With Act 2, you gain the freedom to wander through the world of Fantasian Neo Dimension at your leisure. This is your opportunity to explore various locations, including a mysterious spot known as the Hidden Valley, which, as the name suggests, is somewhat tucked away.
This secluded valley is significant as it’s where Leo’s father, Bernard, conducted his research. Inside, you’ll encounter numerous challenges, items, and surprises. But first, you’ll need to locate the Hidden Valley itself.
Locating the Hidden Valley
The initial step in exploring the Hidden Valley is, quite literally, finding it. While it may not be as concealed as its name suggests, it is a bit harder to find compared to more prominently marked locations.
To get started, you’ll need to take control of the Uzra, which you probably did right at the beginning of Act 2. Set sail eastward to the southernmost coast of the map. Once you arrive, you’ll find your path splits to the north and south. Choose the north path.
When you reach the subsequent fork between north and east, take the east path. This will lead you directly into the Hidden Valley. Upon entering, however, you’ll encounter what appears to be an unpassable wall, until Valrika remembers a technique Bernard used to obscure this place.
Navigating the Hidden Valley
Key Route
Finding the Hidden Valley is merely the first accomplishment on your quest to Bernard’s Lab. Much like his son, Bernard has designed his lab to be a maze of challenges, filled with winding paths, relentless enemies, and formidable bosses. This secret lab is hidden at the very end of your journey.
Beginning from the start of the area, take the left path. At the next fork, opt for the left path once again, which will lead you across a rope bridge.
Descending the slope here will lead you to a Cinderella Tri-Stars emblem. Interact with it if you’re prepared for another battle!
From the Save Point, head left again to enter the next area. When you reach the first fork, you can either go up or slide down a slope.
Follow the slope downward, then make your way up again. Stick to this route until the next fork, and take the upward path, twisting around until you reach two exits from this section. These exits don’t connect on the other side, so take the lower one to continue towards Bernard’s lab.
This final segment is thankfully more straightforward. The various paths along the way lead to chests, but you should have little trouble finding your way to the lab now.
If you find yourself lost at any time, open the map and click on the area you wish to reach; Leo will automatically run there.
Once you arrive at the lab, take a moment to save and heal. Interacting with the door will immediately initiate the next boss battle. It seems Bernard was just as cautious as Leo.
All Hidden Chests
Throughout the twisted paths, numerous hidden items await discovery. You can find a mix of treasures here, ranging from Growth Map items to new weapons. Here’s your guide to locating them:
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
| Ether L | Head south and to the left right after entering to find this chest. |
| Smoky Quartz | Go up the very first slope to find this chest at the top. |
| Citrine Quartz | At the base of the slope just before reaching the save point. |
| Cursed Doll | Located at the bottom of the valley, under the rope bridge. |
| Order Motes | At the left side of the split after the save point. |
| Amethyst L | After dropping down a slope. |
| Whetstone x2 | At the left end of a path following a slope drop. |
| Cursed Staff | In the right corner after dropping down a slope in the Trio Path area. |
| SP Capsule | At the top of a zigzag path. |
| Order Motes x2 | Head north after taking the south path into the last area. |
| Force Diffusion Plan | Choose the north path in the Trio Path area to reach this chest. |
It’s tough to point out the absolute best items to grab since they all require some effort to obtain. However, the Cursed Doll and Force Diffusion Plan are certainly among the most valuable, as they unlock additional nodes on the Growth Map. Meanwhile, the various Jewels are also beneficial, especially the Smoky Quartz for the upcoming boss fight.
Taking Down Cerberona and Phoenica
When you try to enter Bernard’s Lab, a security system activates, which can only be deactivated by defeating the boss—or, more accurately, bosses in this case. Typical, right?
Cerberona and Phoenica operate a bit differently than many bosses you’ve encountered so far. They work together, switching positions as one takes damage, and continually countering to defend one another. It may seem confusing at first, but they are easier to manage than they appear.
We need Leo for this battle, though he will mostly take a backseat. We should primarily rely on Valrika and Cheryl, bringing in Ez when needed for buffs. Make sure to equip a Smoky Quartz on Leo, Valrika, and Cheryl before starting this fight to make things easier.
In this phase, Cerberona will focus on damaging attacks. Their physical attack on a single character deals significant damage, but it’s manageable. The more worrisome attack is Tail Mist, which can inflict over 3,000 damage to everyone while applying the Mist status. This is precisely why you have the Smoky Quartz equipped.
During this segment of the battle, have Leo use Helm Bash and Blade Break to weaken Cerberona, while employing Samidare to chip away at its health. Valrika should prioritize applying Curse to Cerberona, as this is crucial. Phoenica will attempt to buff Cerberona’s attack during their turns, and applying Curse will negate that.
Phoenica and Cerberona have an Elixir and SP Capsule, respectively, so have Leo try to steal those when he has nothing else to do.
Once you’ve dealt enough damage to Cerberona, they will switch with Phoenica, gearing up for their ultimate attack while Phoenica defends them. During this time, Phoenica will retaliate against anyone who strikes them, either debuffing your stats or inflicting physical damage depending on what you used against them.
Cerberona will not act during this part of the battle; they will only charge up, while Phoenica will try to shield them. If Cerberona is Cursed, this attempt will fail. During this phase, Valrika and Cheryl should be using Arrow Rain and Ice Strike respectively, being careful to avoid hitting Phoenica.
Cerberona’s ultimate attack, known as Super Heal, restores 20,000 HP to both characters. But, if they’re Cursed, it will not succeed. Ideally, you want to place a Curse on both foes, but Cerberona is your priority since they have the highest HP and defense. Repeat the process until you finally take down Cerberona.
You can try to defeat Phoenica first, but it’s considerably harder with Cerberona healing them.
Once only Phoenica remains, they will start attacking independently, using Dark and Dark Laser, but that’s all they can do. They no longer counterattack, allowing you to unleash your most powerful moves on them. After you defeat Phoenica, you gain access to Bernard’s lab.
Gaining Entry to Bernard’s Laboratory
As you step into Bernard’s Laboratory, there’s not much to do besides examining a few items. Be cautious, however; if you engage with Valrika too soon, you might overlook some essential details. Hold off on interacting with the table upstairs until you’ve checked everything else.
First, you can find a Mirage Band on the bookshelf on the first floor’s back wall. Next, you’ll spot Bernard’s journal on the table. Reading it will evoke strong emotions in Leo, awakening his gauntlet to its full potential. This is the only Divine Artifact you can miss rather than acquire through a quest.
When you finish exploring, head upstairs to talk to Valrika. She will have an epiphany, realizing she has discovered how to reach the God Realm. This will automatically return you to her lab in the Chaos realm, concluding your adventure in the Hidden Valley.
