Part 58: Update XLIV - Go Loot A Corpse

Update XLIV - Go Loot A Corpse



♪ BGM: A Truth Revealed - WraithTouch.mid ♫

Alright, so we're back on the side quest train, starting with that one quest to loot a corpse we got like way back when. We're going to find it here in this swamp.



♪ BGM: Murky Swamps #1 - marchofthedead.mid ♫



This area isn't too large and doesn't have too much of interest apart from the aforementioned corpse.



We get to fight these swamp creature things with more stolen sprites from FFV. These can only attack and are not notable in any way whatsoever.



As a result, we find the corpse without further incident.

What did he have with him?
Let's see...



And then the skeleton decides to jump into the air for some reason!

What was THAT!?

Then it jumps again!

The skeleton's alive!?



You wretched skeleton will now find your eternal rest!



♪ BGM: A Very Dark Day, Boss Remix - VD2Kampf2.mid ♫

Oh man, a mini-boss! We haven't had that in ages!

Undead Warrior:

Recommended level: 10

HP: 500
BP: 0
Attack: 110
Defense: 100
Intelligence: 10
Agility: 80

Behavior List:

- Attack
- Attack
- Shadow Clouds (Shadow elemental attack spell, hits all party members, base damage: 27)

Well, thanks to our high level, this guy isn't a problem at all. He deals about 20~30 damage to us with his attacks, meanwhile Asgar's double sabre strikes do about 60~70 damage each. He doesn't even get his spell off.



♪ BGM: Murky Swamps #1 - marchofthedead.mid ♫

Hey, at least they're still smarter than those stupid zombies!
While you are arguing, I'm going to see what he's carrying with him...
Protective Ring obtained! Regeneration Potion obtained! Steel Sword obtained! Steel Shield obtained! Steel Helmet obtained! Blood Rune obtained! Savestone obtained!

Well, I guess that's an alright haul, though the equipment is already useless to us.

All right, that should do it.

Indeed, Valnar. Let's go hand that quest in, then.



♪ BGM: Mesdor - cairiel.mid ♫

Yes, we have.
Thank God! What kind of stuff did he have with him, anyway?
Oh, this here, for example...
All right, all right! Don't even take it out! I don't want to see it!
What about our reward?
Here, take this as a token of my gratitude.
Ankh of Regeneration received! 1000 Filar received!
I guess we are even now.
1) Thanks. - 2) There was a second one... (Lie)

Hooray for more free stuff!

What, a second corpse? Oh God, that would have been even more gross stuff! Well, I think, because you spared me from having all that stuff lying around in my house, I'm going to give you a little bonus.
Healing Elixir received! 12672 Experience Points gained!

With that XP, we get to level 17 with our party now. Working our way up!



♪ BGM: Asgar's Castle - blood009.mid ♫

Next stop, Asgar's castle. We have some torturing to be doing.

UHHHH... DON'T TORTURE ME... RRRRR...
Then give us the spell for the vivification of a Blood Spirit!
ROAAAA... I... don't know it!
You're lying! Give it to us! Now!
ARRR... north of... Castle Zharas...
What is north of Castle Zharas!?
UHHH... a... hideout...
Hm, sounds like we should take a look around there...
URGGGHHHH...
He's passed out...

Alright, let's go and do that.



♪ BGM: A Truth Revealed - WraithTouch.mid ♫

The place isn't that hard to find.



♪ BGM: Hidden Spells - horror3.mid ♫

However, the place is also home to some baddies that would fuck us up (recommended level is set at 33), and this isn't a quick in-out operation like with the thieves, so we're going to hold off on this until later. Instead, more sidequesting! Hooray!



♪ BGM: Asgar's Castle - blood009.mid ♫

But before that, more torturing!

No, make it stop!
Then tell us where we can find the other shrines!
Arrr, the shrine of light is hidden in the larger desert near Castle Johlar! Near the prison town Rynik...
Good, and the others?
Nooooooooo, arrrrr...
He's passed out...

