Chapter 5: Grannet Gallantry

Welcome, Captain! Chapter 5 sees our heroes venturing into the perilous Grannet region, a land teeming with new threats and crucial objectives. This chapter focuses on defending key locations and confronting formidable foes. Prepare your party, optimize your equipment, and let's delve into the details.

Objective 1: Secure the Grannet Gate

Your first task upon arriving in Grannet is to secure the main gate. This is a defensive mission where you'll need to protect a specific point from waves of incoming monsters. The gate's health bar will be displayed on screen; if it falls to zero, it's game over.

Party Composition: For this defense, a balanced party is crucial. We recommend bringing a strong melee attacker (like Luceus or Aurora), a magic user for crowd control (Jessica or Kiryl), and a character with good area-of-effect (AoE) abilities (Terry or Maya).
Initial Setup: As soon as the mission begins, head directly to the Grannet Gate. Place Monster Medals strategically.

Healix Medal: Deploy a Healix near the gate for passive healing.
Golem Medal: Place a Golem or two directly in front of the gate to absorb damage and create a chokepoint.

Enemy Waves: Expect a mix of standard enemies like Slimes, Drackies, and Skeletons initially. Later waves will introduce tougher foes such as Golems and Trolls. Focus on eliminating the larger threats quickly.
Key Strategy: Utilize your Coup de Grâce abilities when large groups of enemies or powerful individual monsters appear. swap between characters to manage their MP and cooldowns effectively. Keep an eye on the mini-map for enemy spawn points and prioritize taking them out before they reach the gate.
Item Location: During the initial waves, a treasure chest containing a Mini Medal can be found in the small alcove to the west of the gate. Another chest, holding a Seed of Defense, is located behind a destructible barrier on the eastern side.

Objective 2: Investigate the Grannet Outskirts

After successfully defending the gate, you'll be tasked with investigating the Grannet Outskirts. This area is less about defense and more about exploration and clearing out monster strongholds.

Exploration Path: Follow the main path leading north from the Grannet Gate. You'll encounter several groups of monsters along the way.
Monster Dens: Your primary goal here is to destroy the three Monster Dens scattered throughout the outskirts. These dens continuously spawn enemies until destroyed.

Den 1: Located directly north of the gate, guarded by a group of Firespirits and a Gigantes. Focus fire on the Gigantes first, then destroy the den.
Den 2: Found to the northeast, near a small ruined structure. This den is protected by Shadows and a few Metal Slimes. The Metal Slimes are fast; use AoE attacks or quick single-target skills to take them down for bonus experience.
Den 3: Situated in the far northwest corner of the map. Be prepared for a larger ambush here, including Cyclops and Great Sabrecats.

Hidden Treasures:

Near Den 1, behind some crates, you can find a chest containing a Strong Medicine.
To the west of Den 2, a hidden path leads to a small clearing with a chest holding a Seed of Skill.
After destroying Den 3, search the debris in the immediate vicinity for a Mini Medal.

Boss Battle: Stone Guardian

Upon clearing the Grannet Outskirts, a powerful Stone Guardian will emerge as the chapter's boss. This colossal golem-like creature poses a significant threat.

Weaknesses: The Stone Guardian is particularly vulnerable to magic attacks, especially those of the lightning element. Characters like Jessica or Kiryl will be invaluable here.
Attack Patterns:

Ground Pound: The Guardian will raise one arm and slam it down, creating a shockwave. Dodge roll away from the impact zone.
Boulder Toss: It will scoop up a large boulder and hurl it at your party. This attack is telegraphed; watch for the wind-up and move out of the projected path.
Stone Breath: A rare but devastating attack where the Guardian breathes a cone of petrifying gas. If hit, you'll be temporarily immobilized, making you vulnerable. Use a Panacea or a character's healing spell to cure petrification.

Strategy:

Focus on Legs: The Guardian's legs are its weak points. Target them to stagger the boss, creating openings for sustained damage.
Utilize Tension: Save your Tension for when the Guardian is staggered or when it's preparing a powerful attack. Unleashing a Coup de Grâce during these moments can significantly shorten the fight.
Monster Medals: Deploy Healix Medals to keep your party's health up. Killing Machine Medals can provide excellent sustained damage against the boss.
Dodge and Counter: Prioritize dodging its heavy attacks and then counter with your strongest abilities. Don't get greedy with attacks; patience is key.

Rewards: Defeating the Stone Guardian will grant you a substantial amount of experience, gold, and a rare crafting material: Grannet Gemstone.

With the Stone Guardian defeated, Chapter 5 concludes. You've successfully defended Grannet and cleared the path forward. Prepare for the challenges ahead, Captain!