Moonlighter 2: How to Free Masa & Unlock the Combat Rod

In Moonlighter 2, Masa is a friendly face that you will encounter throughout your journey. However, you don't simply stumble upon him in town like many of the other characters. Instead, you'll find him trapped behind unbreakable glass, and it's up to you to find a way to free him.

Taking on this task is worth it, as you'll not only get the satisfaction of helping the kiddo out, but you'll also be able to unlock an achievement and obtain a unique weapon known as the Combat Rod, which is specifically tied to Masa. If you're wondering how to find and free Masa in Moonlighter 2, this guide will walk you through the process and explain how to obtain the Combat Rod.

Where to Find Masa in Moonlighter 2 & How to Free Him

In Moonlighter 2, Masa can be encountered as soon as you have unlocked the Treasury Halls location within The Gallery. To find him, simply star a run in this location and upon loading into the first stage for the first time, he will recognize you and ask you to find a way to help free him from imprisonment.

Unfortunately, the glass that has him trapped cannot be broken with your regular weapons. However, there is a handy hint on the podium display advising not to touch the glass with Aetherium.

To free Masa, you need to obtain a weapon made from Aetherium and use it to attack the glass, shattering it. The specific weapon that you will need is a Large Sword called the Aetherium Heart. To obtain this weapon, you are first required to complete another quest given out by Julien, the Patch merchant.

How to Get the Aetherium Heart Large Sword

To get the Aetherium Sword, you first need to visit Julien during the daytime. This is important, as his body is taken over at nighttime, meaning he is unable to converse with you during these hours. He will task you with defeating Senda, the boss of Aeolia's Zephyr Fields, in order to bring back a material that he drops.

After defeating Senda for the first time, he will drop the required material. Now return to Julien and speak with him to mark the quest complete. As a reward, he will give you the recipe for the Aetherium Heart weapon. Now all you need to do is visit Andrei's forge and pay to have him craft the weapon for you.

How to Free Masa With the Aetherium Heart

Once you have crafted the Aetherium Heart, you just need to equip it and then begin a run at Treasury Halls. Walk up to the glass container holding Masa and attack it. It will now shatter, freeing him. He will mention that he's going to cause some chaos in the area as payback to Tyke, and that he'll catch up with you later.

At this point, you will also gain the "Pocket-sized Burglar" Achievement for the game. You can now choose to continue your run and pick up some relics to sell at your shop or to simply return home.

How to Get the Combat Rod Recipe Reward

After returning home, you should be able to now find Masa in town, located in the bottom section of the map, to the right of where Julien can be found. Speak with him, and he will thank you for going to the effort to free him. As a reward, he will grant you the recipe for the Combat Rod, a new type of Spear weapon that deals continuous damage on a slow return.

Now all you need to do is once again return to the forge and pay to have the Comabt Rod crafted, and you'll have another weapon to pick from for your runs. It's a nice little bonus reward, and may very come in handy if you enjoy using Spears in combat.