Huh, yeah, Rynik, that's a place I completely forgot. We'll check that out some time later.



♪ BGM: A Truth Revealed - WraithTouch.mid ♫

And by "later" I mean "now".



♪ BGM: Rynik - Wuestenstadt.mid ♫



Rynik is fairly small, which I guess makes sense, with it being a prison town and all. Fine by me, means less stuff we need to get through.



What, why? What makes you think that?
Hm, so you aren't. It was just a test. We have recently put a few lunatics here in our prison. They seriously believe that the world exploded or something. Clearly insane. And they also kept mentioning a town called Melsan, which of course doesn't exist.
Hm, very interesting.
Oh, you think so? Well, I recommend you to stay away from them. That's for the best.

Damn it, why do I always have to do guard duty in the blazing sun?

As you might, or rather should remember, Melsan was one of the cities in VD1. So it looks like we've found some more survivors.



Hello. How come you're living so far deep into the desert?
Well, this is Rynik. A prison run by Detective Denton. And that detective is my husband.
Ah, I see. This is his house.
Our house. But I guess you should talk to him instead. He is inside the guardhouse.
Thanks for the information.
But of course.

I hope Alex comes home soon... he always works deep into the night...



Bah.



12 Elras kill 14 mercenaries.

Mercenaries Lost To Global Domination: 475 + 14 = 489



Hm, sounds at least like decent children's literature.



♪ BGM: Asgar's Castle - blood009.mid ♫

Then, a quick trip back to restock.

Ongoing Costs: 105100 + 17000 = 122100 Filar

Ugh, so expensive. Anyway, that now allows us to stock every castle with 50 mercenaries. Now, back to exploring Rynik.



♪ BGM: Rynik - Wuestenstadt.mid ♫

people of the detective?
Actually, we're just looking around a bit.
Well, that's fine. Do you want to drink something?
No, thanks.
Too bad. The business is currently not going too well since the people of the detective have to work longer hours. But I'm sure the good times will come once again, as well.
Sure. Don't give up.

If this continues, I'll have to close the shop soon. Then the guys can see on their own where to get their beer. Damn detective.



Pretty empty here.
Well, after all, this is only a prison with a few adjacent residential buildings and this bar here. And ever since Detective Denton has forced longer working hours on us, there's barely anything going on here. Most of the guards are so tired after work, they hit the hay immediately after.
Who does Detective Denton report to, anyway? The Clan of Holy Warriors?
The Clan? No. We aren't really reporting to anybody. We are so to speak an organization brought together in order to declare war on all the criminals of this world. We wanted a world without murder or thievery. We earn our money with the bail the arrested people have to pay for in order to get released. Those who have no money get to rot in this prison for all their life.
Ah, so that's how it is. Thanks for the information.
Just don't cause any trouble. Or else, we're going to see each other again.
What a joke...

Without my buddies, it's somehow pretty boring here...



for my husband, who normally works as a guard here in Rynik, but has been sent by Detective Denton to search the nearby area for potential criminals a few days ago.
Ah, all right, in that case, we won't keep bothering you...

That scumbag! When I get him, he's in for something! Just runs away without telling me anything! Just you wait, pal, and dare to come home!



lock picks...
Guessing would be pointless. There's got to be the required code somewhere...



have moved to the desert...
Um, yes, it's really nothing out of the ordinary that the desert is hot.
I am aware of that. I'm actually originally from Jhalum, a town in the far south. Very far south, actually. In the snow regions. It's freezing cold there every day. And at some point, I was getting tired of freezing.
And then you immediately chose the desert?
Well, I thought go big or go home. But that it would be that hot here is something I didn't expect...
Oh well, we're not going to keep you any longer.
But you sure could definitely need some sunlight.
(Oh, how I hate that line!)

21245, 21245, 21245... in this heat I'm probably even going to forget the combination for my dresser.

Mind reading saves the day once again!



Perfect.
Well, what do we have here?
Life Ankh obtained! 700 Filar obtained!

Not a lot of stuff, but hey, free stuff.



