Ohhh... Library Battle SIMULATION: Let's Play Library of Ruina

[TeeQueue]

Appendix 5: Pierre's Bistro

Most cooks who live here have the same dream: becoming one of ‘The Eight Chefs’! They’re the people who pursue the ultimate delicacy. Their way of cooking will… give you a thrill just hearing about it! You don’t feel it? No no, I’m sure you can feel it inside. I sound crazy? Nyeh, listen up, you stubborn square! This is why I can’t talk with people whose brains are too old. They taste bad, too!

There’s a limit to the flavors people can draw forth. The height of taste the human tongue can feel isn’t as impressive as you might think, really. The most delicious food doesn’t come close to sending chills down your spine. At most… it’s just good enough to make your eyes spin! And the food you guys casually eat, going “Mm~ Tasty~”, are way! Way, way way way waaaaaay~ below that! So, many chefs gathered round one time… pondering what to do to pursue a taste beyond this limit… And then inspiration struck all of them at the same time like lightning! What if they sublimated the experience into taste, something beyond what the tongue can feel? You know, they say the presentation of food adds to its taste, right? What if the whole process of cooking could be tasted! They performed several experiments in an attempt to make that dream come true.

“So?” What do you mean, “So?” I wouldn’t be trying so hard if there was an end to delicacy! All the chefs are continuing their research to this day, seeking more stimulating flavors. And I just want to be as good as the stain on their apron at least!

Our usual source of cooking ingredients are Syndicates specializing in butchery. The kinds of meat they treat and how they process it differs for each Syndicate, so you should pick your caterer carefully. Our meat pie bistro used to frequently trade with ‘The Musicians of Bremen’ and ‘Little Piggy's’.

‘The Musicians of Bremen’ provided large quantities of meat, though it wasn’t exactly the freshest. Shattered chips of bones were often in the meat, and the mixture of different types would create an odd flavor. Still was a reliable supplier of ingredients, all in all. Outside of special occasions, we’d use them for making experimental dishes or sausages. Oh, speaking of, sausages are made from a mix of several different kinds of meat. You could even find a rat inside at times. Anyway, we rarely sold the dishes made out of their meat other than the sausages. They’d never treat their meat nicely before handing it to us.

The meat from ‘Little Piggy's’ is pricey and comes in small quantities, but its quality is good. We even got the highest grade meat sometimes if we were lucky. Just looking at the meat from ‘Little Piggy's’ fills me with ideas about how to cook it and makes my mouth water. That’s how appealing the meat looks. But the price is rather heavy, so we only used it for important dishes or foods we serve to customers.

But both Syndicates suddenly said they’re no longer selling ingredients for some reason. So now Pierre and I have to pioneer a new supply chain on our own. I don’t think this is all too bad, though. I enjoy working with Pierre a lot.

District 23 is the street of flavor. Everything is permitted in the pursuit of making delicious dishes. Even dismembering humans. Isn’t that exciting?

‘A guest walked into a restaurant for a meal, but then the chef fell in love with them! They had the perfect amount of tenderness and girth. The chef pulled out a knife, and the guest ended up on a plate. You'll become the food you appreciated one day, and others will appreciate what you've become.’

It’s a common story often told in these streets. Well… If you really become the main character of one of those tales, be honored. That means the chef saw you as excellent meat. Hmm? This is one of the best compliments you can hear in District 23. The more you know~

Butchering a human is a lot simpler than butchering other animals. Most of them are smaller than us. Which means we can subdue them right away even if they try to resist. Oh, I’m not saying you necessarily have to be tall to be a butcher, so don’t be discouraged. Anyway, humans can be a bit noisy, but they’re very handy to deal with overall since there’s little to worry about compared to other meats.

Besides, the uhh… ‘The Eight Chefs’? For them, human meat is the one and only ingredient that matches their pursuit. Some buzz about how the process of cooking should be part of the flavor… You can’t do that with any other meat. So you’d better watch it. If you dare wander this part of the town, your destination might end up being a dining table.

[TeeQueue]

Technological Sciences—203.54—Forsaken Murderer

Music: Lobby


Here's a shot of Yesod's book burning screen, before I can forget again.



Our build for Yesod is mostly about having low cost options that inflict status effects on decent dice, and high-cost options that are about dealing damage and also inflicting more status effects. Our Key Page is Mo again, for the random extra Paralysis on hit and the Normal resist to Blunt damage. Mo is a good choice for a surprisingly long time.

This should do. But this body is so slovenly…



Much better.



It's time. Remember to do your work thoroughly.

Obviously.

Is this one particularly tough?

Not at all. Even Malkuth could handle it.

Yeah—

Hey! I'm not an 'even Malkuth!'

Let's just get this over with.

SNAP

Music: AbnormalityBattle01


Forsaken Murderer is in his breaching form when we fight him here—we won't be seeing his usual head until we've defeated him and gotten his pages.

Don’t look at me with those eyes. You’re the most pitiful ones here…

I may be a mess now, but you’ll have to fear me all the same.

Release me… Why do I have to be bound, dammit!

Even if my body is tied… I’m as free as any man.

Taking a look at his passives, there are two major takeaways. The first is that we definitely don't want to get hit—the 2x Stagger damage is on top of any weaknesses we may have. A Fatal Stagger resist will take 4x the damage. This is part of why I went with Mo—all of his attacks are Blunt type, so we're safe there.

The other is that status effects will lower his die rolls through the floor. "Power" is a keyword we'll be seeing a lot from now on (I've used it a few times myself already), so I'll explain it here. Any time Power is mentioned, it's referring to the result of our roll in a clash. Here, a -4 Power means that a 4 is subtracted from whatever the die result is, in order to determine how it fares in a clash. Needless to say, we want this on as much as possible.



Forsaken Murderer's pattern is very simple as well. For two turns, he uses this 0-cost page. Since this is the first turn, I opt to go for Rampage in order to inflict Bleed. This can fail, but if it does we don't have to panic yet since next turn we'll be seeing this page again.



Don't get ahead of yourself, Abnormality.

Thanks to some luck, we manage to hit with all three dice of Rampage. This means Forsaken Murderer will have 2 stacks of Bleed on him next turn, which triggers his Fear passive.



While Fear is active, the border of the battlefield gains a dark border, and his mid-battle dialogue changes.

…My body feels weak. What am I supposed to do?

Fine, I’m sorry… I’ll behave myself… No more of that…

I’m scared… I’m scared that I have to feel things I don’t want to feel…

From here, the ideal outcome is to continue to hit him with status effects turn after turn to prevent him from ever getting to do anything.



To that end, I go for E-endure. Its second die can't lose against Forsaken Murderer's current 1-1 range (dice results can never go below 1), and it'll pass Paralysis on to the next round for certain.



The Blunt die doesn't do any actual damage to him, but ultimately we're remaining undamaged and Library of Ruina is all about dying slower than our opponent.



On Scene 3 he busts out his signature page: Metallic Ringing. If we see this page come out without Fear on him, we're in a pinch—the odds are in favor of us being Staggered if we play anything short of a Commandeering. Even with Fear, this can be a tricky page to handle due to having three 1-3 dice, and most infliction pages having dice that fall in that range.

Because we've given him Paralyzed 2, however, two of those rolls will be 1-1, and the third will be 1-3. Because of that I go for You're Too Slow to take advantage of his low dice and stack up Power increases for a big attack die.



Yesod dodges all three attacks effortlessly…




And delivers a crushing blow, Staggering Forsaken Murderer.



Goin First is our best damage page to follow up, with the second die dealing a guaranteed 8 damage and the third die dealing between 8 and 16 after Fragile. We'll need to be lucky to score a win with it.



We are not lucky.



And the next turn our offensive die fails to deal more damage, leaving him with 1 HP after Bleed.



So in the end, it takes us 6 Scenes…



To beat Forsaken Murderer without taking a single hit. :hellyeah:



Huh… nice job.

But how come I'm the only one who had trouble with their book monster so far..?

Perhaps Fixers simply aren't all they're billed to be.

Ouch, man… You don't hold back, do you?

I see little reason to.

Right… anyways.

VIDEO
Music: YesodStory


Your clothes are still slovenly.



I appreciate it, but it feels kinda awkward to be honest.

Proper attitude of the mind begins with a well-conducted body.

Well, I guess I should say thanks.

What is your business this time?

Nothing unusual. Got some books to deliver, and some questions to ask. Heard from Malkuth that the librarians here used to be humans long ago. Is that true?

…It is.

Were you all seasoned brawlers in your past lives, then? Like the ringleaders of Syndicates? Although, my intuition as a Fixer is telling me otherwise.

Your observation would be correct. None of us lived such a violent life. Save for a couple of exceptions, that is.

Knew it. How are you so skillful at dealing with guests, though?



We covered this back in the tutorial, Roland. Try and keep up.

Oh, so that’s why you guys seemed to grow sorta stronger with every book I gave you.

In the Library, books act as a source of power. Emotions can do the same. Through the books, we can imbue our own bodies with the senses and strengths that were engraved in other’s bodies. Moreover, the Library can amplify the emotions of its denizens; it acts upon visitors and residents alike.

Wow, these “books” are a lot more impressive than I thought. Heck, they might even be better than the surgeries and tools most workshops have to offer. Information is one thing, but this could be a real moneymaker.

You think in secular terms.

Call it the pathetically tearful survival instincts of a man who’s lived most of his life in poverty, will ya?

Anyways, that’s all for my questions. Thanks for your kind answers.

Don’t mistake this for kindness. I do not particularly think highly of you. You’re nothing more than Angela’s little lapdog.

What? Hey, that’s rude! You know I didn’t take this job by my choice.

Does that necessarily exempt you from guiltiness, however? Now, if you’re done with your errands, kindly take your leave now.



Music: Lobby


With that, Technological Sciences is now level 2, and we get our first batch of Abnormality pages.



Yesod's floor really likes Blunt dice, and Metallic Ringing gives us a bonus for using them, making each hit deal 1 Bind and 1 Paralysis. While we know what Paralysis does, Bind gives a -1 to all of the bound character's Speed Dice for that turn—it's a very niche ability, and not usually worth thinking about. The Paralysis alone makes this page very good, however.

Violence is also pretty good, particularly in the early game. -1 to +3 on dice ranges works out to an average of +1 Power to all dice rolled after it's selected, and this early on some of our dice have a base roll of 1—meaning that there's no actual downside for them.

Chained Wrath absolutely breaks the game, but not for a good long while so we'll revisit that later on. Right now we can't even pick it. Rest assured, it's very good and even when being used normally it's practically an instant-pick as long as we have a Blunt user (and on Yesod's floor, that will be always).



We also get our next set of assignments. These are relatively simple, though the first one will require us to have three Librarians on a floor and the third will gate it until after Malkuth's next Abnormality at the earliest.


Enough stalling, Angela. I was promised one of my agents back.

I haven't been stalling. This process simply takes some time to stabilize.

It's true. It took some time for Bishop, too.

Really? It felt just like waking up for me…

Not very good at waiting, are you?

I'd say we've all waited more than long enough already.

…



Mornin', kiddos. I miss much?

I'll brief you shortly.

Appreciated. Would've been here earlier, but my schedule had me all... tied up.

…

Man, I missed you.

:mmmhmm:

Consider your absence excused. Back to work, all of you.

Sir.

Next time, on Library of Ruina

A protagonist, a heroine, and a mentor walk into a Library...


Videos

Yesod 2

[TeeQueue]

Book 9: Streetlight Office 1—Chapter 1

Music: Lobby


The next invitation has been prepared.

This is the first time we've needed two books…

As our opponents become more powerful, we'll require more enticing bait.

That must mean these guys are a step up from those butchers before, eh?

Stop acting like you're concerned. D.A.D. and I will handle the reception today.

Yes, yes. Thank you, great Yesod~

Stop that.

...yeesh.

VIDEO
Music: StoryAlley


Our Office is officially designated by the Zwei Association as an affiliate, too. And the crime rate of territories secured by the Streetlight Office remains at a remarkable 0% as long as the contract is in effect!!!



And we’ll eventually get work if we wait.

Yeah, sure, you can keep waiting for the rest of your life. I’m seriously considering moving to another Office.

Never thought you’d have what it takes to work for a bigger Office.

Unlike you, I have several business connections I made from experience, do you understand? Your mother must be too busy being a legendary Fixer or whatever, while I have friends who can help me right away.

Yeah, some great Fixer you are~

Yeah yeah. Why thanks, I know I’m great~



Ruina has some great expression work in its CGs. That guy in the back is an entire mood.



…Fighting again, are you…

This S.O.B ate the cake without even asking me!!

The expiration date was yesterday, so I took care of it, that’s all.

Auuuuuuuuugh!!!!! It’s MY cake, and even if it’s expired, I’ll take care of it on MY own!!!

Anyway, boss, how about that work?

Don’t change the topic!!!



But… That was a limited edition cake…

I’m still rather skeptical about it, but I got this one from a friend of mine at the Association.

You mean that Associate Fixer working directly under the Zwei?

Yes, it’s her. The Hana Association has yet to consider this request as a subject that needs to be addressed officially.



Some stories of it. We overheard Rats talking about it.

Said the books in that place have tremendous value or whatever.

I see. I retrieved an invitation to that library from my friend I just mentioned.

But we might not get much payment from this request if it’s off the record.

And it won’t count towards our official career, either.

Such as it is… The Association is trying to remain cautious about it.

Are we really going to walk right into a place we know nothing about?

She did promise to see to it that we’re rewarded with pay comparable to an Urban Legend-class request if everything goes down well…

……

……



Let’s do this!

Guess we have no choice. It’s still too uncertain, but we need that money. We haven’t been too busy lately.

Thanks, everyone! We’ll get through like we always have.

Music: Lobby


They’re talking about associations of Fixers. It takes more than just setting up an Office to jump into the Fixer business. There are a total of twelve Fixer Associations across the City, each in charge of different types of work. Cases and requests are all sorted according to the type and sent to one of these associations.

Associations manage Offices and delegate work to them, I see.

That’s right. Sometimes, the Association might send documents to multiple Offices at once, or directly have Associate Fixers take care of the work. And among them, the Hana Association is in overall control of all Fixers. They grade Fixers and authorize Offices and stuff.

Do Offices have grades as well?

Essentially. The requests sent out by the Associations are graded, too.

They really love to grade things, don’t they.

It’s easier to know that way.

Know what?

How valuable I am as a person…



Everyone’s busy minding their own business, no one is going to lounge around having deep conversations about each other’s value. Knowing each other’s grades and affiliations, on the other hand, can save a ton of words. You can tell if you’re above or below the person you’re talking to right away.

Sounds like people stopped trying to learn or think about it at some point.

Bet you won’t say the same once you experience the city life for a bit. You have to interact with so many people out there, whether you want to or not. People have been looking for ways to adapt to the City, and this is just one of them.

Music: Entrance


Stop complaining, we should be glad to have work at all.

I know! Do you really have to point out the obvious?!

Now now, cool it down, guys. Can’t tell if you’re best friends or worst enemies.

Excuse me! Please don’t associate me with this goof!

I certainly don’t want that, either.

Alright, alright. Let’s have a feast at Juli’s restaurant once this is over. The tab’s on me.

Yeah!



Who are you?

Prepare yourselves.

There is no need to be so wary. Your ordeal has not started yet. I am Angela, the director and librarian of my role’s namesake.

Nice to meet you. I’m San from the Streetlight Office. We were brought here by the invitation. There’s something I’d like to ask about it.

What is it?

I actually retrieved this invitation from another person, not directly from you. Are we still eligible?

Yes, indeed. The invitation eventually reached you, dear guest, and you signed your name with your own will. Everything has worked as intended.

I see.

May you find your book in this place.



Did that look like a human to you? I mean, she did have the shape of a person, but something about her didn’t feel right… Though I can’t exactly put it to words…

She… probably is a machine.

Didn’t expect to see a machine that’s so similar to a human being…

Let’s focus on our work. Once again, you must back off as soon as you feel that you’re in danger.

