The Archaean

Guide your way through Chapter 4 of Final Fantasy XV as you face The Archaean. Discover the Blade of the Mystic, battle Dynoaevis, and make crucial dialogue choices.

Ardyn's opened the way, but he's left you to deal with the Archaean yourself. You might remember this area from the quest “Pilgrimage” being swarming with Imperials, but thankfully, they're nowhere to be seen now. Just hop back into the Regalia and drive down the less-than-ideal road until you hit a dead-end – at least, a dead-end for the car. You'll need to continue on foot from here.

Exit the Regalia and head west. Keep an eye out for a narrow passage to the north; there's a Hi-Elixir right in front of it. Grab it and follow the path. It'll lead you to a ruined shrine overlooking the meteor. Inside, you'll find a sarcophagus containing another Royal Arm: the Blade of the Mystic. Go ahead and claim it.

As soon as you grab the Blade of the Mystic, the ground beneath you will collapse! You'll be tossed down into a chasm, almost falling off a cliff, but thankfully, Gladiolus is there to save you. Mash the Circle/B button to scramble back to safety. Now, the Archaean reveals himself, and he's definitely not happy. Honestly, who would be with a giant boulder on their back and meteor shards in their eye?

It's just you and Gladio for now, so head east. You'll pass a fire elemental deposit, and you can listen to some banter between the two of you. The game will point out that fire hurts – who knew? Keep going, and the path will open up a bit. You'll run into some low-flying Dynoaevis enemies. They're pretty similar to the Daggerquills you've fought before and should be easy enough to take down. Once they're dealt with, look north – you'll find three more elemental deposits: two fire and one lightning.

Grab any energy you need, then continue past where you fought the Dynoaevis. Head north-east and scour the area for a loot spot containing some Sharp Tail Feathers. Turn north, then head west, passing another fire elemental deposit. Drop down a ledge, and when Gladiolus calls out to you, follow him north and carefully sidle across a narrow ledge.

Things won't go smoothly, as Titan decides to make an entrance with his skyscraper-sized hand. Just move as fast as you can! At the end, Gladio will throw you to a ledge, and he'll follow shortly after. Pick up the Mega Phoenix and replenish your lightning energy if you need it. There's also a Megalixir near the fire deposit. Experienced players know that when games start handing out free healing items, trouble is usually right around the corner. Continue north and slide under a rocky outcropping. After this, Noctis will do some more whining, and Gladiolus will finally confront him about his attitude. This is where you get a choice: if you respond with “Yes,” your Strength will increase by 50%. If you choose “Sort of,” your Vitality will get a 50% boost instead.

Shortly after, Ignis will call, warning you about incoming Imperial company through a lot of static. Great. Continue south-west on the trail, grabbing the Mega-Potion just past the fire elemental deposit. You'll reach an open area where some Magitek Swordsmen and a Sniper are waiting. If you haven't fought them before, remember they're weak to polearms, daggers, and lightning. Taking them down shouldn't be too difficult. Once they're defeated, this story quest will wrap up, and the next one will begin.