Hey, everyone, and welcome back. Last time I fought the same Greedy Lizard 3 times in a row because Poison kept killing mah dudez. Also, we met a strange girl named Olympia, who turned out to be the most polite person we've encountered so far (she even gave us her name!). She also gave us a tent made of frog and mountain cat, which I intend to use.
Anyway, I last left off at the entrance to the campground at 5D.
>You pass through a door to reach a small, open space inside the forest.
>It is spacious enough to camp; you can see traces of countless others who have been here.
Well, no wonder the forest tries to kill anyone who enters! People litter all over its beauty and nature!
>Near the trees further in, you see a lone girl resting against one of the pines.
That'd be Olympia.
Okay, campgrounds are four- or nine-square rooms, with the actually Camping Point located either in the far corner (in the four-square rooms) or in the middle (the nine-square rooms).
In order to camp, walk over the camping point and press A. You need to have a tent in your inventory in order to do so, and camping will "consume" the tent (they're biodegradable, being made of monster parts. Though, being made of monster parts, they probably stink to high Asgard).
Camping restores HP and (more importantly) TP, but since I have unlimited TP, Ranko's Monk healing, and Report's Triumphant Cry, Monarchic March and Royal Veil, they're merely cosmetic to me.
They do, though, make for great places to have the team "sit down and talk about the story" without anyone having to ask the question, "How can they do this without the monsters attacking them every 14 words?"
[WARNING: BEYOND THIS POINT THERE BE SPOILERS! THOSE WHO ARE EASILY OFFENDED BY BEING INFORMED OF PLOT POINTS WITHOUT OR BEFORE FINDING OUT THEMSELVES SHOULD STOP VIEWING LET'S PLAYS AND LIVE BLOGGINATIONS IMMEDIATELY. SERIOUSLY, YOU'D THINK THAT IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE THINGS RUINED FOR YOU, YOU WOULDN'T READ OR WATCH DETAILED PLAYTHROUGHS BY OTHER PEOPLE. THAT'S NOT VERY PRUDENT IF YOU ASK ME.]
Where was I...? Oh, yeah, spoiler. [YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED]
Ere: Ugh, my feet are killing me. [Sits down]
Report: So, Axel, you were goint to tell us where we are?
Axel: [Starts campfire] Yeah, I was. Essentially, we're in "Etrian Odyssey 3".
Ere: So we're inside of Gabe's stupid laptop.
Gabe: Super laptop, thank you.
Ere: Whatever. So we were sucked into an emulator, and the game being emulated happened to be Etrian Odyssey.
Axel: Not quite; this is the real Etrian Odyssey 3. Planet EO.
Report: Wait...what?
Axel: If we were in any sort of virtual reality, then the air around Gabe would be distorted due to his Lightning; the fact that it isn't means we're in a real, physical world.
Gabe: There are countless numbers of worlds, dimensions, and realities out there. What we classify as "video games" are really recordings from those worlds that we see and interact with through a small window. Those worlds can only handle individuals with certain levels of power and ability; if a person with a lot of power enters a world that can't handle power that high, it takes that power until the amount becomes such that it can handle, and stores it somewhere.
I wrote a thesis on this in high school. I scored 84 percent because it was for a physics class.
Ere: So the reason our powers don't work here is because the world can't allow for it? That's a stretch.
Gabe: True, but at the same time, if we have enough power that the planet has to "scale" us, then that means if would be more than willing to send us home should we regain it.
Ere: Oh.
Ranko: I don't much understand what you are talking about, but it sounds like you're from far away and want to get home.
Report: Still, how can you be so sure we're on this "Planet EO"?
Axel: Because, I've...been here before.
Ere: What.
Axel: Not this specific place, but...about four years ago I wound up on EO — specifically in Etria.
Report: What happened?
Axel: I don't remember how I got there, but I do remember that once I arrived, I never wanted to leave.
Ere: Why?
Axel: A maze extending miles below the surface, full of a never-ending supply of strong foes against which to test my mettle and grow stronger?
Ere: [deadpan] Pardon me for asking.
Ranko: Wait, Etria? The Vanishing City?
Axel: "Vanishing City"?
Ranko: Four years ago the entire city of Etria just vanished along with its labyrinth.
Gabe: Everyone just disappeared?
Ranko: No, I mean the city itself just disappeared. All of the buildings and the labyrinth just vanished; everybody just found themselves outside in a field, and everyone in the labyrinth just flew out. The only people reported missing were the members of two guilds and the Chieftain of Radha Hall.
Axel: Visil was a jerk and deserved being punched in the face.
Ranko: I knew it. [At Axel] You're the leader of the Edge Guild, Azel the Blade.
Report: "Azel"?
Gabe: He went by Azel back then, before he started using Axel.
Ranko: So the legendary swordfighter hailed from another world. Who knew?
Ere: Yeah, yeah, that's all fine and good, but I'm more concerned with how we're gonna get home.
Report: How did you get back?
Axel: I rerouted the Yggdrasil System to open a portal from EO to Erth. That Visil guy thought we wanted to take over the system for ourselves, so we wound up fighting him.
Gabe: Which is where the punching came in?
Axel: No, that came after we kicked his ass. He made a crack about Mom and I knocked out a few of his teeth.
Gabe: I know you're sensitive about that, but you should at least try words before defaulting to violence.
Axel: You're saying I should stop being violent?
Gabe: No, I'm saying you should give people the warning before you hit them.
Axel: Meh.
Report: So the Yggdrasil System has the power to send us home...
Ranko: Had the power. The Yggdrasil System vanished along with Etria and its Labyrinth.
Ere: Then, explain this Labyrinth.
Silence
Ere: It sounds like these Labyrinths are full of legends and powers, right? What's to say we won't find another way home if we go in deep enough?
Axel: That's...a surprisingly good idea.
Ere: What's that supposed to mean?
Axel: I'm just saying it's a good idea. You need to stop being so confrontational.
Ere: I'd stop talking if I were you, 'less you wanna-
Report: [jumps up] Well, what are we waiting for, then? Let's get this adventure underway!
Ere: Report, it's nighttime. This place is already dangerous during the day, so who knows what it's like at night.
Gabe: I know the last thing I'd wanna do right now is wind up facing a Largebill in the dark.
Olympia: Largebills sleep with the sun.
Stunned Silence
Report: When did you get here?!
Olympia: Well-before any of you. As I was saying, Largebills are only active during the day, as are a number of other monsters. Conversely, there are also many monsters that only come out at night.
ZOMG, actual gameplay-related information! And you all thought this chapter wouldn't have any.
Olympia: It would actually be quite profitable for you to hunt monsters and materials at night on many of the floors. In particular, Gigapedes and Claw Shrimp are both nocturnal, and found on this floor. I advise you find some.
Report: Cool, thanks.
Alright, done with the shameless self-satisfying story stuff for now, along with this chapter.
Next time: Nighttime hunting!
