Trial of the Bastion/Story

A Grueling Combat Simulation

Main article: A Grueling Combat Simulation

Quest Description

Talalikhin, an adventurer devoted to researching dangerous phenomena, is conducting some form of simulation training near the Adventurers' Guild Headquarters...

(Talk to Talalikhin or Lesnova)

Talalikhin: Failed?

Lesnova: I failed again...

Lesnova: There's definitely something wrong with your balancing. Even if you brought in those combat specialists from the Special Assignments Battalion, nobody would be able to beat it!

Talalikhin: Then train harder and reflect on your mistakes. It's not just a shooting simulation, either. Building defensive fortifications is just as important.

Lesnova: But when you demonstrated it yourself, didn't a single mistake cause the whole run to fall apart?

Talalikhin: So what? That's exactly how dangerous the Shadow Realm should be.

Talalikhin: If it's made even a little easier, ordinary marksmen will start having illusions of competence, thinking, "Maybe I could survive in the Shadow Realm."

Talalikhin: So if you don't train to the strictest standards, how can you hope to perform flawlessly in such a brutal environment?

Lesnova: Hmm, I guess you're right.

Lesnova: I'm gonna go figure this thing out. No way I'm getting shut out every single run.

(Lesnova leaves)

Paimon: Oof, she really got the wind knocked out of her sails...

Paimon: Looks like your tabletop game really threw her for a loop.

To be fair, a difficulty spike like that can be pretty stressful.

You probably shouldn't expect such flawless execution.

Talalikhin: A game? To you, maybe. A fun little pastime, even. But for those who know what the Shadow Realm is, the very premise of the combat simulation is enough to make them uneasy.

Talalikhin: I created it as a way to train strategic thinking through simulations.

Talalikhin: To the adventurers, hunters, and warriors of Snezhnaya, the Shadow Realm has always been a blade hidden deep within the snowstorms, waiting to strike.

Talalikhin: No one knows exactly what's inside. All we can do is piece together scattered scraps of information and try to imagine just how dangerous it might be.

Talalikhin: Then we come up with hypothetical battle plans and use them to sharpen our skills. If we're ever unlucky enough to end up in that hellhole, at least we'd stand a better chance of making it out alive.

Talalikhin: The problem is, even at my best, I can barely survive a few rounds myself — so what chance do they have...?

Paimon: Whoa... This is way more serious than Paimon was expecting.

Paimon: Still, (‍‍) has a ton of experience with this stuff. Surely one of the best in Snezhnaya, right?

Talalikhin: ...That's true... but...

If the pay is good enough...

I could give everyone a demonstration.

Talalikhin: That raises an important question: what's a fair price for an exclusive demonstration from you, (‍‍)?

Talalikhin: I honestly have no idea. I'll start by paying the equivalent of three S-rank commissions out of my own savings, then use the results to persuade the Guild to fund the project.

Talalikhin: And if that still isn't enough, I'll have to take out a loan from the Northland Bank...

You don't need to go that far.

As long as the offer comes with genuine sincerity.

Paimon: Exactly! If it's something that benefits everyone, we're not about to charge an arm and a leg for it...

Paimon: Actually, we've never charged outrageous prices in the first place! Knowing we've helped a lot of people is reward enough for both of us.

Talalikhin: Thank you so much!

Talalikhin: Then I'd better rinse my eyes with ice water and brace myself for (‍‍)'s demonstration.

Talalikhin: So allow me to briefly explain the rules of the simulation...

Open-World Dialogue

Available after completing A Grueling Combat Simulation.

Talalikhin

(Talk to Talalikhin)

Talalikhin: You seem to be in good shape, (‍‍). Shall we begin the Shadow Realm combat simulation?

Let's get started.

Talalikhin: Please be sure to make good use of cover and mechanisms. Identifying the most efficient approach to combat may prove beneficial for prolonged operations in the Shadow Realm...
(Opens event menu)

Let's talk about you.

Talalikhin: Me? My name is Talalikhin Gogol. I serve as an ordinary clerk at the Adventurers' Guild headquarters...

Talalikhin: If you still remember the recent Adventurers' Guild Development Conference and Adventurers' Tournament... I had the honor of assisting with some of the arrangements during the event.

An ordinary clerk... investigating the Shadow Realm?

And an ordinary clerk came up with a simulation like this?

Talalikhin: It is only a personal interest of mine... together with a few rather unfortunate experiences. They have given me a somewhat deeper understanding of the Shadow Realm than the average person...

