Napaea: Hi all, I'm Napaea, the new girl, and everyone knows new is better than old! I'm the latest model of healer demon, and the best of all around these parts. Mr. Samurai here is lucky to have me, or rather, he's lucky that I was bored enough to take him up on his offer to travel with him. Fighting my fellow demons is certainly an odd position to be in, but I'd be lying if I said I was unwilling to try new stuff! Now Mr. Samurai's found the REALLY tacky ring here in Naraku. For something pulled out of a chest in a dank cave, the thing's nearly spotless; I wonder who it belonged to...?
Upon receiving the ring, Sir Hope calls via Burroughs again; the ring was indeed the item Flynn had been sent to find. He summons all five Prentices back to the plaza, and yes, unlike in most games where you're automatically taken out of the dungeon after events like this, here we're gonna have to hike back! Atlus, bitch!
At this point, you may have noticed that some of your demons have gained new skills upon leveling up, and once they gane all the skills they can learn, they are able to pass them onto Flynn! It's important for Flynn to know spells of all four elements and a healing spell. Fortunately, Centaur, Fuxi, Mokoi, and Napaea have him covered!
Centaur: Hrnff! I told you I was a worthy tutor, did I not? You can now call upon the underworld's chill, as I can!
Flynn: Strange... this feels... good. I had never dreamed I would wield the power of demons. Are you sure this will not corrupt me?
Mokoi: Who told you that crock 'a-
Lham Daerg: Shut yer 'ole, Mr. Mokoi! Ye can make use 'a my skill, as well, boyo. No one can land killing blows 'round these parts like Lham Daerg!
Return to the plaza to be congratulated by Sir Hope. Interestingly, though this test was structured as a competition between the five Prentices, I think it's impossible for Flynn to lose. At least, I've played through three times already, and it's never happened to me. Following this, the Prentices are dismissed, and the two friendly young men, Jonathan and Walter, approach Flynn.
Flynn: I saw these two while I was taking the test. Jonathan the quiet one and Walter the brash one. There is certainly no harm in having friends, so I shall hear them out. Though, I doubt anyone could replace Issachar. I wonder where he is now...?
Walter and Jonathan request Flynn accompany them to the highest point of Mikado Castle; nearly the entire Kingdom can be seen from there. Flynn, of course, accepts, and Burroughs registers this as a quest. You'll find she does things like this a lot. To embark on this "journey," simply select the place labeled "Meeting Spot" on the menu, and the three will venture to the peak automatically.
Flynn: It really takes something like this to see all you are a part of, eh? I can tell the three of us understand our duty here. Jonathan, Walter... I was unsure that this was the right path for me at first, but a sight like this makes it all fall into place. Fifteen hundred years of peace and prosperity... that could not be accomplished without people like us, right? Well, here's to new friends, and to fifteen hundred more!
Lham Daerg: I've got teh admit, there's somethin' special about seein' the sun. I havnae seen it since...
Myrmecolion: I prefer damp cavezzzz myzzzelf, but a little variety never hurt anyonezzzz.
It should be noted that Jonathan and Walter ask you a question here, and you can choose to agree with one or the other. Given that this is an SMT game, you can probably guess what effect your choice here has. That night, Flynn retires to bed at the Barracks.
Flynn: There was that dream again. For the third time. I am now positive that the two youths I met today, Jonathan and Walter, are the two men from my dream. But I had this dream for the first time before I met them, so that cannot be right... can it?
Flynn awakens to find that an assignment has been posted to all Prentice Samurai to head for K's Tavern at the plaza. It's not like we can refuse, this, so let's go!
Mokoi: Booze, eh? Might be some perks ta leaving that cave after all!
Napaea: Fifty Macca says I can outdrink you!
Mokoi: Ooh, free fifty Macca! I accept, Sheila!
Inside the Tavern, the other four Prentices have all gathered around the one-eyed, one-armed bartender, known only as "K." The purpose of this scene is to explain the game's sidequest system. See, K knows that fighting demons all the time will eventually get boring for Samurai, so he's opened up the billboard in his bar for people to post requests for the Samurai to carry out. Once this assignment, called a Challenge Quest, is done, K will reward whoever completed it.
Flynn: Well, nothing says one cannot enjoy one's job...
