Footsteps! Follow!

With Ayla in your party, it's time to track down the Reptites who stole your Gate Key. Talk to the villagers; one gives you 4 Potions (or a single Tonic in SNES). Before chasing after the thieves, you might want to prepare at the Hunting Range and Trading Hut.

Hunting Range & Trading

Trading Hut. The upper-right hut in Ioka Village lets you trade materials for equipment. Since prehistoric humans haven't invented currency yet, you'll exchange Petals, Fangs, Horns, and Feathers dropped by enemies.

Hunting Range. Head northeast from the village to farm materials. When it rains, the rare Nu enemy appears in one of three spots: the northeastern shore, the southeastern canopy (second floor), or the northwestern clearing. Sometimes Nu won't show up at all. Take the right path when entering; there's a vine left of the northeastern shore that lets you check both locations before the rain stops.

Learning Charm. Train Ayla until she learns Charm; it lets you steal items from enemies. This skill is invaluable for obtaining rare equipment throughout the game. The frogs in the Hunting Range don't give TP, so focus on other enemies or Nu.

When you're done preparing, drink sweet water in one of the huts to restore HP/MP, then head south to the Forest Maze.

Forest Maze

At the entrance, you'll find Kino. He confesses he stole your Gate Key because he was jealous of Ayla's attention toward you. After Ayla and Kino reconcile, he reveals the Reptites grabbed the key from him and fled into the maze. Follow their footprints.

First section. The maze is fairly linear with branches leading to treasure. Head down two vines, grabbing a Mid-Potion and Athenian Water from chests along the way. Continue east across the fallen log.

Middle section. After the log, grab a Mid-Potion to the south and a Mid-Ether to the north. Continue east around the trees to find another Athenian Water. Head south to a chest containing a Shelter.

Final stretch. Go up the ramp heading east until you reach a fork. Take the western path for a Mid-Potion, then head north into a large area with a chest holding a Panacea. Climb down the vine but don't exit yet; go east first to grab a Mid-Ether. Now you can exit to the Reptite Lair.

The enemies here fall easily to physical attacks. Gold Eaglets, Red Eaglets, Kilwalas, Winged Apes, and Runners patrol the paths; none require special tactics.

Reptite Lair

Save in the overworld and use a Shelter before entering. The lair's first room contains Evilweevils that dig holes leading to different treasure rooms below.

Hole destinations. The room has four main holes with different rewards:

• Top-left hole: Two Evilweevils, then a Megasaur. No treasure.
• Bottom-left hole: Fly Trap and Evilweevil with a Mid-Ether. Deeper level has a Hi-Potion.
• Bottom-right hole: Fly Trap and Evilweevil with a Hi-Potion. Wait for the Evilweevil to dig a right-side hole leading to a Hi-Ether. The original hole leads to a Ruby Vest.
• Top-right hole: Two Evilweevils and two Fly Traps with a Mid-Ether. Wait for a right-side hole to reach an Elixir.

Lower area. All paths eventually lead to a large room with four Reptites running around. Grab the Rock Helm from the southwest chest and Hi-Ether from the northeast. The west exit leads back up if you want to explore more holes; the east exit continues forward.

Combat tips. When fighting Winged Apes, kill the Shitakes first - the Apes throw them as counter-attacks. Use multi-target Techs against groups of Reptites. Shock Megasaurs with Lightning first to lower their defense, just like the upcoming boss.

When you're ready, use the save point and Shelter, then head north to confront Azala.

Boss: Nizbel

Azala, Chief of the Reptites, asks about the Gate Key. Regardless of your answer, you'll have to fight one of Azala's most powerful minions.

Recommended party. Marle works best as your third member; Aura Whirl quickly heals everyone after the electric discharge. Ice Sword (Crono + Marle) and Fire Sword (Crono + Lucca) also deal solid damage during the defense-down window.

Gate Key Recovered

After defeating Nizbel, you reclaim the Gate Key and automatically return to Ayla's hut in Ioka Village. If you want more trading materials, revisit the Hunting Range before leaving.

When ready, head south and west to Mystic Mountains. Navigate through and jump off the cliff edge near the time gate. You'll warp back to the End of Time; from there, travel to Medina Village (1000 A.D.) and head southwest to Melchior's Cabin. The next chapter covers repairing and delivering the Masamune.

Treasure Summary