Part 8: One Orb, Two Orb, Red Orb, Blue Orb
Chapter 6: One Orb, Two Orb, Red Orb, Blue Orb
Bllp, at lsssst thuh airsleee wrrrps.
Oo blrrr.
(Woo! That was one heck of a ride.) (Wait, what's going on?) (I'm psychic, remember?) (Oh.) (Anyway, this'll be easier than blurbing and blooping all over the place.)
(Trog, you're gonna have to think a little louder for the rest of us to hear you.) (Is you, God?) (... Yes. Yes it is.) (Sound much like friend Elly. Is strange.)
(This airseed stuff is pretty amazing. Other than the water in my eyes, it's just like being above ground.) (I shutter to think of what would happen should it stop working.) (Well, that's why we brought extras. If yours stops working, I dunno, give me some sort of signal. Flail your arms around or something.) (I'm sure that reaction will come naturally.) (Well, water or not, I'm glad to be done with caves. Maybe we'll have to visit a trench or something, but I can handle that.)
(What's a staircase doing down here?) (I... have no idea. Must lead somewhere important, though.)
(You have got to be fucking kidding me.)Because we haven't had enough caves this chapter, here's some more! And like the above-ground variety, you'll have to use them to get to different places on the ocean floor. Fortunately, there's far less places to go down here. Also, the monsters are a bit easier, though that may be because we picked up something for Rezen in the last town.
Gtta cccvt libbidm!
Elec is a pretty good spell on its own, but it's appreciably lethal against most of the monsters down here. On a side note, I've never understood why party members never get electrocuted using spells like Elec underwater. Proper grounding, I guess?
Anyway, most of the enemies down here are cannon fodder and don't rate a mention. You'll see geckos, shrimp, and phantoms. None of them are particularly impressive. There's also these guys:
(Aha! A wolf!) (That's a jaguar, Elly. Are you feeling okay?) (Of course it's a jaguar. Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?)...and they're somewhat more of a challenge. Still not much to write home about, which is a nice change of pace after non-stop werewolf fuckery. All of this means the only thing to do in the caves is blunder around and look for the exit(s).
(Argh.) (Split up maybe? Is faster.) (I don't know about you, but I'm not leaving the living lightning rod over there to wander off solo. I don't have enough ammo.) (Bzzzzzzt!) (Did you just think "bzzzt" at us?) (Maybe! Bzzzzzt!) (Speaking of which, how do those guns of yours work underwater, Elly?) (Waterproofing.) (That doesn't make any sense.) (Nope. And yet, here we are.)A few aimless meanders down dead-end corridors later...
(Finally.) (You know, we may want to scout the remaining corridors before we continue on.) (Nope. I've had it with being underground. Let's see what's upstairs.)
(It's peaceful down here. Kind of creepy, though.) (Well, we're probably the only people down here. It's not like someone can build an entire town on the ocean bed.)(This is a friendly reminder for no reason whatsoever that there are to be no spoilers in this thread. Thank you.)
(Then what is building?)
(Oh now who put this here.)
(Ryu-O would be my guess.) (You're doing that thing where you're something else again.) (I happen to think this form is quite suitable for the current environment. The tentacles and jets make motion easier.) (Wow, TMI.)Dente, at this point, has changed into a P-Flower. There's not much to talk about ability-wise—Tentacle is his main attack (
), and he has various poison and sleep abilities to support it. All of his offensive weapons pretty much suck. However, lookit dat HP:
I've mentioned it before, but Rezen is really geting the shaft as far as HP increases go. Maybe one day it'll start back up again.
(Octopus guards. We're psychically linking with octopus guards in an underwater castle. Our lives are so weird.) (Be excusing Trog, many armed one. Where Ryu-O?)
(Quiet your thoughts, Espers! That name is forbidden. This is now the palace of the Great Azure Dragon of the Great Sky, Sei-Ryu the Great!) (Ehn, he's not that great.)
(Blasphemers!) (We've got to work on your people skills, Rez.)What you don't know from the above screenshots is that the "heroic overworld tune" is used for the palace's background music. It's a bit baffling at first since it sounds so friendly. You walk up to say hello to a guard, and they immediately punch you in the face. Let this be a lesson to you: never trust a theme song.