Next time, on Library of Ruina: Wait, was that always an option?!


Videos

Streetlight Office 1







Ah, there you are.

Man… I was just in the middle of a nap.

Ah, you can go back to sleep right after. Just wanted to check up on my dear coworkers before I run off to the mines again.

Eh, I wouldn't worry too much about it. We can't die here without permission, you know?

Bishop mentioned something about that to me earlier. He said something interesting; that he'd-

Stop. Please. No.

Something wrong?

Bishop said something. That means it's going to be a whole thing, and nobody's going to have any idea what any of it means until the last minute where everything suddenly makes sense and he tries to make himself seem like he knew it all along.

Not a fan of mysteries, I take it?

Man, I just wanna have an easy life of doing the bare minimum to get by. Anything complicated can get booked.

Shelving it for later, eh?

...fifty points.

Come on, it was worth at least seventy. :mmmhmm:

Forty-five, and if you keep this up I'll drop it again.

Fine, fine. Nice to see you again too, kiddo.

...yeah. Good luck in the book mines. Those page ore veins can be feisty.

[RSSpryter]

Here come the onion ninjas.

[TeeQueue]

Book 9: Streetlight Office 1—Chapter 2

Music: GuestBattle01


Yet again, there's no warmup set of enemies. Streetlight Office is just these three. Their pages aren't particularly remarkable right now, so let's take a closer look at their stats.



San and Lulu are unremarkable for where we're at right now, though Lulu is something of a Burn specialist. Mars, however, has one very important feature: he has no weaknesses, and a strength to Slash damage. Because of this, he's much tankier than his cohorts.



D.A.D. gets Pierre's page, and I set them up with a bunch of Blunt attacks. It's important to have at least one character on Yesod's floor primarily using Blunt attacks since Forsaken Murderer's pages reward it so heavily.



Music: YesodBattle01


So it's just the three of you.

This is something of an... exploratory mission.

Nothing personal, but we need to find out how your Library works.

That's a very questionable decision, kiddo.

Says you! Unfortunately, you're outnumbered!



As is so often the case lately, we have to just accept one guest getting one-sided attacks on our librarians for now.



This scene, that guest is San. His Silent Night page will only do two 1-3 damage strikes. This page also grants Endurance, which does for defensive dice what Strength does for offensive ones—they get 1 Power for each stack of Endurance a character has.



D.A.D. clashes with Mars's attack instead. That second die gives Paralysis, and our 3-4 is all but guaranteed to come out even at worst against it.



Yesod, meanwhile, uses E-endure on Lulu. It's really the best 1 cost we have right now by a huge margin, there's little reason not to spam it.



What are you guys, anyways? A monster? A human? Something else?



I'm D.A.D.

I see.



Hello, D.A.D. I'm San, and I'd prefer you didn't bully my Office.



Quick, aren't you?

Darn right! And you move like a geezer!

…



D.A.D, these people have gotten under my skin.

I'm feeling it too. Do you want to borrow its power?

You do it. I have no intention of owing an Abnormality anything.

Roger.

Music: GuestBattle01


I'm a little amazed that someone as cold-hearted as that guy can get riled up at all.

Cold-hearted, huh? Is that how you see him?

...yes? Obviously?

You should ask your partner about that sometime.

There's nothing we can do to stop D.A.D. from taking the brunt of these attacks. Luckily, none of them are particularly powerful.



We clash with Lulu, in order to stop the Burn from getting through.



Yesod takes a chance to get a cheap shot in on San, because his page doesn't have any defensive dice.



Are you sure you can afford to ignore me?

Khh—Yes.



Because the little missy's set her bat on fire.

Damnit, that was supposed to crack you right on the jaw!



Don't worry about it, Lulu. You left them open for Mars and I, that's enough.

Y'think so, kiddo?



I'm used to taking the hits to make the openings.

Well done, D.A.D.

Ugh..! Team, heads up! We can't afford to ignore either of them.

Right!



So… what's your take of the situation?

Things are still relatively even. If it was you and I, I'd recommend a combination attack to try and take one of them out quickly. Though that wouldn't be worth as many books, it'd keep our allies intact.

That's the wisdom of a Grade 7 Fixer, eh?

Not all of us can dance around the guests all day like you and Zaida can. It's best to end things quickly.

...We'll give it a try. D.A.D!

I heard!

They're planning something… stay sharp.



Since San and Mars are both using Fleet Footsteps again, I opt to go all in on clearing San off the board, leading with a Commandeering from D.A.D.



Yesod follows up with a second attack, just to make sure.

Pop quiz: can you spot the misplay I've made here?



This… is bad.

Let's talk numbers. San had 17 HP, 7 Stagger Resist, and Bleed 2. His first die was Offensive, meaning his HP would be reduced to 15. Additionally, Commandeering's result had a 100% chance of hitting with at least a 4. San's Blunt resist is a Fatal in both categories, meaning at minimum he'd take 8 HP and 8 Stagger Resist. This attack could not possibly fail to Stagger him.



Further, even if we rolled minimum damage on both dice, he would have taken 8+6=14 damage, leaving him a 1 HP unit that's Staggered on his next turn. I just pointlessly wasted Yesod's entire turn. When something like this happens and a Librarian's target is defeated before they can attack, the page they played is returned to their hand and the Light cost is refunded. Effectively, it's like they didn't play anything for that attack. We still want this to happen as little as possible so we can make the most out of our actions.

This is… my limit.

You did what you could. Just accept it.

Yes…

Lulu! Mars! I'll leave it in your hands!



Did…

he…

just…

run?!

You can just… leave?!

There was never any stated rule against it.

Ma'am, we won't be able to farm the books we need if our dear guests run for their lives when they see they can't win, ma'am.

There's no need to worry. These red invitations will deliver the books we require to us without fail.



D.A.D! Don't let him esca—

Like I'll let you!

I'm pinned down, can you?!



Like hell you will!

Kh—it's a failure. The guest made a clean escape.

Music: GuestBattle02


Lulu, it's time to get serious. Don't hold me back, alright?

Like hell I would! How about you don't hold ME back!!!!




I line up two clashes and go for it. Streetlight Office can whip out some nasty pages, and Nonstop Assault in particular it's hard to have an answer for that isn't named Commandeering—even it will likely only win the first die.



Aaaaand ONE!!!

Now… I ain't exactly a Fixer, but I know a thing or two about fireworks. No reason in particular, I just like 'em.



What the hell does that matter?!

Well, you, you're definitely a firecracker.



And that just means once I weather the explosion, you're wide open, kiddo.

Owww..!

You okay over there, boss?



I'm… fine…

Sure you don't want to start running?

Yesod gets his face pushed in, because Nonstop Assault is a really strong page.



D.A.D.

Sir?

Show no mercy.

Roger that.

Hey, Lulu.

What is it?!

The purple haired one, I think I've got him on his last legs. If we team up, I think we can knock these two down a peg.

You're asking me for help?

Of course. I think we can take him out if we work together.



Fine. I guess I can help you out this once. But don't get used to it!

I won't. Promise.



This turn, I focus down Lulu's die. She's only playing the 0-cost 2-6, so I figure a pair of Rampages should be enough to take her out of the equation. Because our Speed Dice are higher, we'll both be able to resolve our attacks before Mars gets his hit in on Yesod.



I also decide to have D.A.D. do the clash here, since 1-7 has a better chance of blocking a 2-6 die than a 2-4 would. This is entirely because I forgot she was Paralyzed and the range we're looking at is a 2-3.



Predictably, I pay for my oversight.

Eat that!



I'd rather return it to the chef! Boss, she's open!

I'm following up.



This is too much, I've gotta pull back!



Sorry… but your luck's run out. My attack isn't finished just ye—



I think it's done for now, thanks.

Mars?!

Get out of here. I'll watch your back.

What about you?!

I've still got some fight left in me. Don't worry, I'll be right behind you.

You'd better! Don't do anything stupid, you moron!!

Yeah, yeah. Get out of here.



Your boss is out of the way. Everyone else is gone, too. It's just you and me now.

The ol' viper there will be fine in a couple seconds. Sure you're not gonna' try and run, too?

They got away because someone could cover for them. If I ran, it'd just be a paring knife going through my back, wouldn't it?

Don't be silly. Paring knives are for fruit. This here's a carving knife.

Music: YesodBattle02


I do appreciate that you're facing me down, instead of looking for a cheap shot.

If I take my eye off of you, then it's over. Truth be told, I'm not doing so hot… but I can't afford to stop. Not while the people I care about are behind me.



Giving up your life for the people you care about to run away, eh?

I don't intend to be a sacrifice.



I can accept those feelings, kid. But ultimately…



I don't want the boss to die, either… and we don't get to run.

Damnit… Lulu…





While the Streetlight Office is tough and some of their pages are powerful, our HP advantage still gives us a lot of wiggle room to play around with, and they ultimately waste too many actions to Gather Intel to be able to have a realistic chance of winning.



Music: Result


In the end, we only got books from one of them.

Eh, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Angela said these invitations'd get us the books we needed, right?

You're correct. If there are any issues with what we've accomplished, they're the fault of her methodology.



VIDEO
Music: Lobby


It’s not a good idea for Fixers to form such tight bonds with each other.

Well, I guess this’ll be a lesson for them.

You talk as if you’re used to all this.

…

Oh, I’ve already grown past that phase, and some more too. Forming bonds aren’t bad per se, but there’s just too much risk associated with it. The real deal Fixers know when to cut things off.

You mean to keep enough distance from people, so that you won’t feel hurt from their losses?

Yep. It’s just ironic that people who aren’t even mentally prepared to face death are applying for a job that involves killing in the first place.

I see…

Well, if that will be all, ma'am~

You haven't been dismissed yet. A new floor has appeared.

Again? They just pop up one after the other, don't they?

It's because the work is proceeding smoothly. The newest floor's topic is Literature.

Got it, got it. I'll get moving, ma'am~

VIDEO
Music: HodStory




Hey. I’m Roland, helper of Angela in several ways.

…I see.

Don’t tell me, do you also happen to hold some sort of grudge against Angela?

…I’m not at all friendly toward her, that’s for certain. But we made a deal with her, so we’re obliged to help her without complaint.

Oh boy, future ain’t looking too bright. Everyone’s got a problem with Angela. What the heck did she do to deserve this reputation?



I still don’t know a whole lot about this place, but I can see one thing: Something’s terribly messed up with the Library and its staff. Can all of this even be resolved at some point?

I can’t answer that for sure, but you’ll get to see the result. After all, there is a clear end to this deal. If you follow Angela along her journey to the end, you will find out.



I have guests to receive, and librarians to take care of… Can’t we all be good friends in the Library, at least?

……

Among the books you bring, I will be sorting those about the literature of the City. As we collect more books, you might be able to find answers to your questions, whether you like it or not.

Gahhhh!!



Alright, fine. I’m gonna dig into the bottom of this mystery now that I’ve gotten into this mess!

Good luck, Mister Roland.

Why, thanks for your supportive words, Miss Hod~

Music: Lobby


With that, Hod's finally awake again—and we have more work to do.



Not a lot of work, but… more work. Anyways, while I normally don't talk about books, Mars's book is a bit special.



It's actually the first book that can drop an Objet d'Art rarity page, this one being his Key Page. We want this very badly, so I burn all four of the books we have on getting it. Because there are 33 items exactly and we get 32 rolls, we should pick it up without trouble.



Hod's book burning color, by the way.



Oh for fuck's sake. Objet Key Page drop rates are fairly low, and this can mean lots of situations like this one—even after multiple patches to boost their drop rate, this still happens often enough that there's an achievement that references it.

Not pictured: me redoing the reception to pick up the Key Page. We'll talk about why it's so good when we use it, but as a general rule we want to grab any Key Page that's an Objet d'Art.

Next time, on Library of Ruina

Drama. Also cake.


Videos

Streetlight Office 2
Hod 1

New Key Pages




New Combat Pages

[Gespenst]

I have some words about Mars' page, I'll save it for once we get to see it in action, but Speed is a gamechanger.

[vulpixall]

I've been a lurker on this letsplay for a while and decided to finally pop in to say hello, since I didn't get to for the first thread. Going to save specifics for when we see it in action, but Mars' page is pretty good, and it also looks good, which is equally important in my opinion

[Talisriel]

Yesod's combat themes are amazing.

I also appreciate that D.A.D. gets to close the battle with a dad joke in the official script, not just the LP narrative.

Lastly, there's an irony in Roland citing Angela's "disdain for roundabout speech". From what Hod is saying, I'm 90% certain the roundabout speech is Angela's fault, an NDA in the terms of the agreement.

Hod: "I'd like to tell you why Angela's terrible, but I can't, and it won't help you anyway. At least you've already noticed that three out of three of us you've met so far hate her!"
...
Angela: "My plans are perfect. How dare you suggest I would allow myself to be irritated by my own agreement."

[Kacie]

I'm so thrilled you're LPing this, TeeQueue! I'm smiling as I read about the old gang getting back together again. The game's plot would be fascinating on its own, but your writing adds a whole new level to it, something I would really miss playing on my own.

The music is compelling and great - I love the return of the First Trumpet.

[TeeQueue]

Book 10: Streetlight Office 2—Chapter 1

Music: Lobby


So it's the Book of Mars this time?

That's correct.

Ahh, I can already guess where this is going, and I'm not exactly a fan…

Stories like this are all too common, I'm afraid…

It's not our problem. What's important is that we handle our business like always.

I just hope they don't run away this time…

They won't.

VIDEO
Music: StoryChaboon


…

We are taking our hands off of the Library from now on. This was out of our scope to begin with. I already sent a report to the Zwei.

What? What about Mars? Was his death pointless then?!

I really am sorry… You can blame me all you want. I misjudged. Our profession is peacekeeping, not exploration or combat.

There’s a cake in the fridge… Was that you, boss?

Cake? No, I didn’t buy any cake yet…

…I’ll go outside for a bit.

Music: Rain Ambiance (it might not be this exact one but it's close)


It’s not like you at all to buy cakes for others… You said your mother’s an amazing Fixer… You loved to show off your stupidly huge sword, saying it’s a gift from her… You bragged so much that you’d be just like your mother someday…



There's a sound here that's like a piece of paper getting picked up.

Mars’ book… That’s what happens to the people who die in there…?

I won’t let them toy with him… I’ll never let them…

San’ll totally try to stop me if I bring this up… I’ll go there on my own. I’ve got friends to help me, too…

Music: Lobby


That’s funny, coming from the one who gave a speech on how Fixers shouldn’t cling to bonds.

That’s that, and this is this. Still, reacting to every bit of loss is a waste of energy. Everybody lives with burdens to bear. I have my share of unfortunate events, and so do others. And it’s rude to expose that without the listener’s agreement. They’ll be bothered to learn something they didn’t really have to know.



Don’t overexpress your feelings whether you’re happy or sad, and say goodbye to each other with the appropriate words. It’s all for the sake of each other.

That sounds even more tiring to me.

And I shouldn’t let my feelings distract me from my librarian work, most of all. I gotta stay level-headed and help you collect books about the City.

You’re right. As soon as you become useless to me, I’ll dispose of you.

Then I’ll go back to my duties of being a useful servant for the sake of my survival, ma’am.

Music: Entrance


There's a clang here, like back in Hook Office. Lulu isn't screwing around.

Shut up. I don’t need a greeting from a despicable piece of junk. I’m here for Mars’ book. I’ll get his book, kill all the monsters here, and blow your head clean off.

I’m afraid your third statement is going to be difficult for you to fulfill, dear guest.

I said shut up.

Sigh… May you find your book in this place.

Next time, on Library of Ruina: Lulu and Mars, reunited.

Videos

Streetlight Office 3







You saw the information, right? Oof.

Yeah, we all do. Can't say I'm particularly surprised that our next guest is her of all people.

Are you gonna' be able to do this..?

It's gonna' take more than some sob story to slow me down, kiddo.

Ehh… I just can't put my all into it if it's like this.

