Part 12: Leck Mines
Welcome back! Today we'll be delving deep into the Leck Mines in order to murder the various denizens because they keep the... Look, nobody ever said we'd be having glorious tales of heroism, all right?
Right off the bat, we see a spider to step on.
... Sorry, a "Spyder".
And some bats.
Crawlspaces and alcoves usually lead to treasures, right?
NOPE, MORE FUCKING BATS! AHAHAHA!
Tucked away in the back is a pile of 30 gold.
In another alcove, we find 10 gold and a spyder.
Both Justin and Sue gain a weapon level.
And Justin is now officially weaker than then eight-year-old girl he's travelling with.
Yet another alcove hides some herbs. Note the fact that I've dumped everything in the Stashing Place before going into the mines.
Hello, what have we here?
Less defense than the armor we found back in the Sult ruins. Pass.
Oh yeah, I got Sue a new weapon, too.
Justin has been using the baton we picked up on Marna Road. And the armor we found around Parm.
Along the path, we find another 10 gold.
The higher your level with a particular weapon, the less XP you get per use. Justin and Sue both got six hits off in that battle.
With the DungeonScope, we can see another 10G up in the upper-left there.
Huh. Ugly fellow in that minecart there.
Justin gets another mace level out of those two and their spider-loving friend down the road a bit.
They were guarding a treasure chest and another grenade.
Not the most powerful, but it can get the job done.
The chest has some rubber boots.
The next area dumps some slimes and 10G on us.
Sue makes the most of another bow level.
And the next fight brings Justin an XP level.
We've got two paths to chose from. Let's hit the western one first.
On account of the shinies and all.
Ahh, a hard hat.
The context-sensitive action icon here lets us jump over the pit to get back.
An orc and a sword.
Neither are particularly worth it.
30 gold isn't too shabby, though.
This DungeonScope gives the best overall gist of the dungeon's layout. A central pathway along the railroad tracks with many, many alcoves. Most of which are empty.
Anyway, that's the western section cleared out.
Monsters guarding a chest.
And another mace level for Justin.
A hammer? Much like the darts, hammers are not a distinct weapon group, but a subset of another. In this case, it's a mace.
Down in the pit, we find some slimes guarding another axe.
Sue gets herself an XP level
Less attack than the hammer and a move penalty to boot. If you're going with axes, it's a real choice betwen this one and the one from the Sult Ruins.
But we're not, for now, so into the spare weapons pile it goes.
Sue gains another bow level, demonstrating that when you focus on one thing, you start to get ridiculous. That's +8 strength from when she started this dungeon.
Along the path we find a wound salve.
And an alcove jutting off from the main cavern. Shocking. Absolutely shocking.
I love the abbreviation here. "Yeah, I mean, it's an okay shield, I guess, if you're into that sort of thing."
While mopping up the last of the random monsters, Justin gains another mace level.
And another 40G.
And the last of the three grenades this dungeon offers.
Look. 16 items. Justin's inventory is full, and he and Sue came in here empty. All of the game's dungeons do this, so dumping crap in the Stashing Place or selling it off is going to become a very familiar occurrence.
Save point just mentions that you learn new skills by leveling up your weapons.
And already we're at the boss. This dungeon seems so much shorter when you cut out all of the getting lost and running in circles that I did.
Scattered around we find 60 gold.
Huh, that palette-swapped Orc doesn't look happy to see us.
Boss Fight: Orc King, Orc x2 (polsy link)
As usual, skip down to "fight ends" to skip the screenshot version.
So right away, we're outnumbered 3-to-2. First priority is dealing with the mooks.
This is me forgetting that I stashed the dynamite from Sult before coming here.
Oh well, close enough.
The Orc swings at Sue, and Justin goes for the interrupt...
Which finishes him off in one swing.
His second attack is aginst the boss, charging up his special move. Sue practices her kung-fu moves.
She launches a dart at the stunned Orc King.
Which cancels his action, moving him way back on the IP gauge.
She gets bitten by the other orc for her trouble, though.
Justin swings at him while the King readies his own blow.
Compared to the Rock Bird, the Orc King hits like a truck.
Compared to Justin, he hits like a midsized sedan.
Compared to Sue, he hits like a go-kart.
The Orc King swings for Justin again, but he's able to block in time.
Selecting the "endure" option, by the way, reduces incoming damage to 1/3 and prevents IP knockback. If you see an attack incoming and can't cancel it in time, defending is the way to go.
Puffy Kick does less damage than Sue's combo, but, like V-Slash, it can cancel a charging attack and blasts the target way back on the IP gauge.
V-Slash, however, is doing more than Justin's basic combo at the moment.
And the fight ends when Justin lands a second V-slash.
Rewards aren't shabby.
Sadly, no levels this fight.
Sue and Justin begin to rejoice in a job well-done, when suddenly the mine starts shaking.
: WHAT!?
: This looks BAD! We'll be buried alive! Run, Sue!
: Aaaaaah! Why did this have to happen!?
First order of business, get that loaf of bread!
+1 VIT to whoever eats it. There are a whole bunch of these stat boosters sitting around, and, in order to prevent the Fire Emblem-style "hoard them all until the end of the game and feed them all to whoever is the least popular", I'm gonna be using them as soon as we get 'em.
Sub-optimal? Absolutely, but this game doesn't need to be any easier than it already is.
Java is waiting for us as soon as we get into the main part of the mines.
: Hey! It's Java!
: Wake up and get going! The mine is collapsing!
The three of them hop into a minecart.
What happens next is absolutely predictable, but should really be seen in motion. (Polsy link)
THEY WERE NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN, GAME OVER.
Oh.
: Listen. A first-rate adventurer never gives up until the very end. But you didn't quite think about how to escape.: I'm disappointed in you two!
: What, so we failed? But we worked so hard!: Let me tell you something... "A real adventurer never loses hope regardless of difficulties!" Once you get to the New World of Elencia, don't forget these words and devote yourself even more.
: Huh!? So Java, you're...?: You do have a little promise.
: Well, let's just say you passed.: There, a pass to the New World! Take it, Justin!
: All right! ♥ Wow, how cool!: Ugh! Maybe it's my imagination, but isn't this sorta stinky?
I could not make up a line like that if I tried.
This news literally causes Sue to recoil in horror.
: Listen, Justin. You have now received your wings. These wings are yours alone.: My own... wings...?: But don't forget, in times of real difficulty an adventurer does not rely on a pass.: So ignore that Steamer and swim! Get going!: You must rely on your adventurer's heart; rely on your heart to support your body and move your feet ahead. Promise me, Justin. Someday, tell me your own adventure stories of a world I don't know.
: I'll wait as long as it takes!
: Sure, I promise, Java!
: I-I'll be going!
: Thank you, Java! Isn't it great, Justin! Come, we can't be doing this! Let's go back to Parm, Justin!
: Um, Java. Can I ask you about something?: I know. About that little girl as everyone says, right? There's only one thing I can say. 
: Sorry, sorry.: Thanks for the pass, Java! I'll treasure it!
Next time: HOPE YOU LIKE WORDS!