Forests of Endings, Walkthrough, Part I, Levels 1 through 6

I did the Walkthrough for the 1st Floor in my earlier post.  

Floor 2 so far is filled with Spiders of all shapes, colours and sizes.  They drop from above, and they are venomous.  It is like Shelob's Lair.

Circles of Flame with hosts of spiders.

A chest contains Cri Damage Magatama IV

Strength Magatama IV 

Light a torch with the Scred Sword to lift a curtain and reveal the path.

There are two Frogs and a Red Wayside Shrine on this Level.

There is a roundabout created by a large rock that has large and small Spiders at every turn.

Go further and there is another similar half roundabout.  If you head to the right, it is a dead end with two mining rocks. 

An earlier Chest contains Path, Snow.

Now you reach shallow waters.  More spiders and Blue Kappas and Black Kappas that are Level 125 and at least 1 Toad.

The next circle of Fire appeared to contain Kappas and Toad Samurai although the dramatic attacks of my comrades obscured my view.

A fork in the path with Kappas and Toad Samurai. 

A chest contains Amber, Ruby, Emerald, Aquamarine

On the left a little stone alcove with a Frog that gives a Snow Woolby Recipe.

On the left, a little pool above the path has a Frog with a Shrine Recipe.

Near the end, on the left, a Red Wayside Shrine contains:

Rune Legend Recipe

  4000 ATK

Rune Edge Recipe

Rune Shield Recipe

  DeF 1793 MDEF 1793

Dragonic Stone Bracelet Recipe

You need to light torches with the Sacred Sword to reveal the shrine.

It is a dark floor with  roundabout paths.  Near the end in a pool above the parh where Kappas lurk, a chest containing Smelling Salts.

Another chest in a pool above the path contains Recovery Magatama IV, VIT Magatama IV

Continue east to meet a  Kappa and a couple of Wisps.

Go further for Wind Wisps.  Now the path veers south.  

Here there are little spiders and two Wisps.  They alternate on this level between Wind and Fire.

Another stray Kappa near the end.

The only real threat has been the poison in some attacks.

At almost 7.00 p.m. we reach the Save Point.  I activate it and save and warp back home to see if we can have dinner as a family.

We returned to the Save point and went through the vortex.  We found ourselves facing the Spectral Warrior now at Level 125 in a boss battle.  Just annoying and long.

There is a new Save Point in the Boss chamber.  To L3.

We find ouraelves in a place like the Mechanical Maze. 

Woolby:  Sheesh!  We got to be getting close now! 

Me:  I wish... I think we still have a lot left.

Woolby: Seriously?  Don't tell me this place is endless or something.

Me: It's definitely possible.

Hop across gears to a room with Tanuki.  A chest here gives MND Magatama IV, Weakness Magatama IV.

Then a narrow corridor with Artillery and Wisps.

Next a large room with Tanuki, Parasol and Artillery and Mystic Neko.

Chest containing Magical Potion and Uplifterall..

There are many side alcoves off the large room  and I look for the one with the red Wayside Shrine.  It is after 11 p.m. now.  It gives Divine Blossom Spirit Talisman, Oni King Bludgeon Recipe,

Go forward into long narrow corridors to fight Dark Wisps and another Mystic Neko.  Bold Bumbleshoot and Lantern Spectre.

At the end of one of these long corridors between two torches a Chest.  I think this one cobtqined two Magas: VIT Maga IV and Wind Boost Maga IV

In a corner, a chest with Exotic Road, Wooden Path.

I tamed the Neko with Quality Cloth.

Now the next chamber will trigger wall of flame wirh Mystic Neko, Tanuki, Wisp

After this, slash tapestries.  In one alcove, crate with seeds.  In the other a chest that contains:

Wind Boost Maga IV

RP Maga IV

Now another room with gears.  Two Ancient Artillery and another Neko.

A chamber now with sliding boxes.  Go across the platforms to a large room with a big Cursed Cannon and at least one more Neko.

