When pying games, haven’t you ever come across areas where you can efficiently defeat monsters, so-called "hidden spots"?
In FBO, there are several such areas, both in offline and online modes. For example, the area with the Haniwa, or Petit Cy Golems, is a decent hunting ground, but it’s actually a fairly well-known spot among FBO pyers. It’s not exactly a hidden gem known only to a select few.
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“Let’s see, heading west from the royal capital, past three mountains… north is that way, and there’s a mountain over here.”
Right now, I’m in the middle of searching for one of those hidden spots.
Unlike in the game, the terrain feels unfamiliar, and I’m having a hard time pinpointing my destination.
“Ugh, the sun’s about to set, and I’m still not there.”
I had confidently told Nell and the others that I’d find the spot, but now I can’t even locate the pce.
“Damn, I didn’t want to admit how godly the map function in the game was.”
“Meeh?”
“Ah, don’t worry, I’m not lost. If things get bad, I can always use the Pendant of Teleportation to go back.”
I’m in a small clearing, trying to figure out my location, when Shikako, who’s literally eating grass, lets out a concerned sound. But I’m not in dire straits yet.
“Well then… I guess I’ll climb.”
Trying to match my memory of the game’s map with my current location is proving difficult because the surrounding trees are blocking my view.
At this point, I decide it’s faster to climb the tallest mountain, even if it means losing some time, and get a good look around. So, I guide Shikako up the mountain.
“No offense, but I’m gd I have you. If I were on a horse, climbing this steep slope would’ve been a nightmare.”
“Meeh~”
Choosing Tackledeer over a horse for this trip turned out to be a good decision. The path we’re on is a beast trail—definitely not paved—and the ground is uneven. There’s no way a carriage could pass through here, and even walking would be a struggle. But Shikako moves forward without a care.
Tackledeer are monsters that naturally inhabit mountainous areas like this.
I knew they were good at navigating rough terrain, but I didn’t expect them to be *this* good.
Is it because their body structure is more suited for vertical movement than forward movement?
As the rider, I need to maintain my bance, but other than that, there are no issues.
Mountains untouched by human hands are definitely easier for monsters to traverse. As we climb, the view keeps getting better.
Eventually, we reach a small, ft area near the mountainside—more like a cliff edge.
“Shikako, it’s great that you brought me to a spot with a good view, but isn’t this a bit *too* open?”
“Meeh~”
The sun is about to set.
We’ve climbed quite high, and I finally spot what looks like my destination. Finding it on the first day is a good sign, but I can’t help but grumble that I should’ve found it sooner.
From this vantage point, with Shikako giving me extra height, I can see a small ke or water source in the distance.
It’s nestled between cliffs—not exactly small, but not rge either. A somewhat awkwardly sized body of water.
“I found it, but… we’ll have to go down, won’t we?”
Direction-wise, I’ll need to descend this mountain first. But looking down from the cliff, the slope is steep—not quite a sheer drop, but still daunting.
“Shikako, how did you even climb up here?”
“Meeh~”
“Wait, I was riding you, so I saw you climb normally, right?”
Shikako tilts her head as if to say, *What are you talking about?* But even knowing she can do it, going down this slope still takes some courage.
My stats aren’t exactly top-tier yet, so I want to avoid any accidents.
“It’s getting dark, so maybe I’ll camp here for the night. Plus, there’s no worry about monsters attacking us here.”
The sun is setting, and visibility will only get worse. Even though Shikako is used to mountains, one misstep could lead to disaster.
There are no settlements or people around here, so this small clearing on the mountainside, despite cking a water source, might be a decent spot to camp.
I’m not sure if Shikako brought me here with that in mind, but finding a safe zone where even agile monsters wouldn’t bother coming is a stroke of luck.
At the very least, bipedal monsters like Goblins or Orcs won’t show up, and even quadrupedal monsters have no reason to come here.
“Well then, let’s get ready to camp.”
I’ve learned from experience that there’s a lot to do before nightfall.
“That said, I have this, so I don’t have to worry about being attacked.”
I dismount Shikako and walk toward the mountainside. What I pull out is the key to the dungeon—the Mochi Dungeon I always use.
I stab it into the mountainside, twist it, and the dungeon generates.
“Come on, Shikako, this way.”
“Meeh~”
I lead her inside. The Mochi Dungeon, home to non-aggressive Mochi monsters, has a safe zone with a water source.
I guide Shikako into the dungeon. The bright cave, filled with bouncing white Mochi, is a stark contrast to the outside.
The temperature is constant, and there are no dangerous monsters, so Shikako follows my lead without hesitation.
“For now, stay here, Shikako. I’ll go defeat the boss.”
I tie Shikako’s reins near the safe zone’s water source and quickly head off to defeat the Kagami Mochi boss. At my current level and with my experience, the fight is over in the time it takes to flip a page in a manga. I sigh at my bad luck when only the minimum reward chest drops, then return to the safe zone.
“With this, there’s no worry about monsters coming in.”
“Meeh?”
I pat Shikako’s neck as she tilts her head, wondering what I’ve been up to, and start preparing for the night. Though, all that means is quickly eating some emergency rations—simple soup and hard bread.
