Part 77: Stratum 2: Oblivion Part 1

Morpheus is merely the most well-known Majin defeated by the Hero. He is credited with the destruction of numerous powerful Majin.
- excerpt, The Saga of Rondemion

Slouching Towards Oblivion

We found the end of this Stratum just as the Count had warned.



I was so concerned that we’d not seen Morpheus yet that I was willing to do something extreme.

Video- “Oblivion Lead In”

Click For Video

(I hate to do this, but…)
Hey, Count.
Ah, Hero, I am at your service. What can I do for you?
You’re familiar with Besek, right?
Oh, no. I doubt ANYONE truly is. No, my experience is limited to but a small fraction of this place. You see, I…
Just tell me where Morpheus is.
What?
Answer me.
…
…
Is anything wrong?
Hmph…
Rondemion, what’s wrong?
It’s nothing.
Really?
Yeah.

He got lucky this time.



M-Majin!?
I hate Majin!
Is everything alright? This is rather unlike you…
…

He won’t get so lucky next time.

Video- “Oblivion Part 1”

Click For Video with Commentary



Ally Team:
Nothing new, the Koona are too low level to even consider using sadly.

Enemy Team:
We’re up against two Exo Machina, two Vespula, two Heeflers, a Pyromote, and a Thiefler. Vespula is the biggest threat here, because they fly around and murder everyone in the back.

Deployment:



Nothing much to do on deployment here, we’re kind of choked up here.

Tactical Objectives:
- Get chests if we can.

Map:



I know you must be annoyed, but let’s tend to the battle.
Even YOU can perish here, if you let down your guard.
I don’t need someone like you telling me to keep my focus.
Oh, my…

Rondemion pushes forward hard and hits the near Exo Machina with a Terra II, my standard starting move.



Hmph.

The Count then moves up behind him and also hits it with magic. It responds with an attack on the big man, and we push ahead with the rest of the party healing and buffing.



Morpheus, Morpheus. Don’t know, don’t know.
How did you know…?
Rumor spreads… We know of you…

I think we can all guess who’s spreading that shit. Anyway Rondemion pushes ahead and whacks the Heefler that started approaching while we were advancing hard. This draws in a Vespula and the Pyromote, and actually sort of highlights why the Majin are dumb. We’ll get to that after the Count’s action.



Again?
Yes, but this time, I can’t contain my excitement!
…?

The Count gets Exo Machina down to low health, and now we have to weather the Majin. So the Majin are dumb, as I mentioned above and I’ve mentioned a few times in the videos. They know how much damage they can do with all of their options and the computer has them do whatever will do the most damage unless they can actually kill someone with their action. This means that even though their smartest action would be to pile everything on Rondemion in practice they’ll split their fire among everyone else unless he’s the only target because he’s hard as nails. The Count gets fractured by the Exo Machina which sort of sucks but Alexei knocks it out of the park and Heefler falls soon after to a Combo from Rondemion and Velnor. Annoyingly, Vespula flies over the lava and starts attacking our backfield. Alexei moves over to try and deal with it, but its massive movement range and flying make that sort of impossible. It’s especially bad because the other Exo Machina is also coming in from upfield. We fight it there while we weather the Pyromote’s magic and get ready for the other Heefler, while at the same time trying to deal with the Vespula. Its ridiculous luck with Evasion will vex me throughout the battle unfortunately.



Does something trouble you, Hero?
No…

The stupid thing dodges Alexei’s killing shot, and then Exo Machina manages to sneak around Rondemion and fracture the Count again. I’m getting pretty sick of these Majin at this point, and when Vespula dodges another strike from Alexei I just kill it with a spell. I try to do the same thing to the Heefler that has now crossed the lava at me with Rondemion’s Heroic Slash (it survives with single digits annoyingly), and Exo Machina also dies to the Count’s Air magic. I’m trying to stop the Thiefler on principle and take most but not all of its health with a Heroic Slash from Rondemion. He’s pretty low at this point, but I manage to get heals on him so it turns out okay. Velnor gets a level after he drops the fleeing Heefler with an arrow and gets his special attack, Cluster Rain. Yuri kills the Thiefler, as we can’t do anything that will Bind it around the Pyromote. Now we start dragging down the Pyromote and milking it for experience while Rondemion starts heading for the last Majin, another Vespula.



Make haste and summon forth your master.
We don’t need Master. We’ll kill you, Falsin!

Alexei and the Count smash the Pyromote, but the Vespula proves just as terrible as its earlier counterpart and evades Rondemion’s first attack after Diseasing him. It seals its own fate when it flies in to attack our weaker characters. Vivian Confuses it with a Meta II, and then I surround it and Curse it with Nena’s Hex spell. Alexei levels up from a buff and gets Bonecrusher.



It’s only a matter of time before it reaches his ears.
Please, dear hero, save your contemplation for later.

The Count levels up from a heal soon after, and gets the powerful heal Prayer II. Yuri gets the same from her level after that, and we smash the bug with a Combo.

Battle Result:

Levels:
Duphaston 16->17
Yuri 14->15
Alexei 14->15
Velnor 13->14

Majin:
Heefler Lv 14 x 1
Exo Machina Lv 14 x 1
Pyromote Lv 14 x 1
Vespula Lv 15 x 1

Gold:
10200

I don’t know how, but the Count was right earlier.



The librum’s pulsing…!
Be alert, something approaches out way!
Hahahahaha, you’ve made your last mistake coming here!

Gergedeus was back.





Falsin, your feeble bodies will be crushed into a pulp!
You won’t talk so tough when I’m finished with you!
How are you still alive!?
I killed you with my own hands!
You were lucky those years ago, but not this time.
Grant me the pleasure of a battle.
Once again, you’ll enjoy my sword slicing through you.
Hahahahaha, insolent as ever! Cherish your final moments!

However he returned, it was time to put him back into the ground.
- unknown