Talalikhin: I, too, wish to do what I can to help reduce the harm adventurers suffer because of it.

Talalikhin: According to the cases recorded by the Guild, the probability of surviving the Shadow Realm while retaining one's basic sanity is less than nine in ten thousand...

Talalikhin: However, that does not mean we should assume that falling into the Shadow Realm is certain death. It is always better to do all one can than to give up outright.

Talalikhin: If one can hone their firearm skills and use of fortifications to a truly masterful level, perhaps they may yet find a slim chance of survival.

You think more like a soldier than a clerk.

You put a lot of faith in weapons and tactics.

Talalikhin: Yes... Perhaps I was influenced by my uncle and his closest friends.

Talalikhin: When I was young, I could never quite hide my fascination with firearms. Uncle Gordienko's hunting rifle, in particular, was something I would study again and again.

Talalikhin: Whenever Uncle Sidorenko, Nomokonov, and Vasiliy invited him to go hunting, my uncle would take me along.

Talalikhin: They taught me how to bring down the fiercest beasts from three hundred paces with a single shot, and how to conceal my tracks in the snow...

Talalikhin: After my fifth hunt, they even let me confront some monsters on my own, to test whether I had learned to turn distance into a means of protection.

That's quite an experience.

So you were already an expert even as a child.

Talalikhin: Regrettably, my uncle and the three of them later went their separate ways, and saw less and less of one another...

Talalikhin: If even one of them had still been in Snezhnaya, Uncle Gordienko might never have let his guard down and been caught up in the Shadow Realm incident...

Talalikhin: Ah... My apologies, I seem to have rambled a little. We should not lose ourselves in memories and what-ifs. Let us look ahead instead.

Has anyone else taken part in the simulation?

Talalikhin: Before the adventurer you just met, twelve others had attempted it. None of them performed as well as she did, however, and not one managed to complete the first simulation.

Talalikhin: Her name is Lesnova. She is quite capable — she can complete A-rank commissions on her own with relative ease, and her progress has been remarkably swift...

Talalikhin: In terms of overall ability, I believe she is comparable to young Chichikova. That would put her at roughly one-tenth... perhaps even one-fifth of Mr. Alyosha's level. She has tremendous potential.

You know Alyosha?

Have you worked with Alyosha before?

Talalikhin: I have benefited from his help indirectly. And, out of professional habit, I once made a rough assessment of his abilities based on scattered pieces of information. The conclusion was rather astonishing...

Talalikhin: Of course, Mr. Alyosha does not know me. After all, he has helped quite a few people, directly or indirectly. I only hope that one day, I may have the chance to repay his kindness.

Talalikhin: As for the Guild, Lesnova's fiance, Radomir, has also returned to Snezhnograd, and she has been in exceptionally high spirits ever since.

Talalikhin: That said, Lesnova is not especially good at planning or managing her time. She often misses scheduled meeting points, and on quite a few occasions, her team has had to proceed shorthanded because of it...

Talalikhin: During the recent Adventurers' Tournament, Ms. Nadia and Rika both surpassed her with ease, leaving her with no chance of making the rankings.

...She sounds like an interesting person.

...She sounds rather reckless.

Talalikhin: If she can improve that habit somewhat, I would like to recruit her, along with two other dependable comrades, to assist Lan...

Lan?

How is she doing?

Talalikhin: She simply said, "Just warming up," and "No need to worry," then headed into the wilderness with her newly assembled firearm for what she called "combat camping."

Talalikhin: Perhaps, before taking that crucial next step, she wishes to acclimate to Snezhnaya as fully as she can.

Talalikhin: It is always best to be well prepared. If you are interested in how matters proceed from here, please await good news from us.

I'll come back later.

Talalikhin: Understood. In that case, I will continue organizing the data.

Lesnova

(Talk to Lesnova near the Adventurers' Guild)

Lesnova: Oh, did Talalikhin rope you into trying his simulation too? I saw the two of you talking for quite a while.

That's right. Is there a problem?

Lesnova: I'm not very good at dealing with him, so... good luck.

Lesnova: Aside from this simulation, Talalikhin always makes whatever he has to take care of sound like no big deal... no matter how troublesome it really is.

Lesnova: But when he gives someone else a task — even something as simple as finding a lost cat — he'll remind them over and over to be careful, as if he's worried they'll miss a step and twist an ankle.

Lesnova: He always makes me feel like... maybe I'm not cut out to be an adventurer. Or to work as part of a team at all.

I suppose so. Anyway, I should get going.

Lesnova: Well then, until we meet again.