Hopeless romantic, right. Gotcha.

I keep telling people, it's not like that!

Isn't it, though?

It isn't!

Sure, sure. Well, you have yourself a good time watching, kiddo. Ol' Viper and I have to make up for last time.

Hey—you never answered my question!

Then I guess you have more reason to tune in, huh. Enjoy the show~

Geez… _{How do they manage to stay so detached all the time?}

[TeeQueue]

I'm so thrilled you're LPing this, TeeQueue! I'm smiling as I read about the old gang getting back together again. The game's plot would be fascinating on its own, but your writing adds a whole new level to it, something I would really miss playing on my own.

The music is compelling and great - I love the return of the First Trumpet.

The FT remix absolutely slaps, yes. Anyways, welcome back! I look forward to doing my best with this game. It's already been a vastly different experience than writing LC and I'm... really enjoying it? It's hard to put into words. (says the guy putting everything into words )

I've been a lurker on this letsplay for a while and decided to finally pop in to say hello, since I didn't get to for the first thread. Going to save specifics for when we see it in action, but Mars' page is pretty good, and it also looks good, which is equally important in my opinion

It does both look and perform very good. I'll have more words for it next time, but it's insanely useful at this point in the game.

[TeeQueue]

Book 10: Streetlight Office 2—Chapter 2

Music: GuestBattle01


Lulu's back, and this time she's brought her friends.



While they all have different looks to them, they're all basically the same keypage—a couple of weaknesses differ, but they're too squishy for that to matter much. Their passive also changes, being either a 50% chance to add +1 Damage to Slash or Piercing dice. Ultimately, they're a warmup.



Yesod's playing the same thing as always. Mo's page still works just fine for our purposes.



D.A.D, meanwhile, gives the time honored tradition of wearing our defeated opponent's skin to fight their friends a try. Mars's page has amazing HP and resistances, making D.A.D. a capable beatstick. His deck is a mostly offensive affair, though I'm running 3 E-endure because it's still the best 1-cost page in the game at this level. His Speed passive theoretically requires some consideration, but ultimately I have decided not to think about it too hard.



Music: YesodBattle01


Seems like our honored guest isn't here yet.

We'll clear these ones out quickly, and move on to the main event. Remember: No one leaves this time.

It seems like their leader isn't here to tell them to fall back. Shouldn't be an issue.

That second die over D.A.D. is because of their new speed passive. This effectively gives us +1 actions per turn, which will help us keep up with battles against multiple opponents. There are also a few other uses for it, a few of which will come up today.




I just stick to a couple of normal clashes on the first scene, though.



This new body's really light. I think I could do some nice tricks with it.



One of his footnotes did state that he was originally a Grade 7 Fixer.

Huuh, so this is what it's like being Bishop all the time, eh?

I wasn't a combat-oriented Fixer. It's pointless to compare us.

Oh, but I'm sure you could win if you had to. You're from the Floor of History, after all!

Hey now, don't go underestimating us, kiddo. Why, back in my prime...



Quiet, all of you. Squabble about power levels after we're done with the reception.

Ah—yessir.



Our very successful first round gives us an Emotion Level, and I slap it on D.A.D. His Wallops will now be carrying an extra... punch.



The one guest who can act goes for a fairly interesting page called Multi-hit.



Multi-hit theoretically does its best work in a clash, but only if it wins. Should it consistently win, it's a 1-6, 1-5, 1-5—but those numbers don't lend themselves to reliably winning the clashes needed to make the page work. In practice, it's best for one-sided attacks due to its two Blunt dice working well with Metallic Ringing while also giving us +2 Emotion Coins.



I clash it with E-endure, which should land at least once and let us Stagger our guest.



And after they're Staggered, Rampage should finish them off. Early in the game, extra Speed Dice are best used to press an advantage to score either a Stagger or a defeat on one of our guests that we wouldn't be able to land otherwise.



Got mine off balance. How's it coming over there, boss?



Just finished up.



Same here.

The additional action is enough to successfully clean up the last guest, just as planned.



Music: GuestBattle01


Now it's time for the main event. Her two adds are identical to the pair from round 1, but Lulu…



Lulu means business this time. Her two new passives shouldn't cause too much trouble, but occasionally she'll deal more damage or swing a bit higher than she otherwise should and that can throw things off.

Music: YesodBattle02


Come on then! I'll take you all… what the FUCK?!

Problem, kiddo?

You murder him, you advertise him as some… some book right in front of me, and now you're wearing him! You're fucking—that's—that's IT!!! Mars wasn't some fucking suit you can just put on and take off!!!!

Perhaps he wasn't before. That's changed.

I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU ALL!!!!

<sub>Geez… wasn't that a little much?

Our duty is to heighten their emotions. The means are up to us.

Maybe so, but...</sub>

If you intend to complain, stow it.





D.A.D's new speed lets us keep up with the enemy team here. I'm relying on a Stagger with Commandeering to keep their Light up, since we're spending 4 of our 5 Light this turn; without a means of Light recovery 2 Speed Dice can burn through our resources.



Don't worry about the small fry; I've got them. How're things with you?



YOU STUPID!



HEARTLESS!



SNAKE OF A BASTARD!!

...They're… going.



I got one off-balance, at least!

She's strong. My combat setup is a bad match for her.

You could always do the nuclear option.

...You're right.



Regardless of personal feelings, I'll do the job.

You always were the bigger man, huh?

Not always… but I've learned.



Violence goes on Yesod here because, frankly, his deck is kind of a mess designed to beat Forsaken Murderer and I should have updated it at literally any point before now. It'll do, but I want him to get the extra punch to try and keep up if I need him to face off with Lulu again.




Lulu's Set Ablaze has very few reliable answers outside of 3-costs, and we don't have the Light to get away with that right now. I opt to try my luck at the Wallop casino.



And of course, I get a cheap shot in on the Staggered guest.



You! How are you moving like that?! Mars was never that fast!

Guess the guy had some hidden talent that's come to light.



Shut up! No one asked you!!

You literally just-

SHUT UP!!! Don't talk to me while you're wearing his body, you disgusting monster!



Ahh… I see. You're drowning in sorrow.

This isn't sorrow, it's rage!!



We can't keep this up forever… I have to make a breakthrough.

Music: GuestBattle01


This feels far closer than I would prefer.

Well, anger can be a powerful weapon. It can spur people to do some crazy things.

Is that why you prefer to remain so detached?

You got it~



Here, we run into the problem with Speed Key Pages in the early game. Both Lulu and her friend are targeting D.A.D. here.



Unfortunately for them, our previous multi-attacks have left our hand drained down to just 2 pages. Of them, Rampage is a dead page (due to having only 2 Light), so E-endure is our only option. Key Pages with 2 dice run out of resources much faster than others, and as a result it's important to time when we do make two moves at once.

Thankfully, we can finish off Lulu's Friend here for sure—E-endure will deal a minimum of 2 damage, and they've got Bleed 1 and an Offensive die. Scoring the defeat will give D.A.D. back an extra Light, letting them use Rampage next turn if need be.



Like most plans with a 100% chance of success, this works.

One down… finally.



Them too. They're another friend I'm going to make you pay for!

Boss, little help..?



I don't recall having any employees who'd die that easily. Deal with it.

Yesod, meanwhile, handles the remaining friend. They're not down yet due to some terrible rolls on his part, but with 4 HP and 2 Bleed it shouldn't take long for them to get booked either way.



On the next round, the remaining Friend uses their 3-cost page Strong Strike. Since they have 2 Bleed on them, they'll get booked after their second attack no matter what happens, so I opt to have Yesod E-endure it to mitigate the damage as much as possible.



As for Lulu, her Eat My Flaming Bat! page is weak offensively, but is a better 1-cost page than even E-endure thanks to its 4-8 Evade die and high Block die to lead off with. Nothing D.A.D. has in their hand can match it right now, so I opt to have them do nothing and just eat the 3-4 damage.



Two down.



What's the matter?! Aren't you gonna' move?

...nah. I'm taking a breather. Go nuts, kiddo.

You think this is funny?!!



I don't need them! I don't need anyone!! I'll kill every one of you myself, if I have to!!!

...It's time.

Huh?! What are you talking about?! What time?!

Music: YesodBattle02


Time to bring this farce to an end.

Farce..? What's that supposed to mean?

It means you've lost. Don't think you'll be able to run this time.

Like I'd have to!

Both of D.A.D's Speed Dice placed higher than Lulu's. This means either one can redirect her offensive die.



So first I set up with Rampage from D.A.D's leftmost die.



And then E-endure with his other. This will direct Lulu's clash to the second die, letting Rampage get a onesided attack in. While playing them in this order ensures we get the result we want, there's another way to control this.



By clicking on Lulu's die, we can then either press the tab key or click on the symbol that appears to manually swap between all her available clash options. This functionality was not added until very late in the development cycle, and I never want to go back—it saves so much time resetting pages.



For what it's worth, I understand your pain.

Like hell you ever could!

The pain of losing someone dear to you… who hasn't felt it at some point? What matters is what happens when you feel that pain.



Eat this, you bodystealing bastard—

Wait… a feint?!

Since D.A.D's Speed Dice are processed from left-to-right, they're able to get off a one-sided Rampage before Lulu's able to act at all.



It's enough to stagger her by itself.



This, in turn, makes E-endure a one-sided attack.



You gave in to your pain, and forsook your rationality.



This is the only way things could have ended.





In the end, while Lulu herself has some good pages her help is easily overwhelmed. This leaves her easy to gang up on, and she can't deal with multiple foes at the same time.



Music: Result


We've acquired a large number of books this time.

That should definitely make up for the last reception, huh?

This isn't a race. Just handle the work that's given to you… and clean up when you're done.



VIDEO
Music: Lobby


I’d be lying if I said I feel nothing, but…

I’ve already seen plenty of these cheap tragedies. Been the victim myself a whole lot of times, too.

You sound like a seasoned veteran for someone who introduced himself as a “washed-up Fixer”.

I have my reasons. What, are you curious?

You said it’s a rude thing to do, didn’t you?

…



Whoa now, let’s not go there yet…

Well, how about you? I’m curious to know what our head librarian thinks.

Me? Indifferent. I’ve also seen relationships and scripted deaths too many times, in repeat. So I’ve been trying to run a system where people are free to choose their own destiny this time around, free from any coercion.

I mean, sure, they all read the warnings on the invitations and agree to those terms by signing their names, but…

It’s still a bit dirty, y’know. You’re unkillable, and I can revive whenever I die.

Again with that. I thought you said my method is fair?

Yeah, yeah. You aren’t wrong. Much more polite and fair than most things in the City.



For getting the Book of Lulu, we unlock Hod's first Abnormality Battle. Now, some of you are probably wondering if that means it's time for another poll…



However, we don't get access to the next reception until we've finished leveling our Library to 8. This is the game's way of making sure we don't somehow manage to get too far into the game without at least having a bare minimum of power.

I suppose this means it's my turn, doesn't it?

I would not worry too much. Both of your colleagues were untouched by their opponents.

So if I get hit at all, I'll be underperforming…

That wasn't the point. Even my servant managed to succeed eventually, if only just.

I can't help but feel like I had it tougher than the others, ma'am…

Well… I'll give it my best. That's all I can do.

Good.

Next time, on Library of Ruina

"It's a good day! Are you still shy today?"


Videos

Streetlight Office 4

New Key Pages





New Combat Pages

[Gespenst]

Ah, we did see some of the problems with Speed, namely that you draw one page per turn. so in drawn out fights you'll flush your hand pretty quickly. also adding in extra actions gives the light system some teeth to be relevant even in shorter fights, it's good. Speed adds some real complexity to the mechanics and has some issues that don't have any good solutions (yet)

[TeeQueue]

Appendix 6: Streetlight Office

While there are technically 4 "Lulu's Friend" pages, only 2 of them have unique dialogue. Page 2 and 4's dialogue are copies of 1 and 3, respectively, and will not be included here. They're also not obtainable through regular gameplay.

My mother was a Fixer with a high grade that every one of my peers would dream of reaching. She was the envy of all, a radiant individual who received endless supplies of various expensive equipment and garnered constant recruit offers from other Offices. Does that mean I had a safe, comfortable childhood under the care and wealth of such a wonderful person? Had that been the case, I would’ve earned a position in one of the Wings already. Being the son of a high-rank Fixer, I was often targeted by Syndicates opposing her, and my mother’s acquaintances held high expectations for me.

At first, I was okay with their expectations. I was already dreaming to follow the path of my mother. In fact, I was hoping to live up to it and hear compliments such as “I knew you could make it!” from others. “Yes. I’m going to become a great Fixer just like my mother. Then she’ll be proud of me one day, right? She’ll proudly say ‘That's my boy’, in front of others.” I studied hard day after day, taking no breaks in-between… Countless times, I held my sword with a strong resolve, and many days I spent weeping alone. Even if I faced setbacks and failures, I believed I could overcome them and stand strong like the protagonist of a movie. As if I could actually be someone great.

But in the end, I grew into an ordinary aspiring Fixer, and I learned that I was only an average person with no talent to show off. When I entered an ordinary Office with my ordinary capabilities, my mother seemed very glad to hear the news. She said an associate Office of the Zwei is a good start, and that I’ll certainly be able to become successful if I work my way up slowly. However, I was greatly disappointed in myself, and I couldn’t look my mother in the eyes until I said my final goodbyes and left the house.

Ugh, crap… Another day without work! Fantastic. There’s got to be some case for us to take care of, like fly tipping or something? I’m gonna forget how to move at this rate… If I told my friends about this, they’re so gonna whine like “Well, isn’t it a good thing that you have a lot of free time~” or “You’re well off, we’re about to starve from the lack of requests~”. Those dummies… Think about it for a moment. You need results to promote to better Fixer grades and see some growth in your Office, right? And that’s gonna lead to higher income for us. For now, I’m working with my boss San and some dork shaped like a ball of rice cake… But things could be better than this in the future, yeah? …It’s not like I have problems with my coworkers!!! I’m talking about stuff like weapons, and Office interior… You know, those kinda things. You get what I mean!

I do bicker with Mars and snap at him often, yes! But that doesn’t mean I hate him. San and Mars are both precious colleagues to me. Though, yeah, I know what you’re about to say. If Fixers develop private feelings for each other, it could be much harder to bear whatever happens down the line. I know what I’m doing is stupid. I have wits, unlike mister rice cake face.

But we’re humans, it’s just… something that can’t be helped. How could we just strictly detach ourselves from one another and focus on work? I tried acting nonchalant, I did, but… I guess I can’t do it. San said he feels the same. I gotta envy Mars for being cool-headed all the time.

A peacekeeping Office provides protection for requested territories for a certain period of time. Lulu’s is one of those Offices. What are they protecting against, you ask? The City, obviously. What I’m saying is, their job is to keep the area safe from all sorts of happenings and incidents that occur in the City. Of course, there won’t be much to do if the area is too small or peaceful.

But, man. Compared to us who have to wait indefinitely for someone to make a request… Lulu’s living a good life. At least she does something. And they don’t have to worry about starving to death even if they don’t get requests.

As her friend, it’s unfortunate that Lulu is struck with grief. I don’t have any tears to shed for her, though. I’ve got my share of rough experiences, I’m just not sharing it with others. Well, I did say I’ll help her out, but the truth is… My Office figured that we could find plenty of valuable loot in the Library. And that’s pretty tempting. The other one is probably thinking the same thing as me. I mean, what dummy would actually head to such a dangerous place motivated purely by a friend’s sob story? That kind of intimate and deep relationship is long gone from this world. Especially in this business.

That’s why I can’t understand Lulu. Sure, let’s say that her colleague died there. Even then, she should be valuing her own life, shouldn’t she? She can be so stupid at times… Welp, I have to go in with her anyway.

[TeeQueue]

Literature—304.92—Today's Shy Look

Music: Lobby


I go with Mars here for the extra defenses, but ultimately the Key Page we use for this fight doesn't matter at all.



Hey… isn't that what that D.A.D. fellow was just wearing?