Go forward and find a new Save Point and a Frog that gives Wagtail Bow Recipe ATK 3990.

Activated the new Save Point Forest of Endings L3 Endpoint and saved.

(Prior to this, the annoying box puzzle room where you had to move forward before they pushed you off the platforms.  Serendipity had one such.)

Now the Big Boss Tanuki.  Level 130.  Did more damage than any so far.  I had to eat four times and use the Drum.

I have been using the Forest of Endings to complete all the Skill Nodes for the Sacred Treasures.  Not always using the most effective to defest foes but using the ones that stull lack Skill nodes.  After deceating the Big Boss Tanuki, the only Skill Node lacking any Skill Nodes and indeed about half of them is Kai's Sacred Mask.  I confess I am not fond of it.  It is slow and clumsy.  As much as I dislike Kurama sometimes, I tend to favour his fan.

As we enter Lv 4, Woolby:  Phew, I was freaking our a little there.

Me:  Are you sure you don't want to turn back, Woolby?

Woolby: Please!  You'd better believe I'm goin'  to go all the way so I can give Mihoshi Habaki a piece of my mind.

Me: Big words from some one who always boasted about their bloodline.

Level 4 is a Winter landscape.

A large Dusk Tengu and Wolves first in a wall of flame.

Going forward,

A golden Mustang.

Kai says:  You look stronger than ever!  Can't wait to see you reach the top!

Cross a little bridge and open a Chest that contains Hill,  Gravel Path.

Ahead to the right, 

a Red Wayside Shrine gives:

Demon Blade Muramasa Recipe Atk 4650

Frost Fangs Recipe

Ahead are three Buffamoo.

I use the Parasol to cross to a little round mountaintop or island.  Two oni archers guard a broken bridge with a mushroom on either side.

There is something to explore later, but if I wish to move forward, just turn to find  a narrow winding path that circles a mountain.  Two Pheasant Tengus there.   The narroe path ends at a clearing where we trigger a wall of flame featuring wolves and a Grizzley Bear.

Moving forward, attacked by a pack of wolves. 

I go further and use the sword to melt an ice curtain.  Here a chest with seeds.

A little further, use the Sword again on an ice curtain to find the path forward 

Another wall of flame with big Iron Tengu and Komainu.

A group of enemies incliding a black Nightmare horse, Star Mushsprite and Thunder Beast

Kai says:  Looking pretty rough there, Chief.  Need a shoulder to lean om?

He is right.  I have lost most of my Energy somehow.  I do not have the heart to tell him that use of his Mask is to blame.

If I heal Ikaruga with the Drum he says: 'You worry too much.'

If I use it on Kai, even if he really does not need it, he always says: 'Appreciate it!'

I use the sword on another ice curtain and cross a bridge.

We are attacked by Oni Archers and more wolves.  I find a chest beneath an elaborate Torii arch containing Amethyst, Diamond, Thunder Cryatal.  A ruined hut here, crate containing seeds.

Go to the left to take another path that hugs the mountain.

Attacked by one Mushsprite.  There is a fork here.  Go to the right to find a new Dragon Save point and save.

Go to the left to find a Frog at a broken bridge who gives Titan Ward Recipe.

It is almost midnight.

I reach the Forest of Endings K4 Endpoint Save Point, save, then warp home.

16 Summer:

Started at the Endpoint for L4.

The boss is the White Wolf.  He causes no damage that cannot be healed with my Drum.

We go through the vortex to L5.

Here is a tropical forest with bamboo.  There is one red Wayside Shrine and a Frog on the map.

Near the entrance a chest containing Smelling Salts.  Tengu and then

fought 2 Mushsprites in front of the Red Wayside Shrine that contains Summer Sun, Bursting Blossom Bow (ATK 4600), Divine Burst Spirit Taksiman.

It is sort of a roundabout path here.

More Mushsprites and Loony Lanterns.  Again I had forgotten to switch weapons and was using my bow.

