Part 71: Stratum 2: Temptation

Very little is known about Morpheus, but he was said to be a master of disguise and a trickster of amazing skill.
- excerpt, Legend Cycles of the Ancients

The Airy Path

We started out towards the sky, it should give us a good view of the other two paths as well.



The Majin were waiting for us, of course.

Video- “Temptation”

Click For Video with Commentary



Ally Team:
We’ve added the Count and are sitting Komori. I hate to do it to the guy but we need the slot and he’s the odd man out with his weak healing. Plus side is that the Count is a great healer and we can probably safely two-heal from now on with him and Yuri.

Enemy Team:
Same things we saw last time we were here, three Cursed Souls, two Jade Sylphs, two Caprus, and two Uro Lumen. We aren’t allowed to capture the Cursed Souls if we want the refugee, so if we overkill them we’ll execute them instead.

Deployment:



Our front is now Alexei, Rondemion, and the Count, they’re our most durable characters.

Tactical Objectives:
- Murder the Cursed Souls

Map:



Worry not, for I am quite skilled with a blade.
I assure you I won’t be a burden to the campaign.
You’d better not just be full of words.
And what does that mean?
It means I expect you to pull your weight.
Ah, you never cease to impress me, Hero.

We push Rondemion up to lure in some Cursed Souls, they’ll blow up when we so much as look at them with him so we kind of want to milk them with other people.



Falsin…
So they speak our language…
AHHHHH!!!
Wh-Why do you possess that librum!?
Huh?
YOU MUST DIE!!!

We push everyone up as far as we can, the Majin here are no threat at all and I have nothing but contempt for the threat they pose.



Morpheus… dead. That name is gone.
Ugh, worthless creature…

Rondemion sits and waits, I want the Cursed Soul to get closer to my lines.



To think I’d have to dirty my hands with such filth…
If you have time to complain, you have time to finish them.
Please, my dear hero, after you. I insist.

The Count dishes out a librum strike whose brutality belies the pitiful animation, taking off most of the Cursed Soul on his side’s health. We throw some Malus magic into it with Nena to get her free experience, and throw around a lot of buffs in the backfield. The Cursed Souls finally engage, doing laughable damage to Rondemion and the Count and managing to Disease the latter. We blast Rondemion’s with some earth magic then pull away so Alexei can finish the job. Meanwhile the Count’s falls to another Malus followed by a brutal spell from Vivian, who levels up.



She gets the Seal spell here, it’s one of the more useful status spells because it’s pretty likely to land. Alexei smashes his Cursed Soul as well, and we execute the two Bound Majin with Velnor and the Count. If you don’t care about capturing Majin executing is an interesting way to milk out even more experience because you get pretty substantial amounts of experience for it. Rondemion moves up to meet the last Cursed Soul and casts on it. The Count finishes things off with his own magic, which is good because a Caprus is coming in as well. I buff the Count’s speed, which means he’s getting turns all over the place.



Very well then.
While we’re here, why not try capturing them in the librum?

We pour magic and attacks into the Caprus in order to drag it into overkill range. Meanwhile the nearby Jade Sylph starts casting on Rondemion, who is unmoved by its pitiful efforts to injure him. Caprus falls to a brutal combo from the Count and Rondemion, which again is good because an Uro Lumen from above is starting to move in. We cast on it and slap it with the Count’s librum, nearly killing it. Rather than give it a chance to respond, Rondemion smashes it with his axe, silencing it before it can make a single attack. Now we start pouring attacks into the Jade Sylph while Rondemion shifts to deal with the Caprus that’s now coming from above as well. After our best efforts have weakened the Sylph, we destroy it with a Sacra II from Yuri, who levels up.



Nothing new from Yuri, but her A rank in Light is pretty damn strong for this level. We’ve got the Caprus down a bit with Rondemion between an earlier swing and his magic, which again is good because the other Uro Lumen is coming.



Oh, not that again.
I grow weary of your incessant babble… Begone.

We take the last Caprus down to single digits. Meanwhile, the Uro Lumen Seals Rondemion, it’s no big thing really. We start weakening it with Vivian and Velnor, making good progress. Meanwhile the Caprus attacks the Count, and he levels up from it.