We don't have any proper protocols set up yet about how to approach these situations, so I'm using something that's worked.

You read the notes about how combat functions here, I assume.

Ah… yes, well...

Don't worry about it if there's something you didn't totally understand. Once the battle starts, it all makes sense somehow.

Just… if it's not too much trouble, could you please not come out completely unscathed? It's starting to really get to my confidence, here~

I'll… see what I can do.

That's enough, you four. It's time.

Yes. I'm ready when you are.

Good. Handle it.

SNAP

Music: AbnormalityBattle01


Our dear friend Today's Shy Look is split in two today, but first off we'll focus on the one we'll be fighting. Today's Shy Look's quotes are based on its mood.

When ecstatic
I feel great, bathing in the warm n’ cozy sunshine.

Why don’t you put a big smile on your face, like mine?

When smiling
I’m just shy, that’s all. Just shy…

Do I look a bit better now? I hope I do…

When neutral
Some days, you just don’t have any energy.

I don’t feel like talking right now. Could you come back later?

When sad
Please don’t look at what’s behind this. It’s the least you can do…

Why is it that a sad look doesn’t fit the City…

When angry
What the fuck do you want from me? To keep smiling like an idiot?!

I told you to read the damn mood, you piece of shit!!!

Once we hit space and the round begins, the figure behind the faces in the back begins to move—as it does, Today's Shy Look's face will change to match its position. This is important because of its passive.



Expression tells us that the Power of its dice will depend upon its mood, but what this means requires a bit of explanation. For that, let's take a closer look at its page.



Shyness is one of the two pages that Today's Shy Look can use, and its first die's range is based entirely on the face that the figure in the back lands on.



From left to right, the faces will make the first die get the following results:
2
2-9
9
9-16
16

The face is locked in when we begin the clash part of the turn, so our strategy is actually very simple.



We clash it with any page we like (here I use the 4 die to redirect in order to get the extra +1 Stagger from Mars's passive) and wait for the figure to be on the far left.

Um… Alright, now!



The moment this happens, we want to press space to start the turn. Waiting too long to react may let it move somewhere else, so good reflexes are key.



This was just poor luck, but most importantly we didn't take Stagger damage.

Oh that is… I suddenly miss having no nose.



But... I can't let this stop me!



That's basically all there is to this fight. TSL's only other page, Today's Expression, works the same way as Shyness. It's worth noting that Paralysis won't help us here, since 2-16 gets lowered to 2-13 and if we're playing well it should never get above a 2 regardless.

Here, I opt to target Today's Shy Look using a die that it isn't targeting. This leads to one of my favorite things in the entire game.



That... hurts..! But I let you hit me.



So that I could do this.

A double one-sided attack between two people. I figured the 2 damage was worth ensuring that I wouldn't see a tie with Rampage's first die.

We've really shown off all there is to Today's Shy Look at this point. From here it's all about timing our attacks to hit when it's on its smiling face. Eventually…



Ah… this must be an opening.



Please rest, little one. I promise I won't hurt your companion.



Today's Shy Look: it's simple as long as we can time it right, and a pain in the ass otherwise. There's nothing else to be said about it.

VIDEO
Music: HodStory


Thanks, Mister Roland.

No need to be so courteous. You can drop the “Mister” and just call me Roland.

Can I? Roland.

Much better.

It feels kinda awkward to speak like this right away.

You’ll get used to it. How’s the collection going, by the way?

I’m not sure if the City has anything worth being called literature.

It seems like each person’s life counts as a work of literature. The story of one’s life is written out like a book of its own. And in that story, comedy and tragedy intertwine in a complex way. It’s hard to define anyone as pure evil, or pure good for that matter.

Everyone has their own personal affairs.

That’s why I’m wondering if it’s really okay to blindly hate someone…



I understand that it was their choice to come here… And we have our own goal to achieve, but still…

Haha, it feels like I’m just making excuses for myself.

You see, Hod, taking everyone’s personal affairs into consideration is only going to end up giving you a headache. You’d sometimes be just as confused as if you hadn’t thought about it at all. Thinking about moral standards and fundamental causes and all that only makes everything blurry. All the while your heart is about to burst from the emotional baggage that won’t go away. In times like that, you just go straight to where your heart leads. No need to learn or know any further. It’s much easier that way…

That’s your advice as a seasoned Fixer, Roland?

I guess so! Here’s a favorite phrase of mine.



We don’t live in a world that can embrace everyone’s private matters.

Sounds like you’ve come to terms with reality.

Did ages ago! It surely was an easy and comfy way to live, all things considered. Just go with the flow, wherever it may lead.

Thanks for the advice. I might need to think about this topic a little more.

But…

But?



……

…Well, I suppose people have their own ways of interpreting things. I’ll leave the books here. See ya later, then.

Music: Lobby


Literature has leveled up! Let's take a look at our new Abnormality Pages.



Of these three pages, the real standout is Look of the Day—this Page gives us +2 Power to every die we play with one Librarian for the rest of the reception as long as we're willing to be patient and wait for an angry face. This is, full stop, one of the most powerful level 1 Abnormality Pages in the entire game. If we can pick it, we want it. If we mess up our timing, that can fall as far as -2 Power (in case of a smiling face)—but just don't miss the timing and everything's fine!

Social Distancing gives +1-2 Power and some bonus Stagger damage on Block dice, making E-endure and Commandeering even better than they already are—and yes, it stacks with Look of the Day.

Lastly there's Shyness. While we can't use it yet, once we get access to it it's… Also good. It only grants Power to Block dice, though it will use Evade dice to determine how much Power they get. +2 Power to most of E-endure is very good, but generally speaking by the time we hit the Level 2 pages we want either healing and sustain or outright gamebreaker abilities that let us get away with silly things. It's not bad, it's just not as immediately useful as Level 1 pages and pales in comparison to some of the things we'll get by the time we can actually select it.



And the next set of requirements. I'll be trying to knock the first one out in our next real Reception, though the others are locked to us for now.

Ah, so it's smoke time again, I see.

Yes. We're looking forward to greeting our new partner.

You can leave it to me to get them up to speed in a hurry.

Shouldn't that be my responsibility?

That's so old-fashioned. Now, we're the floor of History—you can leave the history of this place to us, too.

If you insist… I suppose I'll thank you.

No problem! I'm just doing what I can.

The process is complete. Your new subordinate is—

ANGELA!!!



Who the hell do you think you are, you buggy bag of bolts?! Where do you get off just screwing everyone over at the last minute like that?!

<sub>Oh, it's this again..? So then she'll...



Not say anything?</sub>

I've got half a mind to follow protocol and tear you in half myself! Do you have any idea the hell we went through because of you?! And after something good finally seemed to be happening?!

Um, Medea… we aren't in that place anymore, so the protocol's changed…

That doesn't matter right now! Someone needs to give her a piece of their mind! Miss Hod—

I've grown quite tired of repeating myself, but as most of you were not awake… let me say this once more:

I see no reason to pay attention to the words of the assistants. They are, ultimately, beneath my notice. They may cry and scream as much as they like—after so long committing their every pointless word to memory I shall give them no heed.

However, you Librarians all agreed to this deal of your own accord. Anyone who has a problem with it should take it up with you lot. I've done nothing wrong.

SNAP

She just… left, like last time. Well, I guess it's fine!

Hardly. Miss Hod, what's she talking about?

That's a… bit of a story.

Come on, we'll catch you up.

Fine… but I expect a thorough report.



Phew… I guess we made it out of that just fine.

Ah, I just remembered. I need to talk to her. At this rate, we can't be much more than a stone's throw away from…



Next time, on Library of Ruina: Urban Legend.


Videos

Hod 2

[TeeQueue]

Book 10.5: Urban Myth General Receptions

Music: Dungeon - Wrong Way Street
Case files, audio log… Ah, right. Lost all the old ones.

Log 1 it is, then. With no information found yet regarding the disappearance of my father, I asked Malkuth if she wanted to help me dig for information in some… less than authorized locales.

Sure! I don't mind, as long as you're coming with me.

Needless to say, she agreed—and the two of us decided to take a look at some of the invitations that weren't red. Thankfully, the process went smoothly. It seems Angela has no interest in them—they're completely unrelated to her progress, after all.

Ma'am, someone seems to be messing around with something on your desk.

As I've stated, the actions of those underlings are beneath my notice. They can't do anything to harm this place.

Yes, well… if you insist, ma'am~

I observed that the invitations allowed up to three books. As means of testing the invitations, Malkuth and I tried to use a single copy of any book that didn't cause a known red invitation. The color didn't change—a good sign.



Unfortunately, all we met were these Backstreets Butchers. I have no idea why they were so interested in this place.



Ultimately, they were threatening the Boss, so they had to go.



Truth be told, Pierre and Jack put up a better fight than them.



The books they dropped were mostly about District 23, the street of flavor.

You know… I've always been curious about the food there. They say it really is that good.

Malkuth seemed unusually interested in them, but there was ultimately no useful information to be had. I moved on.



Since one book led to a weak group of opponents, perhaps two would lead to something more promising?



...Hardly. It turned out that the Hook Office, which Malkuth and I all but wiped out earlier, had a few remnants around trying to settle the score. Or, more likely, they were trying to get our books to sell so they could scrape together the money to keep afloat for another few weeks.



From the sound of it, they hadn't heard the circumstances behind the disappearances of Taein and the others.



We took the liberty of enlightening them.



Their books provided us with new information, but its usefulness is…

Backstreets are spread all over the City, and the Nests are no exception. But all this means is that “there are Backstreets in the Nests”, since the Nests are completely segregated from the Backstreets in terms of access. Each Wing employs their own methods like electric fences or plasma walls, and some just fence the boundary with a couple of loose chains. Needless to say, the Backstreet residents don’t even think about crossing the border, regardless of how insecure it looks.

If I had to point out one thing the Backstreets and the Nest have in common… It’d be that residents of the Nests can get a good view of the Backstreets, and vice versa. Hey, did you hear that? Watching the Backstreet’s apparently a trend among Nest dwellers these days. After a day’s work, they sit by the windows and look out on the streets, cracking open a can of beer… Chat with their friends about what they witnessed last evening. Hell, there’s even a club dedicated to that, apparently. Isn’t that absurd? People in the Backstreets live from day to day with their lives on the line, and their struggle is nothing more than entertainment to those who live inside the Nest.

Anyone on the Backstreets could tell me this stuff. Ultimately, it was another dead end.

So… we're going to try three books at once now, right? That's the logical next step!

While I was starting to feel sure we wouldn't find anything of note, Malkuth's boundless optimism kept me going.



As she suggested, we tried three different books. For some reason, it's not possible to use two of the same book even if we have them—there's little reason to keep more than one of each. Once we realized that, we burned a lot of books for their intel.



For our trouble, we ran into a brand new Syndicate—a duo of Butchers had joined forces with one of the Hook Fixers in order to try and procure fresh ingredients to sell. Ultimately, the three of them were just an Urban Myth-class group, though.



We've been taking out Urban Myth-class threats since as long as I've been awake. Longer, if Zaida's to be believed.



Their books were the same as the ones received in the past two receptions, but the Library manifested new hoods for us to wear if we felt like it. Possibly in honor of our hard work? There's no way to know at present.

Ultimately, there were no breakthroughs made. I knew it was a longshot, and Malkuth and I got to bond over handling people the Backstreets are better off without, so it wasn't a total loss…

Bishop! Hod's just finished her fight with an Abnormality.

Another compatriot, right?

You've got it. I almost can't wait.

Alright, I'll be right there. That's all for now. This is Bishop, signing off.


New Key Pages




New Combat Pages

[Gespenst]

Ah General Invitations, kinda funny how worthless the earliest ones are given that the later ones are extremely useful.

[TeeQueue]

Book 11: Prologue

VIDEO


Google tells me this quote is another one from poet Yun Dong-ju, from a poem called "A Single Candle."



The location listed here is "Thumb Southern Base - Meeting Room," by the by.

It’s hard for me to predict the outcome of this event, underboss. It has been a while since we were involved in a bloodshed of this scale. However, it is certain that we should not allow the Index to take over the yolk.

Well said. The Middle, the Ring, and the Pinky seem to be too occupied with their own business to take part in this strife, so that’s a relief.

Have you heard of ‘The Library’, a recently appointed Urban Legend? Perhaps it will be closely related to this Nest we’re so concerned with.

Go on.

Music: Lobby


What wave?

At this rate, the Library will soon be exalted to being an Urban Legend from its status as an Urban Myth. The City is brimming with cheap Urban Myths. It’s really hard to tell which are real and which are all made up. What’s more, a lot of those Urban Myths turn out to be pretty plain and boring when you get down to the root of it all. The real fun begins when an Urban Myth gets recognized as an Urban Legend.

You’re being too roundabout. If the Associations designate us with a higher grade, we can expect to attract guests of higher classes with more valuable information, is that what you’re trying to say?

You got it! Urban Legends get talked about; people will begin to acknowledge us as an actual phenomenon in the City that’s worth their attention. You see, when I was a kid, my grandma used to tell me tales about all sorts of Urban Legends. They would always send a chill down my spine.

Ah, bugger. Didn’t want to be reminded of the old days.



Yeah, a family. I lost them all, though.

So you’re without a family now?

No one’s with me anymore. I was raised by my grandma. Dunno how my parents passed away, n’ grandma disappeared without notice one day. And then… Nevermind. It’s nothing special.

What were you even trying to say?



That’s right. I want the freedom to leave this place, and the freedom to live as myself. And the freedom to forget…

Then, is freedom the only reason you’re trying to gather all these books?

You’re only half right. During my time living underground, I could only pick up fragmented information about the outside world. I’ve seen and heard the same stories over and over and over again. I want to hear new stories now. I want to see new faces. That’s also why I’m looking for the book that contains everything about the world.



…Revenge, huh. For what?

I’m taking revenge on the abominable person and world that made me into what I am. Only after I’ve completely and thoroughly destroyed everything he dreamed for, will my freedom finally be whole.



It will guide me to the book that will let me achieve such things, to be exact. How exactly those wishes will come true is beyond me.

The one book that will complete me and the Library…

If I can find that one absolute book containing everything I want to know, all will be resolved.

Wait, hold on. That’s your whole plan? Just find the book? You don’t exactly know how to earn that freedom and stuff?

The only thing I know for sure is that I myself will become whole at the end of the journey led by the invitation. The Library has infinite space. I could extract infinite books from countless guests and store them all if I wanted to.



Hence the invitation’s guidance along the path that leads to the book I wish to obtain, as I explained before.

Let’s say that you got the one book somehow. But you don’t even know what it’ll exactly do to you to make you “whole”?

I don’t care what happens to me. I’ll be satisfied with anything as long as I can get the results.

It’s almost scary how tenacious you are.

I'll take that as a compliment. Was there anything else?

No, ma'am. We've covered everything.

In that case, you should introduce yourself to our newest Patron Librarian, Netzach.

Another one's woken up already..? It's just one after another lately, isn't it?

Yes, we are still proceeding smoothly. You should be able find him on the new Floor of Art.

Of course, ma'am~

VIDEO
Music: NetzachStory


Is lying flat on the floor, huh…?



Hunh… The books are all over the floor, too. I’m sensing zero motivation to work.

Hello~~ Mister Netzach, Patron Librarian~~?

Sigh…

If you keep refusing to cooperate, Angela is gonna raise hell with me~

Pleeeeeease wake up~~



I tried so hard building a sand castle, and it got swept away by the waves.

And I bet it was Angela who made those waves.

I was woken up once again, called on to take charge of the work I don’t want yet again. Leave me alone for a bit. I wanna go back to sleep.

Boy oh boy. How could every one of you hate Angela so much? Please help me out, will ya? We’re in the same boat, y’know?



You’re pitiable, man. How’d you end up in a place like this?

I know, right? I think I’m in a pretty miserable spot, too. So can you please spare some of that sympathy for us working hard together!



And a proper introduction from me as well; I’m Roland, Angela’s servant and library worker.

