Dungeon Ixa (Dungeon Creation RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This article is about the indie game "Dungeon Ixa" by Atorasoft.
Previous worksMad Princess: The Magnificent Warriors"or"Princess of YamatoI played "[previous game]" and found it very enjoyable, so I was really looking forward to the release of this game, "Dungeon Ixa".
Like their previous works, once you start playing and get into the groove, it's a highly addictive game that you'll find yourself engrossed in and unable to stop.

I chose the "Normal" difficulty level, and it took me about 17 hours to reach the ending.
(On my second playthrough, with the difficulty set to "Slightly Hard," it took approximately 9 hours to reach the ending.)
There are multiple endings and storylines, and plenty of difficulty options and replayability features.

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As of January 2022, the price is 2200 yen including tax.

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Game Overview

story

The setting is a world where the Demon King has been defeated by the heroic princess Ira, and humanity now enjoys overwhelming dominance.
The protagonist (whose name, gender, appearance, etc., are determined through character creation) is the last surviving member of the Demon Lord's clan, and the goal of this game is to act in order to restore the Demon Lord's army.

In the prison period, which serves as the prologue to the main story, you can learn about the background of the story, the main characters, and the battles.
You can skip ahead and start from the main story, but it's a good idea to watch it the first time.

Difficulty setting

There are a total of 10 difficulty levels.
For the first playthrough, I think it's best to choose "Normal" or lower difficulty to understand the system.
I chose "Normal" the first time, but once I got the hang of it, it became much easier to play.
I think the key to success is how quickly you can grasp the techniques for that difficulty level.

The enemy's parameters differ depending on the difficulty level, and the number of combatants you can carry over after clearing the game also changes.
If you want to try a higher difficulty level, using the save data transfer feature will make the game a little easier.

Game content

The immediate goal of this game is to strengthen your army and conquer enemy territories.
While this may vary depending on the choices made along the way, I think this general approach is generally correct.
This game can be described as having two main components: an exploration part where you advance across a field map with your Demon Lord party (up to 4 people) to capture bases, and a part where you repel enemies that invade the Demon Lord's castle.

I've summarized it below, but both parts play an important role.
(The order of importance and efficiency is arbitrarily determined as follows: ★＞◎＞〇＞△)

Exploration part

Now, in order to capture a base, you need to defeat the enemy troops defending it.
The enemy unit levels are displayed on the field, so it should be easy to see how strong they are.
To become strong enough to defeat that enemy, you need to strengthen your party.

You can level up your party members even during battles in the exploration phase.
The strength of your party members is important for progressing through the game, but as you move around the field, time passes and enemy troops invade your base.
If you fail to defend during the interception phase, you will lose money, and if your money goes into the negative, it's game over.
Conversely, defeating invading enemies will earn you money, or you can earn money by demanding ransom for prisoners.
Therefore, it's important to create a system where you can accumulate money during the interception phase while progressing through the exploration phase.

Incidentally, the battles in the exploration part are command-based battles that use AP, but the progression is a little unusual.
I won't go into detail here, but like previous works, it features a highly addictive system.
It's fascinating how a little ingenuity can dramatically simplify things.

You can enter and explore captured strongholds and neutral towns.
You can talk to characters and buy items just like in a typical RPG.
Many of the objects on the map can be obtained as items by touching them, so try to collect as many as you can when you visit a place.
Additionally, talking to people with speech bubbles above their heads may trigger a quest called "Petition."
Completing the game requires items and money, but once you have everything you need, you can report back from the menu screen at any time.

Additionally, time progresses as you move around the field or perform actions such as crafting items.
As time passes, enemy forces may invade, and you will have to deal with tasks such as paying salaries to combatants and collecting taxes from occupied territories.
Collecting items and taxes in exploration areas will increase your notoriety level, causing the enemy units that advance against you to become stronger.
Be careful, because wasting time doing nothing will only lead to financial hardship.

Interception part

About combat

In this game, enemy forces will invade your base as time progresses.
When the time remaining until enemy troops arrive reaches zero, the interception phase begins.
(Incidentally, you can also summon enemies instantly from the menu screen.)
The interception phase is entirely automated, and all the player can do is observe how the dungeon functions.
Preparation is everything, so make sure you prepare thoroughly.
If an enemy invades your treasure vault and steals the treasure, they will retreat, and your military funds will decrease.