And a free recipe in the books to boot! This is the spell "Free Sight", which heals the Blind and Blinded status effects from the entire party. Useful I guess, but will it be worth the runes? Time will tell.



What, why?
Well, because this is the police station Rynik. I am the detective. Denton. Alex Denton. At your service.
You arrest every criminal of this world?
All the ones we can catch. Recently, however, we had to collect more and more poor lunatics on the streets.
Lunatics?
They were babbling something about a "bright light" and earth shifting. Clearly too many mushrooms.
Bright light, huh? Where are they now?
They're inside the prison here in Rynik. But it's best if you stay away from them. They are addicted to those damn mushrooms. I can't find another explanation for their weird story about the changing of this world.
What kind of mushrooms are they?
I'm talking about the so called Morrus Mushrooms. They cause hallucinations, and they are addictive to a high degree.
Never heard of those...
It's for the best, trust me. But that reminds me of something. Are you perhaps interested in helping me with my investigations?
1) Yes, of course. - 2) No, not really.

Hey, you know how I feel about side quests.

Very good. So listen up. I have received a hint that there allegedly is a baker in Mirana who incorporates the aforementioned Morrus Mushrooms into his baking goods. Until now, I wasn't able to catch him because we don't have any proof. He also seems to use new deliverers every time in order to distribute his wares, so we were never able to catch one of them. I want you to take a look around in his bakery in Mirana and see if you can find Morrus Mushrooms. But please do it inconspicuously so that he doesn't get suspicious. If you find any mushrooms, come back to me immediately and report. I will then proceed to arrest the baker with my men and put him into prison.
Understood.
Great, then go and get to work now.

Alright, that'll be something to take care of eventually. Should be pretty easy.

Hm, those damn mushrooms. You can see what happens when you take too many of them by looking at the poor bastards in prison. "World shifting"... bullshit!



I think the humans don't even know that a prison is a perfect pantry.



"Smack them and that's it" is my favorite tactic!



How long has this station been standing?
How long? Hmmm, for more than 20 years, I would say. I've been a soldier here for only six years, but it's actually a very good job. Arresting someone here and there, and aside from that, you're having a quiet life.
Sounds quite pleasant.
Well, if you have not witnessed a crime, then please let me continue to doze...

Yaaaaaawn... I definitely need a nap for a change...



Who are you referring to?
The prisoners. Them and their talk about the changing of the world and a bright light that changed everything. I haven't heard such nonsense for a long time. That's when you can see what mushrooms are doing to you.
Hm, maybe they are right.
You didn't happen to eat a few Morrus Mushrooms, as well, did you!?
Do we look like it?
Well, your skin color does look a bit unhealthy. And now that I take a closer look, your eyes also seem pretty reddened. Honestly, you should keep your hands away from them. That's more than unhealthy. But since this is your luck day, I'm not going to tell the detective about this.
Wow, we're so lucky...

I hope the detective never finds out that I have tried out the Morrus Mushrooms once. I felt awful afterwards. Never again!



Don't worry, we're peaceful.
That's good to hear.

The detective has really been quite successful recently. He's not the detective for nothing. That one time alone when he arrested the group of mushroom addicts was really impressive.

Man, these guys are really focused on those mushrooms.



Well, we just wanted to take a look around.
Well, there's actually not that much to see here in Rynik. In the center, you can find the prison, and the houses here are only there to grant housing for the guards and their families. My husband also works here as a guard, by the way, that's why I'm here.
And who's in charge of the prison?
Detective Alex Denton. You can find him inside the house in the northwest corner of this town.
Thanks for the information.
But of course, you're welcome.

Oh, strangers in this town who are not brought here in chains are quite a rare sight these days.

Well, let's go and check out that prison, then.



Um, no, actually.
Then please don't talk to them. They are crazy. They keep talking about some kind of world shifting. They really were eating too many mushrooms...

I hope we won't get even more people like that here in this prison. These here are already more than enough for me...



