I finished up Death end re;Quest, so after putting that away I wanted to play something more charming and lighthearted.
So, more Ayesha~
I put in a couple hours today and burned through two and a half months. Much of it was spent gathering stuff and fighting enemies.
I went through and refilled my basket with some attack items. I noticed Ayesha's notes on the side. The first thing that came to mind when creating some terrible chemical is if she can throw it at an enemy. I also ran into a new friend, Nanaca, and her brother. They herd cattle. On my way through the ruins, I ran into them again, only to find parts of the ruin collapsed. Juris managed to push a slab aside and get everyone out, which also opened up a large section of the ruins to explore.
I did some exploring and found tons of materials, fought tons of enemies, and leveled up a few times. The ruins are huge. Apparently they're a tunnel or waterway from a civilization from long ago. I actually appreciate not having a map in this game. It feels a little more exploratory. I did find a poster regarding the slags, who seem to be in many ruins.
Upon returning to the main city, both Harry and Marion decided to give me investigations. Harry's was a nearby ruin called the Glass Factory. Marion's is about a small village that had all its inhabitants disappear overnight. After terrifying Ayesha with musings that it could be a serial killer, she then linked it to Nio's disappearance. Harry gave me 500 cole which is nothing. Marion, on the other hand, let me borrow Linca. Or, more accurately, she assigned Linca as a bodyguard for Ayesha.
On my way back through town, I ran into a shady ass dude trying to hustle me for some hairpin. Marietta stepped in and chased him away, only to tell Ayesha to be more stern and not get pushed over by aggressive people. I managed to find the bakery, which had a number of healing items and new books for me to read. One of them also had to elusive Veggie Soup recipe that has been sitting in my log since April (it's December now in game.)
I went to go check out the new area that opened up, a giant ruin made of glass. I figured I'd try out Linca and see what she can do, so I gave Regina a break since I still need someone with magic/AOEs. Regina might be tired of getting hammer by enemies, so she could use a rest. Of course, she came to the dungeon anyways because she can't pass up a ruin.
Linca is pretty awesome. She uses a giant broadsword that she drags along the ground. It sparks whenever she moves, and she often gets extra damage for her back attacks and short-range attacks. Her abilities have a huge AOE range too, including one that hits all enemies and slaps a few status effects on them. Her HP and MP seem low, but her physical resistance (defense) is good enough to tank hits pretty well. I'll need to work on some equipment for her to boost her HP/MP.
Regina seemed thrilled to hit up the Glass Factory. Ayesha came here to find clues regarding her sisters disappearance at the other ruin, which worked out in her favor. She managed to catch a glimpse of her sister, giving her some much needed hope to keep pushing forward.
Linca is awesome.
I finished up the factory and left with a full basket, a bunch of levels, and a lot of unidentified equipment I'll need to research.
Before calling it a night, I got roped into this contest again. I didn't have anything particularly fancy, so I once again needed to count on the failures of my competitors. I should note that Harry is the host, a contestant, and a judge. This is a massive conflict of interest! In the end, I barely managed to win somehow. I really wasn't expecting it, so it was a nice surprise. Tons of cash and some armor identification materials~ Now I can buy more books and clean out my friends bazaar shops.
I've figured out how to use my new skills that require two AC bars. Unfortunately, fights don't last long enough for me to see the full effects. Regina has a timed delay bomb that never went off due to the enemies dying too fast. it sounds like those dragons on the hill will be perfect subjects to test that out on. I'm waiting to take them on until I can make a bigger, better bomb. The fiery judgement of a simple apothecary will soon come their way.