Update 32: No Eyes Blue-and-White Dragon (Nameless vs. Crystal Dragon)



I have several questions about what this bizarre machine and these strange scrawlings on the floor are.
And I'm kinda wondering why you two are working on something together and not going at each other with insults.
Only the most boorish of plebians could not set their differences aside to work on such a monumental discovery.
...What Kaelin means is "this is such an important thing that we're working together for a bit."
Well, that's Sasha's question answered. Now, what is this?
Have you had the opportunity to read that book the orange-haired drunkard left at the bar?
I will assume you haven't: the book contains extraterrestrials that could perceive time all at once. We both suspected that, given the drunkards' bizarre time-altering machine, these fictionalized aliens might be onto something, and so we set to work at once.
Assuming it works right, it should open a rift to a random point in time, and allow us to communicate--but not physically interact with--whatever entities might be on the other side. Care to witness its initial test?
I'm both interested and a bit scared this might rip the fabric of reality open.
So it goes. Initialize!
.́͘̕͘҉.̸̡̨̛͟.̷̀҉W̢̨͜ḩ̡͜͡à̶̧t҉͟͏͟ ̢̨̀͢í̴̕n̡͜҉ ̷̶͢t̶̡͠h̵̸̨̕e̢̢?̶҉̴̴
That looks...suspiciously like a person.
What luck. Hello! Can you hear us?
...Yes, but I'm more concerned with what is this giant hole in the air?!
No need to fear, it's merely a temporary two-way rift in the timestream.
That's...not reassuring in the least, honestly.
Frankly, that doesn't matter much. I am Magda, an...Herbalist, after a fashion, and he is Kaelin.
The heck is an Herba--
I'm Tim. Sometimes I'm also Ranger.
Gah! When did you-- Why am I asking, he's magnetically attracted to weird things.
Ranger? Is everything okay?! You just dropped your paintbru-- Oh.
If I had to guess... We've either stumbled upon a small party of friends, or two couples on a blind date. In a house, for some reason.
Or, y'know, a married couple and their two traveling companions. _{They're more like our kids, though...} ...I'm Realga, by the way.
Stardust.
...Hey, uh, Magda, is that gauge supposed to be spinning around like that?
No, and it indicates that this thing is about to collapse in on itself. Farewell, then.
Bye! ...I guess.
You two aren't, ah, bothered by all of that work vanishing in an instant?
The principle was proven, and that's all we cared about.















VIDEO: Boss: Crystal Dragon









Ooh, ooh, it's vomiting liquid crystal!
...I'm, uh, sure that's valuable to some...stranger customers.


A butterfly? Really? Does that actually symbolize anything or is it just pointless flashiness?
There's nothing wrong with a dash of showmanship.





...I realize there's a cooperative point to this, but it still feels useless to me.



...I... It's...it's not even moving. _{Maybe some wheels would make them better though...}





Cease your resistance.

Bahahahaha!
Is it truly funny when that happens?!







Do you think dragons have mid-life crises?
What?
It keeps changing for no reason.


I've never seen someone toss bombs so unenthusedly.
Have you been paying attention to anything I've said about myself at all?


There! A perfect wall of mounted guns.
They're not gonna suddenly turn around and shoot at us, right?!
Where in the heck did you hear that?
A Fencer at the bar...







Wrong move!

Pow-pow!


What an...absolutely astonishing display...
Almost makes you forget that it tried to hurt us.


You want more? I'll happily oblige!






So it...goes...





The battle between Nameless and the Crystal Dragon, which had been raging on with no end in sight, came to a sudden conclusion when the dragon finally falls! That's right, you've defeated the mighty dragon! For a moment you're left speechless, before letting out a cheer! However, your celebration is interrupted by a familiar voice.

How splendid. Perhaps you really are able to meet my expectations...
You've met this mysterious girl three times already, but this time there's no sign of her at all, just her voice coming from the air around you.
Further in there is a massive pillar of crystal; that is where you proceed. Open the door. It will guide you to the summit of Yggdrasil. That's where I've been waiting...for a long, long time.
It's unclear to you whether the voice the voice is distant or far, but it gradually grows faint. You can either follow its suggestion and head deeper in, or report back to the Council first.
We're, uh, we're sure about this, right? Something tells me whatever's at the top, it's gonna change our lives. Probably the lives of everyone living on this...heck, this planet, too.
Why the solemn tone? We're about to make a legendary discovery.
For...not necessarily once, I agree with Kaelin. Let's press on before we report back.