It is here the classist Navarre proposes a competition between himself, Flynn, and Walter: in an attempt to prove the "innate superiority" of Luxurors, he wagers that he can complete the three quests presently on the board faster than they can!
Flynn: I shall not tolerate insults to my pride, Navarre. I was born a Casualry and that I shall stay. We are every bit as good as the Luxurors, simply given a different role by our Lord. I accept your wager
The three challenge quests are "The Lion's Roar within Naraku," "Gather Naraku Lichen," and "Collect Demon Claws;" if you thoroughly explored the second stratum, you should have the moss already, so just drop that off with K. The second quest requires facing an Orthrus, a new demon that has appeared in the second stratum, so we are required to head back into Naraku.
(As Flynn leaves the bar, he notices MOKOI forking over fifty Macca to NAPAEA)
Burroghs will automatically provide you with a new App here: Demon Fusion.
Flynn: Demon FUSION? Merely forming contracts with demons made me uneasy, I will admit, but combining them into one? You should think there would be rules against this...
Lham Daerg: If i' makes yeh feel any better, it's not really "combining." Yeh simply use us as payment tae summon a different demon from the Expanse, and yeh can call us back at any time.
Flynn: Expanse?
Fuxi: Nothin' a human needs ta be concerned with, boy.
Demon Fusion is, of course, a standby of the series; it functions exactly as it sounds, with two demons being used to create a new, higher-level demon. There are certain demons that can only be acquired through Fusion. This includes any demon in a "Light"-aligned family (though the "Light" alignment doesn't technically exist in this game) and any demon exclusive to Special Fusion, which we can't do at this point. At this level, there are four Fusion-exclusive demons we can access, so let's ring 'em up!
Heqet: OooOOOoh! A Samurai! A real live Samurai! Hihihi! I'm Heqet! We're gonna have funfunfun!
Flynn: Indeed? Oh! My God! I mean, please excuse me, revered spirit!
Angel: Concern yourself not with that, Blessed Samurai; it is the duty of Angels to guard humanity. I hope I serve our contract well.
Hamsa: Quack to you, Blessed Samurai! I'm definitely ready for quacktion! Let me know if you need any help and I'll quack you up!
Pele: Yo. I'm here too.
Pele is the game's basic fire-user, which will be very important in a bit. She can also cure poison. Angel is a more powerful healer than Napaea, and can cure Sleep and Binding. Hamsa and Heqet are unique in that they can use items in battle, something only Flynn is typically able to do.
Another important thing to do here is find a Slime and speak to him. You will be unable to understand him at first, but doing this unlocks the "Demonlingual" App for Burroughs, which will enable Flynn to understand him and all other "unintelligible" demons, greatly increasing the amount of potential part members.
Slime: Kill all humanssss...
Flynn: Interesting. Whoever designed these Gauntlets clearly had a vested interest in communing with demons. Le us see what this App does...
Slime: Hey there, Mr. Samurai! I'm not that tough, but I'd like to lend a hand if I may. What do you say?
Flynn: ...alright then.
Our target is the red "beast-"form demon on the second stratum. Attack it to engage the mini-boss.
=MINI-BOSS: ORTHRUS=
Level 8. Drain Fire, Weak Ice, Null Light, Null Dark
Full-power Orthri are level 57, this one, though bigger, is only Level 8, so be thankful. It has the same Bounce Claw skill as Gryphons do, and hits harder with it, so be careful, but not too careful. With enough Ice spells on your side, it should go down in two rounds.
Flynn: That was the largest demon I have ever seen... he was not particularly difficult, but I shudder to think they are more powerful than this.
(FLYNN takes pause to notice HEQET attempting to cram an entire bottle of Healing Water down MYRMECOLION's throat)
The final quest is to collect three Gryphon Talong, which are a 100% drop. Just fight Gryphons until you get three, and take them back to K.
Flynn: Are you certain you do not mind?
Gryphon: NOOOOO. WE GRYPHON TOENAILS GROW BACK REAAAAAAAL GOOD!
Upon making the delivery, Flynn is informed that in his efforts to complete the quest, Navarre has gotten himself captured by demons!
Napaea: Can we leave him there, please?
What has happened to Navarre? More importantly, will Flynn even bother saving him? Stay tuned to find out!
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