By defeating enemies, you can obtain not only experience points but also money and items.
Finally, if you defeat the enemy commander who invades last, you can take him prisoner.
Prisoners can be persuaded to join your combat force by using specific items or other means.
You can either execute them to significantly increase your notoriety level, or collect a ransom to release them.

About dungeon construction

Now, you can start building the dungeon while the Demon Lord is at his base.
Dungeon construction mainly consists of dungeon excavation and room construction, both of which require money to carry out.

Dungeon excavation allows you to place new passages and rooms.
Since the enemy's stay is limited, you can prevent them from stealing your money by making the distance to the innermost treasure room longer.
Furthermore, since a single path would concentrate enemy forces, it is important to create branching paths to disperse their forces.

In room design, you can assign specific functions to hallways and rooms.
Some items increase the attack power of the combatants placed there, while others have effects that affect everything within the dungeon.
Some units can trigger traps against invading enemies, allowing you to strategically position them to make repelling them easier.

These excavation and room-building options will become more varied as you complete quests.
To unlock quests useful for interception, you'll want to collect the necessary items during the exploration phase and unlock them as early as possible.

About combatants

Once the dungeon structure is decided, let's place the combatants.
The number of combatants assigned to each room is determined by the size of the room: two in a small room, three in a medium-sized room, and four in a large room.
In the early stages of the game, you can only use small rooms.
If you position combatants next to each other, they will form a party and intercept the enemy, so it's a good idea to position them in a way that encourages them to form a party.
Be careful when positioning your units, as they may be ignored and unable to engage the enemy if their positions are not designed with their invasion routes in mind.

By "designing rooms," you can also grant advantageous effects to the locations where you place your combatants, so be sure to actively aim for this as well.
Furthermore, even if enemies invade while you are out exploring, the protagonist's party can participate in the counterattack in the throne room.
It's nice that we can participate, even if it's just for the sake of interception, without having to leave our elite members behind.
If a member of the exploration team is defeated during the interception phase, their HP will be reduced to 1, but the exploration phase can continue.

There are several ways to increase the number of combatants.
First, as you progress through the main story, certain members will join your party.
Some characters are unique and only exist once, while others are generic.
All of the unique characters are powerful, so they will be useful in both exploration and defense.

Additionally, you can sometimes recruit companions during general exploration in the exploration part of the game.
In the exploration part, you can obtain items or enter into battles by "exploring" even in places that are not bases or anything of the sort.
Occasionally, you'll encounter wild monsters, and by successfully fulfilling their requests, you can recruit them to join your party.

And the most reliable method is probably "summoning combatants" which can be done at your base.
By using items as catalysts, you can reliably recruit combatants to your team.
This game features a vast number of items, each with its own unique set of elements. The accumulation of these elements determines the type of monster that can be summoned.

Monsters are assigned attributes such as fire and water, as well as job classes such as warrior and priest.
These two factors allow us to distinguish the main characteristics, so it's a good idea to aim for a well-balanced composition.

Furthermore, it is possible to fuse two monsters together using the "Fusion Ritual."
Fusion can create completely different monsters or increase their levels.
Fusion monsters receive parameter bonuses, allowing you to create individuals with higher stats even at the same level.

Additionally, you can pay money to increase your monsters' levels through the "Enhancement Ritual."
Since reaching high levels requires enormous amounts of money, it's probably best to use it to raise lower-level members up to a certain level.

The above is an introduction to the main game content of this title.
There are many other elements as well, but we recommend reading the instructions included with the game before playing.
Surprisingly, some information was only written there, and there were systems I only learned about after clearing the game.

Review (no spoilers)

This section contains my impressions after playing on "Normal" difficulty and completing the game once.
The ending branches into several different patterns depending on the choices made towards the end of the game.
The branching conditions are described in the next section, so please take a look if you are interested.

When I first started playing, I didn't really know what the right way to proceed was, so I did a lot of trial and error.
However, as we explored the areas we could go to on the field and repelled enemy invasions, our party grew stronger and stronger, and the number of places we could go increased.
There were almost no instances where there was nothing left to do next; throughout the entire work, it was clear what needed to be done next.

However, since a large number of quests appear right from the start, some players might be unsure which one to tackle first.
I think this is suitable for people who enjoy steadily achieving things one step at a time.
From the second playthrough onwards, you'll be able to distinguish which quests are necessary, so by focusing on completing those quests, you can play more efficiently.

