Hello, this is Director Lee Jong-ju.

It snowed heavily all day today in Korea.
It seems to be the first snow of the year. While it looks beautiful outside, I’m concerned for those driving.

Please be careful and get home safely.
Today, I’d like to discuss this week’s major patch updates and the hero growth adjustments I mentioned last week.

Chapter 5 Update for A Cagesong of the Ocean

<Cleda>

​<Laboratory>

Chapter 5 focuses on the story of Numeros, who kidnaps Aria from Selbart.
In Cleda, you’ll see the production of wooden soldiers, and in the Laboratory, researchers working on mysterious experiments.
Through this scenario, players can also learn more about the background of Karinokos, who appears as a threat in Threat of Gagharv .

Additionally, Mirror Cave and Mud Cave are introduced, where players can acquire Resonance Stones. Please look forward to it!

Improvements to Threat of Gagharv
The content in Threat of Gagharv operates on a system where the boss level gradually increases based on battle scores.
In the September 26th Director’s Note, I mentioned that, at the time, it was difficult for heroes to survive against bosses above level 15. As a result, the ability to compress damage became a key factor in battles.

To address this, we limited the boss level to 14, making battles more manageable.
However, with the significant growth in hero power, the importance of damage taken from bosses has diminished.

To reinforce Threat of Gagharv as content that highlights growth across all heroes—not just DPS heroes—we plan to reintroduce an increasing boss level system tied to scores. Players will earn appropriate rewards based on their achieved scores.

Changes Made
1. Removal of the level 14 boss cap
2. Addition of new tiers in Threat of Gagharv
3. Extra rewards based on rankings
4 Increased shield strength for the Octum boss
5. Increased acquisition of Radiant Seals

New tiers, ranging from UD to US, will be added to the seasonal reward system in Threat of Gagharv

Players will also receive additional ranking-based rewards. These rewards will be granted when both a specific tier and a ranking are achieved.

​As the boss level increases, survival strategies will become more critical. For instance, Octum’s shield strength will be adjusted upward, making shield-breaking a more significant tactic.

Hero Growth Adjustments
Last week, I mentioned that we were carefully reviewing player feedback regarding hero growth.

After assessing the game system and player experiences, we concluded that improvements are necessary to reduce the growth fatigue many players are experiencing due to the current resource constraints.

Planned Changes:
1. Improved resource acquisition
2. Reduced growth burden for 1-star and 2-star heroes, including the main heroes

1. Improved Resource Acquisition
1) Golden Island of Bale and Sanctuary of the Water Tribe
- Daily entry limit increased from 2 to 3 times
- First-time clear rewards added starting at level 1

This adjustment aims to increase daily resource acquisition and provide significant rewards upon first clear, such as gold and experience points, to aid in growth. Players who have already cleared these stages will receive compensation via in-game mail.

2) Trial of Validation
- Daily entry limit increased from 2 to 3 times
- First-time clear rewards now include Trial of Validation tickets

This change allows players to efficiently collect potential growth resources without loss, regardless of the trials they complete. Players will receive compensation for previously completed trials via in-game mail.

3) Threat of Gagharv
- The limit on purchasing rank-up materials from the resource shop will be removed.
- Sigil of Radiance acquisition rates will increase.


By increasing the supply of rank-up materials and removing restrictions in the resource shop, players will have more flexibility in acquiring what they need for hero growth.

2. Reduced Growth Burden for 1-star and 2-star Heroes
Currently, 1-star and 2-star heroes, including the protagonist, require similar growth efforts as 3-star heroes. This has led to hesitation in using these heroes in various content or deploying them in battle despite their low growth levels.

To address this, we will reduce the resource requirements (e.g., experience, gold, potential, rank-up materials) for these heroes, making them easier to grow.

Adjustments will be made in an upcoming patch, with compensation sent via in-game mail based on the degree of these changes.

Please note that this update requires additional development time and will be implemented in next week’s patch. We ask for your understanding.

Delayed Updates
Before writing this note, I struggled with how to deliver this news.

The updates we promised for November, including the Resonance Stone system, Hall of Heroes revamp, Inn Collection Room and Jukebox, and Episode Challenge Stages (Synergy Revamp), will unfortunately be delayed.

For the Resonance Stone system, the balance testing for the Ensemble feature is still incomplete, so we’ve determined that it cannot be released this week.

We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused by these internal delays.
We aim to have these features ready for the next patch.

Additionally, please rest assured that the Resonance Stones will not be obtained through a gacha system. Players will acquire them naturally through story progression.

We’ll provide more details on the Resonance Stone system next week.

The Hall of Heroes revamp, Inn Collection Room and Jukebox, and Episode Challenge Stages (Synergy Revamp) will be released in December.

Next week marks the game’s 100th day anniversary!

It’s hard to believe how time has flown. We’re deeply grateful to everyone for enjoying the game.

We’re planning a special event to celebrate the 100-day milestone, so stay tuned!

Thank you as always.

Director’s Note Surprise Coupon
Coupon Code: FIRSTSNOW
Validity: Until December 27th, 14:59 (UTC+0)
Reward: Advanced Book of Harmonization x1