Octopi should be avoided. Not because they're particularly difficult, but because they do this:
*squirt* (That was disgusting. You're disgusting. Lupus non mordet lupum!) 
(Alright, guards are neutralized. Let's do some recon.)
(That's going to be a bit of a problem.) (Oh, come on. There's not that much ground to cover.) (It's not the walking so much as the looking.) (What?) (Elly, the ink got in my eyes. I can't see.)Ink inflicts blind. Blind sucks. It sticks to your guys after fights and makes it near impossible for them to connect with physical attacks. The only way to get rid of blind is to use Eyedrops. I did not bring Eyedrops because, like a dummy, I didn't expect to have to deal with Blind. I don't want to think about what's going to happen the first time I start meeting creatures who inflict Stone. I might as well buy all the Golden Needles and Eyedrops I can carry now.
(I'm going to need your help, Rezen. Take my tentacle.) (Aaaaawkward.) (Rezen. Please. I know you like to make jokes, but I'm frightened.) (I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Okay, I've got you. Just stay near the back and follow me.)
(Shh. If they've got a guard posted, this is probably important. Let's sneak in while he's distracted.) (Elly, you don't have to whisper. It's ESP. No one can hear you but us.) (Oh. Well, let's just go in, then.)
(Is it just me, or does this room's interior not match up with its exterior?) (Maybe put extra room in room. Is like little dolls, only with furniture.) (I don't think you can do that, Trog.) (I didn't think you could do a lot of the things we just did, so it's probably as good an explanation as any.)
(Treasure! Yessssssss)
(And where there's keys, there's more treasure!) (I will never understand why rulers put items granting unfettered access to their castle in plain reach of intruders.) (There were guards!) (A guard. One who apparently can't detect invaders unless they speak to him. I feel my point stands.) 
(Oh no! Here, put another airseed under your tongue!) *massive stream of bubbles* (...you swallowed the one you were using, didn't you.) (Son of Tromolor! Grandson of Tromine!)
(Heh heh. Why, have some treasure, Rezen! Don't mind if I do.)
(Laaaaaaame.) (They can't all be winners.)
(Troop, I've been reviewing our situation. We've got limited ammo and a Fiend to get ready for. Let's try to keep encounters to a minimum.) (Better tell that to those guys.)
(We've been detected! Fall back and flank! Let's get to the stairs before they do!)
(Whuh oh.)That's a Guard on the right. Guards have Warning, which prevents you from running. This is one of the few times that running from a mob is not an option.
(Why is it always me, whyyyyyyyy)In addition, they carry long swords and hit fairly hard. They also carry Shields, making it difficult to damage them at times. Some of you may be wondering why I haven't mentioned shields before. That's because shields are terrible. Using one makes your guy sit there and turtle like an idiot, wasting a turn. There may be some shields later on that do damage like skin powers do, but I seriously doubt it—and even if they did, what's the point? Just hit them with a full force attack instead.
(gkk crap crap not gonna make it) (Leave Elly alone! Mala ipsa nova!)
(must swallow potion without swallowing airseed) (We have to end this fight, Trog! You take the one on the left, I'll take the right!)
(Trog fight like man! Will defend friend unto death!)
Compared to where they started, our guys can dole out pretty respectable damage. Trog's punches usually hit for 50-60, Elly's Colt is 40-50, and Rezen—well, Rezen gibs pretty much anything she attacks, in singles or groups. Still, we want to stay out of fights like this, as we know we've got a boss coming up. Good news at the end, though!
(Dente, what're your feelings on cocktail shrimp?) (I would prefer proper sauce and a nice butter sautée—but one does what one must.)
(...) (There's just no in-between, is there.) (Guess not.)Meat not only changes your monster but also resets their HP and status ailments. It's one of the ways you can get around limited HP and abilities when you're a long way from home. In a way, we're lucky Dente was the one blinded. If it were Elly or Trog, we'd most likely be on our way back to town already.
With that said, Gazers are pretty rad. Since they're big floaty eyeballs, they get Warning and an immunity to Quake. More exciting is beam. Beam is amazing. Amazing. You'll see how amazing soon enough, but this is the one I was worried about fighting Big Eyes. Since they've never used it and the AI absolutely loves murdering you whenever it has the opportunity, I'm guessing Big Eyes are the one member of the eyeball family that don't have it. Beam will get real unfortunate in the near future, but for now, we're the only ones that get it.
