Part 9: Update 5 part 2: Cervidaephobia

Update 5 part 2: Cervidaephobia

Moving on over to the Stickleback Bar:



Ya got no idea, Cass. Gimme an Armoroad Canpariy, stat.
Oh, some of my customers were talkin' 'bout yeh lot. They were saying how yeh're pretty good for being young. Hehe, not bad. But yeh know, to someone like me who's seen plenty of guilds come and go...yeh lot still have a long ways ahead. Huh? Well if yeh want to impress me, yeh'll find that invisible flying castle! I mean, nobody even knows if that thing actually exists or not, but that makes it more interestin'! Haw haw haw!
Well, the journey up can't be as bad as being chased by dinosaurs...



Let's chat up the bar patrons, now that they've changed for 4F.

Loud caster:

Oh hey, if it isn't Lumen! How are you doing in your explorations? Anything getting in your way? ...Oops, sorry, sorry. Guess I shouldn't be treating you folks like newbies anymore, since you've gotten better. Now that I think about it...you're strong enough to be taking those big and powerful monsters that patrol around, right? Once you beat them, the place'll be empty for a while, but sooner or later the same kind of monster will wander back over. I think...it took about one week? Once you beat those huge monsters, just make sure you keep track of the date. Okay then! Have a good adventure!
Oh. Great. The big ones come back. This Labyrinth just loves us, doesn't it...

Poor old man:

Hurgh...my back...gnh! I didn't have to deal with this when I was young...ugh... Ah, nice t'see you young'uns again! Just came back from the shrine, myself. That's right, that's right. Now listen here! My grandson wasn't comin' back from the forest! Well, I was thinkin' that it was all over...but my prayers were answered! From the sounds of it, some nice adventurers gave him a hand. Wonder what guild it was that helped him out...? Ah, thank the gods...
...I feel better about having been chased by dinosaurs now. It was worth it.



And now for the 4F quests.

The item trade II:

Yeh must know what the score is by now. Yep, another request from Sitoth Trading. I don't want to muck up the details of the quest, so yeh should ask around over there.

Supply lines:

Oh, that one, eh? See, the Duke's guards're out on a mission in the forest. Been out there a couple days. So the job'd be to bring 'em some provisions. But just to warn yeh...it's heavy. Damn heavy!


Ah, gods, Cass, do we really gotta carry dose...?
Geez, I didn't think yeh'd be such a baby about it! Yeh didn't even let me finish tellin' yeh the details. And remember, if the guards don't end up gettin' their provisions, then they're screwed! Now look. There's two boxes there, right? If yeh hadn't guessed, the guards are workin' in two separate groups. Obviously, yer gonna have to make sure both of 'em get their supplies. Pretty sure the two groups are posted 'round here...and here.



Supply lines is a really easy quest. You're going to visit both spots anyway while you're going through 4F.

Right! That's all I got for yeh. Now yeh just gotta hit the 4th Floor and get the goods delivered!

Volunteer service I:

Oh, that request. I guess yeh folks are reliable enough now... That one came from the local Hospital. A foreign merchant ship crashed on High Lagaard's shores, see. And now there's a ton of wounded and injured comin' in. The Duchy's put all their healers on the job, but no matter how yeh slice it, they're gonna need more medicine. Yeh guys saw those nasty deer on the 1st floor, right? Yeh need to get a Severed Antler from them. Yeh might be able to tell, but yeh can't get one unless yeh kill it with a slash. Now, I need yeh to get one of those antlers. It ain't gonna be easy, but if anyone can pull it off, yeh folks can. G'luck!
T-the big deer on 1F?
Well, we're quite a bit stronger than the others were when they started. We might be able to take them!

Volunteer service I is a quest you can maybe do as soon as you get it, depending on your party composition; I'd say you can do it at about this point if you have any class that deals Cut damage, along with a Sovereign. Otherwise, I'd wait until the end of 4F to do it, to be safe.