Why were they arrested?
The detective found them south from here. They were wandering around the area aimlessly. They claimed they're from a town called Melsan. But there is no such town with that name. Oh well, as dirt-covered as they were, they seem to be addicted to those Morrus Mushrooms, and they got themselves into financial troubles.
Melsan?
Don't you start about that now, too. THERE IS NO TOWN WITH THAT NAME!
If you say so...
I give up... just believe whatever you want.

The detective should definitely check out that place in the desert that the prisoners mentioned. Something interesting might be there. Northeast from here... not too far away.



their delusions about a bright light and a changing of the whole world, and now I also have stress with my wife. Oh well, it can't be helped. If I have to work, then I just have to work. That means my wife just has to wait.
The perfect foundation for a solid relationship...
Pfff, such a sentiment can only come from a woman.
Well, I wouldn't want to be your wife!
Let it go, Alaine. That won't lead anywhere.
Just let him see for himself how long she's going to stay with him...

Why does my wife always complain? After all, I'm bringing money home. Are 3 days per month not enough to have a good relationship? Try to understand women...



be here! Please leave.
Sorry, we're already gone.
Oh, hold on. A woman... well, women are of course always welcome here, hehehe...
We're leaving. NOW!

Finally, I can get a little bit of rest. This 16 hour duty really is very exhausting.

And that's about it for Rynik. Now, the main thing we're going to be doing here later on (apart from completing that quest) is rescuing the prisoners from here, because they are a part of either the only, or at least the best way of getting some of the best gear in the game. But more on that later. Quite a bit later, actually, as rescuing the prisoners requires us to murder the guards, which have a recommended level of 50. For now, let's do other stuff.



♪ BGM: A Truth Revealed - WraithTouch.mid ♫

While bopping around the world map, we get started on our quest to find all of the shrines of power by finding the location of the shrine of light.



♪ BGM: Shrine Of Light - wreckage2.mid ♫

Oh hey, look, death. Leaving now! Next stop, Mirana.



♪ BGM: Mirana - Stadt11.mid ♫

Morrus Mushroom obtained!
With this, we've found the required evidence for Detective Denton.
Okay, back to Rynik.

Indeed!



♪ BGM: Rynik - Wuestenstadt.mid ♫

Yes, we found some mushrooms. You should go and arrest him now!
I know it. Where did he hide them?
Inside the flour bags next to the oven.
All right, we're going to catch that guy! I thank you for your amazing help! As a reward, I'll give you this fine piece of armor. One of the prisoners was wearing it, but I guess he won't be needing it anymore, hehehe. None of us wear such a piece of armor, but you seem not to be averse to such armor. So, here it is.
Fesdorius received!
And of course, here's also your capturing fee...
5000 Filar received!
1) Thanks. - 2) He had stolen goods, too. (Lie)

Sadly, we can't get the free stuff here. It would have been three Regeneration Elixirs. Alas.

10098 Experience Points gained!

Anyway, with that done, let's check out our phat lewt.



And holy fuck, is it ever phat. At this point, it more than doubles a character's Defense, gives them a sizable Intelligence boost, and protects them from instant death to boot! But, it's an artefact, so it must have a negative drawback, right? Nope! This one just does not have a negative side at all. Awesome! This is going on Alaine, since she's a bit of a glass cannon.



♪ BGM: A Truth Revealed - WraithTouch.mid ♫

So, next up is the quest where we have to find a crab for the chef in Ghardon. We find it at this part of this particular beach.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫

So, you might wonder what exactly happened to the other guy the chef sent to get the crab?



Delivery boys aren't what they used to be...
And that's why we're doing the work, or what?
Let's just get him the crab meat...

Alright, so you might note that big red thing in the back that looks kinda like it might be a robot? That's the thing we have to kill.



That ought to be the crab we are supposed to bring.
Hm, I think it's fighting back...



♪ BGM: Mini Boss - VD2Kampf4.mid ♫

Well then.

