Challenge (Lost Stranger)

"Challenge" is the third chapter of Final Fantasy Lost Stranger manga. It was published in Japanese and English on September 19, 2017.
==Summary==
Word spreads of an upcoming raid organized by Randolph with a promised reward of two million gil. Parties decide to participate in the raid only to reap the rewards as they assume Randolph will ultimately take care of the bounty himself. Shogo and his party are at a tavern discussing whether to join the raid. Sharuru mentions that the raid would give them the opportunity to discover Raise, which could save Yuko. Duston wonders if their application would be taken seriously, with Rei adding that they have no experience or skills, and that Randolph doesn't trust them. Shogo looks quietly at Rei and rearranges the food they ordered. He lets Sharuru get the pineapple juice, Duston gets Rei's meat dish and Rei gets Duston's fish dish while he gets the apple juice. The party questions why Shogo rearranged the food, to which Shogo responds that they need to conduct a field test.
While eliminating Dodos, the party notices that their abilities seem different, with Rei's axe becoming lighter, Duston's spells feeling a bit stronger and Sharuru's cures flying right off her tongue. Shogo chuckles at their discoveries while pondering about his Libra ability. He thinks back to their meal and discerns that he can see unique descriptions for all the items he comes across, despite being the same types of items. When looking harder at the description, he is also able to see additional item details that would allow effects, such as an increase in accuracy or an increase in concentration. He compares it to the meal benefits from Final Fantasy XIV, expressing to the party that eating food raises their combat ability. Skeptical, Rei questions his claim, but Shogo reaffirms his discovery. Sharuru mentions that high-class restaurants involve people who procure food and drinks that perfectly suit each customer, comparing Shogo to a sommelier. Despite the added effects of the food, Shogo ponders about his own battle capabilities as he loses control and starts to tremble around monsters. As he resolves to become stronger, the party encounters a coeurl.
As the party makes their escape, Randolph strides in and eliminates the coeurl. His party arrives with several coeurl skins in tow, warning Randolph not to mangle the skin too much. Randolph's party mocks Shogo's shooting abilities, making theories as to how he scored critical hits on the ground. Randolph apologizes for his party's rudeness and states that Shogo's party did the right thing by hunting Dodos as they fall right within their capabilities and no deaths will befall them.
==External links==
*Chapter 3 on Amazon Kindle (English)
Category:Final Fantasy Lost Stranger chapters