Part 23: A linguistic sense as precious as true love or really good lasagne

Music: Theme of Madril



We head over to the other research building. There's normally a man standing in front of the door, but he's absent today.



This must be a gift from the heavens. The heavens and the world are both on my side. Hwa ha ha ha ha ha!



Stan heads underneath the door and unlocks it.



Now nothing stands in our way! We'll stop Madril's gears and cause mass panic and pandemonium!

Music: Breakdown





Oh no, someone forgot to render Stan's outline.

I hurried here, using the backdoor after the Gear Expert tipped me off. I guess I made it here in time.
Why, thank you, for coming here to greet me. I appreciate it. Now, go on home.
I won't let a flattened ghost like you have your way. Why did you let this happen, new boy?
What can a slave do anyway? Hwa ha ha ha ha. You'd better not take my power lightly. I am no low-class evil creature. I am the King of Evil Kings, Stan, the true Great Evil King!
Well, you'd better not take the power of the Spotted-Cat Team lightly, either! Come out, everyone!




Dill: Oh, it's you! So you were a bad guy after all! Don't even think that you can defeat us!
Toby: The Spotted-Cat Team is the best in Madril, you know. The Evil King's spell won't, like, work on them.

Come and get us, now!
My, at least you've got spirit. You remind me of the hero, Hopkins. But of course, the other heroes all had spirit. It did them no good!! So are you prepared?




Dill: Wahhh! Wa!



Hmmm. Not so good... My magical power is apparently still weak. I still haven't recovered enough power to kill you. But that's OK. It's not worth it to take the lives of children. You aren't even heroes. Unless, of course, you want to be killed...
Ugh...
How's this?




Dill: Wahhh! Wa! Wa! Wa!
Toby: Owiee cowiee!



It's not cool to pick on young gals, but it seems that's what the dead in the Evil World wish. I can almost hear their voice from the end of the dark emptiness, saying, "Go ahead, get her." Don't worry, it just stings a little. You'll be unconscious in no time. That's all. So don't worry...much. Heh, heh, heh. Are you prepared for it? En garde...!




Robert Christoph III, Whisker-Mole Team leader from Madril.





Hwa ha ha ha.
Robert! How did you?
We'll talk later. Right now, let's defeat this guy and protect the research center!
Gotcha! Let's go, Dill, Toby!



Ha, so everyone at once? Making me actually work, huh? Well, if that's the way you want it...



Be careful with yourself if you haven't fully recovered your magical power yet.
Oh, no problem. What's a few dumb humans?
Then, your humble servant James will offer you a little bit of help.
Hey! Mind your own business!
Well, remember, Master, you have an important job ahead to destroy the research center.
But you're right. That's so true. James, you're so considerate. I'd forgotten all about destroying the research center and stopping the gears. I think I just went senile for a moment. Fine. You take over. Just the right servant for the job. Don't hurt them too much, though...
At your service! Here I come!



Collapse!



...





James runs around Ari's body in a panic, and the screen fades out...

Music: Theme of Madril




Oh, that James. Idiot!

Toby: Don't say bad things about Uncle James, OK? He said he was weally, weally sowwy so he could save you, Stan. He even got, like, down on his knees. That's why you are still alwight, you know.

Humph! He should just mind his own business. And so where are the others?

Toby: They went to, like, check outside. Other hewoes who learned about this are going to be here any minute, I think. That's wight. You should wun, you know!

Humph! What's a few wimpy heroes? I can deal with them. Who do you think I am? But then, you may have a point, after all.



Toby: I didn't, like, do this to help Stan. I did it to help out the new boy, you know. The Spotted-Cat Team, like, takes good care of its members, you know.

I see...

Toby: And I think, you know, it looks like Maggie and Wobert are kind of in a good mood, you know. They walked home, like, weal close together. Ummm. They are all weird again!

Hwa ha ha ha ha ha. I see. Let's get going now, shall we? Hey, slave, can you walk? Let's leave here if you can walk. It seems to be the right thing to do for you. Now, hurry and go.



And so we leave; abandoning our plan to stop the gears.



But we haven't abandoned our plan to investigate the back of the sewer! We head through the gate on the first floor and climb down the manhole.

Music: Sewer Dungeon



This pathetic Evil King journey all started when I recognized Stan in here.
Yes, a twist of fate. Do you believe it is possible to quantify fate? I've often wondered...
I have visited some strange places, but Madril's underground has a particular ambiance that I do not like very much.



Hmm, look at that, slave.



Over there! It seems that you can go further.
Oh, that's true! Why didn't we notice that when we were here before? It seems odd that we overlooked it... Or did it open up later?



At last, we head down into the true Sewer Dungeon.



Immediately next to the ladder is a weird box of gears and a set of nine panels.



Investigating the panels causes the hallways in the center to rotate. Some of the panels don't move, however, keeping us from reaching the north or west ends of the room.



So for now, we adjust things and head east.



The east end of the room has another ladder.



This is one of the most boring dungeons in the game, so I'm going to present an abridged version.



We have to go around the floor and clear out the Urns, but they make this the most tedious thing in the world. All the platforms are too thin to avoid encounters on, so you're fighting battles pretty much nonstop. Which wouldn't be that bad, except the enemies in this dungeon are super low level, so you get about 10 EP per fight.



