Part 19: The Cook Off

You will enjoy this update then!

Update 19: The Cook Off

We’ve got a busy update ahead. There’s gonna be a dungeon (We don’t finish.), a festival (We don’t participate in.)...fish. Lots of your favorites. Time to get into it.



Headed off to Clemens Cave with egam.




Sharron is still in denial. By the way, this dialogue I think doesn’t even show up until AFTER you’ve saved Cecilia. The Rune Factory script has a...couple hiccups.




With our new Rod, the average levels of fish we catch are way better. This is a 560g Raindow Trout!




Some things, however, will never change.




Also, you can charge the fishing rod.



It makes the bobber go out a little further. I don’t think this does anything. I couldn’t find out online anywhere if this did anything. So I’m operating under the assumption it’s just there to eat your RP.



I uh, I spent a while fishing. I don’t even know where egam went. I think he got stuck on the geometry.



Oh, Sharron was bodyblocking him. Thanks, Sharron.



It’s nice to know not everyone is in denial about our heroic rescue.



Rosetta is going to be dead within the month. I don’t trust Mist.



Anyway, I wanted to pick something up here.



First though, gotta sell the fishing haul. Theoretically, the mining is still more profitable, but it’s got issues with costing a lot of RP and RNG deciding to just throw Scrap Iron at you.



This is what I want. 75% reduction to Sealing chance and it goes in one of our empty equip slots? Sure.




I just wanted to show off the tome for Medication to note that our old pal Egam Dnarg is still out there.



Went to check on my Hoe at Leo’s and here’s a place I think the guy converting his dialogue into fake-Scottish made an unfortunate decision. You uh, “taint finished”?

Let’s go somewhere things will be less vulgar.




Merry Runesmas.

: Donnel, you visit to talk with me, eh? Come and see me anytime if you want to talk this much!




...I’m honestly just here for the bath.

But since we’ve hit 3 Friendship Points with Melody, she’s pretty much given us the keys to her house, and we can get in anytime. All the villagers do this, it’s required for a few sidequests. Sometimes it’s just for fun.



Shaun has his wool back, so I’m stealing it again.



Some Honey from OhGod too.



Dante’s joining us today because he was in front of egam and I didn’t notice when I asked. Whoops.



He holds up surprisingly well against the Troll.



Even the Killer Ants were no match for his pointy stick.



Sadly, these rocks yielded only disappointment.



So, instead of going west twice to the area Cecilia was in, I went through the northeast exit in that room west of the start point.



Additional Trolls! But nothing else of note, really.




Just extra fields and disappointing rocks.



More ants, and Dante’s stuck behind a fire.



So here’s the dungeon gimmick. This wall of fire is blocking our way further into the cave! How do you get past it?



Well, the Watering Can can put it out. I’m thankful they didn’t make you do something dumb like have to buy and use Aqua Laser or something here.



Also note that Dante is sealed. Status Effects can hit your monsters too.



In this room is a small lake, and a new enemy, this is the Beetle. Not much special about him, he really only has one notable ability.



Which is that his attacks knock Donnel flat on his ass.



Dante finally falls before the insectoid menace, but the threat is cleared and so is this whole room.



Lots of fields here, and right next to a lake for watering. Too bad this is pretty damn deep in the cave.



Also...welp. This looks like a good place to stop exploring for now…



Finally.



This is a dead end, so it’s time to warp on out.



It’s like, 9:00 PM, so I think Sharron’s the only person still outside.



Here you go, Sharron.



We’re seriously getting to be good pals with the neck ghost. Also, since we can do it now, I dropped by Melody’s shop late. Actually, I think this one is always open at 9:00, but I’m power mad and I’m going to break and enter even when it doesn’t really count.



She never leaves that counter.



Sadly you cannot bathe twice a day because of Melody’s weird draconian hygiene law.



We can also barge into her room now. There’s nothing really worth mentioning, sadly. You can’t take spellbooks from the witch or anything.



Welp, time for bed.



AW HOLY SHIT IT’S THE BIG COOK-OFF (It is extremely unlikely you could participate in this during Year 1. It might be impossible. But sshhhh, BIG COOK-OFF)



I also need a kitchen, Russell, and I live in a shack.



Sometimes I think the whole Festival thing is just a racket run by Jasper to accumulate as much free food as possible.



I’m just saying it’s a probable theory.



Does this count as an innuendo?



Lara has character traits?



I’m sad we can’t buy Melody’s weird holistic medicine.



Congrats on your character trait, also your eyes are clipping into your hair.



Jasper is a true master of his craft.






So, here’s how the Cook Off works. Jasper names a random dish, and then you have to make it. It could be one of 6 things, and they all require specific ingredients, so hoarding ingredients isn’t a bad idea. However, even if you turn in what he asks, there’s a chance you won’t win. Woo, RNG!

I don’t think there’s a prize for this aside from bragging rights, though.



So I just decided to help Jasper get more Iron in his diet.





I think he ate an entire stack of 9. Goddamn, Jasper. Or he’s just hoarding it to upgrade his tools.



Meanwhile Sharron is busy being antisocial again.



Welp, time to fish.



And fish.



And fish until my inventory is full.



Then I went to grind on some Trolls. Don’t let this image fool you, I was mostly not getting my ass kicked.



But the ants come two at a time...so they’re quicker EXP.



Nice.



Good.



LE!



And that’s how I channeled my Cook-Off rage into two more levels.



That’s all for now. Next time, more Clemens, probably, and we’re getting closer to being able to do two sidequests!