I had a little epiphany here about all these powerful weapons we are finding.  

At Level 137, I really do not need them but if one were less protected by power, using the different elemental swords as needed would give a real boost when attacking.  

There is a chest that contains water Boost Maga IV, Ctit Damage Maga IV on the far right of the dark shadow that probably indicate blight.

There were 2 Tengu guarding some sort of hut and 2 mushrooms on a log here.

There either is a large blight or mountain on this map.

We explore a little alcove at the end of a side path going left.  It has parasol enemies.

All along, there have been Quests on the board to eliminate high level monsters I never could find.  Now I am finding them.  I believe I finally found the Buffamoo in the Winter landscape we cleared yesterday.

Ultimately I go north through an Arch to find red blight ahead and a host of monsters literally descend.  As so often, a huge  Wild Bear leaps into our way along with Tengu, Moon Mushsprites.  After defeating them, I use the Parasol on the blightbloom and it clears the red net that obstructed the path.

This is a large level and we  only are about halfway through.  It is time to go home for dinner.

(From my other game where I married Ikaruga, I logged dome of this as follows:

Went back after dinner break and forward to be attacked by another Bear, another Tengu and some other Monsters.

Every one but me losing energy even after I use the drum repeatedly.

Move forward into a horde of bees and Mushsprites.  Chest contains INT Maga IV, Water Boost Maga IV.

Lantern Loony and Umbrella enemies.  Ahead is another red blightbloom.  I clear thst out only to find a new threat from a Sparrow Tengu.

Now a host of bees and such and Mushsprites.  It is late so will have to go through all this again tomorrow.)

Circling back to the main left path, we are attacked by bees.

Kurama is still my weakest link, requiring the most healing.  Ironically, as I have neglected farming a little in the past week, I have no funds really to forge these fabulous weapons we are finding.  The only crops I am supervising daily are a little patch of golden crops that I reach quickly on my walk down from the Autumn Shrine in the morning.  I live there because it is the closest to a surface home for Kai.  Although he wanders through all the seasons with great aporeciation for Nature's beauty, Autumn is home to him.

I do try not to miss the family meals either, warping back for dinner with my husband and son.  At least I keep both close every day when I go to the dungeons to fight, but little Misha always is in the back.  Perhaps I will move him forward in any easy dungeon soon.  He too is Level 136 now.  Levels increase fast here.

Going towards the left still, indeed it is Red Blight that awaits us.  In front of that a Sparrow Tengu and Grizzly Bear and Moon Mushsprite Level 140.  I clear the blight with my Parasol.

Further, more bees and Flower Mushsprite.  My companions lag behind so I dispatch all of them by myself.  A chest here contains INT Magatama IV and Water Boost Magatama IV.

We were attacked again by bees Lanterns and Mushrooms and we all began to bleed our energy from some status ailment.  So bad I almost decided to warp back to a Hot Spring but the drum fixed it.  Need to restore RP at some point as now half gone.

I fear I equipped every one with accessories that give better chances for rare items than healing!

Perhaps when I finally take a look at my Inventory, Kai can pay his tab at last.

Another red blight to sweep from the path.

Two Tengu flew towards us, then Mushsprites and more bees.  Little Misha as a Debuffer came forward somehow.  I had changed none of the numbers but there he was with Kai not on the visual display.

Now lanterns, umbrellas and bees and the dreadful Moonsprite attack.

The path now is going towards the right where the Endpoint will be.  A chest contains a Yellow Core, Red Core, Green Core, Blue Core.  Beyond stone arch, three Chickens of various types.  We come away with some large Eggs.  I must come back alone to tame them.

Five Tengu in total ahead.  A fork in the path created by a boulder and three Tengu on the left and two on the right. ahead.  One at least is a Pheasant.  I switch to the bow and defeat them from a distance.

There is a fork in the path.  Enemies clustered to the right but Frog and endpoint to the left.

A cluster of Mushsprites with a Lantern.