"Item crafting" is a system that is fundamental to making money.
The alchemy system is similar to that of the Atelier series, but the sheer number of item types is enormous.
The item list can be up to 16 pages long, making it cumbersome to find the location of the item you need, requiring many key presses.
While sorting and filtering functions can compensate to some extent, selecting from the list was still quite a struggle.
For items that cannot be crafted and can only be obtained by gathering or purchasing, players will need to remember where they were sold.
I would have been even happier if the location where it was obtained had been recorded in an encyclopedia or something similar.

I found the dungeon building process very interesting.
The real appeal of dungeon defense games lies in gradually improving your facilities and combatants, starting from a state where they are underdeveloped, and increasing your chances of winning.
What's interesting about this game is that if the enemy concentrates in one place, they can slip through even if you've positioned your combatants, so you have to carefully consider how to disperse the enemy.
I was also pleased to see how the deployment of combatants worked when I carefully considered things like placing tough personnel in the front line and healers in the back line.

While there seem to be many types of monsters, the fact that many of them are just recolors based on attribute or rank meant that the excitement of summoning a new monster was somewhat diminished.
While the individual characteristics of each monster are somewhat understated, the fact that you can make any monster you like strong is a positive point.
Also, while the attribute and class are displayed during summoning, they are not displayed during fusion, which I found inconvenient.
When fusing a cleric with someone else to create a healer, you want to keep the cleric race after the fusion, so in those cases, I think the only option is to memorize the job types.
Also, during the fusion ritual, it's impossible to distinguish from the list whether a combatant is deployed or not, so it would have been helpful if that distinction was clearer.
After fusion, the combatant is removed from their deployment, making it cumbersome to check who was removed.
By changing the monster's name to its original name, it became slightly easier to distinguish it from other monsters.
(Based on the official support status, it seems likely that these issues will be improved in future updates.)

The combat in the exploration part was great, with a gameplay feel similar to previous titles.
When there was a significant difference in skill, you could easily win, and even when you were slightly inferior, you could win through tactics—it was a well-balanced system.
Since the protagonist possesses extremely powerful techniques, the latter half of the game may tend to revolve around how to effectively utilize those techniques.
Money becomes readily available in the later stages of the game, almost at an inflated rate, so being able to buy up everything you want from merchants is exhilarating (I almost wish there was a command to buy everything).
Whether you see that as a simplistic or appealing aspect of the film may determine your personal preference.
However, if you've played the previous games in the series, you'll probably enjoy this one as it follows the same style.

The graphics and background music are undeniably beautiful, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the game's world.
I really enjoyed the main story, as it followed a classic plot and offered plenty of adventure.
The game features numerous branching paths that make you hesitate about your choices, creating an appeal that makes you want to play through it multiple times.
In any case, I was able to get more engrossed and enjoy it than I had expected.

Strategy Notes (Spoiler Warning)

Battle Tips

First and foremost, when engaging in combat, it's essential to be at a higher level than your enemy.
I have the strong impression that I would struggle against opponents of a similar skill level.
It's crucial to launch a full-scale attack right at the start of the battle, eliminating as many enemies as possible and reducing their numbers.
In that case, use your special move when your AP is just about to go into the negative.
If the enemy has a healer and the battle is likely to drag on, conserve your AP and then unleash a full-scale attack.

From the mid-game onward, when you encounter many high-level combatants, use the Demon Lord's "All-Out Attack" to defeat powerful enemies.
A higher current AP value increases accuracy, so if the Demon Lord's accuracy is low, accumulate AP before using your attack.
If you acquire the "Luck" skill through "Skill Acquisition," your accuracy will be boosted, making it easier to use.
Furthermore, using items to increase your speed and employing other strategies will make battles much easier.

Regarding the ending branches

(Revised January 5, 2022: Rewritten because it had become too complicated.)

You can see the ending itself once you conquer the imperial capital, Gura.
However, the story branches depending on when you take over Gra.
The story branches depending on whether you see the Ira's Magic Sword event before or after you approach the Shrine of the Seven by airship after conquering Coldtown.
If you defeat Drosos in Gra before seeing the magic sword event and make peace, you will get END 1 "Fall of the Imperial Capital," and if you destroy everything, you will get END 2 "Destruction of the Imperial Capital."

If you hold a meeting with Ira while she is in Gra and has the magic sword in her hand, and without having collected all of the Seven Gods' Jewels, you can achieve ENDs 3-5.
If you team up with Ira, you get END3 "The Continent Divided in Two"; if you refuse and defeat Ira, then follow Zewell, you get END4 "The Feast"; and if you defeat Zewell as well, you get END5 "The End of the War".

