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Mist Cave cuts through the mountains northwest of Baron. It's short and linear with 4 chests, 2 new bestiary entries, and the game's first real boss. The cave itself won't take long, but what happens afterward changes everything.
Mist Cave
Two enemy types spawn here: Insectus (28 HP) and Flying Eyes (40 HP). Neither is dangerous. Cecil one-shots Insectus, and Flying Eyes go down in two hits. Kain's Jump works well against Flying Eyes since they're weak to projectiles. Register both before the boss:
From the entrance, head east and up the stairs. Grab the Potion (7/342) at the top. Continue along the bridge and take the first stairs you see to find Eye Drops (8/342). Head back down and go all the way south through two sets of stairs. The Tent (9/342) sits on the left side. Go back up one set of stairs and head east for the last Potion (10/342).
All 4 chests collected. Heal up and quick save before climbing the final set of stairs to the north. The mist wall blocking the path is the boss.
How to beat Mist Dragon
The Mist Dragon has 570 HP and alternates between solid and mist forms. Attack during solid form with Cecil's regular attacks and Kain's Jump. When the dragon turns to mist, stop all attacks immediately. Hitting the mist form triggers Cold Mist, a party-wide ice counter that hits hard. Defend or skip turns with TAB until the dragon reforms, then resume attacking.
Exit the cave to the north after the fight. The path leads east to the village of Mist.
Mist Village
Walk east into the village to trigger a cutscene. The Bomb Ring activates on its own, and Cecil is powerless to stop what happens next. A forced battle against a girl follows; it's unwinnable, so attack or defend until events play out. When you regain control, you'll be on the overworld southeast of the mountains with the path back to Baron completely blocked.
Desert crossing
Go northeast across the desert toward the oasis in the middle of the area. Three new enemy types roam the sand. Sand Worm is the rarest of the three but shows up often enough with a bit of patience; make sure all entries register before you move on:
Save your game at the oasis, then head inside Kaipo.
Kaipo
Entering town triggers a cutscene and a free rest at the inn. During the night, Baron soldiers break in to capture the girl. Cecil refuses to hand her over.
How to beat General
Kill the General first. He has 221 HP and hits harder than the Baron Soldiers (27 HP each), but the real reason is bestiary completion. If you kill all three soldiers before the General, he flees and you lose the extra EXP and Gil. Take him down first, then clean up the soldiers afterward.
After the battle, Rydia joins the party. The Item Shop stocks the same inventory as Baron's. Buy the Staff (160 Gil) from the Weapon Shop for Rydia as her main weapon. The Armor Shop has Leather Cap (100 Gil), Clothes (50 Gil), Leather Garb (200 Gil), and Iron Armlet (100 Gil); Namingway is inside if you want to rename characters.
But don't sell Rydia's old Rod. Use it as an item in battle (Items, press Up, select Rod) to deal free magic damage on every turn. It has unlimited uses, so it's always better than her physical attack.
North of the weapon shop, check the pot at the far end for an Ether (10/54). Visit the northeast house and approach the bed for a story scene. Then exit town and spend some time in the desert levelling Rydia before heading north to the next dungeon. The inn is only 50 Gil if you need to heal between fights.
