Part 24: It's Good to Be the King

This small hut is south of the Dwarven Castle.



We'll be back here to bother this old man later.



This village is just to the southeast of the Sealed Cave.



The only real reason to come here is for the Diamond equipment. It's a huge upgrade over the Mithril gear Kain and Cecil are wearing.



This cave is due west of the Dwarven Castle, near the western edge of the world.



I passed through here when I left the Land of Summons. Perhaps we should ask Leviathan for help.

Given the nature of this area I find it highly unlikely she did it alone.

The Cave of Summons is an optional area. The red splotches on the ground take off about 50HP a step, but having Rosa cast Float on the party negates this (she learns it at Level 35).



The enemies here aren't too terrible, but they definitely hit hard. There are hidden passages and chests all over the dungeon, so not having Float will really take its toll.



The Poison Axe is strong, but is a two-handed weapon. The Kikumajigger is a nicer katana for Edge.



This is a nasty encounter. These guys hit hard and fast, so you want to whittle down their numbers quickly.



The reward is worth it, though. The Defender is a nice offensive upgrade as well as a defensive one, and it boosts Stamina by 15 to boot.



The fourth floor is an actual town, surprisingly.



This is a required item for a quest chain in the near future. For those who might not know, a Rat Tail was needed for an optional quest in the original Final Fantasy. The end result is not quite as awesome as that quest, but it's still nice.



Rydia's made friends with Bombs. That's kinda disturbing when you think about it.



God of Summons? I wonder who that could be...



Is this Great Whale the power Golbez is searching for?



The King plays dumb for the time being.



Rydia, dear, what brings you back?

We need your help.

Very well, but first you must prove your worth. That is how it is done here. Do you possess the strength and courage to challenge me?



Asura is a pain. She's constantly spamming Life, Protect, and Curaga on herself, and counterattacks when anyone hurts her. The best way to deal with her is to cast Reflect on her and wail away with Titan, shurikens, and physical attacks. It's a long, drawn out battle, but it's the best way to deal with her.



Rydia can now summon Asura in battle. She will either cast Protect, Curaga, or Life on all allies. If it wasn't so random it would be pretty useful, but at the cost of 50MP it's just not really worth it.



After Asura is defeated, Leviathan is willing to acknowledge the group.



Leviathan is a lot easier than Asura. He hits individuals with Blizzaras and the whole group with Tidal Wave. He's weak to Thunder, so Blitz and Ramuh do a number on him. He has a ton of HP to whittle through, so killing him takes a bit longer than it feels like it should.



Rydia can now summon Leviathan. He deals a good 4000-5000 in Water damage to all enemies for the time being.

Cecil's group could tackle the Sealed Cave now, but there's one more optional cave worth poking around in first...