If you accept Tasca's request after the magic sword event and collect all seven of the gods' jewels before going to Gra, a different story will unfold, and you will be able to see ENDs 6 and 7.
After the battle with Ira, agreeing to Drosos's proposal leads to END6 "Chaos," while refusing leads to a battle with the final boss, and regardless of the choice made after the battle, the result is END7 "Collaboration."

Furthermore, if you don't go to meet with Gra and several days pass, the demon Ira will attack.
If you successfully intercept Ira, you will be able to see END 8, "The Demon Lord's Army is Restored."

Regarding the differences in development

The factions you form alliances with will vary depending on the choices and actions you take along the way.
The main storyline remains the same, so you can choose based on your preference without overthinking it.

Will you finish off the unique character or let them go?

Whether you deliver the final blow to a unique character or let them go doesn't significantly impact the overall story.
If you let them go, they will invade the Demon King's castle, so you'll have a chance to recruit them if you defeat and capture them.

Alliance of the Desert Kingdom (Leora or Jade)

In the Kingdom of Desard, whoever you team up with, Jade or Leora, will eventually become your ally.
No matter which side you join, you will eventually obtain the Thunder God's Jewel.
Even if the enemy doesn't join your party initially, you can defeat them and then spare them, making them prisoners. This allows you to add both sides to your team.
I recommend siding with Jade, as it allows you to quickly enter the Dezard Kingdom, where valuable items are sold.
Since Leora's side will be added later, there shouldn't be much difference unless it's a high difficulty level.

Collecting the 7 Jewels

The seven jewels are necessary to access routes that lead to END 6 and END 7.
You won't lose access to it later on, so you don't need to worry about it until the very end of the game.

The Wind God's Jewel can be obtained through exploration after defeating Amber in the city-state of Mercari.

- The Water God's Jewel is held by Baharia.
Since allieding with Baharia would bring in combatants, there's no need to remain hostile.
You can obtain the gem even after defeating Baharia.

- The Earth God's Jewel can be obtained after defeating Elea and completing Priliya's quest.

The Gem of the Light God can be obtained through exploration after defeating Elea at the Dragna Monastery.

The Thunder God's Jewel can be obtained after resolving the issues in the Desert Kingdom.

The Fire God's Jewel is offered after conquering Cold Town, watching the Ira's Magic Sword event, and accepting Tasca's request.

The Dark God's Gem can be obtained by collecting all the other gems and offering them at the Shrine of the Seven, after which Drosos will bring it to you.

Regarding the replayability element

As stated on the difficulty selection screen, you can carry over some of your combat units upon clearing the game.
The number of people you can pass on your character to is determined solely by the difficulty level.

The combatants you have taken over will be marked with a ★ and added to the combatant list.
If you inherit a unique character, be aware that you can only use them after you've recruited them as a companion in the story.
Since their strengths are properly carried over, if you carry over characters like Zelpa, who joins your party early on, you'll be able to make full use of them from the beginning.

By narrowing down the characters you carry over to a select few and using mushrooms to boost their stats, you can gradually make them stronger with each playthrough.
Since it's difficult to raise your level above 60, it's important to boost your basic parameters through fusion and increase your stats with mushrooms.
(By the way, the plus sign displayed for status bonuses during fusion does not mean that the bonus is added with each fusion; it simply indicates how much more bonus is added compared to normal, so please keep that in mind.)

If you raise a fast character who can use area-of-effect magic, you can easily defeat enemies at the start of battle.
In particular, if you use the Gambler's Trick to completely change the attributes of the field, and then perform an area-of-effect magic attack, the power of the magic damage will increase dramatically.
Since Trick consumes 50 AP, if you accumulate 51 or more AP and then chain Trick followed by an area-of-effect spell, it becomes a powerful combo.

Regarding fundraising

In the early stages, you'll have to rely on income from completing quests and collecting taxes, but once you get the hang of interception, you can aim to defeat enemies and collect ransoms.
The ransom amount skyrockets partway through, so you can make money quickly.
Once you can earn this much, you'll be able to buy up items from merchants all over the country, which will remove the barriers to item crafting.