(We made it! Although I still don't know how Elly's drinking all those potions with the airseed in her mouth.) *stream of bubbles* (Well, that answers that.) (Daughter of Melina! Daughter of Frederick!) (Is proper fighting spirit! 
)
(Ugh, narrow walkways. This is going to require stealth and careful timing.)
!
(Well, so much for that.)The fight itself is inconsequential. Afterwards, however, is something awesome.
(Is puddle! Friend Dente monster of many face.) (Indeed, though I still feel a bit peckish.) (And that's different how?) (Mostly the level of hunger. Hunger. HUNGER. FEED EAT DISSOLVE.)
(...Er, as they say.)A Jelly is way, way more powerful than this zone should get. Besides the ridiculol stats, you also get Melt. Only ten uses, but who cares? It's Melt!
(Is this bugging you? Is this bugging you?) (Hey, quit it! 
)They also get Bother, which is less useful. I'm not sure if Bother is an aggro sponge or just a way to lower enemy accuracy. I will never use this ability in combat, so you're probably not going to find out.
(Armory. Authorized personel only.) (We have a key. That... kind of makes us authorized.) (We never need an excuse for treasure, Elly. Ever.)
(Ah! Is mithril. Trog not knowing this world have it.) (Nice find!) (Is wanting Elly to have.) (What? Are you serious?) (Is not liked by monsters. Elly will need power of.) (You have no idea how much I appreciate this. Oh, and here's another book, Rezen.) (It's a different language this time. Wonder what this does? C'est la fin pour ma jeune fille.)
(...uh?) (Whatever you just did, do it again.)We now have a Cure spellbook. This is somewhat awkward, as we should equip Cure ASAP, but Rezen's limited to four spots of equipment. I take a gamble here and replace her helmet with the Cure spell, leaving her with just her armor. It'a a risk, but we need her Saber to keep from wasting Elec spells, and Rezen casting Cure with her mana stat is basically a poor man's elixir. Besides, she still has the Armor ability in case of emergencies.
(What's this thingie do? Do you pull on this pin?) (No, don't!) (Okay! Jeez.) (Let me have those. The guy at the weapons shop told me about them. They'll come in handy later.) (If you say so!)
(bzzt kapow) (You don't need mental sound effects to go with your spells, honey.) (Says you!)
(Hey, Dente! That cactus left some me— ) (EAT DISSOLVE CONSUME EAT) (....You okay there?) (Er, yes. I am now. That form was particularly nasty, I'd prefer we not mention it again.) (What mention?) (Precisely.)
(So, we're all okay now? No more ravenous slobbering?) (Oh, yes. I can see it now. All of it.) (See what?) (The infinite possibilities of the cosmic extra-dimensions. The colors, dissolving into sounds. It's all so clear to me now. The cactus has opened my third eye.) (Only have one eye. Trog is concerned of eyeball friend.)
(Not to worry, my comrade. I have achieved supreme enlightenment.)I have no idea how we managed to pop a Seeker, nor do I care. Seekers are fucking incredible. 10 shots of Gaze (which causes Confuse), 10 shots of beam, an assload of HP, and stats out the wazoo. I want to make it clear to you guys that I have, as promised, been eating every piece of meat I come across. This was not pick and choose. I just happened to get supremely lucky.
(Hey, look! Orbs! Think one of these is the one we're after?) (Probably not, since there's a door in the back. I'm guessing these are decorations.)
(Is more phony?) (Looks like. Third room will probably have it. We'll just head back there and— )
(...it's never easy, is it.) (Is many! How to tell which?) (Let's just take all of them. We can sift through the pile after we're out.) (I'm prrrretty sure randomly grabbing fake orbs is a bad move. They might be booby trapped.) (Wise beyond your years, as usual.) (Oh, hi Dente! Feeling better?) (Quite. Pardon my earlier outburst, I was still acclimating myself to my new senses.) (Really? How many do you have now?) (24. No, wait. 25.) (Can you use any of them to tell us which orb is legit?) (Unfortunately, no. I may be hyper-sensory, but I'm not precognitive.) (Wait, I have an idea. Follow me!)
