Beast of Reincarnation: Subcity 03 Keys & Nue Malefact Guide

The fastest Chapter 1: Seedling Part 2 route is Red Key first at the Subcity 03 gatekeeper, Blue Key at the lake-side tower immediately east of the entrance, then Yellow Key through Tailwater Village’s cave chain. Rest before the Tailwater trip, complete every dialogue or Rapport prompt when it appears, and return to Subcity 03 only after you have all three keys. That route puts you straight into the Level 16 Nue Malefact fight with far less backtracking.

What to do before hunting the Subcity 03 keys

Start this section after the early Ogouchi Buffer Zone story beats and the first Rangifer encounter, when Subcity 03 becomes available on the main route. The key hunt relies on Emma’s hair traversal: you will need it to climb the Blue Key tower and cross the gaps leading toward Tailwater Village.

• Reach Subcity 03 through the Ogouchi Buffer Zone’s main story path.
• Confirm that Emma can use her hair for climbing and gap crossing.
• Rest at the nearby Campsite before leaving for Tailwater Village.
• Heal, refill supplies, and use the Campsite menu before the long Yellow Key detour.
• Spend any amber you have collected from chests, orange butterflies, or coral on base weapon damage or extra quiver capacity.

Weapon damage is the stronger immediate upgrade if Nue Malefact is the next obstacle. Extra quiver capacity has more value if you are still spending arrows regularly on the blighted plant enemies around Ogouchi. Fire Arrows are particularly effective against blighted plants because they build burn status, but save regular resources for the cave route rather than firing at every roaming target.

Subcity 03 key order: Red, Blue, then Yellow

Taking the keys in this order matters because the Red and Blue Keys sit close to Subcity 03, while the Yellow Key is a committed trip to the north-eastern side of the map. Going to Tailwater first creates an unnecessary return journey and makes it easier to miss the gatekeeper interaction that starts the route.

1. Get the Red Key from the Subcity 03 gatekeeper

Open the hatch at Subcity 03 and descend into the underground area. You will find a Campsite, a sealed door, and the Retired Gatekeeper Golem. Trigger the gatekeeper scene and fully exhaust the conversation to receive the Red Key.

The Red Key is a story handoff rather than a loose collectible, so searching the area before speaking to the Golem wastes time. Check the nearby area for the sword pickup before leaving, then head back outside for the Blue Key.

2. Climb to the Blue Key east of Subcity 03

From the Subcity 03 entrance, travel north toward the small lake. The Blue Key route is marked by a visible high platform and a red smoke plume on the cliff behind the entrance area. The metal tower near the water is the landmark you need.

• Follow the north side of the Subcity 03 entrance toward the lake.
• Locate the metal tower near the water and cliff edge.
• Use Emma’s hair to climb to the tower top.
• Use the traversal move a second time to reach the higher key platform.
• Pick up the Blue Key before moving toward the rice fields.

The second traversal is the part that catches players who reach the tower and assume the route ends there. Reposition on the tower top, face the next platform, then use Emma’s hair again. The red smoke remains the best visual guide if the cliff route becomes hard to read.

3. Clear Tailwater Village’s cave chain for the Yellow Key

The Yellow Key sits furthest from Subcity 03. From the Blue Key area, the route to the objective is roughly 477 metres away, through the cliff line, rice-field side of the map, and Tailwater Village. Treat it as a full combat-and-exploration leg rather than a quick pickup.

• Leave the Blue Key platform and follow the cliff route toward the rice fields.
• Use Emma’s hair to cross any gaps on the way east and north-east.
• Pass through Tailwater Village and find the cave beyond the village route.
• Defeat the Malefact Bear in the first cave room to obtain the Tailwater Key.
• Use the Tailwater Key on the inner door.
• Speak to the Golem or guardian in the inner chamber to receive the Yellow Key.

The Malefact Bear is the real progression gate here. The Yellow Key does not drop from the first enemy, and the Tailwater Key does not finish the objective by itself. Clear the first room, open the inner door, then speak to the guardian. Leaving after the bear fight is the usual reason this section feels incomplete.

How Rapport and flashback prompts block progression

In Seedling Part 2, Rapport works as a story-progress check tied to conversations, gatekeepers, and flashback-related interactions. When a dialogue prompt, character interaction, or Entanglement Override sequence appears, complete it before moving on. These moments advance Emma and Koo’s story context while also opening the next practical step of the route.

• Speak to gatekeeper-style NPCs until their dialogue is exhausted.
• After receiving any key, re-check the nearby sealed door or local objective.
• Complete Rapport and flashback interactions as soon as they become available.
• Follow map markers to the actual interaction point instead of relying only on the terrain.
• Return to the closest NPC after a major objective if a door remains shut.

When the route looks blocked, revisit the local conversation chain first. A locked door in this part of Chapter 1 usually means an interaction, handoff, or cave objective remains unfinished. Re-checking Subcity 03’s gatekeeper, Tailwater’s guardian, and the relevant story prompt is faster than circling the whole Ogouchi Buffer Zone for another path.

Return to Subcity 03 and prepare for Nue Malefact

With the Red, Blue, and Yellow Keys collected, return to the sealed door in Subcity 03 and open it. Use the Campsite before continuing. Nue Malefact is Level 16, making this a much sharper combat check than the key hunt, and entering with low health or an empty quiver makes the following Rangifer lead-in harder than it needs to be.

Keep the preparation simple: restore health, refill ammunition, spend available amber, and approach the fight ready to play patiently. The fight rewards clean positioning more than aggressive damage racing.

Level 16 Nue Malefact strategy: spacing first, damage second

Nue Malefact is safest when Emma stays at conservative mid-range, waits for a completed attack sequence, commits to a short punish, then leaves before the next telegraph starts. Trying to force long attack strings turns every successful opening into a risk of taking damage on the reset.

Opening: establish the safe distance

Start by giving Nue Malefact enough space to show its attack timing clearly. Keep Emma moving around the outer edge of its immediate threat range, and avoid standing directly in front of the boss while waiting. The first goal is to identify the end of an attack sequence, because that is when you can step in without gambling on an interruption.

Use Koo as part of the encounter’s rhythm rather than a reason to rush. Keep your focus on where Emma will stand after the punish. A clean exit path matters more than squeezing in another hit.

Mid-fight: punish only after the animation finishes

When Nue Malefact finishes a committed action, close the distance, use a short attack string, and disengage. Do not remain in range waiting for the next opening. The boss can begin another telegraphed move quickly, and backing out before that telegraph starts keeps the fight controlled.

• Wait for the boss to finish its current action.
• Move in for one brief, reliable punish.
• Turn away and create space immediately.
• Reset at mid-range until the next completed sequence.

This pattern also protects your healing windows. Staying near the edge of the fight gives Emma room to recover after a mistake instead of trying to heal while Nue Malefact is already starting another close-range sequence.

Final stretch: stop chasing when Nue Malefact retreats

The dangerous habit in the final stretch is chasing after a successful punish. If Nue Malefact moves away or begins a second sequence, let it reset and follow at a controlled pace. Closing the gap blindly often puts Emma in range before the boss has committed to an attack you can safely answer.

Keep using the same conservative loop until the fight ends: maintain spacing, punish the recovery, and leave before the next telegraph. The reward for that discipline is reaching the next Nushi Rangifer segment with your healing and resources intact rather than winning Nue Malefact at the cost of the chapter’s next challenge.