SN: Chapter 3 Hero's Journey

*The information in this page is derived from the game that comes after Love Nikki-Dress Up Queen!, Shining Nikki. As such, it may contain spoilers to the story and/or information about features that don't appear in Love Nikki.*

 File:Liuyingdaqiao.jpg  **Hero's Journey** is the third chapter of the main storyline of *Shining Nikki*.

## Plot

Nikki, Momo, and Loen travel to Liuying Town, where they attempt to uncover the mystery of a strange sickness plaguing the town. Along the way, they learn more about Loen's past and the tales of the Snow Eagle Major.

## Stages

### 3-1: A Photograph

* **Attribute:** Pure File:SNAPure.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 2384
* **Style Theme:** *low-profile fresh clothes*

Loen drives Nikki and Momo to Mayor Rodel's house in Liuying Town, scaring them with his recklessly fast driving. When they arrive, Nikki finds an old photograph in the car of Loen, a young boy, and an older man, clad in army uniforms. As they walk toward Mayor Rodel's house, Nikki gazes at the large bridge in the mountains and seems to briefly see a vision of those boys in the photograph standing under the same bridge as they walk into battle.

### 3-2: Strange Sickness

* **Attribute:** Elegant File:SNAElegant.png
* **Style Theme:** *passport identification photo*

Nikki and Momo meet Mayor Rodel, who they realize is the older man in the old photograph. He tells them that he and Loen were fellow soldiers, although Loen had pawned off the medal he'd received from the commander. Loen and Rodel discuss a recent sickness in Liuying Town, where the bridge workers in control of the Liuying Bridge keep losing control and forcing the bridge to open up, causing injuries and deaths. They decide to wait until the next day to go into town to investigate the sickness, since Nikki needs to have her passport processed first.

### 3-3: Flying Over Liuying River

* **Attribute:** Sweet File:SNASweet.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 3575
* **Style Theme:** *traveling maiden*

Rodel drives them onto the spectacular Liuying Bridge, but halfway through, the bridge unexpectedly begins to lift open, and Rodel seems to be stuck to the wheel. Loen takes the wheel, sending the car flying over the bridge, and safely lands on the other side. Loen decides to take the comatose Rodel to the hospital. He tells Nikki and Momo to stay in place and wait for him.

### 3-4: Independence War Remembrance Zone

* **Attribute:** Cool File:SNACool.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 2418
* **Opponent:** Summer Sue
* **Style Theme:** *Snow Eagle Major*

Nikki and Momo enter a souvenir store and observe the tourists passing by the nearby patriotic landmarks. A tour guide speaks passionately about the Snow Eagle Major, a hero of the Apple Federation Independence War. A little girl Summer Sue runs up to Nikki and Momo, claiming that Loen needs them to pay his bill at a coffee shop. Sue waves around a magic wand, pretending to be a magician, and praises the Snow Eagle Major. She spots a Snow Eagle Major medal in the store and asks Nikki to battle her. Nikki crafts a handgun for the battle, and the impressed store owner gives Nikki the medal.

### 3-5: Danger Strikes

* **Attribute:** Elegant File:SNAElegant.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 2905
* **Style Theme:** *prevent contagion*

Nikki and Momo follow Sue, gradually moving away from the crowded tourist areas. Suddenly, several townspeople begin to approach them, their movements stiff and jerky like Rodel had been. Scared of being infected by the strange disease, the group changes into clothes that prevent contagion. Just as the townspeople begin to attack Nikki, Loen appears.

### 3-6: Unbelievable Styling Power

* **Attribute:** Sexy File:SNASexy.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 2649
* **Opponent:** Controlled Townsperson
* **Style Theme:** *awaken the controlled townspeople*

Loen explains that the townspeople aren't infected, but rather are being controlled. Loen and Nikki use their styling power to awaken the controlled townspeople. A man observes them from a nearby coffeeshop, easily controlling the mind of a waiter who walks past.

### 3-7: Dangerous Foe

* **Attribute:** Cool File:SNACool.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 2825
* **Style Theme:** *clothes suited for running*

As they head back to the tourist area, Sue accuses Loen of looking different, causing Nikki to realize that someone had impersonated Loen to lure Nikki into danger. Loen remarks that the Snow Eagle Major isn't as great as the history books make out, which makes Sue extremely upset. Tired from walking, Sue asks Loen to carry her. Suddenly, she stabs Loen in the chest, steals the manuscript, and runs away. Nikki and Momo chase after her so they can release her from the mind control.

### 3-8: Solo Battle

* **Attribute:** Sweet File:SNASweet.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 3765
* **Opponent:** Puppet Summer Sue
* **Style Theme:** *magic girl*

Sue runs to the outskirts of town, darting into a train car. Nikki and Momo hesitate to follow her into the obvious trap, but a young man's voice, possibly that of the Snow Eagle Major, reassures Nikki. Nikki and Momo run onto the train as the train begins to depart. They find Sue silently sitting in the train car and use styling power to wake her up. However, the train continues to make its way onto the Liuying Bridge, even as the bridge begins to lift open. The image of a young man inconspicuously materializes in the corner as a man in a suit appears.

