Part 8: Mice to Meet You

Robotrek Tunes – Beneath the Lava



In this new area of the Volcano, we're treated to new enemies. First are these, uh, gator heads, because a full alligator might be too fearsome for this game.



And after that, Bosstoads, which not only look dumb but have the dumbest A.I. routines in the game, making them just about the easiest enemy we've come across. They have high defense, and relatively high attack, but often will go to a different row, manuevering around you, and not even bothering to hit you properly.



Quickbirds are as dangerous as Rushbirds were in the Cave Mouth. They're fast, hit hard, and can ruin Robots easily. So we just use HK-47's ass RUN to kill them all.



Other than a lot of lava, the path out of the volcano is very linear and uninteresting.



Guess we'll figure out what that is later.



Maskers are another very dangerous foe here and are even more annoying because they're invisible on the dungeon map.





Yeah I wasn't kidding about that.



There's an even more powerful invisible foe here called Berets, and you might as well just run when you encounter them. They do give something like 8 Megs of EXP, though. You're better off not fighting them unless you have someone with both high Guard and an Axe 2, as Gato can take them out in one hit with that but must still weather their very powerful attacks.



The path leads us out to the... shaman's house, of all places.



Yes, me!

Oh no, he's come back to life! A curse! A curse!



The Shaman says that if there's no sacrifice, the Deity will get mad, as will the Volcano, and the Elder believes him. It demands the sacrifice of a Pretty Girl, and you can all guess who that will be.



Mint, the person we all expect, walks in and plays clueless.





Since we can't let her go alone, we'll accompany her – back into the Volcano.



So we get carried off in a box by the villagers with the Pretty Girl.



And continue to get carried...



Finally ending up in the volcano base again.



Surprise surprise! The Deity doesn't really exist.





Dr. Einst, ever the villain.

Dr. Einst: It's.... you! I know you!



Dr. Einst runs off in his perverted shame while Mint follows after him.



Another useful key.



In Dr. Einst's room, we can learn how to make Quick Packs. Quick Packs give a slight defensive boost but will also fully revive a Robot if they are killed with it equipped. The Quick Pack becomes an Empty Pack afterward, and you can make either a Solar or Quick Pack from that Empty Pack.



This intercom over here is how the Shaman listens to Dr. Einst, the fake Deity. He's of course confused when a young voice speaks to him rather than an old pervert's.



Back in the base, we return once more to the toilet to talk to Mint.

Mint: Dr. Einst has disappeared in here. Can you look for him? I can't let him run around loose like this! Why can't I look by myself? It's the men's room! Women can't wander around in there!



We head into the Executive Toilet, where a psychedelic display takes place for some reason.



It appears the room shifted elsewhere in the base, as we're now somewhere else.



The earthquakes are faked, too.



It's hard to notice, but where those two white nodes are is a motion sensor device that will send Hackers our direction should we step over it. It's just two dudes mostly, not a huge problem.



We reach a room with something suspicious, but we can't tell what just yet. Let's head back to the Executive Toilet.



Mint runs off again, claiming she still has places to check out.



With the Key, we can unlock the door near the mouse.





In the lunchroom, we run into Kotetsu again, this time very incognito. He tells us that there are hidden doors and traps, and that we'll need some Chameleon Glasses to see them.



He won't just give us some freely, and tells us that the R&D nearby is making some.



Why of course, it's not like I absolutely detest running errands.



Make me pregnant, I might make you some.



More new foes: Gunrobots! Original. They're actually quite tough, don't take them lightly. They're strong against most weapons, but weak against bombs. There are bomb-type versions called CannonX's which trade damage for higher defense and HP.



As well as Biolions. They're nothing special.



Eventually, we make it to the R&D (you can't access it unless you take on the mini-quest for the chef). Although Kotetsu says it's east, it's really east then north then west in a big circular loop.



We learn how to make a few more things while we're here.



We might just need to make use of that later. In here, we also learn how to make Punch 2. With this we could easily make Punch 3, but fisticuffs aren't the best weaponry really. The book on the table teaches us how to make the Glasses.



The cool shades turn everything around us red, which is pretty cool I think.



We can now see the motion sensor, not that the shitty mooks they send are a problem. I should note that the Glasses now let us see Maskers and Berets, so we can avoid them more easily.



With the glasses, we return to the hidden room that the Executive Toilet lead us to, and where the suspicious area was there's now a door.



In here we learn how to make the Bomb 2 and Celtis 1.



And read Dr. Einst's diary.

X Month, X Day

I'm impressed! I found an awful thing in the Volcano! Some kind of Eruption Machine! We have to use it, I took it to the Lab.

X Month, X Day

The machine was effective in controlling the villagers. Let's use it.

X Month, X Day

The Hacker soldiers won't work, so let's use the Rococo people. I sent out invitations and the idiots came! This is my revenge for making a fool of me! If the machine worries you, check the Volcano. Maybe I can find an invention...

Sometimes I wonder how the translation team could make such confusing sentences.





Dr. Einst presses a button, and we're turned into a mouse! As a mouse, we can't use recovery items in battle.



To the left of the bookshelf is a mouse hole, so let's get familiar with these new entrances of ours.



I love the fact that we still use a spyglass as a mouse. The mouse below tells us that the manager of the Earthquake Device must have shared a similar fate, and that the factory will soon be overrun by mice.



As a mouse, we can sneak into the Earthquake Room now that is locked normally.



We find Mint, as usual, fiddling with shit.



She'll say this, but not run away. I guess it really didn't scare her much after all.



We continue to talk to her until Kotetsu arrives.

Mint: What did you say? What about you? You don't belong here?

Kotetsu: What a spiteful woman! And that mouse. Are you a victim of the Chief?

Mint: You're getting stranger, talking to mice! What are you?

Kotetsu: … What a bother! Hey, Mouse! If you understand human talk, chase this girl away!



Again, talk to her relentlessly until she runs away.



there's a room that's guarded by 3 dudes, and we can sneak in as a mouse.



He'll turn us back if we help him. Sure, theft is in my jRPG contract.