I gotta wonder, how am I always left with the kind of work that doesn’t suit me at all?

You tell me. I never thought I’d work in a library of all places, either.

Anyway! You’re going to be sorting books related to the arts from the bunch I bring, right?

Apparently. Sigh… Can you go back now since we’re done exchanging names ‘n all?



Um, look, you can lie down all you want, but you’re gonna do your work, right?

It’s not like I have a choice in that matter.

I’m counting on you~ Please make sure to work, alright?



Music: Lobby


Good morning, Netzach.

I don't want to…

With this, the entire Upper Layer is back together again!

I think that'd be 'Lower Layer' now.

Oh yeah. I guess it did turn over, didn't it?

Fifteen minutes… I'll get up in fifteen minutes, so leave me alone a little longer.

That's not an option. I won't make you be as meticulous as I would, but we're at least clearing this pile of books off the floor.

Let's get to work, everyone!

They get along well, don't they?

...I suppose so.

Now that we've unlocked all four of the Lower Layer floors, we've finished with Keter's current assignment.



That means we've got an Abnormality we can fight, should we want to.



And of course, the way forward's opened up as well. That means it's time for another poll!

Next time, on Library of Ruina



"Excessive aspiration would bring about unwarranted frenzy."

Your Shield.


Videos

Urban Legend
Netzach 1

[Whilimbird]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I just found your LP of Lobotomy Corporation on the LParchive last week and I’ve already read it twice! I’m delighted you’re doing the sequel now and I can’t wait to see what other Agents you’re going to put in. Mizu maybe? Or Tenebrais? I can just imagine Talow waking up, going “no, I’m supposed to be dead now” and immediately trying to un-wake up.

(Please tell me this game has a battle symbol based on Today’s Shy Look because that horrible face thing is delightfully awful)

[Gespenst]

minor spoiler 'cause it hasn't come up yet but every abnormality has a battle symbol for receiving its pages 10 times, but sadly TSLs is not the jerky face

[TeeQueue]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I just found your LP of Lobotomy Corporation on the LParchive last week and I’ve already read it twice! I’m delighted you’re doing the sequel now and I can’t wait to see what other Agents you’re going to put in. Mizu maybe? Or Tenebrais? I can just imagine Talow waking up, going “no, I’m supposed to be dead now” and immediately trying to un-wake up.

(Please tell me this game has a battle symbol based on Today’s Shy Look because that horrible face thing is delightfully awful)

Welcome! I'm glad you're having fun—but like Gespenst said, there isn't a version of the jerky face available without mods.

Then again, Bishop's HAIR isn't available without mods, so like. I'm clearly using mods.


In other news...



Looks like we have our direction. I'll be getting video over the next couple days.

[TeeQueue]

General Works—005.77—The Heart of Aspiration

Music: Lobby


Mars's Key Page gets traded around a lot in the early stages of the game. Even without its 2 Speed Dice, it's got the best defenses in the game by far.

That's not exactly a suit.

It's close enough, and I like the sword.

Sword guy, eh?

I don't like using my fists. I prefer a bit of distance when fighting.

Ahh, yeah. Taking people out from across the room is definitely the way to go.



And you're going with that one because..?

I can fight without ever taking my hands out of my pockets.

Nice, nice~

Both of Keter's librarians are geared for more defensive fights, as usual. I meant to put in Nonstop Assault instead of Focused Strikes in Roland's deck, but… Well, nobody ever claimed I was competent. :shepface:



Alright, we're all set. ...Hey, is it emptier here than usual?

The others have expressed various reasons to avoid coming here.

Well, they're not exactly fond of speaking with you, ma'am…

I'm aware of that.

Eh… it's nice when it's quiet, anyways. Let's get this over with.

You heard her, ma’am.

No, I didn't.

SNAP

Music: AbnormalityBattle01


…That's a bit different than I remember.

So it didn't used to walk?

No, that's new. Also, we didn't have lungs.

So having an old pro isn't all it's cracked up to be, I guess?

I could leave.

Hey, hey, let's not get hasty.

Never stop wishing for it, until the beats give an answer.

If there was any meaning to everything we wished for…

Only self-destruction awaits at the end of excessive aspiration.

Every time something goes wrong, the beats will become faster and faster.

If you keep craving and do nothing to sate it, it’ll become too big and burst eventually.

Heart of Aspiration comes with a pair of helpers, named Lungs of Craving. Like any Abnormality battle, the best way to begin is by looking at our main target—the Heart.



The Heart of Aspiration has no passives, and the only page it'll play right now is a 0-cost with only Block dice. However, it has a max Light of 3. This usually means it's building towards something. Right now, we ignore it.



The Lungs of Craving, meanwhile, do have a passive—any time they fail to deal damage, they take 4 damage. If we win our clashes it doesn't really matter what kind of pages we play, the Lungs will eventually die off on their own.




Their main page, Fervent Beats, is basically trash—E-endure beats it almost every time, as does Rampage.



So you've seen this before, then?

Not me, personally. Usually someone else'd hold on to the Heart. It made you a better fighter.

And why didn't they let an old pro like you hold it?



Something about my weapon not being something or other? Like I pay attention to the higher-ups.



Meanwhile, the Heart just stares at Roland… menacingly. It's a good idea not to keep any Defensive dice in the queue of the person being attacked by Heart of Aspiration—while its Block dice aren't powerful, it can still deal some chip Stagger damage if they roll well against, say, a spare Evade die.



Neither of the Abnormality Pages are particularly useful in this battle. We're not going to Stagger our opponents, and they mostly deal in Piercing attacks. Still, this is technically a misplay—Scars can negate damage on occasion, which could be useful if we can't block an attack.



Well… these guys are definitely putting the heat on me. Can you—

Union break. Gonna be late. Good luck with that.

You get a union..?

Wait, that's not important. Gimme a hand, here!

Like right now, for instance. Because of how targeting's worked out, we can't avoid having Roland get hit by a one-sided attack from one of the Lungs.



I have Roland E-endure the attack from the top Lung as its HP is lower, and let Zaida attack it as well.



While he blocks the first attack…



The second hits him for 5 damage—not much more than a scratch.



While Zaida sets the first one on fire.

Wonder if these things can open letters…



One thing I haven't mentioned yet about this fight is that everything is zoomed in closer than normal—I like it a lot, it feels like we're having a knife fight inside of a small space. Like a heart.

Are you going to help this time..?

Sorry. Still on break.

But you just hit it.

All I did was set my weapon on fire and smack the thing with it.

Your weapon is grafted to your spine.

It's not like it feels pain. That'd be stupid.

Fine… fine… I get it.



I'll just take another one for the team.

Since the most these things can deal is 6 damage, there's no harm in tanking a couple hits.



Roland nearly downs the top Lung.



Takes another solid hit from the bottom Lung.



And Zaida gets revenge by smacking the bottom Lung. Unfortunately…



It's still alive. Barely.

It's fine… Not like those things can hit very hard.

The big one's moving strangely, though…

...Ahh, hell.



Beats of Aspiration is the Heart of Aspiration's trump card. Its 2-6 Slash die is risky against anything short of a Commandeering, and should it land it'll give +3 Strength and Haste to one of its allies. Given that those allies are spamming pages with 3 offensive dice on them, that's not ideal.



Are you done goofing off now?

Not like I have a choice. It's targeting me…

With Struggle we may be able to block the attack—and if not Zaida will have 2 Protection next turn regardless.




Roland, meanwhile, finally uses both Speed Dice in one turn. E-endure should paralyze the healthy Lung to offset the Beats if it should hit, and Wallop should take out the other Lung no problem. We haven't seen the page it's using yet, Retracting Beats. I have no idea why it didn't show up before now, but it's pretty unremarkable.



E-endure's paralysis lands as planned…



And Wallop handles the Lung.

Got my half of things handled. How're you doing?



Been better… Might have a problem next turn.

You're cleaning it up.



When the Beats of Aspiration attack lands, during the next scene the screen pulses with a heartbeat effect. This is the cause of the blurring in this shot. Additionally, there's special dialogue.

Join me in this feverish and quick pulsation.

Even if it means I must burst someday, I want to see the end of it.

Guess I have to get to work for real, now…

Taste My Flaming Bat! is our best page in Zaida's hand for this turn—the Paralyze 2 should make all of its dice ranges 1-1, meaning we just need to beat a 4 to block any of its attacks. Roland joins in with an Appetite on the Lung as well, since once it's down the fight is all but over.

Try not to die.

Don't worry. I've got a plan.



When it attacks me…



I just need…



To not be there.

...That's a terrible plan.



Worked, didn't it?

Yeah… guess I can't fault the results.



Now I put Scars on Roland. Gee, sure would have been nice to have the damage reduction when he was actually taking damage.



Comin' at me again, boss.

Up for a clever plan?

One brilliant move a day is usually my limit… but sure.



You line up a Rampage…



And I steal its attention with E-endure!

Well, if you're going to roll out the red carpet for me like that…



I'll take it, thank you. Let's finish, quickly. I'm not used to the smell of blood yet.

I thought you'd have dealt with it by now. You fought these things all the time, right?

Other people did most of the fighting. I just tried to stay out of the way of anything troublesome.

Once the Lungs are defeated, this fight is all but over.



While the Heart of Aspiration can still attack with Beats when its Light is full…



There's nothing left to pass its buffs on to—Beats of Aspiration can only buff allies. It takes a few scenes, but eventually…



So in the end, the Heart's still worthless without someone to wield it. Once we got rid of its helpers, this thing was cake.

Something coming to mind?

The form's different, but these are definitely the same Abnormalities as before. That's all.

Great, great. Then, as an expert, I'll be relying on you to work extra hard for the next one, in that case.



...whoops.

So long as we save the Heart of Aspiration for last, it's not a particularly difficult battle. Thankfully, every single passive and page in the fight naturally pushes players in that direction.

We're back, ma'am.

Splendid. Round up everyone. It's time for a staff meeting.

Seriously..? Hey, Zaida, can you at least get…

Gone. How does she do that? Alright. I'll get on it.

VIDEO
Music: Lobby


Malkuth, Yesod, Netzach, and Hod. It’s been a while since I saw you all gathered up in one place.

Angela…

What are you trying to accomplish with this?

Nothing special. I simply wanted to have a meetup with all of you.

Alright, let’s loosen up a bit, everybody.

We’ve got nothing to talk about with the likes of you.



I have a problem with the process of retrieving the Light.

You don’t want to kill the guests with your own hands, do you? And you don’t want to suffer yourselves, either.

He’s right! Even though the guests chose to come in here… We shouldn’t drive people to death as part of our work again. It’s not right!

You were alright with killing hundreds upon hundreds of employees, but now you’re upset about killing a few strangers? Hypocrites…

Don’t lump me with you lot, will you? I at least seek “agreement” from them. Got anything left to say, Netzach?

We thought that would be the last of it… Not any more of this…

…We don’t have a choice, Netzach. Nothing we say will get through her anyway.

You’re still so cold and heartless, Angela.



I know you all realize deep inside your hearts that this is the only way. If you didn’t want to do this, you shouldn’t have tried to stop me in the first place. Leave, all of you.



But the new Librarian… who's going to greet them now, ma'am?

You do it. They're your responsibility in any case. I wish to be left alone.

SNAP

Yeah… okay. Let's get this done with.



Before that, it's Abnormality Pages time! Pulsation is a very good Level 1 page for a very different build than what Zaida and Roland have. The 1-2 Strength it gives is amazing for offensive-focused Keter builds, letting our pages blast through enemies much more easily. The downside is also simple enough to mitigate most of the time. Altogether, it's a strong page. Urging is mostly useful for the 15% max HP increase—the heal this provides can get us out of a jam, and is the only form of healing we have on this floor at the moment. The 1-2 Speed bonus is nice to have, but ultimately doesn't change much aside from letting us pick a few more clashes. Then there's Fervent Beats…

Fervent Beats changes one librarian into an absolute wrecking ball. 4 Strength/Endurance is insane. It remains fairly insane for most of the game. The librarian in question will win every clash, period, and deal very good damage with any page we play. In exchange, they're on a timer. This makes it something of a tempo play—great primarily in heavily offensive decks that can leverage it to gain an overwhelming advantage before the user's heart bursts. Unfortunately, as a Level 2 page the earliest we can grab it is at Emotion Level 3, and there aren't many fights that we'd want to let draw out for 3-4 turns before then going for a play like that. Still, it can be situationally useful.



We have new assignments, too. Keter's basically always reliant on unlocking the new floors and progressing in the plot, so we won't be coming back to this floor for an Abnormality Battle for a while.

It's a little lonely staring into the smoke all by myself…

Man, if I wanted this kind of inter-office drama I'd have stuck with an Office somewhere.



What's all this about drama..?

Nothing you need to be concerned with. Who're you?

Steve. Just an ordinary guy who definitely isn't regretting putting in for overtime right now.

So I take it you'll be running off on break now, too?

You've already met Zaida, I see. Don't worry, we're not all like the captain.

I've noticed that you're all something of an… eccentric bunch.

Of course. It'd be more concerning if any of us did seem normal after working in a place like this… Actually, wait. What is this, anyways? Last I remember there was that huge fight, and now we're...

In the library. It's a long story.

Well, at any rate, you don't have to worry about any oddities coming from me. I'm just an average, everyday guy.

_{How you can say that while sporting that kind of look I'll never know…}

Is something wrong, sir?

Nah, just mumbling to myself. Welcome to the team, Steve.

I don't really know what's going on… but okay!

Next time, on Library of Ruina

Your Shield.


Videos

Keter 1

[Gespenst]

so it's probably a good thing TeeQueue wasn't really leaning into an offensive build because especially in the abnormality fights in the early game Mar's page is busted. the fights are pretty firmly balanced around an a specific number of actions per turn, and an extra speed dice breaks that balance pretty hard, in this fight it's a free attack each turn, an easy one sided attack to kill the lungs that much faster and eliminate the threat that much cleaner. sure you have a limited number of times that can be done thanks to the fact that you're using pages faster than you're drawing them, but both the lungs will probably be dead by the time that hand's empty.

[TeeQueue]

That would have been a much smarter way to play than what I've been doing, to be honest.

Luckily, Ruina isn't nearly as hard as Lobotomy Corporation so I can play very suboptimally and get away with it—I only used the Mars extra die like once, I think?

[TeeQueue]

Book 12: Zwei Association 1

Music: Lobby


Roland, now that you have three Librarians on your floor, we'll be defaulting to you for—

We'll go.

I thought you had nothing to say to me.

I didn't. Now that it's work, I do.

Well, it's no problem for me if you want to go. We'll all have to get used to it eventually.

Angela?

Do as you like.



Hod's using a Lulu deck, and if I'd been thinking properly I'd have tossed a trio of E-endures onto her in order to properly abuse the floor's Abnormality Pages. Since I wasn't thinking properly, we have no block users. This is because…



Medea's using a combo oriented deck. While D-dried Up's +2 Strength wasn't really worth it when we only had one die to play around with, combining it with an extra Speed Die will prove to be… effective.

VIDEO
Music: StoryChaboon


I beg you. My juniors… They’re all dead.

You’ve said that a million times by now. It’s gonna ring in my ears for days. Look, I know what happened. Your crew all died on a trip to a place called ‘The Library’.

I’d like to request the Zwei for support. I want to retrieve their books at least.

And barging into Zwei HQ to beg like this is not the right way to do it. Come on, you know better than that.



Julia. I know you’re friends with this idiot, but even then, we should not act upon friendship or attachment. The whole system could collapse otherwise. The lobby will be filled with all kinds of miserable folks, begging and pleading for help. You may be a low-grade pipsqueak, but you’re still Zwei’s Associate Fixer nonetheless. You’d better remember what you learned today.

But I’m responsible for this case, and… And the association is responsible for it, too.