There are magic circles too, which lower the gates pictured above.



The urns here are Sparky Urns. You may recognize Sparky Urns as the ones we fought in the Escapeless Abyss, three dungeons ago. They give 13 EP apiece at our party's level.

In my entire stay in this dungeon, one character gained one level. I came in here with Ari at over 900 EP, so he managed to squeeze by to level 32, learning Revive. That's the only good thing that happened in this whole place.



Eventually, we reach all four corners of the floor and take out all the urns. We head down to B4.



This room is empty except for this Silver Gear. We pick it up and backtrack to B2.



Back up here, we place the Silver Gear in the box we saw before.



The center panel works now, allowing us to access the west end of the room. The north end is still inaccessible.



The west B3 sucks, too.



Floor B4 has a Gold Gear for us. After grabbing it, we backtrack back up to B2.



We place the Gold Gear, and now all the panels work perfectly.



We move the hallways around and head north.



This place is still really shitty.



There is a magic square. But the rest is nothing extraordinary. This magic square might hold a great secret...
It seems to be a familiar pattern. Suddenly, I don't expect too much.
Let me see.

Kisling heads over to investigate the circle-shaped magic square.



And you don't even know the types of magic squares? Shame on you.
Don't you know about this? You, paper hero. The Magic Square was originally for minor evil beings and humans to support their inadequate power. When it comes to being powerful and evil like me, I can generate great power without a magic square...
Y'know, you should just stop because I'm starting to feel embarrassed for you. You fake evil being!



Wh! Wh! ...Who is a fake evil being! How dare you! Calling me a fake evil Evil King is the ultimate mega offense!
Oooh! That sounds like a good thing. I can call you it again and again. You, fake evil being, fake evil being!
Ughhhhhhh! Unforgivable! I thought I'd cause you to suffer in terror if you saw my real form, but I can't stand it anymore! You'll pay for this right now!
Make me, if you can! Why don't you call your weird butler. "Oh James, please protect me".
ARRGGGGHHH!



I agree. Do something, quickly. Before they start with "Liar, liar pants on fire" arguments.
How come? It's totally fun!



Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Professor.
Grrrrwhatever!
Did you find out something?
Well, there was an inscription in our language on the edges of the magic square. When we accept the contents with a pure and unrebellious mind...



Reinforce the attributes...
Which means?
Well, according to me, who possesses a linguistic sense as precious as true love or really good lasagne, it translates to:



Like, it amps you up!
This is where Evil Kings come. Is this how they become stronger? Does this create the Great Evil King? What an evil device.
I am the Great Evil King, you ninny! Anyway, it is something, isn't it! It means, when I step on it, my evilness and power is reinforced and my great power will become even greater! Of course, I have the honor of being the strongest so that I don't need to get strength through such a thing... But it would be small-minded to ignore an opportunity that was placed right in front of me, saying... "Your Highness Evil King, please use this." Hah! I can use this magic square! Mwa ha ha ha!
Oh, really? How?
Eh?
How can you stand on it while being stuck in Ari's shadow?



...... Ahhhhhh!
Hee hee! Too bad! But you don't mind right? 'Cuz you're such a large-minded Evil King!
Grrrrrrodentwoman!
Oh no! Hang in there, Stan!
B, but! We... We'll never know if we don't try!




But I wonder, if it is okay for a human to step on it?
What?
Hmmm, I don't know. It could have the same effect on a human but it could also be dangerous.
Then we shouldn't let him! Hey, stop! Ari! Come back! It's too risky!

Huh? But Stan is...
Ha ha ha, it'll be okay...
Aww, what the heck.



Hm. What!? Hey Ari! There's something wrong with your body! My... body is... from the inside...




Oh, I am fine.
Whoa, it was scary, Rosalyn.
I think I'm ok.

You know, Ms. Rosalyn. This is a magic square that reinforces the skill of the one who steps on it.
Yes, that makes sense. I wonder if it has the same effect if a human steps on it?

...Huh? Didn't they hear me?
Hey, Rosalyn? Everybody?
Wake up, everyone!

Perhaps it does, but, primarily, it seems to be a facility for Evil Kings. Maybe it is dangerous. I don't know who made this or for what purpose.
Well, I guess it doesn't matter. There's no Evil King here so there's no reason for us to stay. We gotta go now. To seek "the Great Evil King"!

...Hey, stop joking.
Hey wait, everybody?
Where are you all going?



Well, for the time being, I'll go back to my spa.
I dunno. I'm still cute, though!
Really, I was saved by the hero Rosalyn from becoming a fake Evil King... In addition, you respect us ghosts. Thank you!
Ahem, well... A true hero is like that. Besides, you seem like harmless ghosts.

Umm, what happened to you?
Whoah! What did you say!?
Uhh, Rosalyn??

Music: Melody from the Box



Hmmm... My music box went off. It went off by itself. It's important and I must not break it. Though I can't remember why...
Now, let's get going. We still have far to go...



Everybody you're kidding right?
Hey, wait!
Where are you going?



And Stan will not appear regardless of being called again and again... Now, Ari is alone...