On the other right side of the fork in the path, Bees and Lanterns.

There is a chest that contains two Paths: Snow and Exotic Road.

There is green Blight with a little warp platform in a sort of bamboo cage.  I can see the endpoint and a bamboo wall prevents us from reaching it.  Perhaps a good time to go home.  The Blightblossom is nowhere to be seen at first glance and it is almost dinnertime.  Misha has been very brave here at the front.  I and his Papa Kai are proud of our gorgeous boy.

Before leaving, I open a chest containing Path and Exotic Road.

Just working to clear the area of stray enemies, I find the Green Blightbloom quite far from the Save point and cage blight.  I eradicate it with my Fan and find a chest there containing Fire Boost Magatama IV, HP Magatama IV.

Retracing our steps, the warp circle inside the bamboo cage is now clear to enter.

I take it and we find ourselces in fronr of the new Save Point.  Activate and Save.

There is a Frog on the way to the vortex that leads to the next level.

It gives a Kagura Shrine Recipe.

With all the new recipes, I will create a pilgrimage area once I finish saving Azuma again.

There still are a couple of chests on the Map, but will save that for another day.

Going home, mate!

In this unlikely time, I activated a quest under 'Ruin and Rice' heading.  I will deal with that in a separate journal.

Ikaruga speaks of his Jingasa Corps today.  I forgot to turn in his request after completing it.

Mauro on Summer High Street: Meeting like this must be fate.  Why don't we watch the sun set together?

Beneath a stone arch near the Boss area in L4, I found a chest I had missed contsining RP Magatama IV and VIT Magatama IV.

There is another chest right on the path at the foot of stone stairs cobtaining: Amethyst, Diamond, Thunder Crystal, 

Level 5:

From start, right side of path, missed a chest containing Smelling Salts

I went alone to tame Monsters.

Moonsprite with Poison Powder

Thunder Beast with Exquisite Fur

Black Horse with Exquisite Fur

Could not tame a Lantern,  gave crystal skull, water crystal, Tama whatever fragment

Boss Fight:

Stupidly, for the most difficult fight so far with both Gozuki and the Cursed Tree, my Sacred Treasure slot was empty.  I thought somehow I was not allowed them for this fight.  It turned out I had the Terra Tiller equipped.  As I could not use the Drum, Kurama simply died.  I shared what food I had with Kai.  It was not a dramatic victory but we scraped through.

(When I fought them in my other game, it was Mezuki who was more difficult but I was insisting on using only Kai's Mask to try to get all the Skill Nodes.  Took almost no damage punching away at the Cursed Tree after demolishing Mezuki )

Next Level is Level 6

It is a Mine landscape.  Starting with Spiders...

Woolby:  this realm is so bizatte.  It seems so familiar

On the right, chest with VI Magatama IV, Earth Boost Magatsma IV

The path is on the edge of an abyss

Huge oni statues stand with their feet all the way down in that void.

Wayside Shrine contains

Heaven's  Bow Recipe

Heaven Asunder Recipe

Dancer's Divine Wing Recipe

Earring of Resistance Recipe

Chest to the right on a wooden platcorm hanging over the void contains Magical Potion and Uplifterall.

Two Flower Mushsprites

Some seeds in a dish.

Mushsprites and spiders, two mushrioms to collect.

Green Blight ahead, bloom unreachable.

Go to the left, fighting spiders

Wall of flame activated: Huge spiders, Bees, a Bear and something that attacks with status ailments.

Chest containing Wooden Path, Waterway.

Chrst containing Crit Damage Magatama IV

MND Magatama IV

This is a large chamber with two red blifhtblooms.  One on the left on the floor, use Parasol.

Red Blight with two Blightblooms, use Parasol

Another red bloom on a high rock.  Climb up, then use parasol

Green net, no blightbloom there

A chamber with all manner of Blight.

Use Arrow of Fire, then use another Sacred Treasure.