So that’s how it is… You use us as you please, then turn your back on us so easily…

Hello, you’re putting the blame on the wrong people here. Even if such a deal did take place like you said, you must have demanded or at least expected a corresponding reward. That’s what a deal is after all. You used the association as much as the association used you. You don’t get to talk like it was one-sided extortion. Come on, let’s not act like rookies now. You’ve been in this business for 8 years, you should know how things work by now.

Isadora! You don’t have to be so harsh. We all started out as Office-mates…

I’m just frustrated. I don’t want to see him in such a wretched state, either.

Sorry. I understand what you’re trying to say. You’re right, that’s how it’s always been… I’ll go look for another way now.

San… I’m so sorry… I never thought it would turn out this way…



There's a beeping sound here like from a radio or pager.

Well would you look at that. Now this is the proper procedure I’m talking about. The Hana Association just elevated ‘The Library’ from Urban Myth to Urban Legend.

That means…! Our association can now officially act on this case, right?

W-well, yeah, but we still don’t know Zwei’s stance on it yet, so, don’t get your hopes up, alright?

Thank you, Isadora… I really owe you one.

And apologies for laying my burden on you.



There certainly have been reports that several other Syndicates and Offices fell victim to ‘The Library’, although they were mostly insignificant fledglings.

But it’s all thanks to the masterful data analysis by our lovely Isadora from Section 6 that it could be handled so quickly, right? That’s my girl!

Fine, believe in whatever you want! Anyway, do you still have that invitation with you?

Music: Lobby


How much of a difference does that make?

The guests we’ve had so far all gave us a visit out of casual interest or curiosity, but our future guests will have a clear goal in mind involving the Library.

How so?

A case officially recognized by the Associations is guaranteed to be rewarding. And money attracts an awful lot of attention. The scale of our affairs is only going to escalate from here, like it or not. Our threat level or importance is still probably on the lower end, but we’ll nevertheless get all sorts of people trying to unravel the mysteries of this place as long as the Associations have an eye on us.

I like the sound of that. I can make more valuable books out of them. I still have a lot to see and learn.



…I am under a curse. A deep, ancient curse; that is what’s attached to me. No being that isn’t human can walk out of this place.

Besides, I don’t want to leave this place until I’ve had my revenge, either.

It’s not too bad so far. Rather, I’ve been actually quite delighted lately. It has been full of brand new things, unlike the prison that was my past life. New faces, accumulating knowledge, intriguing events… I like this abundance of freshness. I want to know more. I will keep learning and learning. And as I learn, I might finally figure out…

…Why I had to be subject to such torment…

Guess I gotta work harder, then. I can’t leave here as long as you can’t, you know?

…



You mean a restaurant?

Yep. They make some sick meat stew there.



Creating a taste that’s so rich in such a short time is what makes the restaurant so hot. The only issue is that prices are a bit high. I spent half of my last job’s payout on a single meal one time. But it’s totally worth it.

……

Oh, right, are you incapable of eating…? Sorry for bringing up useless words, ma’am. There are plenty of other places you’d love to visit, so I’ll make sure to give you a tour through the City, ma’am.

I can eat, but I cannot taste the food. I do wish to try dining like you people do if I get a chance, though. In any case, we need to finish the task at hand before anything.

And the stew… I’ll keep that in mind.

Music: GuestBattle01


Today's guests are a simple 1-Act affair with none of the people we've seen so far. The two guests on the sides are randomly generated, while the one in the center is a custom sprite that doesn't appear anywhere else. They're also a little stronger than the other two.



Their passive will slightly restore their HP when they win clashes, but since we get to pick when and how they clash this will mostly not matter.



Music: HodBattle01




Medea… these guys are some kind of important Association, right?

Yeah, but as I recall they're a 'protection' Association. Offensive tactics like this aren't their specialty.

Then if we can play it right, we may be able to deal with them.



The first thing I do is check out Medea's hand—and it turns out we've gotten the perfect opening turn. I'll be using both D-dried up and Deflect. If I'd been thinking, I'd have clashed Deflect using the 5 die and ensured +3 Emotion Coins from the blonde Zwei, but...



I'm not smart. The Deflect goes on our second die, targeting the same guest.

You don't have to do this. There's only three of them. I can handle it.

I appreciate it, but…



I can't just push the work off on others. I'll do my part, the same as everyone else.

In that case…



I'll support you with all that I've got!

This is unfortunate. Our minimum result got us +1 coin, but the tie involving a defensive die is worth nothing. Since we need 3 coins to level up to Emotion Level 1, that means we'll need 1 more coin than we're guaranteed from clashes to level her up.



With the next clash being another draw, Medea only gets +1 more coin from it as well. We'll need one maximum or minimum roll in order to round things off and level her up. The issue with technical decks like the one I've built for her is that most receptions go very quickly, and as a result being able to quickly ramp into our combo is key to success. If we don't get our Emotion Level up, we'll have a total of 1 Light and a bunch of 2 costs clogging our hand. That would be very bad.





Hod gives one of the other guests a proper beating, before she takes a pair of hits from Retaliate.




Retaliate is the best page in the deck of the two sidekick Zwei, and we never want to clash with it unless we have a page that leads with an Evade die. Taking the hit hurts, but it's worth it to avoid getting hit by an even bigger die after losing a clash.



Finally, Medea gets a lucky max damage roll on her final attack with Deflect. We're in business.



It seems that our emotions have called out to that child for help. So this is what it feels like…

Any complaints if I grab this one?

By all means.



When we select Look of the Day, our librarian gets a face next to them that cycles through Today's Shy Look's five moods. Based on these moods, we get -2, -1, +0, +1, or +2 Power to all dice we play—but unlike every other time we've dealt with Today's Shy look we want the angry face.

With this, Medea's all set up. D-dried up gave her +2 Strength last turn, and if our timing is good Look of the Day gives another +2 Power on top of that.



This means C-chop it Off! becomes a 6-7, a 5-5, and a 7-7.

This is the basic idea behind Power stacking, a strategy where we get as many Power bonuses as possible onto a Librarian before having them use as many Offensive dice as possible to overwhelm our opponents.

Just to be sure, I also drop the second C-Chop it Off! on the same target. While the only way they'll survive is if they manage to block the first attack, I'd always rather have one target down than two targets injured. This is, of course, a misplay for reasons I'll explain in a moment.



I also have Hod aim at one of the other Zwei Fixers as well. Now we just have to wait for the face to be angry. I do this by looking for a smaller set of teeth in the middle of the face, since it can be difficult to see while in the default view.

There is a way to zoom in, however!



By using the mouse wheel, we can zoom in on the screen. This forces the screen towards the center, however, so in order to move the screen around we have to click in the mouse wheel. This changes the mousewheel to the star on screen here, and lets us drag the mouse around to move the screen.

No, this isn't documented anywhere.



Anyways, with a better view on things we hit space when the face is at its angriest for that sweet +2 Power.




Sorry, but recent events have me feeling frustrated.



I'll just picture you as someone else for a minute.

The reason using both C-chop it Off! on this Fixer was a misplay is because they had Paralyzed 1, and therefore their maximum roll was only 3. We could not possibly lose this clash, no matter what happened. That means…



Every part of this attack…



Was 100% inevitable. I could have used the second page on another target without any issue. When Power stacking like this, not making basic misplays is vital to get the most out of our massive amounts of damage.



Hey! Come on, now..!

Another Retaliate. We have enough bulk that I just let these pass instead of clashing with them.



This… did get easier, the second time.

You're doing fine. Let's keep it up!



We put Social Distancing on Hod because she's more likely to get use out of it, though I haven't really built either one for it. I should have brought E-endure with me, just for this page.

Music: HodBattle02


These battles are really flashy…

This is actually pretty normal among Fixers. The real question is why they wait for us to set up before the combat begins.

That is another effect of the Library. It is not that they are waiting, it's that the intentions of the guests are read, and perception of the Librarians and guests slows down until actions have been decided. Our perceptions are unaffected, thus it appears as if they are waiting.

Amazing..!

The more I hear about this Library, the more amazed I become about all its conveniences. Stealing techniques, physiques, and now even intentions… what can't it do?

Let me leave.

...ah.





We're basically in cleanup mode at this point. Both Zwei have played their one copy of Retaliate, so until they've gone through enough pages to refresh their deck we won't be seeing anything threatening again.



Even easier this time… The key to adjustment is to do it slowly and steadily, after all.



Take all the time you need.



I've got these guys handled either way.



Take care of the one on me, I'll finish this guy off.

I'm not fast enough. Defend yourself.

Sure thing, but then… who'll take care of the other guest?

I will.

But, Miss Hod..! You shouldn't have to—

It's fine. I'll have to get used to killing eventually, right?

…



I'll take care of this. Do what you have to do.



Of course, Miss Hod. I'll trust in you.



Medea Staggers the third Zwei Fixer…



While Hod downs the second.



How was it?

I feel a little uneasy, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It's a good thing this body can't get sick, at any rate.

...Yeah. People are fragile. I'll take out this last one for you.

No, I… I'm going to get used to this. I've watched you all suffer over and over for so long without ever truly helping, the least I can do is take responsibility.



Set Fire is overkill here, but it's not a card game unless we're needlessly styling on our opponents. I don't make the rules.



I'll remember your story, so pass on without regret.



Zwei Association 1 is ultimately just a warm-up. It's another step up in difficulty from Urban Myth, but there's still nothing particularly challenging here.



Music: Result


Miss Hod…

I'm fine now. Let's do our best next time, as well.



Music: Lobby


Once again there's no ending scene, since those only seem to come with people who have names, who won't appear until our next Zwei Association reception. However, it seems we've hit a branch before then—the latest fight opened up Netzach's first Abnormality Battle. That means it's time to determine where we're going next, once again.

Next time, on Library of Ruina



"You see a song in front of you. It's approaching, becoming more colorful by the second."

More Shield.

Videos

Zwei Association 1

New Key Pages




New Combat Pages

[Whilimbird]

I think I’m noticing a trend in how the votes turn out

[TeeQueue]

Someday, there will be a poll without an Abnormality Battle in it. Then, true chaos will reign.


Until then!



We're doing Netzach next.

[TeeQueue]

Art—406.60—Fragment of the Universe

Music: Lobby


Are you sure you don't want to…

I don't care.

While setting up to record this episode, I had the brilliant idea to have Netzach try it without equipping a better Key Page. The Patron Librarian Key Pages are terrible, and this is a bad idea. Don't do this.



...You're prepared?

Ready as I'll ever be.

Um… give it your best, Netzach.

Bring us back a new ally!

...what a pain…

SNAP

Music: AbnormalityBattle01


...Back in the day, you sure sent a lot of employees over the edge. Guess it's my turn to see why.

Understand. Perfection. Moment. Know. Knowledge. Our. Meaning. Deliver.

Do. Together. Chant. Song. Enlightenment.

Impale. You. My. Understand. Cross. Boundary. Human.

Hurt. Not. Knowledge. Our. Simple. Give. Relay.

Sings. Nerves. Focus. Moment. See. Exist.

Fragment of the Universe's passive ability makes it deal 2x Stagger damage with its basic attacks, and its Penetrate is a 4-8 Pierce attack. As a reminder, the default suit is weak to Piercing attacks and has 15 Stagger Resist.



Yeah… this is going to be one of those days.



With its Light full thanks to the extra +1 from Stagger, Fragment of the Universe is free to use its ultimate attack on us right away. By all accounts, we should be dead.



Instead, it... deals no damage at all? Let's look at Fragment of the Universe's trump page, Echoes from the Beyond.



Echoes from the Beyond is Fragment of the Universe's kill page, much like Fourth Match Flame or Metallic Ringing before it. However, it has a massive weakness—while the text states it deals 0 damage, this isn't quite accurate. Instead, holding an Enlightenment forces all dice on this page to roll a 0.

Also when Echoes from the Beyond is played, there's unique dialogue based on whether or not Netzach is enlightened.

Without Enlightenment
!#&^*&(^^*()!!#$!#$

!&&((@##&^@%$!@#!@&

!#...!#&&*&^$%%$$%%^^&*(!

With Enlightenment
In a world of subconscious that denies all common sense, in the nebulousness that reflects the real world better than any mirror could…

When the glaring sun comes down, ethereal images will show themselves.

The vast, glittering echo that approaches, wavering its head; if you can hear it, let us sing it together.

Anyways, the next two turns go basically the same way. We tank Penetrate…



And Echoes fails to do anything again. This gives us two copies of Enlightenment in hand. We should probably talk about what that page does next, as it's very important to the fight.



Enlightenment's 8-8 Block die will stop an incoming Penetrate 100% of the time, and its 0 cost is useful for refilling our Light. While holding it does cut our Stagger Resist in half, since any hit we take in this fight is going to Stagger us anyways this isn't actually a downside.

For some reason, holding two of them at once does not further reduce our Stagger Resist further, and playing one of the two will let us hold the other one while having maximum Stagger Resist. This entire fight is very in terms of edge cases and how the pages function vs what they say.

Anyways, the smart play would be to throw out an Enlightenment to block the Penetrate and then follow up against its Echoes the next turn.



I don't realize this for another couple scenes. :shepface:



I'm getting tired of being your punching bag.

Thankfully, we win this coinflip. If we'd missed it we'd have been Staggered again.



With us finally able to move on an Echoes turn, I fire off our spare Enlightenment—I'll be honest, I don't know what I was thinking with this one.



It works, though.



And we follow up with Commandeering, to lop off half of its HP and get extra protection against the stab next turn.



Seriously..?

And while we get Staggered again…



Fragment of the Universe still can't do much more than that.



It's now that I finally realize playing Enlightenment against Penetrate is the correct move. So long as we keep one in hand, using the other to block Fragment's only damaging attack is a wonderful play.



So we block its first attack…



Hit it with a flaming bat…



Get lucky and stay unstaggered after a Penetrate…



Stagger it in return…



And at this point, the fight is all but won.

You were troublesome, as expected…



I need a drink.



Fragment of the Universe is ultimately just a tutorial about some attacks being able to add pages to our hand, and isn't a particularly difficult fight as long as we read the pages that the Fragment uses against us.



VIDEO
Music: NetzachStory




This smell… And this thing rolling around on the floor… Don’t tell me… …A beer can. Where the heck did you get this?

This is the Library, Roland. Constructed from the light of possibilities. Anything’s possible as long as you’ve got the book.

Uh… Are you sure you’re sorting the books well? You seemed okay at receiving guests, at least.



Really, you sorted them all? Lemme see, that’s… The books are almost randomly scattered across the floor. I don’t think that counts as sorting…

……

Here, have a drink.

Hehey, you’ve got manners at least. Well, lemme take a sip if you insist.

Kyah~ Never guessed I’d get the chance to drink beer in this place. Boy, how I missed this sparkling softness.

Good stuff, ey?

It sure is, brother.

So, how’s work been going?

It’s been going, somehow. Not that I’m satisfied with it, though.

What’s your biggest complaint at the moment, then?

That I have to take someone else’s life with my hands.

But it’s either you or them, ain’t it?

That’s why I have to fight. And that’s what I don’t like about it. I’ll probably hafta kill even more people as time goes by. Doesn’t matter if it’s a saint or the scum of the earth. Everyone wants to live all the same.

I’m picking up what you’re puttin’ down. But it’s no different out there, really. People all hurt and kill others because they don’t wanna be hurt themselves. Take others’ lives so you can keep yours. Bit too obvious, maybe?

I guess that’s how things were in the outside world.



Dunno, I’m feeling tipsy. All I remember for sure is that I worked at Lobotomy Corp.

Must’ve been in a pretty sweet spot, working in a megacorp like that.

You really think so?

Duh, of course. People are bound to envy anyone who gets to join a Wing. They give a lot of cash, welfare’s nice, and you gain social status too.

Yeah. That’s what they always say. Let’s just forget about all that for now and drink some more.

Alright! Gotta drink while I can.



Music: Lobby


Why hello there, ma'am~ Care to join us?

I was planning to tell the both of you that the new librarian should be along soon, but instead I'm treated to this display.

(Netzach takes another long drink, maintaining eye contact with Angela the entire time.)

