Overview
Youthful Fantasy is an S-Class Arc in Neverness to Everness. It is one of the five S-Class Arcs available at launch and stands out as the premier choice for characters who deal Chaos-element damage. The Arc revolves around a chain-sealing mechanic that rewards aggressive, well-timed combat actions, building toward a devastating team-wide debuff called Black Tome.
Youthful Fantasy rewards players who engage with the game's core combat mechanics. By performing Critical Dodges, Parries, character Entries, and Skill activations, the wielder progressively unleashes sealed chains. Once all six chains are released, the Arc triggers its signature ability, chaining nearby enemies together and drastically lowering their resistance to Chaos damage. This makes it an exceptionally powerful Arc for teams built around Chaos-element DPS characters.
Lore
"Secret... The moment it was recorded, it was already known by everyone."
The flavor text of Youthful Fantasy alludes to the paradox of hidden knowledge. In the world of Neverness to Everness, secrets hold power, but the act of documenting them inevitably leads to their spread. The Arc itself embodies this tension: its sealed chains represent contained power that, once released, becomes impossible to contain. The Black Tome that appears when all chains are broken is a manifestation of knowledge made manifest, binding enemies in the inescapable truth of their own vulnerability.
Passive Effect
Youthful Fantasy seals six chains upon equipping. Each time the wielder triggers a Critical Dodge, Parry, Entry, or Skill activation, one chain is unleashed. The Arc provides an ATK bonus at all times, and once all six chains have been unleashed, it triggers the Arc Ability: Black Tome. The ATK bonus and the Chaos RES reduction applied by Black Tome both scale with the Arc's level.
Level | ATK Bonus | Chaos RES Reduction |
|---|---|---|
L1 | +10% | -20% |
L2 | +12.5% | -25% |
L3 | +15% | -30% |
L4 | +17.5% | -35% |
L5 | +20% | -40% |
At maximum level, Youthful Fantasy provides a permanent 20% ATK increase and causes Black Tome to reduce enemy Chaos RES by 40%. The ATK bonus is unconditional and active at all times, making the Arc useful even before the chains are fully unleashed.
Arc Ability: Black Tome
Black Tome is the signature Arc Ability of Youthful Fantasy. It activates automatically when all six sealed chains have been unleashed through combat actions. Upon activation, Black Tome chains up to 6 nearby enemies for 30 seconds, reducing their Chaos RES by an amount determined by the Arc's level.
The chaining effect does not deal direct damage on its own. Instead, it serves as a powerful debuff that amplifies all Chaos damage dealt to the affected targets by the entire team. This makes Black Tome a team-wide damage multiplier rather than a personal damage ability.
After Black Tome has been triggered and its 30-second duration expires, all six chains re-seal. The wielder must then perform six more qualifying combat actions to trigger Black Tome again. In practice, skilled players can maintain high uptime on the debuff by weaving Critical Dodges, Parries, Entries, and Skills throughout their rotation.
The qualifying actions for unleashing chains are:
Critical Dodge: Performing a perfectly-timed dodge that triggers the slow-motion window.
Parry: Successfully blocking an enemy attack with precise timing using the Parrying System.
Entry: Swapping to this character during combat, which triggers the Entry action.
Skill: Activating the character's Skill ability.
Recommended Characters
Youthful Fantasy is best suited for characters who deal Chaos-element damage, as the Chaos RES reduction from Black Tome directly amplifies their damage output. The following characters benefit the most from this Arc:
Lacrimosa: As a Chaos-element DPS character, Lacrimosa benefits enormously from the Chaos RES reduction. Her kit naturally involves frequent Skill usage and character swapping, which helps unleash chains quickly. The ATK bonus further increases her already high damage ceiling.
Daffodil: Another Chaos-element character who synergizes well with the debuff. Daffodil's combat style involves Parries and Skills, both of which contribute to chain unlocking.
While Youthful Fantasy can be equipped on any character, the Chaos RES reduction is wasted if no team members deal Chaos damage. For non-Chaos teams, other S-Class Arcs like Camellia Society or Contemplative Cat generally provide more value.
How to Obtain
Youthful Fantasy can be purchased from the Arc Shop for 25 Tri-Keys. Tri-Key is a currency earned through gameplay activities, including story progression, Anomaly Commissions, and event rewards. There is no weapon banner or gacha system for Arcs in Neverness to Everness, so Youthful Fantasy is guaranteed to be obtainable without relying on luck.
Players should note that 25 Tri-Keys represents a significant investment. Since all S-Class Arcs cost the same amount, it is worth carefully considering which Arc best fits your team composition before purchasing.
Strategy and Tips
Prioritize chain-building actions. To maximize Black Tome uptime, weave Critical Dodges, Parries, Entries, and Skills into your rotation as frequently as possible. The faster you unleash all six chains, the sooner the Chaos RES debuff takes effect.
Coordinate with your team. Since Black Tome reduces Chaos RES for the entire team, ensure at least one or two other team members deal Chaos damage. The debuff is multiplicative with other damage bonuses, so stacking Chaos damage across the team yields the best results.
Use Entry swaps strategically. Each character Entry counts as a chain-unleashing action. In a four-character team, swapping to the Youthful Fantasy wielder from another character counts as an Entry. Rotating through your team quickly can build chains faster.
Time Black Tome for boss phases. In boss fights, try to have all six chains ready to unleash just before a damage window opens. The 30-second duration of Black Tome is long enough to cover most DPS windows, but timing it well ensures you get the maximum benefit.
Upgrade to L5 for maximum impact. The difference between L1 (-20% Chaos RES) and L5 (-40% Chaos RES) is substantial. Prioritize upgrading Youthful Fantasy if it is your primary Arc, as the Chaos RES reduction effectively doubles from the base level.
Related Pages
Arcs (equipment overview)
Gacha System (obtaining Tri-Keys)
Lacrimosa (recommended character)
Daffodil (recommended character)
Parrying System (chain-building mechanic)
KongMu Gear (complementary equipment)
Console Equipment (complementary equipment)