Ever wanted to know how to make a door look important? There's your answer.

The crystal pillar has a kind of metal door you've never seen before, and it appears as though you can enter it.


VIDEO: 5th Stratum Intro







The device carried you high up, far higher than any mountain. And now, before your eyes, is a deeply unfamiliar view.


...No way.


...


This is, uh... No-one at any bars ever told me about this...


The sky is as dark as night, and below it is a Labyrinth covered in vegetation of the like you've never seen before. Finally, the entire area appears to be separated from the heavens by some sort of glass ceiling.
A...controlled habitat...amongst the stars... Even in my wildest dreams, I couldn't have...
The strange thought that this whole thing might have been built by someone briefly floats through your minds. But if so, who? And for what reason? As you stand perplexed by the Labyrinth with an atmosphere unlike any of the ones before it, a girl suddenly appears before your eyes.


Thank you for challenging Yggdrasil, and moreso for making it this far. My deepest hope is that you'll continue on to the summit...and grant my wish.
Okay, I have a request. Can you just tell us who--
After she says this, she points towards the magnetic pole behind her.
However, no doubt you are exhausted from your battles. You should return to town first, to ensure your affairs are in order.
No, I have quite a lot of questions by this--
The girl then quietly disappears. You can either take her advice or not.
Rrrrrrgh. How does she even do that?


Heeeeey youuuuu guyyyyyys! I heard you reached the FIFTH Stratum!!
You heard correctly.
Oh my gawds, I just canNOT believe that the people staying at my inn would make it so far! It's a real shock, like when I rub a cat's fur after busting out my sweet dance moves on the rug.
I'm...quite certain that's bothersome for the cat.
We're even getting customers who specifically ask to stay in the same room as the famous Nameless! So naturally, for the true Celebrity Experience I charge them five times as much for it!
...
...That's the scariest look you've ever given me?
Do not--I repeat: DO NOT--EVER let other people into ANY of our rooms, under ANY circumstance.



So heyyy, I heard you made it to the fifth stratum! Feels like we were celebrating number four just yesterday, but, well, here we are. Crazy how you might actually finish this thing, eh? Heheh, but I'll pick up the pace, don't you worry--I'll have more items in stock than eeeever before! Anything for my most loyal customers.
We come back from a giant...thing filled with greenery in space, and you're commenting on our patronage? ...Never change, Ceric.



I've heard the stories. How you felled the great Crystal Dragon and all that. I've been thinking this for a while now, but you people are truly ridiculous. Just how far are you going to end up going? At this rate you're going to become gods or something, and I won't be able to casually bug you about doing requests anymore. But seriously though, you've been to the fifth stratum, right? What's it like?
To put it bluntly: it's in outer space.
What...? You can see above the sky from there? Are you teasing little ol' me?

Blue Man: They did it... They finally did it... Nameless got all the way to the fifth stratum! And not only that, supposedly it's floating above the sky, like a something out of a fairy tale! It's too late to be the first one there, but how can I call myself an explorer if I'm not going to a place like that?! I feel like I've been reminded of something so simple, yet so important. How could I have forgotten? I'll have to thank Nameless if I ever run into them.
...
Troub: Hey there. Must've been some kind of fate for us to meet here like this, huh? So, how about a song to commemorate the occasion?
I could do with a good song after all that!
Troub: Alright, I call this one, "Now I've Done It!"

Hangin out with the crew on a tree trunk top /
Puttin stuff in my pockets cause I just can't stop /
Didn't bring any potions cause I gotta PICK UP /
Hey, there's some monsters! C'mon yo, let's hop! /
"Something we forgot?" my buddy done says /
As I'm thinkin 'bout the profits, ain't like we need to rez! /
"Hey, hold up, it's an FOE!" NOW I'VE DONE IT!

