The next chapter opens with two men in SciLab’s lobby wondering if the building’s air conditioning is broken, since the place seems unusually hot. The vending machine that Lan installed the Heat Data into starts beeping, and when the two go over to investigate the thing suddenly starts spewing flames! The two men rush into the Virus Lab looking for help, only to find that the place is in a worse state. Apparently every computer in the building is overheating simultaneously, and the heat is spreading throughout the entire building, turning it into an oven. Yeah, servers can get really hot, and when you’re in a futuristic building with tons of metal and no windows, things are going to get toasty in a hurry. And of course, the main computer in Yuuichiro’s laboratory is in danger of exploding, which would be catastrophic. Despite the temperature in there already being over 120 degrees Yuuichiro elects to stay so that he can retrieve the back-up data. He’s already figured out that this was an act of sabotage. In short, Lan dun goofed.
Speaking of Lan, at home he receives a new bulletin in his email about the fire at SciLab, and how people have already been hospitalized. Alarmed, Lan hurries off to SciLab to see if his father is all right, but he’s not allowed into the building itself because the internal temperature is now over 140 degrees, too hot to send in a rescue team to retrieve Yuuichiro, who’s apparently still at his work (uh really? With the right equipment and gear humans can survive temperatures of over 300 degrees). Regardless, that’s bad news. Heat stroke and hyperthermia start to set in when the body’s internal temperature reaches 108 (how appropriate) and at around 120 one’s internal fluids start to boil, resulting in death. Even though people can survive in temperatures of 120-130 quite handily, you'd have to either be prepared for it or not be out in it for very long, a luxury the SciLab people definitely do not have.
Anyway, Lan gets a call at this moment from Mr. Match himself, who begins mocking Lan, asking if SciLab’s hot enough for him. Wow, Mr. Match was still evil all along, what a shocker. I mean what, you didn’t think that him wearing a jacket over his SciLab uniform in his official artwork was symbolic or anything like that, did you? Lan pulls the “how dare you trick me” routine on him, but the WWW operator fires back that it was really thanks to him that SciLab’s now in this mess, sending the boy into a fit of disbelief. Megaman calls Mr. Match a coward, but he laughs it off and reveals that he was responsible for planting the Heel Navis from earlier. The whole thing was a charade to win over Lan’s trust and being a stupid, gullible kid he fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
With that out of the way, Mr. Match tells Lan that they’re going to play a game. Flameman is going to go out and set fires all over the Net for Megaman to put out. Once they’re all put out, and only once they’re out, will he be able to battle Flameman. If Flameman is defeated, the fire at SciLab will go out. Left with no choice, Lan accepts.
So now in addition to the crisis at SciLab, electronic devices all over Den City are overheated, though the only outward indication of this are complaints from NP Cs. When we jack in to the Net now, fires will be set in multiple locations all throughout the areas. In order to put them out we have to install the Energy Change program again, this time converting Aqua-element chips into geysers that extinguish the flames. We have to do this for all four areas, and you’ll know when you’re done since Mr. Match will send a mocking phone call your way when each area is cleared. Yoka Area is a good place to grind for Aqua chips if necessary, since that place is home to Shrimpys and Slimers. Once all the fires are out Mr. Match will call again, telling us that Flameman is waiting in Undernet 3. Oh, and just to Kick the Dog he shows Lan video footage from inside SciLab, showing Yuuichiro and the people who were helping him back-up the system lying on the floor unconscious.
Finally we get to visit the Undernet, and the only way to get there is through the teleporter in Beach 2 that was guarded by a Heel Navi. Since we have the Tally item now we’re allowed through. The teleporter connects to an isolated part of Hades Isle’s network, and one press pathway later is the entrance to the Undernet proper.
The Undernet seems to have a bit of a chain motif in this game, since the pathways look sorta like links with barbed wire wrapped around them. Coupled with the music, this is probably the most treacherous incarnation of the place in the series. The Undernet areas in this game love utilizing one-way conveyer panels and getting to Undernet 2 is a matter of navigation through them to loop around to the back of the area. Undernet 2 similarly confounds with a localized version of a teleporter maze. It connects to both Undernet 3 and Undernet 4, but there’s a Heel Navi standing guard at the exit to Undernet 4, preventing access. In order to reach Undernet 3 we have to find an exit that goes back to a different part of Undernet 1, which in turn leads to a separate path in Undernet 2 that leads to Undernet 3. That really sounds more complicated in writing than it is in practice, but it does go to show how deceptively difficult it can be to navigate the place.
Let’s see, Undernet 2 has Flashman Beta’s security cube, guarding Black Bomb 2 S, and the secondary part of Undernet 1 has a skull door with an HP + 200 program behind it.
As soon as Megaman enters Undernet 3 the network briefly distorts itself. According to Megaman there’s an immense power lurking nearby, but it’s not from Flameman. After he heads out the mysterious Navi from ACDC Square enters the area…
The path splits up ahead but one of the forks is blocked off by a Heel Navi. Going the other way will eventually trigger a scene where the network begins to shake and a chasm opens up, ripping open the path and forcing Megaman to find an alternate route, which basically means that the Heel Navi will now let us through after testing us with a virus battle. So after looping around and seeing another scene where the Net distorts we reach a giant platform at the back of the area that’s lit up with torches where Flameman awaits.
Flameman
HP: 1000
Element: Fire
Attacks:
- Fire Breath – Flameman breathes a stream of fire down one row for 60 Fire damage.
- Fire Blaze – Flameman breathes a stream of fire that hits the panel in front of him before spreading out to hit the following 2 x 3 area for 60 Fire damage.
- Chaos Blaze – When one of the candles on Flameman’s field is burning orange two fireballs will circle around the perimeter of Megaman’s area for 60 Fire damage per hit.
