Part 92: Chapter Sixty Seven: Infinity

Alright, we’re ready to tackle the second half of the final dungeon. I’ve switched the party around a bit so that everyone gets some experience. I’ve done a bit of grinding and now everyone is at least level 40.

Music: 23 – Nightmare



The first room contains an elevator that will take us further into the depths of Infinity. For some reason you can encounter Green Goos from the very start of the game in here.



The second half is a complete dungeon in its own right, and has completely different enemy encounters than the first half.



Charons always appear in pairs and can be a real pain in the neck. Their physical attacks are irritating, but manageable. However they can also cast both Iceblast and Blizzard, and if both decide to cast Blizzard at once even a fully healthy party will be brought into the critical zone. Charons will also rarely drop the Kitty Stick, Lin’s ultimate weapon. I’m lucky enough to get one fairly quickly.



Skeleton Knights are easy. They have nothing truly threatening in their arsenals apart from Zombie Attack, and their HP is low enough that they’ll be dead long before the Zombie status kicks in. They also rarely drop the Diablo Knife, Sten’s strongest weapon.



Cyclopses only ever appear alone and are a big barrel of HP, Defence and Attack. Their strategy is to cast Might on themselves and then smash your skulls in with their clubs. They’re usually slow enough to only get one hit in before they die, though.



Dragoons often appear in threes or alongside Skeleton Knights. They are actually quite dangerous since they like to spam Fire Breath, which can be a big problem if all three of them decide to do so at once.



Ganymedes are the last of the ‘Massive Defence, Puny HP’ class of enemies. They don’t attack often but like to heal/buff each other and Silence your party members. By this point they’re more of an annoyance than anything else.





We have to go inside this room in order to proceed, but first there’s treasure to be had in here.



Picking the bottom left hand route leads us around to a treasure chest containing a nice piece of armour.



This robe is great armour for Nina or Deis.



Going back through the door we saw earlier leads to a large room with an ornate pool of healing water. And behind the water…



A line of old men. The old man in red must be spoken to in order to proceed, but some of the others have interesting things to say as well.











Here’s where Ryusui’s renaming the final dungeon begins to make slightly more sense. In the original translation the ‘Infinity’ referred to here was called ‘Anfini’.



: Do you wish to hear our story, young hero?

: Tell me.

: Go forth, and seize the greatest power of the Dragonbrood…The power of Infinity!



The old men glow, then vanish.



As do Ryu’s companions.



: Hey…what’s going on?!

The screen blurs, then shifts to a new location.



: Enter each of the rooms behind me and speak with whom you find within.

: Uh…okay…you better not be wasting my time, old man.





: I dunno if I’ll be any help from here on out, but I’m behind ya, all the way!

You get a message saying that Bosch has joined the party, and are then invited to proceed down the passage to a small room at the end.



: You’re not the only one who can lay down his life for the greater good. Let me do this!

The image of Bosch vanishes. This theme is repeated with all the other doors.



: If anyone can get a grip on this Infinity stuff, my bet’d be on you!



: Ryu…I’m proud to say that meeting you has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Let me take care of this. You kids can handle the rest.



: But I’ll do whatever I can to help, Ryu! You can count on me!



: Thank you for saving me. I owe you my life, Ryu, and I pay all my debts in full!



: Ryu…I wouldn’t trade the time I’ve spent alongside you for anything. Thank you…from the bottom of my heart.



: I honestly believed that to vanish from the face of the earth was the only way I could aid my kingdom. You have opened many roads for me, Ryu…you have helped me to see all the ways I can help the entire world. Allow me to become your strength, Ryu!



: What we have in this world are wicked intentions, and people too weak to resist their temptations. Weak people cannot become strong on their own…so it falls to us to save them by ridding the world of wicked intentions. Can you not see my reasoning?