Well, whenever you're done with… this, we're quite prepared.

Don't worry, ma'am. I'll scurry along soon.



So, let's talk about our new Abnormality Pages. Echoes from the Beyond is a kind of generically decent page, giving us Stagger Resist recovery and dealing mass damage to the enemy's Stagger Resist as well. It falls off as the numbers get bigger in later receptions, but for now it's a good pick.

Tentacles, on the other hand… well, I'll start by saying that I can see the appeal behind Tentacles. Every time we hit with a Pierce attack, our enemies lose 5% of their maximum Stagger Resist, making it easier to restagger them. After 10 successful Pierce attacks, this goes all the way down to 50% of their original maximum. In theory, this is an excellent Abnormality Page for boss fights, letting us quickly re-Stagger bosses in order to take them down. In practice, however, very few enemies survive beyond their first Stagger. Because of this, there's generally going to be a better pick available. Still, it's better than nothing and right now we don't have a lot of alternatives.

Incomprehensible gives us incentives to go for one-sided attacks, letting us slap Disarm and Feeble on our opponents. Both of these are new status effects—each stack of Disarm gives -1 Power to all Defensive dice the opponent plays that turn, and each stack of Feeble gives a -1 Power on all Offensive dice. Altogether, this means that we have a chance of giving an opponent -1 Power each time we hit them one-sidedly. Like Tentacles, this is a very good page when beating down on a single large threat. Unlike Tentacles, it's also good at its job. Power is the god stat, and being able to apply -1 Power to your enemy's entire next turn is great. Shame that it's a level 2 page, so we can't pick it up yet.



We also get our next set of assignments. The top one should be relatively simple, and the rest are time-gated, of course.

Hey everyone..!

We're here. Let's welcome our new friend in this hell together!

Your cheeks… Netzach, have you been drinking?

Sure have. And the good stuff, too.

Deets me.

Don't worry, my dear protege. I'll let you in on the secret later.

That's my boss. You're the best, sir!

Yes, yes, praise me more.

I'd rather you didn't.

As much as I'd love to get my hands on some of the Bear-brand bubbly again, aren't there more important things going on, kiddos?

...Oh, yeah. The new guy. I wonder who—

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I'd know that laugh anywhere…



Good evening, to all you delectable people! I take it you've remembered to keep smiling, haven't you?!

Ah, it's you… Guess I'm not getting any sleep anytime soon.

Not likely! And I see you've already found the booze. Splendiferous!

You'll probably want someone to catch you up on what's going on.

There'll be time enough for that later. For now, I simply must throw a party! Why, we've all survived through thick and thin, and against all odds!

We don't have time to waste on frivolities like that.

There's nothing frivolous about bringing smiles to faces!

So long as you remember to sort all the books for me, you can throw a party on any floor but mine.

And mine.

Mine's also a little…

I don't really want to clean up after a wild party.

Then I'll take it to the corridors betwixt your fine establishments! Come, friends! There's much to discuss!

Next time, on Library of Ruina

More Shield.


Videos

Netzach 2

[Kacie]

Mr. Black is back! I was hoping he'd be rejoining us!

[TeeQueue]

Book 13: Zwei Association 2—Chapter 1

Music: Lobby


Ugh…

Hangover?

Please, no talking.

Perhaps you shouldn't have drank so much the night before a reception.

It's always the night before a reception around here…

What if we put off the reception until a little later on?

Each of these is sent to their fated guest, who comes at the fated time. Deviating from the proper schedule is a risk which I'd rather not take.

I see, ma'am. And how do you know when the time is right..?

I simply know.

She's making it up as she goes.

Most likely.

Undoubtedly.

If you have time for such rabble, you should be readying your floors for a reception.

...That's all I needed to hear. Later.

VIDEO
Music: StoryNervous


I’m finally heading back to the Library.

Yeah. Let’s go retrieve the books of Mars and Lulu, and come back safely.

Don’t forget. While our main objective has been decided as retrieving the books of Mars and Lulu thanks to the coincidence of interests between San and the Association, we should still try to secure as much information as possible. Meaning we should collect as many books as we can.

Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.

I know it’s a silly question to ask, but why is Zwei, an Association specializing in peacekeeping and security, deciding to set up a search team of all things to enter the Library?

Why did you come begging to us in the first place if you knew all that?

That’s… That’s because this was the only place I could count on.

What about your younger brother?

My brother is… Never mind. Once again, I’m sorry for the trouble, and thanks again for the help.

San…

Hm hmm. Anyway, since you’re running an affiliate Office, I suppose it’s okay to tell you this.

Music: StorySimgak


It’s an anomaly that has been happening throughout the City ever since the White Nights and Dark Days. The frequency may be low, but people are turning into monsters at random, and each individual occurrence is a huge pain to deal with.



The Pianist is an important figure in the game's backstory, and probably worth an appendix post later on because it has some lore that doesn't come up in the game anywhere.

I heard that it was so sudden, the Hana Association had to dispatch one of the ‘Colors’ immediately after realizing the severity of the situation.

That’s right. Yet we still don’t have any clues to track down the cause of this phenomenon. The most we have is the sudden disappearance of L Corp, and the ‘White Nights and Dark Days’ whose starting point was in the corporation’s Nest. Zwei suspects that the Library may be one of the keys to understanding the Distortion Phenomenon.

A coworker told me a similar story. Said a resident in the area they were peacekeeping was suddenly distorted and transformed into a four-legged beast, even though there weren’t any signs of danger or anomaly nearby. Thankfully, they managed to take care of that creature before the death toll could hit two digits. And I also heard that a restaurant clerk turned into a… man-eating sandwich monster? Something like that one time.

I think I understand now. So the Distortion Phenomenon is a clear and apparent threat to Zwei’s peacekeeping activities, and they expect the Library to hold a clue for resolving it.

You got that right. Fortunately, there haven’t been any cases of the phenomenon that’s nearly as devastating as ‘The Pianist’ so far. It looks like Zwei is going to keep an eye out for the Library for a while. Though there are several other suspects they need to investigate as well, so we won’t be getting any high-grade Fixers.

Music: StoryJinji


I-I said I’m just doing my job. It’s not like I’m doing you a favor or anything.

Sure you are! You have my thanks as well, Isadora.

Let’s get to it.

Music: Lobby


What is?

The things they said about the Library. Is this place really all connected to stuff like ‘White Nights and Dark Days’, L Corp, and the Distortion Phenomenon?

I’m frankly not even sure where we are in the City, though.

What if I said it is?

If you said it is… I’m not sure I get what you mean. It’s extremely rare for an incident to encompass the City like the White Nights and Dark Days did.

There have been some cases of Wings falling apart on their own, but those only affected their own Nests at most. L Corp. was something else entirely. It’s like the whole City fell asleep for a week.

Let’s say that the Library really is related to the White Nights and Dark Days. What does that change?

Nothing, I guess. My work is still gonna be the same…

……

Music: Entrance


…Yeah. The director of the Library will soon come and greet us.

Angela… was it?



Though it appears that you already know who I am.

We’re here to take back the books of Mars and Lulu.

They are here indeed.

We can get the books we want, or die and turn into books ourselves, right?

That is correct. As it is written on the invitation.

It’s like I’m talking to a wall. She’s so robotic.

…May you find your book in this place.

Next time, on Library of Ruina: Only trust your books. Zwei Fixers will never help you.


Videos

Zwei Association 2







Hey, what are you doing in my spot?

Oh, sorry. I was just thinking. I'm going to have to kill people soon… and…

Ah, see, that's your problem. You're thinking. Here, let me show you a trick. And… voila~

How'd you get that?!

Ahh, the boss let me in on something important earlier. Turns out we can get anything we want out of these books. A beer or two is nothing at all.

Does that mean that I could finally try that high class whiskey I've always wanted..?

Knock yourself out, man. Just don't do it on my secret napping spot.

You know, now that you mention it, I thought that it was a bit comfier than the rest of the Library…

You don't want to know how difficult it was to find soft books around here.

But then, why didn't you just use them to manufacture a soft bed or pillows or something?

………

Did I just think of something good?

I've decided to forgive you for stealing my spot, but only if you take your beer and leave.

Uhh… sure. See you around.

[Whilimbird]

Hoping we get a drunk Librarian in a fight sometime :v

[vulpixall]

What if you wanted to go to work but the Pianist said "" and killed you

[TeeQueue]

Appendix 7: The Pianist

The Pianist, aka that thing with the bunch of hands we saw both in the game's opening and in the last update, is a fairly important figure in the background of Library of Ruina. While much of that incident gets explained later, there are a couple of things worth knowing about it that don't come up anywhere in the game's canon.

First of all, this thing which killed most of a District would be considered somewhere between WAW and ALEPH if it was an Abnormality. That only matters to people familiar with the first game, but I feel it should be put here in either case. Put simply, it's strong, but it's nowhere near the top of what's possible for weird monster things in this world.

Secondly, there was a short story that was released for the Pianist before Library of Ruina was released, complete with a teaser video. I'll be enclosing it here, as my original source was deleted for some reason and I'd like to make sure that it remains available to fans.

A 38-year old pianist wearing a worn out suit.
My day starts off at the bystreet in District 9, known as the street of music. Just loitering around aimlessly, knocking at the doors of underground stores, seeking for a job. However my reputation has already hit the bottom long ago in this very street. 'An abject musician who only knows to play by the rules of the music sheet.’ ‘A boring clown.’ 'A poor pianist who lacks any money, with no pull.' I know better than anyone else that this is the gruesome peak of my life. An exclusive pianist of a fancy restaurant, Person in charge of a recital at the social gatherings for the rich. Or arranging a private concert. This is all but an unreachable longing for me now.

A crummy, 40-square meter bar under the ground, full of all kinds of smoke. The scenery visualized by the flickering lightbulb's faint, scarlet light resembles a graveyard. A graveyard for the low lives such as I. A place where the scums such as incompetent fixers and the minor of a gang come together, to praise each other with foolish consolation.

In here I fix my eyes on the score, beating away black and white keys.

It was 14 years ago which I can’t recall vividly, that I began to play by dropping my head, unhindered by the surroundings. I first played at a bar when I missed my chance to be successful at the age of 24. Playing at a cheap pub came to me as an edge of a cliff, where I have nowhere to retreat to. As I start playing, the silence slowly covers the room, the customers turn their heads towards me admiring my performance and forming a single bond of sympathy ...is something I never expect as much. But I wanted my music to be respected a bit more than it is, whilst comforting their minds.

However when I look around the bar, I have to accept the fact that my music fits in here like a napkin, which is something you’d naturally see in a pub. It doesn’t matter if I’m not the pianist of this place. Anyone who can play by the score can be here as a prop. Just assorted there, where it’s suitable Like how napkins and vases should be on a table…

All these unnecessary contemplations happen more often these days. Three days of light, three days of darkness and a day of silence that wrapped around the city. Centering around that week, while playing busily I sink into the thoughts of the past and recall forgotten things at the same time.

Have I gained enough composure to introspect in the warmth, anxiety and silence, which doesn’t fit in with the city at all? My heart should’ve lost its capacity to let me think so deep, for it would’ve worn out too much already.

As always, I gently close my eyes while moving away my fingers diligently, in this crude bar of vulgar words and voices louder than a piano.

The one job that I can do is to hit the keys. There were fools here and there who knew how to play exactly as the score they were given. But most of them are in better places than I am. I could only watch as the people who I once thought were insignificant skyrocket upwards with the support from patrons. Though envious, I didn’t resent. I was confident that once my talent gained its rightful recognition, I’d reach a higher place than any others who used cash and connections to get up. But all that confidence was broken so fast it felt like a joke. About a year after choosing my path to be a pianist. I’ve heard someone say it’s a ‘boring performance.’ Even if it’s the only talent I had left, it all came to nothing compared to other’s talent. Dare I call this a talent at all. My eyes read the score slightly faster, and my hands were a bit quicker. I just loved the sound coming from the instrument. I didn’t know that it was a mediocre aptitude. Deluding myself that I am gifted with a unique, artistic ability. And I realized that it wasn’t just wealthy parents or patrons that I lacked in these hands.

I wasn’t even gifted to begin with.

My performance wasn’t even mine. It could be anyone’s, strictly playing by the rules of the sheet. The performance where the player didn’t have to be me. Yet, I couldn’t put my hand down from the keys for 25 years; why is that?

It’s probably because I love piano. And I’m still playing this instrument on my own, which nobody will pay attention to.

My eyes open up with someone forcefully pulling on my shoulder. A drunk bum talks to me with an infuriated face. Telling me to move aside, so he can play for his fellows who came along. Even then my hands continue to tap the keys away. They won’t stop until the song is complete. This seat won’t be empty till then. I will not yield. This is the last place I stand. It’s been kept firmly as my spot with an abject pride of mine, even when I knew I had no gift in me and people despised. The shopkeeper warns me that I shouldn’t make a scene. Threatening loudly that I’ll lose my job if I don’t step aside. I realize this again as I look up at them seated, using my fingers assiduously to play:

My performance has always been flowing at the bottom. It’s sinking as I look up in eternity.

My head rang all of a sudden. My performance ended as the shopkeeper slapped me across the face.

I watched the jerk sitting in front of the piano, as I sat at the table in the corner with a wet towel against my cheek. The cramped up bar is still filled with all kinds of crude chatter from the tables. The man who, is in no way civil, brags to his friends, spitting as he sits on the piano stool. It seems that he’d been playing it as a hobby. Stroking my swollen cheek, I wondered if things would’ve been better had I taken this as a mere hobby.

A luscious tune plays along. This made me wonder if that was really the same cheap one I’ve been using until now. Although the song is the same, the melody claws into the heart. Despite all the noise in the bar, it sounded so very vivid. And as all the other sound of the pub subsides, the beautiful music is the only thing left.

Tears roll down. Body shaking with the melody spearing through my mind, it was all too beautiful and painful for me to keep the tears in. As the melody reaches its climax, the small 40-square meter place that this place is, turns into a warm, cozy place that nowhere else can dare to be.

This, is the true talent. At that moment I vaulted out of my seat and headed straight for the piano. And after pushing that son of a bitch aside with all my might, I banged my head against the keys like a mad man.

Bang. Snap. Ding ding.

The piano’s sharp screech resonates.

Water runs down as my right eyeball digs into a black key. I rubbed and grinded my head against the keys. The sheer white keys turn crimson red. Then I twisted and snapped my left arm, crushing my left hand. Opened the mouth and rammed it into the corner of the piano. Teeth are broken and dropping out, digging into the instrument. Rubbing, smashing, and grinding the whole body. A sound that has never been heard before oozes out of it. I wasn’t upset when the customers ignored my performance. I wasn’t upset when that jerk interrupted me. I wasn’t upset when the shopkeeper wasn’t on my side. I wasn’t upset when my colleagues became successful with the help of the patrons. I just wanted to live by playing piano, because I loved to. This city won’t allow that. Nothing here goes well if you simply like to do it. Where is my freedom to live as who I am? Why can’t I leave the keyboard? Why must my heart be detested so much? This city disgusted me with all the judgement. I didn’t think that my seat was taken away when Mr. Nobody pushed me away and sat there. When his melody lured my heart -- only then my seat has truly been stolen. Why can’t I capture people’s minds? Why can’t I capture my own mind… Everything was in shambles.

When I came to be, everyone was listening to me play. They were listening to my own performance. The piano creaks, covered in my blood and flesh. But how is it possible that my body could play it anyway, with far greater willpower than I’ve ever had before? That question is trivial compared to the delight in this moment. Not stopping, I continue to play by smashing my damn body against the instrument. Although it was supposed to be broken already, it’s grown to be bigger with a better shape. The keys elongate. My arms stretch along. A brand new arm rises for the play. The music is more mellow than it ever was, resonating.

Score spreads out in front of my eyes. People are ripped apart with me, turning into notes. Making the same sound that came from the body of the jerk. Fixers draw their swords. Alas, they too have become a part of the play. I can see the sound above the music sheet. The sound of screaming, flesh exploding, bones breaking, and organs being pulled apart. Though all of that’s a cacophony, it turns into a melody with me. It becomes a beautiful performance. This is the true form of my talent. The piano and I, that used to be under the ground, become one and rise to the higher stage.