We kept weakening the Uro Lumen, which did manage to Fracture Vivian. It then pulled back, which is actually pretty good. Caprus then falls to a Combo from the Count and Rondemion, who levels up from the effort.



The man’s new weapons have really paid off, he’s able to dish out beats of epic proportion. The last Jade Sylph joins the fun now, but it’s really all over. I manage to organize things to land a Combo on the Uro Lumen with Rondemion and Nena, getting her a level out of it. I then start messing around weakening the Jade Sylph. I even land a Seal on it with Vivian, so it can’t even keep picking on Alexei.



Is this a joke to you? When will you fight seriously?
Oh no, I’m taking the situation VERY seriously.

The thing finally falls to a Combo from Velnor and Rondemion, and Velnor levels up. We then get Alexei his level from the capture. Map over.

Battle Result:

Levels:
Rondemion 13->14
Duphaston 10->11
Alexei 8->9
Velnor 9->10
Yuri 8->9
Vivian 7->8
Nena 7->8

Majin:
Caprus Lv 9 x 2
Jade Sylph Lv 9 x 2
Uro Lumen Lv 9 x 2

Gold:
2250

Refugee:
Misty

At least the Count’s not totally useless.

Video- “Temptation Lead Out”

Click For Video

Ah, thank you, but you are far too generous.
My skills cannot hold a candle to those of the Legendary Hero.
You have me confused with someone else. Just a wandering swordsman.



Wh-Where’d Rondemion go?
He’s ventured ahead, for the time being. Miss Eriel, I might be wrong, but I believe our friend has an aversion towards you.
Does Rondemion hate me…?
Can you think of any reason why he might?
Perhaps, oh I don’t know, maybe you are hiding something from him, and he has managed to discover it…?
Count… I…
One of these days you simply MUST tell me how you learned to use that librum.
…!?
Ah, the curse of speechlessness…?
It’s none of your business, D…
And I’m sure Rondemion doesn’t mind!
(It appears I’m making some progress on this end.)
(I’ll need to increase my efforts on the other, though…)

Komori seems pretty concerned about his kid.



Komori: Have you talked to Nena lately?
I think she’s a lovely girl with a bright future!
Your little girl Eriel is special, too. She’s so talkative with everyone.
Not like my Nena. I worry about her shyness sometimes.
She’s always been afraid of talking to people.
So if you see her, try to get a conversation going! She needs to learn!

Alexei eats enough for several men, I guess it’s all that armor.



Alexei: Have you tried the food Iryth cooks at the tavern yet? It’s incredible!
I wonder if she’d like to work at the Valdian Knights headquarters…?

The Count is a really weird guy and I’m not sure what his angle is.



She is but a child. You mustn’t forget to protect her.

Ares has just been mopping up and securing areas for us, but I think Besek’s still proving exciting.



Ares: Sorry, but I’m just about to go explore Besek some more…
Maybe next time. I’ll be around.

It seems Amelie came here to find some solution to her world’s problems.



Hey.
Amelie: I feel bad being under your hospitality this whole time.
It’s fine. You can babysit Eriel.
Are you here for the Eternal Poison?
Do you think it will save your country?
Amelie: Well, I’m looking for anything that could help me.
Maybe I can find a powerful Majin who I can bring back to take care of them.
Then, my people won’t be in danger!
I see.

And it never gets less strange to be talking to a rabbit.



Not bad…
Kuni: I don’t believe ya!
Look! Yer draggin’ yer feet…!
“Dragon feet”? My feet aren’t large and scaly.
Kuni: No, not “dragon feet”! Yer draggin’ yer feet!
Haven’t ya heard that sayin’ before?
No.
Kuni: Hm, I guess folks don’t say that ‘round here.
That’s so strange.
Not as strange as you…
Kuni: Huh, what? I missed that.

That woman we saved earlier was carrying a huge trunk, someone else’s luggage I think.



What is it? Are you hurt?
Misty: N-No, it’s not that…
That’s good to hear.
But if something’s wrong, speak up.
Misty: Oh, okay!
You must be tired. Go get some rest.
Misty: O-Okay…
You can stay here until you’re better.
I have to go, but I’ll check on you later.
Misty: Uh, um…!
Th-Thank you for saving me!
It’s alright.

We’re resting up for our next assault on Besek now. I suspect things are going to start getting more challenging from here on out.
- unknown