Tips for intercepting

The most important thing in interception is to prevent your money from being stolen.
In the early stages of the game, simply making the journey longer can prevent looting, even if you can't defeat the enemy.
However, if you don't properly intercept and defeat the enemies, their level will only increase, and the game will gradually become more difficult.
Especially when the number of waves increases, simply having a long path is no longer enough to defend against them, so you need to prepare in a way that allows you to effectively repel them.
I will write about some things I found effective in repelling the enemy.

Assign a healer.

Make sure to position at least one cleric or merchant at each point where you intend to intercept the enemy.
By placing warrior-type characters in areas frequently used by enemies, and priests and merchants in the back row, you can increase your party's ability to sustain combat as they will heal your party.
Internally, it seems that a simple battle system using parameters is being implemented, so it's a good idea to assemble your party while imagining what an actual battle would be like.
It seems that having guards or warriors on the front lines makes them last longer than having thieves or hunters.

Disperse enemy forces

If it's a single path, all the enemies will rush to the same spot.
If that happens, many enemies will pass right by when combat occurs, so try to create branching paths as much as possible to prevent large numbers of enemies from appearing at the same time.

Utilize lava traps

There are several types of traps you can place when building a room, but let's make use of lava traps, which are easy to create early on and seem quite useful.
Walking through lava will always inflict damage, and there is a chance it will cause the burn status effect.
By guiding your troops through as much lava as possible to reach the room where they are positioned, you can fight enemies in a near-death state, making it possible to defeat them easily.

Once you have some leeway, you can also use poison swamps and other effects that can be applied separately from burns.

Other facility usage experiences

Large workshop
This will significantly reduce the cost and time required for crafting items in the Demon Lord's castle.
Since you can reduce the amount of materials you use, you can reduce the frequency of going to look for items you've run out of.
One of the advantages is that it shortens the production time, so it's helpful to make one in advance.

• Public bath
The HP of deployed combatants is restored after each battle, and there is also an HP recovery effect for combatants throughout the dungeon over time.
While the dining hall and rest areas only have an overall effect, the large public bath has an effect on the staff assigned to it, so I felt that the recovery speed was higher.
If you have other means of recovery, you could use it as a combat-oriented room, such as a large training ground.

・Large altar
I felt that the overall effect of reducing salaries was greater than the effect on the employees themselves.
It becomes unnecessary in the later stages of the game when you have plenty of money.

・Great execution grounds
I used it often because I felt its placement effect was very powerful, as it guaranteed to lower all parameters of any enemy that entered the room.

- Combatant Enhancement Core
I found it powerful because it guaranteed a boost to all parameters of the combatants in the rooms above, below, left, and right where it was placed, so I used it.
Its strength lies in the fact that it can be used in conjunction with the effects of rooms where combatants are deployed.
Since the base will be destroyed if a certain number of enemy troops invade, it's important to take measures to prevent too many enemies from entering.

• Dragonoid statue (large)
There is a chance that the intruder will be afflicted with a reduction in all of their parameters.
It's not confirmed, but the intention was to place it at the entrance to weaken the enemy.
I believe it does not overlap with the effects of the execution grounds.

・Summer stone (large)
There is a chance that the intruder's HP will be drained by 8 and distributed to the combatants in the rooms above, below, left, and right of them.
Even when HP is full, you can save up more than the maximum amount, which greatly increases your ability to sustain combat.
You can only place a lot of them towards the end of the game, but you can definitely feel their effect.
The mortuary's effect allows you to quickly recover combatants who have been revived from near-death, so I think it's a good idea to combine them.

Strengthening of combatants

While your combatants will level up on their own, in the later stages of the game, you should use the Fusion Ritual to create monsters with high base stats.
Since the skills are generally the same regardless of the profession and attribute, you can just decide based on the visuals.
Monsters with prefixes like "Elite" or "Lord" are higher-ranking species and tend to have generally higher abilities (the prefixes and suffixes differ depending on the species, so choose a species with words that sound strong).
Even if the level temporarily drops due to fusion, I believe it will grow stronger by replacing it with these types.

Introduction to my home (Difficulty: Normal, upon completion)

The concept is to weaken enemies with lava, then defeat them by applying a ton of debuffs.
They appear symmetrical, but they are slightly different.
First, place a statue of a dragon-man at the entrance to lower all of the enemies' parameters with a certain probability, while also dispersing the enemies to the left and right.
Afterward, you'll have them walk through a lava zone for four blocks to wear them down, and then have them fight against combatants that have been strengthened by the core.
While many combatants are stationed at the execution grounds, in some locations they are stationed in places like the large bathhouses or training grounds.
The main facilities that have an overall effect include the Grand Altar, the Grand Rest Area, the Grand Workshop, and the Grand Rest Area.
On "Normal" difficulty, the level cap for both allies and enemies seems to be set at around 60, but with this setup, there are hardly any enemies that can reach the throne room.