Stopping by the Explorers Guild to Talk to Marion:

Hm...? Oh, it's you. Has something happened? Perhaps I wasn't clear, but you're not obligated to report every single thing from the Labyrinth to me... ...Of course, I don't plan on throwing you out. It's my job to give advice to those who are still unused to the Labyrinth. Let's see... I'll tell you something that not many realize. It may seem obvious in hindsight. When you're fighting monsters, do you pay attention to their attributes? Swords, axes, bow and arrows...or various types of spells... If you can determine the enemy's weakness, you can exploit it. Stay alert, pay attention to gain an edge in battle. Remember, victory takes brains and brawn. Well, that's all I have to say for now. Try to avoid any unnecessary risks.




As soon as you enter Sitoth Trading, Abigail starts talking.

Hee hee, we've just got a new item in stock. I wanted to tell you about it! The new item we've got is called...ah, the Flash Grenade. It's an item to be used in battle. Let me just read out what it does for you. Ahem... This item is most effective when you're being attacked by monsters. But remember, it'll only stun the monsters for one turn, so you can't just keep them helpless forever! And...that's all it says! Hmm...it seems pretty complicated... Was that explanation enough for you?
Yes.
Oh, so you do understand! I'll have to keep up with my studies so I know what all this stuff is good for...
You're doing fine as is! Especially for someone your age.
Hee hee, you really think so? But I'd like to have more to offer in conversations about this kind of thing, so I'll keep studying! O-Oh, there I go again talking about myself... I'm sorry! Here's your samples, We're giving these out for free again, so you can try them out in the field.


Wha waz it yah dad sed... "Godda make money ta spend money?"
Oh, you stupid drunk... Wasn't it "You have to spend money to make money," Abigail?
Mmhm! Hee hee... Usually my dad's the one that says that, but I'm glad you remember it! Well then! Let's both make sure we get paid back for the effort we put in! Oh! Sorry, there I go again... I'll focus on my work! Please, take your time and look around!

And because took The item trade II, she starts talking to us again:

Welcome... Oh! Thanks for your help before. Huh? Another request from us...? Wonderful! I'm still trying to get used to asking strangers to do our work... I'm glad that your'e so eager to help us. Oh, right! The materials we need... That's 5 Bent Twigs and 1 Large Feather. Oh! A customer! Sorry, I have to go. I'm counting on you! Ahem--Welcome, sir...!
Ey! Shhhhhheeee was talkin' to US, ya prick...!
Ugh. I'll take Zack back to the inn. The rest of you, sell what we found and go send the Byeahs to gather stuff.



Wood Bow's unlocked by selling 1 Bent Twig, and Framea's unlocked by selling 2 Spotted Carapaces (thanks, Crosspeice).



I buy a Wyvernbone Blade for Zack now that we can afford it. We'll need him to be outputting as much damage as possible to take down a Ragelope.



G-go gather from...2F and 3F. Yes, that was it.
Byeah.
What are these things...?



Beeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyeeeeehhhhhh...

Whoops.

I should note that I was really badly panicking here. I hadn't saved since the start of the update, and I would've been really goddamn upset if I had to restart because of this.



Then I remembered I had a Return Flute.



A Return Flute instantly exits you out of a battle (with one or two exceptions) and returns you to the last stairs or Geomagnetic Pole (we'll see those next stratum). They are very, very handy "oh shit" buttons, and unfortunately are in limited supply for a while.



Reviving someone or curing Petrification at the Inn costs (5 * the patient's level) ental.




After that nearly diastrous and stupid fuck-up, here's what our gathering yielded:

Spiked Axe is unlocked by selling 5 Shell Warts and 1 Aragonite, Power Ring is unlocked by selling 1 Garnet, and Analysis Scope is unlocked by selling 1 Garnet. The game also didn't list it for some reason, but we can also buy Wisdom Earrings now after selling Garnet.

I considered buying a Power Ring for Zack, but forgoing an entire armor slot, especially early on, for +3 STR is very dangerous for a front liner.

After resting at the inn:

Ah gods, my head...how many drinks did I have last night?
Doesn't matter. Let's go kill that Ragelope while it's still early.





