Soul Device — Complete Soul Board Guide
The Soul Device（灵魂装置）is the core character progression system, featuring three paths across nine branches. Your 智/勇/仁 (Wisdom/Courage/Benevolence) stats — earned through classes, free time activities, and exploration — unlock nodes that determine combat effectiveness and traversal capabilities.
Based on the A9VG 8.5/10 review (PS5 v1.03) and community theorycrafting.
📐 Three Paths — Nine Branches
Wisdom（智）
The path of knowledge and technique. Focuses on SP management, elemental mastery, and unlocking advanced traversal abilities. Best for mage-type characters and anyone who relies heavily on skills.
SP Efficiency（省耗）
SP消耗-10%/+20%/+30%，SP自然回复速度+15%
Priority: Chinatsu: ★★★★★ | Others: ★★★
Chinatsu burns SP faster than anyone — max this first on her. Other characters can leave at tier 1.
Elemental Amplification（属性增幅）
属性攻击+10%/+20%/+35%，属性异常触发率+15%
Priority: Chinatsu, Rurui: ★★★★★ | Rei: ★★★★
Directly multiplies your Talisman element damage. Especially strong on Rurui who applies debuffs with each shot.
Underwater Breathing（水中呼吸）
Unlock underwater traversal in Layer 4+ flooded sections
Priority: All: ★★★★★ (mandatory for progression)
MANDATORY for Layer 4's lower levels. Without this, you cannot access ~30% of the Sunken Sanctuary. Unlock by Chapter 4's first free time.
Courage（勇）
The path of valor and physical prowess. Boosts raw attack power, combo damage, and unlocks critical exploration tools. Rei's primary path and ideal for frontline fighters.
Attack Up（攻击强化）
Attack +8%/+16%/+28%，Combo finisher damage +20%
Priority: Rei: ★★★★★ | Others: ★★★
Stack this on Rei first — he's your most-used character and the Attack boost applies to both his 2D and 3D combat.
Link Gauge Efficiency（连击槽效率）
Link Gauge fill rate +15%/+30%，Link Attack damage +25%
Priority: Rei: ★★★★★ | All: ★★★★
Faster Link Gauge means more frequent Secret Combos. Universally good for all characters.
Wall Jump（蹬墙跳）
Unlock wall jump for reaching elevated platforms and secret rooms
Priority: All: ★★★★★ (unlock by Chapter 2)
Critical traversal ability. Opens hidden areas in Layer 2 and beyond. Without it, you'll miss Memory Shards and Elemental Cores behind high ledges.
Benevolence（仁）
The path of compassion and support. Enhances healing, party buffs, defense, and the Soul Acceleration ability. Fuka's primary path — essential for boss survival on higher difficulties.
HP Up（生命强化）
Max HP +10%/+20%/+35%，Auto-regen outside combat +3%/sec
Priority: Fuka: ★★★★★ | Chinatsu, Rurui: ★★★★
Fragile characters need this. Chinatsu and Rurui have low base HP — at least tier 1 is recommended before Layer 3 boss fights.
Support Skill Boost（支援强化）
Heal amount +15%/+30%，Party buff duration +40%，Status cure speed +50%
Priority: Fuka: ★★★★★ | Others: ★
Fuka's whole kit revolves around support. Max this for noticeably longer Soul Acceleration buffs and faster party healing.
Trap Destruction（陷阱破坏）
Unlock ability to destroy or disable labyrinth traps
Priority: All: ★★★ (nice-to-have, not mandatory)
Layer 3+ has spike traps and flame pillars that can be destroyed once this is unlocked. Saves healing items but not required for any content.
🎯 Per-Character Optimal Build Paths
Rei Kamiya（神矢 伶）
Frontline DPS / All-Rounder
- Attack Up → max tier ASAP (your primary damage dealer)
- Link Gauge Efficiency → tier 2 (more Secret Combos = more boss damage)
- Wall Jump → unlock before Chapter 2 end
- SP Efficiency → tier 1 only (Rei is SP-efficient already)
- Elemental Amplification → tier 2 (Light element boost for Hi-Rengki)
Rei benefits from a balanced spread with Courage priority. Don't neglect Wisdom — his Secret Combo scales with both Attack and Elemental stats.
Chinatsu Momoki（百鬼 千奈）
Burst Mage
- SP Efficiency → max tier IMMEDIATELY
- Elemental Amplification → max tier (fire damage is her entire identity)
- HP Up → tier 2 (she's made of paper)
- Support Skill Boost → skip (she's not a support)
- Wall Jump → unlock for exploration, not combat
Chinatsu's build is the most lopsided — go all-in on Wisdom. Her Secret Combo is the highest-damage ultimate in the game; every point should amplify it.
Fuka（楓華）
Support / Healer
- Support Skill Boost → max tier first (extends Soul Accel buffs for entire party)
- HP Up → tier 2 (keep the healer alive)
- SP Efficiency → tier 2 (more heals, more buffs)
- Underwater Breathing → unlock before Chapter 4
- Attack Up → skip entirely
Fuka doesn't need Attack at all. Every point goes into Benevolence + SP Efficiency. Her Soul Accel variant extends party buff duration — when combined with Support Skill Boost max tier, your DPS rotation windows nearly double.
Rurui（露露伊）
Speed / Debuff Harasser
- Elemental Amplification → max tier (applies with every bullet)
- Link Gauge Efficiency → tier 2 (fastest Gauge filler in the party)
- Attack Up → tier 2 (pistol base damage isn't great, needs help)
- HP Up → tier 1 (she rarely gets hit if played well)
- Trap Destruction → optional QoL
Rurui's speed means she fills the Link Gauge faster than anyone. Combined with max Elemental Amplification, she's a debuff machine. Her dodge-cancel lets her safely invest less in defense.
🔮 Shikirei Talisman（式霊符）Management
Talismans are managed through the Soul Device interface. After defeating each elite labyrinth boss, you get three choices:
Acquire New Talisman
Early diversification, or when facing a boss whose element you lack
Enhance Existing Talisman
Best option for Chapters 1-3. Stack modifiers on 2-3 core Talismans
Extract Modifier for Later
When the new modifier is good but you don't want to commit yet
📈 Maximizing 智/勇/仁 Stat Growth
Class Card Optimization
Use your free reshuffle before picking cards. Match subject types for efficiency multipliers. NPC character cards boost learning rate — build a broad social network early.
Evening Self-Study
Three options: synthesize high-tier cards from low-tier ones, draw new action cards, or increase subject proficiency (which also deletes weak cards from your deck). Rotate between these based on upcoming exams.
Free Time Activities
Certain activities boost specific stats. Club activities favor Courage, library study favors Wisdom, volunteer work favors Benevolence. Choose based on which path you're prioritizing.
Weekend Part-Time Jobs
Each job boosts one stat + earns money. Prioritize jobs matching your target path. The stat gain per weekend seems small but adds up to 40-60 extra Soul Board points over a full playthrough.
Exams
Periodic exams test your accumulated subject proficiency. High scores grant bonus Soul Board points across all three paths. Stack your deck with high-CP cards and matching subjects before exam days.
NPC Interaction
Some NPC personal story completions reward Soul Board points. Prioritize NPCs whose stories are tagged with your target stat (indicated in the character bio).