Part 25: Ruins of Obel (III)

We need to go deeper.



The fourth level looks pretty nice, but those bridges are really bothersome chokepoints and there are... other issues.



There are several nasty critters on the other side of the map...



...and they're guarding both exits.



There are archers plugging up the bridges, too. However, they are all content to sit and wait for us to get closer, so we'll concentrate on the ones by the starting position for now.



Seneca can't one-shot this skeleton with her regular attack, but that gives me a perfect opportunity to show off the archers' second level tech, Strong Arm.



It doesn't do anything fancy, but it deals quite a lot of damage - 1.5 times the normal attack damage, to be precise.



It also unbalances the user, but unbalance doesn't mean you can't walk, so Seneca just retreats a few steps back to safety and waits for it to go away.



Lazlo softens up the archer...



...and Flare gets the kill. Although it's certainly fair to have skills show up on both sides of a battle, it's pretty frustrating when an enemy that should have died decides that no, I'm not going down because fuck you. But, in this case it didn't help.



Maxine still can't one-shot things.



So the skeleton hits back. When mages take a lot of damage, they don't go berserk the same way fighters do - they get a magical version instead. It's pretty nice, but Maxine won't get any use out of this because other people are about to kill the enemies before her next turn.



Eugene is still a damage magnet.



Snowe continues to be useful, unlike certain other people I could mention.



...you just had to go and get a level right after I typed that, didn't you? And wow, two speed and he's faster than Snowe.

Speed actually isn't one of the stats Pablo got screwed in - his mobility problems are entirely due to lack of Extra Move. That doesn't mean he's fast, though - he's pretty much tied with the other casters.

(Incidentally, if they had made him noticeably speedier than the other casters, that could have offset his low offensive powers quite nicely, but alas.)



Seneca opens the chest in the back. This, too, is used for a quest later on, and we should be able to come back and grab it any time, but there's no reason not to get it the first time through.



That's the last skeleton on this side of the map, so we're heading for the bridges next.



I had some kind of idea about luring the archers closer...



...and it worked.



However, the spawn point for the reinforcements was closer than I remembered...



...and of course they're bats (two on the other side as well).



Flare gets rid of the closest skeleton archer, but now all the rest are starting to move as well.



Lazlo AoEs the three blue ones, but only kills one.



Here's First Style again. Kangacorn Rush could have killed one of them instead, but this is good enough.



Seneca has nothing to do and gets bored.

Er, what?

You've seen a lot of things and taken a lot of notes, haven't you?

Yes. I get nervous if I can't keep a record of everything...

You can't scribble every little detail of life into your little journal, you know.

Ssh! Don't say that; he'll take it as a challenge!

Well, of course. But it helps me remember it all. There's nothing wrong with having a hobby, is there?

True, true. But sometimes talking with people can refresh your memory, too...

"Hey nerd! Put down that book and pay attention to me, damn it! "



Anyway, more Good Will is never a bad thing.



Yes. You do that. Get the fuck out. Go on.



...you're not Rene. Fuck. Controller lag



"Just deal direct damage," I cry in dismay. "Come over here and let's hit each other until one of us dies!" But do the bats listen? Well of course not; they're goddamn bats, they don't understand English.

And that is why I hate these bridges.



Here's another of those "I don't care about EXP, just die already" situations. Seneca manages, but...



...Flare doesn't.



Maxine gets a kill!



So does Lazlo, but no one is surprised by that any more.



Andarc helps out...



...and Ameria goes away. I thought you stopped using that stuff.



Having a ranged attack is really nice.



I mean... really nice. Die, pig bat!



...still one left, though.



Maxine gets another kill, but no EXP and now she has no spells left. Blah.



More lightning! More!



More levels, too!



For the entire family!



And that's the last bat. Sweet, sweet overkill.



Snowe is on +Affinity terrain (wing mail) and the skeleton is on -Affinity. Even with a level difference, that gives Snowe the advantage, so he can exchange blows with this thing without fear.



...see what I mean? (Actually that's a counter, which deals less damage, but the normal attacks aren't doing that much more.)



The rest of the group circles around, since there's still two enemies left on this side.



That's the first of two buried treasures. It's the Ancient Parchment, yet another quest item; Rene nabs it on her next turn.



Snowe kills the skeleton and gets kind of a crummy level for it. Well, at least he remembered to get speed, I guess.



And then he does this. For a guy with no Extra Move, Snowe is still pretty competent.



Lazlo has had it with this bullshit and murders the spirit, and that means there are no enemies left alive.



Rene finds a pair of Ranger Gloves in the corner, and Andarc hits the exit.



That could have gone faster, but eh.



What will Kyril's decision be? Read our next chapter if you would know.