We defeat an Ironclad Bear.

Kurama complains: My wounds are serious.  I won't last much longer at this rate.

I have to keep healing him.

Tired of all his dying and alk the blight, I decide to go homd to my family for dinner.

It is a little before 7.  Kai and Misha are waiting at the table.  I am so happy to be there with them.

Kai: Yo!  I was gettin' tired of waiting for ya!  C'mon, I got dinner ready and everything.  Wanna eat?

Yes.

What kind of ingrate would say no?

After dinner: Welcome back.  Getting dark.  Be careful on your way home.

I do not even want to go out again.

(Married to Ikaruga in my other game, I rush home at 7.47 and find he is waiting with Nikolai to have dinner with me.)

19 Summer:

Kai(to Kurama): Oho! Feel like trying for once!  Then let's see you put your money where your mouth is!

Kurama ignore this and declares:  Swift as the wind!

I have had some victories today but this is the dungeon joutnal so will say I found the alcove with the last Blightbloom on the left side of this dungeon and used the Fan Dance.  I have to use the Drum constantly.  Every one is afflicted with poison at every turn!

(Okay, going back in the morning in the game where I met Ikaruga, because I did not reach the Save Point, I sid indeed find the last Green blightbloom here as well by taking the path from the start of the dungeon.:

Mushrooms abound in this dank place.  I still need to find the Oni Toppler.  Last on the list.

(In my game with Ikaruga, I have the Earring of the Unfaltering made with the Oni and Bear Topplers)

We have entered a huge labdscape of purple fog that indicates Blight on the right half of this dungeon.  Bees chasing us, I found a chest containing Water Boost Magatama IV and Earth Boost Magatama IV.

It is the Ironclad Bear again and bees.  We defeat them.

I can find a purple blightbloom in this large chamber with the Ironclad Bear, climb up the rock and destroy it with the Fire Sword now.

Carrying on...Mushsprites and Yellow Jackets are ubiquitous in this place.

I know the Blightbloom for the purple blight must be in this large dark circle.  I find it now and it requires a fire arrow.

Chest contains Water Boost Maga IV, Earth Boost Maga IV.

I have gobe roubd the dark circle area in my own circle and now find another purple blight bloom on a high rock.  I can climb to it

There is still purple blight somewhere but I go towards the end point, finding a purple net obstrucying my psth but the blight bloom close and to the left of it.

It is dinner time.  Kai will have cooked and be waiting.  We almost have reached the endpoint where there is a Frog as well.  I find the Frog easily right on the path, well worth the effort as it gives:

Grand Gateway Reciope.

I long for an era of peace where I can create an area that is sacred.

I find the Save point, save and instantly after return to the Autumn Shrine for dinner with my family.  I am proud of them both.  They fight like lions, always my support and protection.  Our Levels now are 145.

Going back to meet the Boss.  Tomorrow is the Fireworks Festival.  I think if we beat this Boss we are halfway through the Forest of Endings.  At least Woolby surmised this to be the case, but he can be an airhead sometimes.

After dinner, I warp back to the endpoint.  There is no cookfire anywhere on this Level and I did not organise my Inventory recently but I decide to chance it.  We walk into the Boss chamber to meet...

Guess who?

Lord Ura, now grown fat and even more powerful since the Sumo match Kai lost to him.  He is Level 145 but so are we.  I cannot lose this fight for the honour of Kai, my husband.  This one really is Do or die!

Kai: Hey, damn.  I felt that one.  Looks like the real fun is just getting started!

I used to Drum on Kai a cuple of tines, but I lost almost nothing throughout this fight.  He is enormous thiyfh.  I felt like I was fighting only the lower part of one of his legs.  Happily I gave every one accessories that actually drew energy from damage to the enemy.  Usually, I give them experience boosters or Lucky drops.

I find the save point here and save.  We actually are on the surface in a large arena where we can see a glorious sunset.  It is about 9.00 p.m.

We can take a quick peek at the next level.