Attack and All-Stat Power, that’s all three traits I want on my endgame weapons–all by the midgame-ish point! And since the top-tier ingots require fuel, I can use this Refresh Oil in their syntheses and focus all my attention on getting the colored components I want from the rest of the ingredients.

Now let’s revisit Pure White Resonance; it wasn’t a trait I wanted just for greenhouse abuse. Its description says it merges with a Decline or Prosperity trait. Let’s first make the latter by merging Sharp Mind and Familiar Presence.


Familiar Presence was on an Animal Material. Note that Golden Threads are your ticket to get traits from Animal Materials into Pure Water, and from there, the neutralizer/fuel loop.





With this, I have obtained the single best buff trait in the game. But that’s not all PWR is good for!



Invisible Illness and Empty Anxiety will merge into Dark Decline, which automatically gets combined with PWR into…


Pure White Corrosion, the best debuff trait in the game!



Might as well put my super Polish to use right now, right? And I can really hit a high effect level and get better components and +DEF effects on this Gold Eisen with my catalyst. Let’s make a talisman with it.


Talismans are the fourth slot on the equipment screen, below weapons, armor, and non-talisman accessories. Since the Scorching Talisman requires some metal, I can use this Gold Eisen in it.


Of all the talismans available right now, I want the Scorching Talisman because it really bolsters my offensive firepower between the skill power boost and the attack boost.


Of all the traits on that Gold Eisen, only All-Stat Power could go on the end product. But that’s fine; these are perfectly acceptable and rather stat boosts for the time being. Eventually, I’ll make talismans and other accessories that have All-Stat Power and two other great traits on them.


Case in point! But why not share the love?


Let’s do this rank up quest so we can get better quests and more Cole from Kati and finance our duplication and restocking needs. The Cavern Keeper is in Erk’s Ice Caves…


Cavern Keeper






Lucky for me, this talisman is fairly cheap to duplicate; I can give it and its stat boosts to the rest of the party!

Anyway, there’s still the contest with Plachta outstanding, and I can’t fit that, the other character events, and the rest of the Pure White trait syntheses in this update because I’d run way over the character limit. (to be continued)