I play alone at the bottom of the city. Hitting the keys stronger and stronger, so one day every ear in this city will be filled with my music. I don’t sink into worthless contemplations anymore. I don’t care about patrons or talents. Everything becomes worthless in front of my melody.

Steadily keeping my place in front of the piano, I make the tune flow that only I can play. Though my performance could be flowing at the bottom, it will not sink further.

Now look who’s playing the music looking down...

...and look who’s shaking their body listening to the music, looking up.

I’m just a poor pianist born from the city.

Please look forward to learning more about this mysterious entity as the game progresses. Thank you!

[TeeQueue]

Book 13: Zwei Association 2—Chapter 2

Music: GuestBattle01


Alright, we're all ready.

Pummein coash. M'ready to schlay!

Uh… Something seems off with Steve.

He seems very drunk.

Nah, nah, issh fiiine. I'm good~~

We… may need a minute.

We can't keep our guests waiting because you aren't able to keep your librarians in line. Get out there and—

Hold there a moment, my dear! We've a solution!

Oho? What've you got in mind?

Who are you talking to?



It's been far too long since I've been in the field! I thought, why don't I and the old boss take to the stage! And as it so happens, you're not up for it!

That could work, what do you say, ma'am?

...Do whatever you like.

I'd like to be doing anything else…

Nonsense! You need to get some exercise! You're not a bag of bolts, you know, you have to keep working your body to keep it fresh! HAHAHA!

I guess it's settled then. Good luck, you two.

Aww… man..! I wash sho shure… Urp! :barf:



The first group of guests in our two-Act reception is identical to Zwei 1, with two normal Zwei Fixers and a slightly stronger blue version in the middle. While Mr.Black is running a bleed-focused Mars build, Netzach is still in the same outfit as last time.

This seems like a bad idea.

It's not like I had time to change… Mr.Black dragged me down here before I could protest.

When the iron's hot, you have to strike! It's the same in business, pleasure, and hobbies!



Music: NetzachBattle01



They certainly have branding on their side! But we won't lose to something like that!

I'd almost forgotten how exhausting you are…

HAHAHA! I missed you too, dear boss!



Netzach goes straight for a clash with Taste My Flaming Bat!, while Mr.Black's hand is…



Not the best. I opt to go for a double onesided attack, in order to get guaranteed Bleed onto an opponent.



Gratuitous arrows shot. By the next chapter, this is a pretty normal amount of chaos.



Mr.Black takes a Retaliate head on, but the user is now out of Light.



Netzach and the lead Zwei Fixer trade blows as well…



And Mr.Black nearly Staggers the Fixer he targeted.



Ahh… it's been so LONG!

Don't get carried away, now.

With one of our guests at 2 Stagger but none of them currently Staggered, this is an ideal time to use Echoes. It should mostly heal our Stagger Resistance, while giving us one fewer threat to deal with next turn.



When selected, the page deals its damage immediately, and resolves before the Speed Dice show up.

Music: GuestBattle01


This gives us a much better position to work with than we'd otherwise have.





This turn is entirely about pouring on damage on the Staggered guest. I'm okay with Mr.Black taking a few extra hits here because Zwei Fixers usually use Slash dice, and his defense against them is incredibly strong.



HAHA! I haven't felt a hit like this since I've woken up!



But you Zwei folk haven't changed at all, I must say!



You knew these guys..?

Anyone growing up in District 23 would! Why, I remember they'd frequently get in the way of doing this and that.

This and that…?



My pursuit of smiles has taken me all sorts of interesting places! And these folk would frequently try and keep me out! This is far easier, though—why, back in the day I'd have to carefully plan how to get around them to find new ingredients!

...I don't think I wanna know any more, man…



Since Netzach doesn't have any Pierce dice on his pages, Mr.Black is the obvious choice for Tentacles.

Music: NetzachBattle02


This is an unfortunate situation. We can stop one of the attacks with Mars's page, but Netzach will have to clash with the other and if he loses then he's taking much more damage than Mr.Black would have.



Instead of that, I opt to go for a riskier play—Mr.Black dedicates his turn to deleting the Staggered guest, and Netzach clashes with the Zwei Fixer who's on their last legs. With no more free Light refills for either of them, I want to clear out the guests as quickly as possible.



My goodness! I'd heard, but it's so peculiar to see up close… They truly become books!



Is now really the time to get hung up over that?

It's the PERFECT time! When else are we going to get hung up?



We could do it when I haven't just murdered someone…

Murdered? He's still alive!

No, he's dead.



Just didn't know it yet.

HAHAHAHAHA! Well done, sir!

While the popup doesn't show up, we do still get books when a guest is defeated by Burn at the end of the turn.



You know, I really didn't think Netzach'd be nearly as skilled at this as he is.

He's always been like that. Guy doesn't like doing work, but when he does it it's done just fine.

He generally stayed out of the way and left us to our business. The ideal boss for someone like me.

Are you sure you didn't just use it as an excuse to slack off?

Like I said. Ideal boss.



Mr.Black sets up the last Zwei Fixer.



And Netzach finishes them off.



Things are proceeding well.

I don't really want to be complimented by you…

I am simply stating a truth.

Music: GuestBattle01


I haven't mentioned it before, but remaining HP values are shown in the between-Act setup screens by way of the bars behind our Librarians and the Guests. The lower they are, the lower our overall HP are. It's a good way to eyeball how roughed up a floor is, or how much damage we've done to a guest.

Setting that aside, let's take a look at San and Julia. The third there is just another of the common Zwei Fixers, and can be ignored.



San's stats have been buffed to bring him up to par with the rest of the Zwei, and Julia is also a cut above her fellows. Normally, we'd want to trade out our floor here for a fresh one—Mr.Black and Netzach are both somewhat beat up, and their deck builds aren't designed for fights where they can't recover Light with higher Emotion Levels.

Then again, we'd normally want to be using Keter in the first place so who cares about optimal moves, right?



Music: NetzachBattle02




I'm back here again… but this isn't the same place as before.

There's a number of wondrous floors! You simply happen to be on the best one of all, so relax and have a nice smile!!

'Sup. I'm the Patron of the Floor of Art. Like he said, you musta' gone somewhere else last time…

They're considerate, for people who're trying to kill us…

That's just an act. Don't be fooled.





Due to some very bad luck, Netzach is staring down the barrel of a Retaliate—one page we absolutely can't afford to get hit by. I'm hoping to blunt it at least a little, but there's a firm chance we'll just eat huge amounts of damage early on. Mr.Black, meanwhile, just tries to keep the rest of the heat off of his boss.



He's eating a one-sided Retaliate of his own, but it's worth it to run Julia out of light for a turn.



I recognize those techniques… he's got to be associated with the chefs of District 23.

It seems that they can steal the techniques of anyone that's turned into a book.

It's possible… but you sound quite certain.

He's… using the body of my junior.

...Ah.



Speaking of which, I believe I owe you a proper greeting.

That "greeting" nearly left me without a leg...

Really? I'd better try it again, then. You were supposed to be dead.

This is such a pain…



Hey now! Let's all lay off the boss! He's a fragile old boy right now, HAHAHAHA!

There's that teamwork again…



It's alright! We're "Your Shield," after all!

My, you're certainly more spirited than the last bunch! Please, keep that smile up 'til the very end!



Gotta' confess… I'm not doing so hot.

It's your own fault for not properly equipping a Key Page.

Like I could know I was about to be dragged into battle. I thought Keter had it.

There was your first problem: You thought! Simply experience the pleasures of life as they come, and smile, smile, SMILE!!

...

Netzach. You can handle this much still, can't you?

Don't really feel like it… But there's not much choice.

Then do it. Don't worry about what you've forgotten or what may have been.

Man… what a pain...



Let's get to it, I guess…

Since both San and Julia rolled lower than all our dice, we can get away with taking all our actions before them.



On average, this means that Netzach should be able to recover some Stagger Resistance with Taste My Flaming Bat! before tanking the hit from Julia's 0-cost page. Mr.Black's lack of Light worries me, so I'm also hoping he manages to Stagger or book San.



They've sped up..?

Nah… your attack was just slower.



Ack—my head!

There goes that plan, I guess. Props to Netzach for rolling exactly 4 on a 3-9 die, enough to Stagger but not enough to give us a chance of defeating him this turn.



Mr.Black follows up, knocking him down to 5 HP left. Burn will reduce that to 3, so San's a light poke away from being out of the fight.



While Netzach is on his last legs with 8 HP left, the enemy's decided to target Mr.Black exclusively. Meanwhile, he's running into the problem of being in protracted fights with a 2-dice page this early—his Light's down to only 1 left, and on top of that…



We only have two pages left in our hand. I got lucky and drew a 1-cost that can take out San, but from here we're basically out of options without just taking dead turns on Mr.Black in the middle of a fight.



Since Netzach can't outspeed either of our two guests this turn, he's just going to hit the weakened Zwei Fixer as hard as he can.

Now then, let's just finish off that—



No you don't! San's an associate of ours, so don't think you'll get at him so easily.



And I don't really care that much, but since Miss Julia does, I'll help out.

I'll overlook it this time, but that's not the attitude you should have...



Can you overlook this, too?

What?! No! Obviously!



Then how about this?! HAHAHA!!

I'm not overlooking anything from either of you!



No… No, they're just trying to get to me. That laughing man seems to be tired. I'll focus on the other one, who's on his last legs.





At last, we have a reasonable-looking turn of two clashes against two opponents.



Hoho, nice try there! But there's a frown on that face of yours…



There you are! Nothing makes you smile like a good book!

How dare you!

It's just business, lady.



This is anything but business!

This is… bad…



But I don't want to die here, either.

Then get out of my way.

Not an option, I'm afraid...




For this turn, I decide to aim for nothing but one-sided attacks, which turns out to be a very stupid idea for reasons we'll get into momentarily.



Netzach is using Commandeering, to go with Mr.Black's Rampage.



This mission is all but hopeless...

Julia's attack hits first, putting both her defensive dice into her defense queue.



But as long as I'm still standing, I can find a way out.

Which allows her to completely dodge Mr.Black's Rampage, leaving him with 0 Light.



Enjoy that hit. It's the last one you'll be landing!



Julia's attack isn't anything particularly strong. Unfortunately for Netzach, though…





We don't have any pages we can play. In the early game, decks fall off hard once we lose our free Light refills at every Emotion Level. Without some other way to regain our Light, it leads to situations like this later on where the enemy gets free turns.



Oh… I guess that's it…



And stay down!

Music: GuestBattle02


From here, it's just a 1-on-1 slugfest.

...You've slain him.

You're not going to get angry after all this, right?

HAHAHA… no, no you don't need to worry about that.



Life, death, everything's best with a smile! I'll miss his, but it's important that I not change my ways!



What's with that obsession with smiles… it's creepy, you know?!



That's simply the way it's always been! Service with a smile! Complaints handled with a smile! Good little boys and girls, smiling as I make sure to meet their needs! A smile cures ills, settles fears, papers over any injury no matter how bloody! Those smiles, they're the essence of the hospitality industry!



What part of this is hospitality?! All you're doing is killing anyone who comes in here!



It's still better than working food service.

Here, on Scene 12, is where I make a massive error. With her using Retaliate and Mr.Black's Stagger Resist at just 4, my only real option is to play a Rampage and pray that one of the hits overcomes her evade die.



Instead, I decide to use Goin' First for some reason. Evade dice are always a draw, and the second die is a 2-2 going up against a 4-5.



That means this Stagger was the only possible outcome.



Okay… If I just pour everything into this strike…

On the upside for us, we have a decent chance of surviving this hit as long as she rolls a 4 or lower.







I… I did it. San… Everyone… I'm sorry I couldn't stop them.

Music: GuestBattle01


When we lose, as long as we have floors left we're brought back here. The defeated floor has the enemy's symbol on it, and we get to select where they'll run to next. It's also possible to update Key Pages and change decks around on this screen, as long as we haven't used them so far in the reception.

Exit… exit. I just have to get out of here, and…

I'm sorry, but it's not time for you to leave yet.

What?! I won, didn't I?! Everyone gave their all, and I just barely..!

Unfortunately, your Ordeal isn't yet over. You'll have to go through us.



Oh… nuts.

May I?

Of course.



If I just…

I won't let you run, or hide.





You made it further than the others… but that ends here.



Altogether, Zwei Association 2 is another small step up in difficulty. So long as you're not being a complete idiot like me, they shouldn't be too much trouble. Farewell, Streetlight Office. :patriot:



That was a close one, huh..?

Perhaps this will put a stop to Netzach's questionable decision-making.

Well, he's dead, so…

No one can die here without my permission.



Music: Result


...Ah. I knew it was too good to be true.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! What a delectable experience! I want to capture it and bake it into a quiche!

Please don't.



VIDEO
Music: Lobby


I touched up the headquarters of L Corp, the center of it, for my own use. I have no comment to make on the Distortion Phenomenon that apparently started occurring afterwards. I have little to no information about that phenomenon, either. Though I do have a guess.

Whoa, that came outta nowhere…

You were curious about it earlier, weren’t you? I was created as a mechanical secretary to assist the manager of Lobotomy Corporation. I was designed to look like a human, feel emotions, and make evaluations and judgements based on those emotions. It’s as you suspected; I was born in secret, violating the AI Ethics Amendment.

I never got to make my own judgement, funnily enough. I had to read the same script over and over for one million years, all for the success of a single project. The play that never seemed to end finally concluded one day, and… And…



I don’t know who came up with that insane plan, but thanks to them, the Distortion Phenomenon started wreaking havoc on the City at random intervals. Ordinary people would turn into monsters all of a sudden. And they’d kill everything in sight.

And the first ever case of the Distortion, boy, was that a hellscape. It happened without any oncoming sign in a District that everyone believed to be relatively safe. The massacre was a work of art, too. It was named ‘The Pianist’ for a reason. What more could I say.

…

Anyway, thanks for telling me all that. Must have been a sensitive topic to you.

You aren’t as shocked as I expected.

The monsters created from the Distortion did give off a suspiciously similar vibe to this library and its caretakers. You must’ve gone through a whole lot of distress in your life.



…You can use this book. I tried writing down the relationship between L Corp. and the Distortion phenomenon. It should be quite valuable to them under these circumstances.



The Book of Distortion is the book Angela just referred to. It's a special book, which can be lost like any other but will come back automatically after we clear any reception successfully. Unlike most books, it cannot be burned to get new stuff—it's only for bringing in new opponents.



And speaking of new opponents, it's also the key to unlocking Malkuth's next Abnormality Battle! You guys know what that means.

Next time, on Library of Ruina



"Its memories began with a warm hug."

Our Shield Now.


Videos

Zwei Association 3

New Key Pages




New Combat Pages

[TeeQueue]

Looks like we're picking a fight with a bear!

Also the fanart post's been updated again. It was a productive evening.

[Whilimbird]

How customizable are the Librarians? I noticed that Mr. Black’s lines were on-point. Can you pick what lines each one says? Is it from like, a selection screen or can you type them out? Is that a mod thing?

(I’m assuming it’s a mod thing)

[TeeQueue]

If you click on the circled bit, you can type in whatever you want, and when you hit enter it'll save it. No mods required!

[Whilimbird]

Oh that’s really neat!

[Talisriel]

I am curious to see if we'll get any future situations where we unlock an Abnormality battle that isn't the harder fight to play, where we'd see a coalition split between Narrativists like me who want to bring back more of the old crew, and the Warriors who just want our host fighting the toughest possible fights.

[TeeQueue]

I couldn't say for sure what will happen, but I know for a fact that one of the harder fights in the game is an Abnormality right when unlocked, so most people get a few more fights done before facing them.


And I have already sketched a rough plan out for how to deal with them at base level, because there's no way in hell I'm dodging that bullet.