(Looking back, I think it would have been better to devise a way to prevent the reinforced core from being destroyed.)

Introduction to my home (Difficulty: Slightly difficult & Difficult - upon completion)

Due to the increased difficulty and lower success rate against enemy bosses, we've shifted the concept to place more emphasis on combat.
First, a statue of a dragon-man is placed at the entrance as a greeting, and it has a chance of lowering the player's parameters.
We'll spread the enemies to the left and right, and aim to inflict status ailments with poison (poison needles might be better) and lava.
To top it all off, I'll place a dragon-man statue and hope that it lowers the parameters.
After that, use the Soul-Absorbing Stone to strengthen the HP of the combatants in the adjacent room, so that you can attack them for as long as possible.
Furthermore, a reinforced core is placed in the center, and to prevent its destruction, it can only be accessed from above.
The troops positioned in the room below the reinforced core are vulnerable to enemy attacks from both sides, but thanks to the double soul-absorbing stones, they are reasonably tough.
In this dungeon, I was consistently able to defeat level 60 enemies on "slightly difficult" and "difficult" settings.

Strategies for high difficulty levels

If the difficulty level is "very difficult" or higher, the enemies are extremely powerful, so I think it's important to actively utilize the inherited combatants you've trained.
The key is how much you can improve your character in the previous difficulty level.

To proceed, once you acquire an airship, you'll be able to gather various items, so prioritize completing the quests related to Corsa.
I want to be able to improve the dungeon's facilities before the invading enemies get stronger.

Therefore, I think it's best to prioritize progressing through the exploration phase, and the initial defenses can take a backseat.
Let's minimize our notoriety level to reduce invasions and only proceed with necessary exploration.
However, the combatants you take over will have a higher daily wage, so be sure to keep that in mind in the early stages.

Instead of painstakingly gathering materials to craft items, it's easier to prioritize getting an airship and then buying the finished products in later towns.

In terms of combat, in the early stages, I utilize the area-of-effect magic of the inherited combatants, and from the middle stages onward, I rely on "All-Out Attack of the Demon Lord's Army."
First and foremost, we need to increase the Demon Lord's speed to improve the accuracy of our all-out attack.
If accuracy is still low, you may need to employ tactics such as having the gambler use an item that increases speed.

Also, since increasing the number of combatants to enhance the power of an all-out attack is difficult, it's also effective to increase your allies through "exploration" on the field.
The idea is to keep trying different approaches by saving and loading, no matter the situation, and gradually pull in that thin thread of victory.

I don't think I can clear the "Master" difficulty level.
If we take our time and strengthen our handover team, it might be possible.

Summary of Corsa's quests

This is a summary of the important events in Corsa that are crucial for progressing the story.

A summary of useful merchants

In higher difficulty levels, carefully planned item collection is especially important.
I tend to forget where things are sold, so I've compiled a list of merchants I frequently use.
I hope this is helpful.

・Sappanwa
I think this lineup will address all your needs right from the start.
You will need an empty bucket to make the inner chamber, various tools for the job, rope, groundwater, and houttuynia cordata (a type of herb).
Another great thing is that we can collect a lot of wood.

・ Sea of Trees cave
In the early stages of the game, you'll be able to acquire hard-to-find items like crystals, frozen ice, gems, and ancient gold coins.
It's understandable that it's a little pricey.

・Mercari Nanko
You can purchase many items related to Corsa's quests, as well as materials that are useful in the early stages of the game.
There are quite a variety of merchants, which makes shopping convenient.

・City-state Mercari(& Coldtown)
Many items that would otherwise require gathering materials and crafting them, such as the Witch's Cauldron, Alchemy Pot, Dark Curse Tools, Workshop Furnace, Fishing Net, and Weapon Rack, can be purchased.
If you're strong enough to defeat Amber, you'll probably be able to take a considerable shortcut.

Desert Kingdom
We have a variety of items including gold-themed items, dracaena, cat statues, pink water lilies, dracaena, steel-themed items, and greatswords.
Since many of the items are expensive, I think you'll be able to make the most of them in the later stages of the game.

Ancient battlefield
It's great to be able to buy bones, such as animal bones, which are hard to find elsewhere.