- Life Blaze – When one of the candles on Flameman’s field is burning green Flameman is invulnerable.
- Healing Blaze – When one of the candles on Flameman’s field is burning red Flameman will regenerate HP.
So, Flameman can be a bit of a hassle thanks to his gimmick, the candles in his back row. They can’t be destroyed, but their flames can be snuffed out with attacks. Problem is, they’ll simply reignite on their own. Chaos Blaze isn’t too much of a problem since a single Area Grab will nerf it, but the supporting effects can stack (to quote Finn, “Healing and immortality? That’s redundant!”). By himself Flameman isn’t too much of a problem since his attacks are slowish and Fire Blaze is clearly telegraphed – it’s just those pesky candles that make the fight challenging, and the fact that at the moment I’m using Wood Custom System. Chips like Boomerang work well in putting out the candles, but they’re not very powerful. The red healing flames should be taken out ASAP.
Winning gives us 3500z.
Apparently this battle operates on the Heads I Win, Tails You Lose principal, since Flameman’s shown to still be alive and well following the battle, and Megaman’s on the ropes. However, things are interrupted by a voice declaring that he feels the power of the strong, and the Cyberworld distorts again. The place begins to shake, heralding the arrival of the cloaked Navi Bass. He destroys Flameman, leaving behind nothing but a small crater in the floor below. With him gone, Bass turns to Megaman, saying that it is now his turn to battle.
Bass
HP: 1000
Element: Normal
Attacks:
- Airburst – Bass shoots an energy blast down one row for 200 damage.
- Explosion – Bass briefly charges up his busters before randomly firing shots down all rows for 200 damage per hit.
- Life Aura – Bass is protected by a regenerating aura that blocks all attacks.
So remember how Bass said at the end of Battle Network 2 that he’ll actually try the next time he encounters Megaman? He wasn’t kidding, since this is a Hopeless Boss Fight. Life Aura blocks everything this time around, it’s impossible to scratch Bass himself. Even if you had the one chip that could remove the aura, North Wind, through either hacking or getting super lucky with the Chip Trader it won’t do you any good. Since the scene afterwards will act like Megaman lost anyway. There’s nothing to do but let Bass bring his HP down to zero.
On a more miscellaneous note, Life Aura’s color has been changed from purple to yellow, it appears.
After the battle Bass mutters that he had higher expectations, and prepares to delete Megaman’s unconscious form. However, he stops when a voice calls out and the mysterious Navi walks up to confront him. Bass asks him who he is, and the Navi asks him if the “Alpha Revolt” sounds familiar to him, from which Bass determines that there must still be a human after him. The Alpha Revolt will be explained later on, but it’s still never really made clear what the deal is with this Navi, There are hints, but nothing definite. Anyway, the Navi says that he will delete Bass, and activates an aura called Dark Aura, which he claims is far superior to the Life Aura that Bass took from the Life Virus’s data. Indeed, he boasts that with it he could survive even the destruction of the entire Cyberworld! Bass tests this theory with his Earthbreaker attack – and the aura holds, but only barely. Bass gears up for another attack, only to be interrupted by a transmission from Wily, informing him that he’s now gotten all four of the Tetra Codes. Yep, the sabotage at Sci Lab was another cover to steal a Tetra Code. Bass mutters that he has other affairs to attend to and jacks out, but not before telling the Navi that one day he will have his vengeance on mankind.
With Bass gone the Navi breathes a sigh of relief, realizing that he had vastly underestimated Bass. He expresses disappointment that Megaman wasn’t up to the task of defeating him, wonders as to the reasons why Bass is apparently colluding with the WWW, and then jacks out himself. It is only after he’s gone that Lan is able to get through to Megaman again, the transmission apparently having been cut off. Megaman wakes up and tells his operator that it looks like someone managed to save him. Then they realize that they need to head to SciLab and see if their father is okay.
Despite everything that’s happened, Yuuichiro is still at his lab, checking over the main computer for damage, though after agreeing to go to the hospital he collapses, no doubt suffering from at the very least dehydration and heat exhaustion. At the Seaside Hospital Lan hears that his father will be okay, but naturally he feels terrible over how he let himself get manipulated into helping the WWW’s scheme. Megaman tries to cheer his operator up by saying that he still things he did a good job today in cleaning things up, and suggests that they go home.
At the WWW’s base, Wily gloats over the fact that he now has all the Tetra Codes needed to awaken Alpha. All he has to do now is obtain Alpha’s data, and he entrusts that task to a new WWW Navi, Drillman. Thanks to Mr. Match, SciLab’s security is weak, Drillman says, so this will be easy for him. Wily warns him against failing, but admits that it shouldn’t matter if that comes to pass, since he could also use Bass to retrieve Alpha. We’re not quite at the endgame yet, but we’re getting close.
Virus Listing
- Jelly
- Returning from Battle Network 1, Jelly viruses stay in place, drifting up and down. Eventually they'll generate a wave that will sweep down the entire field. The wave cannot pass through obstacles or panels that are empty or broken, so getting behind those is the only way to dodge it.
- Killer Eye
- Killer Eyes remain in place, but if Megaman happens to step into their line of sight they will fire a beam of electricity at him which pierces invisibility and paralyzes. Killer Eyes start off looking directly ahead, but they will glance to the side occasionally.
- Volcano
- Volcano viruses confine their movement to one column and fire projectiles into Megaman's area that leave behind burning fire. If they step onto a lava panel they will be fully healed.
- Basher
- Bashers are giant, immobile cannons, like Cannodumbs but on steroids. They target each column one at a time, and if they lock on to Megaman they will fire a shot that automatically breaks said column.
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