(See this line here?) (Yyyyyyes?)
(And this one here!) (Trog is seeing.) (The rooms are exactly the same size!) (So?) (So, if we look at where the lines cross... Three paces from the north wall, three paces from the east wall...)
(Here's the real one!) (Are you sure?) (Makes sense to me. Besides, I trust Rez. If she says this is it, this is it.) (Trog will hoist sacred sphere! If bad happen, remember sacrifice, friends.)
(Victory!)A quick note—if you screw up here and pick the wrong orb, you'll have to fight an Atom Crab. They're not necessarily a tough fight, but they do have 2Pincer, which double-attacks. It's not very fun, and you don't have to fight them, so I don't recommend it. They probably drop decent meat, but I see no reason to waste time showing them off.
(See? It's simple if you just think about it for a bit.) (You are a constant source of amazement, and I mean that sincerely.) (Thanks! Now let's book it out of here before— )
(...the owner comes back.)
(Did Ryu-O send you? He did! You're spies! Thieves! You can't have my orb, it's mine!)
(Rez, cut his feed! I don't need to listen to this paranoid lunatic while we're fighting him.) (I can't! He's got psychic powers of his own!) (Assassins! Murderers! I'll show you my greatness! He said I'd never make it! He said I wasn't strong! I'll show Ryu-O! I'll show them all!) (Everybody take cover!) (What? Why?) (Fire in the hole!)
Grenades are the first of the heavy ordinance weapons. They're not technically a gun, but the damage mechanism is the same, so they might as well be. They do a pretty hefty chunk of damage to a group of monsters and blow right through resistances. They're pretty good for one on one fights, too!
Keep in mind we're underwater at this point. No, I don't know how that works. Maybe they're phosphorus grenades.
(Peasants! Insects! How dare you!) *thunderclap*
(OH GOD NOT AGAAAAAAAAAAIN) *shove*
(...Dente?) (That's quite enough out of you, dragon.) (My lightning is all-powerful! It can't fail! Why? Why? Unless...) ... (Praise to Ashura! He has come!) (Enough talk. You fight with me now.) (Hail, the World Eater! Hail, the All-Devourer! Hail!) (Stop talking.) (The greatest of them all! A visitor in my court! The honor! The prestige!) (Shut up.) (Bless me with your attacks! Honor me with murder! Let it begin with me!) (Shut up!)
(DEATH! GLORIOUS DEATH! 
)
(...) (Dente?) (...go.) (What?) (Just leave me here.) (Why? Is no longer friend?) (No, precisely because I am. This does not end well, Trog. You need to leave. All of you.) (Dente, you're scaring us. What was Sei-Ryu talking about? What's a World Eater?) (Don't.) (Oh no you don't. That emo bullshit may work on some pinhead fiend, but it's not gonna fly with me. What the hell is going on with you?) ... (Who cares?) (Rez?) (When we first travelled together, Dente accepted me—even after he found out about my powers. All of you did. It was the first time in my life I felt like I belonged somewhere.) (Rezen...) (I don't care what some nutcase sky dragon said. Dente's Dente. We've come this far together, we know who he is.) (Damn right we do! And we're not about to leave you here because of your sordid checkered past or what-the-hell-ever this is about. So wipe off the tears, put on your jock, and let's go climb us a tower. Together.) (...thank you. All of you. Just, one request.) (Yeah?) (Don't ask me about any of this yet. I'm... not quite ready to share.) (Trog wait until Dente is talk. Then best part comes.) (I'll need some arms first.) (Trog can wait that, too.)Not fully shown here is just how bad we obliterated Sei-Ryu. He got in two attacks: an ineffective thunder attack on Dente and a successful paralysis on Elly. Dente pretty much wrecked his shit by himself, although Elly and Trog contributed nicely. Ironically, Rezen did nothing of note. Turns out casting Elec on a thunder dragon really isn't all that effective.
(Well, we've got the orb, and we kicked the crap out of another fiend. Now what?) (Trog work up appetite. Stomach howls.) (Ah, I have just the thing!)
(Mmm, fresh sushi!)Next Time: Riddles! Also, Plumbing.