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The universe of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is divided into several distinct regions, each with its own unique characteristics. As you progress through the narrative, you’ll explore these regions, and the enemies you encounter will generally match your level. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
The “Hope Springs Eternal” mission serves as a reminder of this challenging world, emphasizing that sometimes you must go out of your way to assist others, such as traveling to the far side of the planet to lend a hand. If you happen to undertake this quest early, here’s a straightforward approach to complete it while maintaining your sanity.
How to Begin Hope Springs Eternal
You can start the “Hope Springs Eternal” quest right after finishing Chapter Three, titled “Builders of a Legacy.” This chapter introduces you to Tatsu and the Nopon. Afterward, the mission becomes available, but a few conditions need to be met first.
First off, you have to pick up the “Marry Me!” Basic Mission from Mission Control. This task involves collecting ten Natural Pearls, but since it’s not actually feasible, it nudges you toward Hope for assistance instead. Additionally, you need to reach level 21, which is advisable to be even a bit higher for the challenges ahead.
This is classified as an Affinity Mission, meaning you must finish it before initiating another Affinity or Story mission.
Upon talking to Hope at the cathedral, you can mention your difficulties in finding the Natural Pearls. In response, she will gift you her own pearl necklace to help you complete the “Marry Me!” Basic Mission. Shortly after, a Nopon named Lularita will appear, urgently asking for Hope’s help. Her caravan has come under attack from monsters and she requires assistance. Feeling like a heroic character, you agree to lend a hand—and that might not be the best decision.
Optimal Route to Cauldros
Lularita’s caravan, known as the Drongo Caravan, is located in Cauldros, which happens to be on the opposite side of the world from NLA. This means you’ll have to travel from the northern beach of Primordia, through Sylvalum, and eventually to Cauldros. This is the longest distance possible from NLA. Taking on this mission early makes it even more daunting.
To find a safer route to Cauldros, start from the northernmost point of Primordia. A chain of smaller islands leads to Sylvalum. High-level Ganglion enemies inhabit these islands, but you can easily evade them by swimming around. Just be cautious, as there are no checkpoints along this stretch.
You can swim the entire way, but this would require navigating a lot of Cauldros to finally reach Drongo Caravan, and you won’t find any landmarks if you die before reaching Cauldros.
Upon reaching the southern shores of Sylvalum, look for a Base Camp and FN Site 403. Activating this site will give you a new Fast Travel option. Most enemies near the shoreline are relatively low-level, but their levels will increase significantly once you enter the main region. Many enemies won’t attack unless they spot you, making it simple to bypass them.
In general, you can follow the Follow Ball for direction, although it may sometimes lead you into hidden enemies. Aim to stay on elevated ground where you can keep an eye on your surroundings. After entering Sylvalum, head towards Lake Ciel and follow it to the northwest. There will be numerous tough enemies in this area, but the larger ones may ignore you, and the smaller ones can be easily sidestepped.
Following this path will lead you into a small cavern that ascends. You might encounter a Falsaxum enemy here that will target you, but they are slow, making it easy to sneak past. Once you exit the tunnel, FN site 406 will be right in front of you. It is guarded by two Marnuck soldiers at level 40. Having Elma or Phog in your party allows you to use Shadowrunner to activate the site without triggering an attack, causing them to permanently disappear.
Next, our goal is to make it to FN site 415 further northeast. Stay on top of the sand dunes to avoid smaller enemies lurking below. There are also many buried statues that can rise up as foes if you get too close, so proceed with caution.
Similar to FN Site 406, you can utilize Shadowrunner to sneak past any enemies you encounter that you can’t safely avoid.
Continue along this path until you finally reach FN Site 415. From this point, it’s a straightforward run north to enter Cauldros. There will be many Ganglion foes in the corridor leading to Cauldros, but their levels will be lower compared to the enemies in Sylvalum, and you can easily avoid them by jumping along the walls and using Shadowrunner.
Once you make it into Cauldros, you should see Drongo Caravan almost immediately. The enemies here are fairly dispersed early on, so reaching Drongo Caravan should be smooth sailing. This area serves as a landmark, allowing you to easily fast travel back whenever needed. At last, you’ve arrived to assist Lularita.
Protecting Drongo Caravan
Drongo Caravan will be in ruins, except for Lularita. Enraged, she insists that you make the monsters responsible pay, pointing you toward their location. Luckily, these enemies are much weaker compared to those in Sylvalum or other parts of Cauldros, only at level 14. Defeat the five Mold Caro and return to Lularita for her thanks and a promise that she’ll call on your help whenever she desires.
After completing this brief task and an extensive journey, make your way back to Hope and Ornella at the cathedral in NLA to collect your reward. Hope joins your team, eager to assist beyond the confines of NLA, and you will also receive 10,000 credits and 170 EXP. If you try to decline the reward, Ornella will insist on having two helpers at her disposal.
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