### 3-9: Inextinguishable Belief

* **Attribute:** Elegant File:SNAElegant.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 3110
* **Opponent:** Black Vulture
* **Style Theme:** *inextinguishable belief*

The man in the suit reveals himself to be the Black Vulture, the villain who had exerted mind control over Summer Sue and the townspeople. Intent on bringing Nikki back to his boss, the Black Vulture engages in a styling battle with Nikki. Though he loses, he seems unfazed. He presses down on a remote control that causes an explosion to rock the train.

### 3-10

* **Story Stage**

Nikki's necklace glows, summoning the image of a young teenager who shields Nikki from the explosion. As he collides with the shrapnel and disappears, mirror shards land in Nikki's hand, forming a bullet. The Black Vulture laughs and sets off another explosion, causing the train to slowly tilt toward the river below. Suddenly, Loen crashes through the train window, having chained the train to the steel cables of the bridge. He reveals that he used a mannequin to distract the Black Vulture's lackeys. Infuriated, the Black Vulture throws an explosive at Nikki and her friends and disappears, but Loen shields them.

### 3-11: Protecting Magic

* **Attribute:** Cool File:SNACool.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 3066
* **Opponent:** Loen
* **Style Theme:** *heart of protection*

Finding that the train is still packed with explosives, the group leaves the train car, running on top of the train as the train slowly tilts downward. Loen carries Summer Sue in his arms, spinning a tale of fireworks and a magician's bird for her to mask the explosions and screeching surrounding them. Though Nikki and Momo make it to safety, Loen must leap across a large gap to reach the bridge. Nikki uses her styling power to carry Loen and Summer Sue to safety.

### 3-12

* **Story Stage**

Two days later, Nikki, Momo, and Loen visit Rodel in the hospital before they set out again. When Nikki asks, Loen tells her that what the Black Vulture stole from him was a fake manuscript, as the real manuscript is still with Nikki. Loen freezes in surprise when Nikki shows him the bullet left behind by the designer's shadow.

### 3-13: Reluctant Parting

* **Attribute:** Pure File:SNAPure.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 3816
* **Style Theme:** *stain-resistant clothing suitable for eating meat*

Since their location has been revealed to their enemies, Loen parts ways with Nikki and Momo. They decide that Loen will pretend to have the manuscript while Nikki tries to find a decoder for the manuscript. As Nikki and Momo walk down Lümeng Trail, they run into A-Huan again, who has decided to join them again after being eliminated from the Xingyu Swan Tournament. The three of them set off to eat pork belly.

## Challenge Stages

### 3-S1: Little Hai's Summons

* **Attribute:** Sweet File:SNASweet.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 4453
* **Opponent:** Little Hai
* **Style Theme:** *magic styling*

Pushing open the door to the souvenir store, Nikki and Momo find themselves in the Ark again, having been summoned by a bored Little Hai. To their surprise, Summer Sue joins them. When Nikki and Momo explain that they need to interview powerful stylists, Little Hai challenges Nikki to a styling battle. After the battle, Nikki and Momo ask Little Hai to send them back, but Little Hai admits that she doesn't know how.

### 3-S2: Ocean Voyage

* **Attribute:** Cool File:SNACool.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 3692
* **Style Theme:** *ocean voyage*

Since they have to stay in the Ark, Little Hai and Summer Sue insist on exploring the Memory Sea to find powerful designers. Nikki and Momo reluctantly follow to keep an eye on them.

### 3-S3: Glacier

* **Attribute:** Sexy File:SNASexy.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 4084
* **Style Theme:** *fruit of sexiness*

Since time is frozen within the Ark, the waves they explore are frozen as well. Suddenly, they spot a glacier moving towards them. Little Hai excitedly tells Nikki that by using styling power to crush the glacier, she will discover several impressions, which are collections of a designer's inner feelings and inspirations. From the impression, Nikki learns more about the fine line between sexiness and purity.

### 3-S4: Magician's Blessing

* **Attribute:** Elegant File:SNAElegant.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 3999
* **Opponent:** Summer Sue
* **Style Theme:** *princess at a tea party*

The boat continues to move toward the glacier. Summer Sue declares that she is a powerful magician, waving her magic wand to guide the boat to rest upon the glacier. Surprised, Momo wonders if it's because Sue genuinely believes that she's a magician. Excited, Summer Sue challenges Nikki to a styling battle so that she can be included in the magazine column.

### 3-S5: Impression Memory

* **Attribute:** Pure File:SNAPure.png
* **Suggested Styling Power:** 5092
* **Style Theme:** *pure daily-wear*

Zhou walks up to the group. When Nikki asks if Summer Sue will be fine in the Ark, he tells her that this Sue is just a designer's shadow, not the real Summer Sue. As Summer Sue returns to her mirror, she gives her magic wand to Nikki. Zhou explains that this is an impression that Nikki can equip to boost the power of her designer's shadows. Zhou then prepares to send Nikki and Momo back to Miraland.

## Target Suits

* **Eagle in the Snowy Night:** Whole chapter, 3-4 (Gun), 3-11 (Shoes)
* **Qing Yumo Intel Quest items:** 3-9 (Necklace), 3-13 (Bracelet)