Part 35: How Deep Is The Hare Hole?

4Yr. 9Mo. 1Wk.



Rio insisted on confronting Cesare about what we found out in the Promiass Ruins. To his credit, he didn't try to deny it.



Imagine expecting to get a Golem or something and winding up with a baby instead? Creepy.



He said that he had a vision of the people of the past, hoping that Rio could live a normal life in the future. Heh. Fat chance of that, it seems.



Still, Rio seemed to gain strength from the whole thing. Even if Cesare isn't her biological father, he was there for her when she needed him... and if she has to play the Child of Destiny once more, so be it.



4Yr. 9Mo. 2Wk.



My attempts to locate Wit to confront him on the whole 'may be working to resurrect the Dark Lord' issue have failed to bear fruit. Unfortunately, I've discovered why. Along with my Rank S certification, I received a letter from Casa...



...which managed to make matters worse. In retrospect, I should have told her straight away of my suspicions rather than haring off after him myself. No doubt he's holed up in some secret lab by now, preparing an unpleasant surprise for the world. I've got to think of a way to find him.



I don't have a lot of time left.



4Yr. 9Mo. 3Wk.

I got a letter from Gram, inviting me to check him out in a tournament over the weekend. At a loss for leads, we went.



Much to my surprise, we found a lead there.



A big one.



And I found proof that the corruption runs deeper than one rogue student.



We confronted Karnab immediately; with the evidence in plain sight, he didn't try to hide his activities any more.



He even named another player in the drama, a name I hadn't heard before. Apparently he contacted Karnab with instructions on performing the alterations. I'm not sure how he's connected to Wit, but I aim to find out.



Gram, you idiot. He did it because you wanted him to. Chucky would jump into a furnace if I asked it of him. That doesn't make it right.



When Rio confronted him with this, he... well, he broke down. It wasn't pretty. Karnab seemed shaken too, especially when I told him about where the alteration plans likely came from. He gave up Nazzeni's location.



Before we left, I headed to the library to have some more manuscripts translated. I hoped there might be something that would help us against Wit. What we got... well, judge for yourself.

• About the Ducken: The Ducken is considered one of the most mysterious monsters of ancient civilization. Little is known about its creation. Ancient people, at one point, became unable to create the Ducken, and had to rely on regeneration from Saucer Stones. As a result, details about the Ducken, such as where, when, or why it was created, are not known. Some theories say that it was merely a toy created by ancient people; other theories argue that it was a doll that became imbued with a mystical power, like the Mew.
  
• About the Golem: There are records of Golems going back to the age of myths. Humans have been familiar with the Golems for a long time. Even in the myths they are known as good-natured monsters, usually depicted as strong monsters with kind hearts. Sadly, due to their good nature, they usually only play sideline roles in the stories. Of course, I suppose that, too, is fitting of the Golem though.
  
• The Kalaragi Mango: A fruit called the Kalaragi mango can be found growing in the Kalaragi Jungle. This fruit was loved and sought after by people in ancient times. There is a legend that the goddess Fleria ate a mango off the ground that made her sick, and for this reason she developed a distaste for them.
  
• The Lost Peach: A fruit called a Golden Peach once grew in Pare-Pare, but in recent years, after the discovery of their usefulness for monster raising, Golden Peaches have been over-harvested. It was always a rare fruit, and now it is so much so that few have set eyes upon one. Now, you can't get a Golden Peach even if you need one. They are found in the ruins beyond Rune, but now there are so many ill-mannered breeders there, one can no longer visit the area for practice. Sometimes in Torble you can find it at the auction, but they fetch a pretty penny - the money needed to buy one Golden Peach could buy you 2 or 3 ranches.

In previous Monster Rancher games, a Golden Peach would turn back the age clock on your monster, allowing you to raise it for longer. Unfortunately, as you can see, they're no longer available.



One last adventure, Chucky. Then you can rest. One last time... into the jungle.