Ragelope
HP: 1680, STR: 18, VIT: 13
Skills:

• (G) Baffling Step
  
• (G) Knockdown

Drops:

• Normal: Deer Hide
  
• Conditional: Severed Antler (Kill with Cut damage)
  
• Ingredient: Venison

Damage resistances:

• Normal: Cut, Stab, Bash, Fire, Ice
  
• Weak: Volt

Ailment and bind resistances:

• Normal: Blind, Poison, Paralysis, Panic, Sleep, Curse, Fear, Stun, Head bind, Arm bind, Leg bind
  
• Resist: Petrification, Instant Death

With its magnificent horns, it can mesmerize adventurers!

Welcome to our first FOE fight of the game! The Ragelope isn't to be fucked with early on, especially at this level. Baffling Step is a single-target skill that has a very high chance of Panicking someone, which locks you out of controlling them and makes them attack either the enemy or your own party. Knockdown is a straight-up hard-hitting attack that's pretty much guaranteed to kill whoever it hits; the only person in our party that could maybe survive it is Phoebe if she uses Front Guard or Defends.



Here's my initial strategy. I have everyone but Phoebe use their Force Boosts; I need as much damage as possible out of Zack, Nadia, and Jackie, while Rheine will cast Prevent Order on everyone to prevent Baffling Step from fucking up the fight.


This WILL be the last time you see us.

And right off the bat, I get very lucky.


Stay determined!


Heh. Nice try.

You can tell if Prevent Order nullified an ailment by the text at the top of the screen.



Ouch. Volt Rounds is not the skill to use here, evidently, even though the Ragelope is weak to it. The second hit did around 20 damage.


HRRRAAAGGGHHHHhhhoooh that is not something I should be doing right now...

Now that's some good damage. Keep in mind the Ragelope has 1800 HP though.



I switch to using Charged Ice here, and have Rheine buff everyone's damage.


Oh gods, this is a terrible idea! How did I let you all drag me into this?!

Are you fucking serious, game?

That one's technically on me for not re-applying Prevent Order, but still!





That's more like it.



I need this thing dead ASAP with Phoebe panicking, so I have my damage dealers use their Force Breaks.


Easy as shooting gnats...!


INCOMING!


MMMMMRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!


S-stay away from me!



Aw shit.

A) The thing's not dead yet.
B) Blind wore off.



I'm not making the same mistake twice.


Leave my grave...unmarked...



Okay, this is getting bad. Phoebe's still panicked, so she can very easily die here.

Nadia'll try to paralyze the Ragelope, while I try to get Zack alive again.



This is the luckiest I've ever gotten with status ailments.


Ooouughh... Do your job, Phoebe...

Really close fucking call, there. If Rheine had died, I would've probably gotten a game over.


Can't die yet, I got too much to do!



On the one hand, the thing's nearly dead. On the other, all of this will have been for naught if Nadia or Jackie kill it.

To that end, I have them both defend for one turn.









Getting really down to the wire here.


Everyone behind...me.
Doesn't seem like that thing's moving.

Goddammit. What a waste.



UGGGGGHHHHH.


We can't hold out for much longer, Zachary! Kill it!


No...biggie...


Ha heh! And STAY dead!



The amount of random chances that I had to get lucky on there is insane. Whatever, I got the Severed Antler.





Oh, yeh managed to get it! Awright, I'll hurry and bring it to 'em. Watch the bar while I'm gone, eh? Cheers!

Fade to black.

Hey, sorry. That took a while. Don't worry, I got it to 'em. One of the healers from the Hospital came out to meet me, but the doc looked like hell. I wonder if they're okay. See, he zones out all the time, but yeh get him started on medical talk and he just won't shut up. Don't drink too much, come back for a check-up... He just goes on and on. So, yeh lot want a drink? ...Eh? C'mon, even I can treat people sometimes! What? Oh, nonononono. Nothin' expensive or any fancy-schmancy cocktails. That stuff's off the table. Jus' think of it as a gift. I know, I know! My generosity makes me cry sometimes! Haw haw haw! Huh? Whaddya mean ya don't want it? What, yeh just want the reward...? Tch. What kinda chump turns down a free drink? Well, whatever. Thanks for all yer work. This is yer reward. Be seein' ya!







