Part 3

Here we are in the woods, looking for a mysterious glowing plot device. Maybe we'll have a picnic? Who knows?


The trees in this forest sure do grow to uniform height at uniform distance from each other.

They were all planted at once.

What?

The town felt there should be more forests in the area, so they planted one. It took a load of time and money, and I think they had to hire wizards or something.

Fascinating.


I already have things that do that in my pocket.

Don't look now, Fron, but the things in your pocket are flowers.

I choose not to heed your warning and look anyway. Ah...you're right.


Silly BOYS just don't understand flowers and their medicinal properties.


Alright, goons, which should we choose?

I'm kidding.


We certainly wouldn't want to hurt this endangered flower by damaging its petals or uprooting it and then eating it to cure stab wounds.

I can't say I care much for botany. I want the health boost.

And so our heroes march on, bravely searching out more parts of the ecosystem to ruin.


That large, man-made structure right in front of you.

Oh, wow. I didn't even see that!


Can you read it?

Some of it. Let's see here...


Readin'.


...


Yo, Fron!

Why won't you answer me?


I had to sit through THREE sets of ellipses for that?

Hey, some of us don't have your stupid "educational system," alright? We have more important things to do.

Like chase fairies?

That's a hobby.


Mind-bending puzzles! Though I wonder what the entire message was?

50 years ago posted:

Something tells me we should make this door more secure. I mean, how safe is this thing going to be if all you need to do to open it is press two stone tiles simultaneously? Also, be careful not to accidently cement this message into the roof.
-Benjamin

Who cares? I'm getting in.


Please don't start that again.


Objective: This is pretty much the worst puzzle we could possibly have thought up.


Tia goes around and gathers some flowers with the CHECK command. It doesn't get much use throughout the game. Anyway, there are three or four flowers around the map.

So let's try some combinations.


Woops. Giving it another try.


That works.


Maybe you're weighing down some sort of mechanism? Let me try.

That doesn't make much sense.

Maybe you're a dumb BOY and you should let me do it.


Of course! Leverage!

Torque will save us!

Still, with Tia opening the door... something feels a little bit off about all this. Like it's a set-up by some omnipotent force with poor writing ability.

Well, in fact, it is.


You hold them off, I'll open the door.

Gotcha.


Incoming kobolds! Using the magic of easily exploitable AI (most enemies just walk right at you with no attempt at strategy) Fron holds off the endless waves of enemies.


I can't keep this up forever.

Oh, you're doing just fine. Hold on another minute.

Just hurry it up!


I'm not kidding! I see a bunch more coming through the trees and I say we have maybe five minutes before we become very dead!

Got it.

Oh, alright then.


Victory! This week, we learned:

-How Fron leveled up

-How Tia also leveled up, learning MagicSword, which increases Fron's attack power.

-How to obtain a Wonderleaf3, which completely restores AP.

-That you should always believe in yourself.


That brings this episode to a close.

Ack, a cave. I bet it's dark inside and there are bats.

Oh there are bats. Lot's of bats. You have no idea. There's also another inane puzzle.

Well, for this it's all worth it.