Enemy list
Chest list
Hidden items
Follow the river west from the Saronia gates. It winds north through several turns to a cave entrance surrounded by mountains. Head inside; the Invincible airship waits at the bottom.
Ancient Ruins
Four new bestiary entries patrol the ruins.
Pyralis hits with Fire Breath but shouldn't threaten a properly leveled party. The other three all divide when they survive a hit. A Black Belt's Boost into a physical attack can one-shot them before they split; you don't have Dark Knight weapons yet, so brute force or magic is your only option. Eaters and Zombie Dragons from the Sunken Cave also reappear on the deeper floors.
B1. The path is linear until Unei destroys some rocks blocking your way. Continue west and enter the first door for Reflective Mail (238/367). The second door leads to a corridor with three shops and an inn (200 Gil). The weapon shop carries Blood Sword, Ancient Sword, Defender, Blood Lance, and Medusa Arrow; the armor shop stocks full Diamond gear plus Black and White Robes. Restock if you're running low, then take the southeast stairs down.
B2. At the first fork go south, then west at the second fork into a room with a Black Belt Gi (239/367). Exit and go east to the adjacent room for a Chakra Band (240/367). Head north to a four-way crossroads; the west room has a Rune Bell (241/367) and the east room has Faerie Claws (242/367). That's all five chests. Go north to the stairs.
B3-B7. Five floors of linear corridors with no treasure. Each floor is a single winding path to the next staircase. B7 has no encounters at all; cross the bridge, head down the stairs, and you'll reach the Invincible.
The Invincible
The Invincible can hop over short mountain ranges (but not full chains), and it comes with a free bed, an item shop, and weapon and armor shops carrying stock you haven't seen before. The weapon shop sells Ashura (16,000 Gil), the first katana in the game and the weapon that finally makes Dark Knight a viable job. Dual Haken (28,000 Gil) is a strong Viking axe upgrade. The armor shop carries Demon Shield (12,500 Gil) and Demon Mail (25,000 Gil) to complete the Dark Knight's loadout. And the magic shop stocks the same Lv.7 spells as Doga's Village; grab Curaja if you still haven't.
Interact with the steering wheel for a scene where Unei explains the controls and tells you to find the Fang of Earth in the Cave of Shadows, north of Amur. She leaves the party to return to Doga. Interact with the wheel again to take the helm.
Falgabard
Before heading to the Cave of Shadows, fly south from the Ancient Ruins and use the Invincible's mountain-hopping ability to clear the short range. Navigate the passes southwest until you spot a town. Park the ship, descend the ladder, and enter Falgabard.
This is a Dark Knight town. The weapon shop sells Ashura (same as the Invincible) alongside the Yoichi Bow (32,000 Gil) and Yoichi Arrow (20,000 Gil), a devastating Ranger combo that outclasses everything you've had until now. The armor shop has Demon Shield and Demon Mail. But skip the magic shop; it only carries outdated -ara tier spells.
Head to the northern edge of town and walk right through the trees to find a hidden path leading to a waterfall and river. Go south down the river to an island with a pillar. Search the four corners for two Hi-Potions, a Demon Shield, and a Demon Mail (Hidden Items 51-54/61). Backtrack to the waterfall and walk through it to discover a hidden room. The old man inside challenges you to a fight for the Kiku-Ichimonji.
Shinobi (#181) has 3,700 HP and no weaknesses. At level 35 this fight isn't much of a threat; basic attacks and healing handle it. He can inflict Poison and Blind, but neither is dangerous enough to warrant special preparation. Win to receive the Kiku-Ichimonji (Hidden Item 55/61), a fantastic Dark Knight katana that'll carry you through the next dungeon.
Falgabard Cave
Return to the main town and enter the cave at the northern edge. Two new bestiary entries appear here, alongside returning dividers from the Ancient Ruins.
Valefor has 1,620 HP at 97 ATK; Haniel has 1,600 HP at 100 ATK. Valefor can be dangerous in groups, so keep your HP topped off. Silenus, Gaap, and Death Claw also reappear, and they still divide on non-killing blows.
From the entrance, head south for a Thorian Hammer (243/367). Go back north and press against the right wall to reveal a web of hidden paths. Follow the path north to the second-to-last split, then head east to find Ashura and Kotetsu (245/367). Backtrack to the first fork, take the right path, then go down and left for Demon Mail (246/367). Exit the cave.
With your Dark Knights now fully geared (Ashura or Kiku-Ichimonji, Demon Shield, Demon Mail), it's time for the Cave of Shadows. Take the Invincible east to the mountainous region and hop the ranges to reach the cave entrance.