Fire Wall now completely nulls fire attacks once per turn on a character. It costs 16 TP, however.









And here are the DLC grinding quests. Cass's dialogue for each of them is the same:

Oh, that one. Yeh see, some weird kinda creature seems to live on the 1st floor of the Forest. It ain't causin' any harm, but...leavin' it to grow feel unsafe, so we send explorers out to cut it now and again. Still, it's a reward for mowin' the Labyrinth a little! What a deal! Go on, get the job done!
We're Labyrinth gardeners now?



SYSTEM: There is a plant in front of you, and oddly enough, it moves continuously--as an animal might. Baffled, Zack peers at it, and leans closer to the plant to determine its true nature... The plant moves slowly for some tense movements...and then leaps at you!

There is no point in showing you the fight. The thing went down in 2 attacks.



SYSTEM: There's no mistake--the monster you defeated just now is the plant that was requested at the bar! The request has been completed.



Here's what the other two look like.


And here come our little lawn mowers now! Welcome back. Haw haw haw, what's with that face? Mowin's honest work! Could be a nice fallback career for yeh. Bein' an adventurer ain't always about the dangerous and death-defyin' missions. Sometimes yeh just get jobs that need doin'. Here's a thought, though. Maybe yeh could try cookin' with it? That lass at FOEbucks could make somethin' of it. After all, ain't that her specialty? Makin' tasy dishes out of stuff yeh wouldn't think is edible? Haw haw haw!



The first mission gives us a variable amount of money based on what Stratum we've reached, and the other two give 2 Nectars each. Very handy.



The EXP is pitiful, though, and for good reason.

Let's take Cass's suggestion and go to FOEbucks:



Wait, this...this came from an extremely rare plant-like monster in the Labyrinth! It's rare enough that some people thought it was just a legend... How in the world did you find this?
Trade secret, Regina.
Hm. I'm not an expert on exploring...but I'm sure when you've been doing it for that long, you pick up some tricks of the trade. All it takes is the know-how, and it's yours, huh? Quite an interesting thought. Here, take this. It's a recipe from the old texts... It shows how to prepare this ingredient.



Alright, the Yggdrasil Teas. These are each designed to cut down on the amount of time you need to grind for certain resources.

The Yggdrasil-Bud Tea massively increases the amount of drops you get from battles, and gives you around 5 of whatever rare material can be found at a gathering point.

The Yggdrasil-Sprout Tea turns basically every Grimoire Chance into a Premium Grimoire Chance.

The Yggdrasil-Clover Tea, however, is truly the most broken of the 3, and its DLC was released last. It triples the EXP your party gets, and distributes 1/3 of that to your entire guild.

You can get the Teas through normal gameplay; each of the Yggdrasil enemies will show up very rarely when you enter a floor (including Floor Jump). However, the normal versions only give 1 ingredient when defeated; you'll notice that we got 38 from just one of the DLC fights.

Also note that each Tea only lasts until you leave the Labyrinth. After you leave the Labyrinth with a Tea's effect, the effect is dispelled.




And to wrap up the update, the Flaus Inn's Talk function now shows this. We can have Quona replace Hanna at the front desk, which I prefer because Quona's voice acting is less annoying than Hanna's.

Quona? Well, I guess she's gotten better at tending to the store after working with you... I'll go call for her.



Hanna's 4F dialogue:

Oh, good timing. Could you help me move this desk over there? ...Phew... Thanks for the help! Ooh, I'm all achy now... But you're all pretty strong, aren't you? Quona used to use this desk. It's a little too small now, though...so I picked up a new one for her. But I couldn't carry the desk all on my own, and my hubby's out gathering ingredients. I was really in a fix until you loves dropped by. I'm awfully grateful for your help!

Quona's cafe dialogue:

I-I heard from a customer there's a new place in town that serves tasty food... Did you already go there? ...But our food is better, right? Nobody cooks like mom does...

And her normal 4F dialogue:

U-Um...stay safe...okay?