The dungeon only has Mochi, and since this is a safe zone, no monsters will enter unless I invite them.
Plus, for some reason, the air here is ventited, so starting a fire isn’t a problem.
“This was just a joke item in the game, but it’s actually useful in situations like this.”
There’s no deadwood in the dungeon, but this is a sword-and-sorcery fantasy world after all.
You can buy disposable portable stoves if you have the money.
No one used them in the game because they were practically useless, but now that I’m actually out adventuring, they’re incredibly handy.
It looks like an alcohol mp and a tripod stand you’d see in a science experiment, but it’s enough to hold a small pot for one person.
“…It’s still cking in fvor, though. I wonder if there’s anywhere that sells soup stock?”
The water boils, and I toss in some dried meat shavings and potato-like vegetables, adding a pinch of salt. I sip the barely passable soup and bite into the hard bread.
I really miss things like consommé soup stock, certain brands of dashi, or curry roux—stuff you can just toss into hot water to make something edible.
“Maybe I should just make my own?”
The thought of seriously investing in a cooking skill crosses my mind.
The food situation in this world is harsh on a Japanese pate, to the point where I briefly consider changing my skill build to accommodate my cravings.
“I’m definitely getting a maid for the party.”
With the current party setup, we have me as the scout/attacker, Nell as the attacker/merchant, and Amina as the tank/buffer.
What we’re missing is a healer and a debuffer.
The party size is six, so adding a maid isn’t out of the question.
“The problem is, I don’t have anyone in mind who’d be willing to be that maid.”
In some fantasy stories, there are sves you can buy and free, but FBO didn’t have that setting, and I haven’t seen any sves since coming here.
I can’t even confirm if they exist, and even if they did, hiring one would go against my morals.
So, finding party members like this is surprisingly tricky.
My knowledge is abnormally effective in this world, and much of it isn’t widely known.
That means I can’t just bring in anyone without careful consideration.
“Thinking about it, I was lucky that Nell and Amina joined me without hesitation back then.”
I soften the hard bread with the soup-like substance and swallow it.
Shikako is drinking water from the safe zone’s spring, her face buried in it.
“Well, I’ll figure that out ter.”
The meal is over quickly, and all that’s left is to sleep.
“I’ll just wake up early tomorrow.”
Unlike the modern world, there’s no smartphone or streaming service to kill time here. Being awake doesn’t have much value.
I could grind Mochi for experience, but considering tomorrow’s pns, it’s better to rest and recover from the day’s travel.
So, I decide to sleep early and prepare for an early start.
“Shikako, come here. It’s time to sleep.”
“Meeh~”
My sleeping gear is just a rough cloth mantle.
I call Shikako over, hoping for something soft and warm to lean on, and position myself against her comfortable body.
The area is bright, but I use a hand towel as an improvised eye mask.
“Meeh~”
Shikako lets out a reluctant sound, but when I pull out some nuts from my bag and offer them, she relents.
“Meeh~”
With that, she becomes my pillow for the night, and we spend the night in the dungeon.
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“…Do you actually hate me for st night?”
After exiting the dungeon and climbing onto Shikako’s back, she descends the mountain at a surprisingly fast pace in the dim light of dawn.
I’ve never felt this scared even on a roller coaster, and I’m reminded of the importance of seatbelts and safety bars as I cling to Shikako.
“Meeh?”
I don’t think I have bad sleeping habits, but who knows what I did in my sleep. Maybe I did something to upset her.
I vow to sleep alone tonight as we head toward the water source I found yesterday.
“There it is.”
After a while, we reach a clearing with a quiet keside.
It’s a perfect natural spot for monsters and wild animals to drink water.
With the sunrise approaching, the water sparkles, creating a scene so beautiful it feels like a painting.
“Shikako, head toward the cliffside path.”
But if you think about it calmly, something feels off here.
Normally, monsters should be in the forest.
Especially this far from the main road, it should be monster territory.
But in reality, I haven’t encountered any notable monsters since entering the forest.
The st one I saw was near the entrance. The closer I got to the water source, the fewer monsters I encountered.
When I first started FBO, I thought this was a safe zone where monsters wouldn’t approach, so I let my guard down.
Back then, my equipment was terrible, and I was exhausted from continuous monster battles, desperately searching for a pce to rest.
I wandered into the forest, got chased, lost my way, and felt relieved when the number of monsters decreased. That’s how I found this pce back then.
It’s not a ruin or anything special—just a water source.
If you asked me what’s here, I’d say there’s a pond and nothing more.
It’s such an unremarkable pce that it feels unfair to expect anything significant.
Recalling those memories, I avoid the water’s edge and take a detour around the pond, heading toward the cliffside path.
As the sun rises and illuminates the pond, I reach a spot on the cliff with a good view.
I dismount Shikako and slowly approach the edge, looking down at the pond.
“Oh, there it is.”
Below, I see a dark shadow submerged in the pond, occasionally moving, proving it’s alive.
This is the location of a hidden field boss.
And it’s one of those rare, non-roaming types.