King Crab:

Recommended level: 15

HP: 1000
BP: 50
Attack: 160
Defense: 100
Intelligence: 10
Agility: 60

Behavior List:

- Attack
- Attack
- Crab Bite (Attack that hits one party member, deals damage, drains HP and causes Bleeding, base damage: 20)
- Attack

So ultimately, this guy is a big tub of HP that does nothing much but attack. We inflict Bleeding on him in the first round, meaning he's now constantly losing HP, and combined with Asgar's sabre of murderingness, this guy just does not last long, and we tenderize him easily.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫

Looks juicy.

And that's our business on this beach done, so let's head to Ghardon and get our reward.



♪ BGM: Genos - field7.mid ♫

Well, that's what I would say, but I made a stopover in Genos for blood, and we get attacked again.



13 knights end up killing 13 mercenaries.

Mercenaries Lost To Global Domination: 489 + 13 = 502

Anyway, NOW we're heading back to Ghardon.



♪ BGM: Ghardon - a_taste_of_honey.mid ♫

Yes, here it is!
Thank God! With this, the Sasoux de Prux is saved! Did you happen to see the deliverer?
1) Yes, he's dead. - 2) Yes, he's on vacation. (Lie)

Better rewards ahoy!

WHAAAAAAT? Okay, that guy better brace himself for what's waiting for him! That miserable lazy bum just leaves me hanging! Well, at least you showed up just in time. Hence, I'm going to give you a little bonus...
4000 Filar received!
And now I'm going to attend to the Sasoux de Prux...
10692 Experience Points gained!



♪ BGM: A Truth Revealed - WraithTouch.mid ♫

And finally, let's check one more off the list - let's clear out the mine outside of Ghardon.



♪ BGM: Dark Caves #1 - realms.mid ♫



Alright, so, this place is nothing special. Basically, there's a bunch of dinosaurs running around...



...in vanilla flavor...



...and in mint flavor. The basic difference between these guys is that vanilla flavor has more attack power, less defense and less agility.



They both have an additional trick, as well - they can go into "attack" mode, i.E. transform into another monster with different stats. This raises attack, lowers defense and raises agility, but is otherwise not really noteworthy. And that's basically it for this cave. We just beat the shit out of a whole lot of lizards until...



...I notice that I'm getting pretty full on souls and could use some of these for productive uses, lest I end up with 99 souls and wasting some of them. I cannot afford to waste souls.



♪ BGM: Asgar's Castle - blood009.mid ♫

So we head back and make some spells. We start with Lightning, a 60 base damage electric spell that hits one enemy. It goes on Valnar and Alaine.



We also do Crippling Frost, a 37 base damage ice spell that hits one enemy and can inflict Paralysis. It goes on Asgar and Alaine.

That'll do for now. We then return to monster murdering.



♪ BGM: Dark Caves #1 - realms.mid ♫

One notable thing: We pick up a total fuckton of money in a hidden passage. Sometimes, the RNG likes you. Anyway, we just keep murdering these lizards until...



Well then, back to Ghardon!

...until the game says we don't have to anymore. Back to Ghardon!



♪ BGM: Ghardon - a_taste_of_honey.mid ♫

Yes, we have!
Oh, these are wonderful news! Now, the mine workers will be able to return to their work at last. Thank you for your trouble!
1) Glad we could help. - 2) Someone was trapped there! (Lie)

Again, our lack of skill thwarts our plan for free shit. We would have gotten some additional healing stuff, but instead...

Please take this as a reward...
Cap of Life received!
I'm sure you can put this to use. Thank you again. You have done the town Ghardon a great service.
We're glad we were able to help.
18810 Experience Points gained!

With this XP, Valnar and the rest of the gang officially hit level 20. Only 80% of the way to go.



Now, here's what the Cap of Life does. This sucks. It inflicts Regen I, meaning it heals 10 HP per turn taken, which I guess could be useful - in a boss battle with one enemy, that's 50 HP per round total - but the loss on the other stats really hurts. I mean, look at that agility hit - that's 50% less! That's horribly crippling. This is instant sale fodder.

Anyway, that'll be it for now. Next time, we'll go Behind The Fangs proper for the first time and take a real look behind one of VD2's systems.