: But I would rather bear the anguish of the world than watch even one person suffer in my stead. Perhaps my entire life has been lived in anticipation of a moment such as this…



: But after meeting you, I can say I’m happy to break that vow. Ohoho! Sorry, I’m out of character!



: That’s what you’d say if you were in my position, isn’t it, master? Well, go on…my life is yours!



: There are things in this world that have no rational explanation…the power of the human will, for one. Is it possible that a strong heart alone can save this world…even though the idea may fly in the face of logic? The deepest mysteries and the greatest strength may both lie within the human soul…



: Know then that my suggestion is based purely on a pragmatic consideration of the situation at hand…Select me. It is…the least sacrifice for the greatest gain.

Deis is not included, tragically.



: Speak with the man within and listen carefully to what he has to say.



The central room is now unblocked.



: Huh. That was odd. And slightly unnerving…



: Um…what?



: Infinity’s power is found in the bond you share with each of your companions. Their faith in you is the true power of the Dragonbrood.



: I don’t like where this is going…



:…Ex…Excuse me?



: You…you want me…to kill one of my friends…?

: You have gained many powerful allies in your travels…precious friends, even after such a short time.



: Only you can make this decision, Ryu…

: What…what the hell…



: You must sacrifice the one who you share the strongest bond with. Choose who you shall sacrifice, then enter their respective room.

:…What do I do…? I never really thought of myself as some great hero who people would die for. I guess I might have helped people out occasionally, but it was always incidental or because it’d get us where we needed to be. If you told me at the beginning that I’d end up toppling the world’s dominant religion and travelling down to the depths of the underworld to fight a Dark God I’d have laughed. Then punched you in the face. But I guess I’m here now, aren’t I. Here, with this decision in front of me.

: Can I do it? Can I really make this choice? I’m a cynical, sarcastic bastard but I still care about the world. A little. Isn’t…Isn’t it worth it? Just one sacrifice. Just one more sacrifice in exchange for the world. Surely whoever I chose would understand. Surely. But who…who would I choose? Aaah!! I’m just a Ranger, since when did such impossible decisions get thrust onto my shoulders? Since when was I worthy of such loyalty? Since when…since when…

:…Since when was I so stupid? Nobody has the right to demand another person die for their sake! Too many people have been sacrificed already.



: I cannot do what you ask.

: You cannot decide upon a sacrifice?





: No matter what you say, I can’t do it. I can’t make this kind of decision. Too many have died for my sake already.

: What?! You speak nonsense, boy! You are the Fated Child! You are strong enough to make this decision ten times over!





: No, fuck you, Other Me! Mina, Ray, and Daisy…Claris, Tiga and my mother…and now this? No. No more sacrifices! And anyway, why should I be so special? ‘Fated Child’? What a load of shit! If anyone should lay down their life it should be me!

: Coward! You would choose your friends over your destiny? A weak heart such as yours could never triumph over the Dark God!



: Fuck destiny! Fuck fate! A power gained at the expense of my friends is not a power worth having! Demanding other people die for the sake of gaining strength and power…sundering the bonds of friendship and love to grow stronger…isn’t that exactly what Deathevan is doing?! A victory gained with his own methods would be hollow and empty, and lead only to further pain!

: Fool! A weakling such as you has no business challenging the Dark God!



:…So be it.





…



:…W-huh?!

: Phew! You had me worried for a second there, partner! You blacked out all of a sudden and I thought you’d dropped dead…

: Indeed…Ryu was locked in mortal combat with the darkness inside his own heart.





:…Now I get it. This was all a test, wasn’t it? If I chose to sacrifice another, it would mean I wasn’t really worthy of that power.

: Go forth, Ryu! The trust your friends place in you is your greatest power…never forget that!

The player regains control and is free to continue onwards.



Infinity is a very special skill. It can only be used once, at one specific time in one specific place. Until then it will be greyed out in the menu. Next time we’ll be venturing still further into the depths of the netherworld. We’ll also be meeting an old friend. One we haven’t seen in a long, long time.