"Good evening, folks." "Hey, yeah, nice night!" /
Can't look at my map cause damn he's a fright /
"You look a bit pale. Where's the rush?" /
"Uh, there's no rush, I just feel flush!" /
"Well lemme see here, you got lotsa rocks /
Nice Cone Fang and some acorns and ropes /
Hey now! Tell me! Are these! For me!" NOW I'VE DONE IT! /
"Get into the pack and grab the Thread!" /
My friends start searching through all my mess /
And then I figure out what it was that I forgot! NOW I'VE DONE IT! /

Listen closely now-
He's a huge bug! Gettin me with the mandibles for more damage than even my Dragoon can take and man, my guts hurt! Owowowowowowow, NOW I'VE DONE IT!
He's a huge bug! Gettin me with the mandibles for more damage than even my Dragoon can take, I'm strugglin but then a Golem comes out, NOW I'VE DONE IT!

...So what do you think?
Where can I drop tips?
Troub: This one's been popular lately. No surprise really, since it's about you Nameless. Of course, I'm counting of you going on to inspire an even better one. One about you making everyone's oldest dreams come true. Heh, good luck with the fifth stratum.

This request is from a scholar studying the vegetation of the Labyrinth. For his investigation he wants a Thick Stem, a Coriander, or a Clockflower, all of which can be taken in the Labyrinth. You don't have to get all of them: he said that even one would be fine. Specifically, 1 Coriander would satisfy him. Of course, he's willing to pay more for more varieties, so you might as well aim for that, right? Good luck.
Oh, that one's from Edgar's wife. You know, the guildmaster.
...Edgar has a wife?
I was told that she looking for an acorn shell that's as hard as steel for some reason, but...that's not really much to go on, is it?
No. No, it isn't. I'm somewhat baffled now.
Maybe you should stop by the Explorer's Guild and ask about it? Or rather, do that please. That's your job.



You guys again? Whaddya need this time?
Your, uh, your wife filed a request, I'm pretty sure.
...A request? And here I was sure we told Melina everything.
Eurgh, that Melina. Bet she thinks she's being considerate or something, in that... weird... bartendery way of hers. Fine, sure, I'll do the talking. The request's from my wife. So, we've got this pet mouse at home. Name's Bredge. He's kinda big for a mouse, I guess, but he's family.
Sorry, no, hold for a short bit. I need a moment.
Um...?
You can't tell me the mental image of him caring for a pet mouse isn't somewhat funny.
Problem, though, is his teeth. Normally you give an animal something hard to gnaw on to wear 'em down, but the little bastard won't take anything that ain't food. And even worse is, they're sharp as all get out, you get something that's even a little brittle and he'll chomp right through it. He keeps getting a stronger bite, and the damn things won't stop growing. Bredge can barely eat anything anymore, even he's a bit spooked about it. So, before it gets any worse, I figured we should go find him one of those acorns that're hard as steel. I mean, my wife figured that. So there you go, go find a hard-as-steel acorn shell, got it?
Of course. ...Even if I have no idea where we'll find one of those.
To think--these clucking little chicks I met the other day, flailing around like babies, would get all the way to the fifth Stratum. Pfft, when you were first creating your guild we didn't even know there was a fifth Stratum. ...It's that look in your eyes, I think. Shows me the way you approach the Labyrinth, and why you're so damn good at it. It's that sincerity- you ain't basked in what you've done, you've kept your eyes on the top the whole time. ...I'm wishing you luck.








So, just as she said, you encountered a Crystal Dragon? ...Aaand you've already killed it. Well, it's not as though I expected any different. But... I'll be frank. I have no idea what's going on at this point. Who this girl is, what the Labyrinth has in store, everything is an enigma. But this enigma is exactly why I'll do everything in my--why the Council will do everything in its power to support you. Oh, but I should reward you for defeating the Crystal Dragon.






Since ancient times, everyone in the world has no doubt wondered, "what awaits our people once we achieve the top of Yggdrasil?" Many explorers have taken up the challenge, but, to a man, they ended their journeys in failure. The odds are astronomically in the tree's favor. But, even so... I have faith that you'll be the ones to make it.
So, in the skies above Yggdrasil, there's...more Labyrinth?
One step away from the stars, yes.
My, my. Is this fifth stratum really such a mysterious, mystical place? I'd love to see it myself, but, well... I suppose thathonor is reserved for the explorers who risk their lives to reach it.



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