Grinding is tough, isn't it? Especially in games like Monster Hunter, Granblue Fantasy, or Fate. It's a pendulum swinging between stress and boredom.
The term "item grinding" carries a certain weight. Across games old and new, it's etched into gamers' minds as a kind of ordeal—sometimes a trauma, sometimes a battle to outwit your own greed, fought with a clear mind, but rarely with fondness.
Pepper recalls a time in an old RPG, chasing the rarest gear to stand a chance against a secret final boss. Day and night, they swung a pickaxe in a mine, laboring endlessly. The material? A near-mythical drop, requiring layers of buffs and specialized equipment just to reach the starting line. The mine was a 40-minute trek, and getting even one item per trip was a stroke of luck. The developers' sanity was questionable.
At first, Pepper tackled it with enthusiasm. But as the grind dragged on with no end, music from a favorite artist dulled the emptiness. By the end, they multitasked—mining while studying the boss's attack patterns on a wiki, memorizing strategies to secure the required haul. With ample recovery items, buffs, and maxed-out allies, Pepper faced the secret boss in an hour-long battle. When the true ending and credits rolled, the dark grind felt worth it, a hard-earned satisfaction washing over them.
"Got some iron ore and other resources from Fasteia Mine," Pepper muses. "I'll sell some and upgrade my weapons and armor."
Logging out of Shangri-La Frontier, Pepper takes a break, sipping water and nibbling a CalorieMate.
"Even with 10 Luck, the drops were decent thanks to my background perk. What if I pumped more into Luck? And I'll boost Agility to outrun any players trying to steal my loot."
Azusa plans their character build: high Agility, Strength, and Stamina, with some points in Dexterity, Skill, and Luck for a low-durability, high-mobility setup. As a rear-guard Backpacker, they aim to leverage class traits while avoiding being a burden in combat.
"Build's set. Back to Shangri-La."
After a quick bathroom break, Azusa dons VR gear and dives back in, chasing the ideal self in the game world.
"Hello!" Pepper calls, stepping out of Fasteia's inn and heading to the local weaponsmith.
"Hey, kid. What's up?" the smith grunts.
"I want a weapon crafted. I've got materials—can you make something? I'll sell the rest."
From their inventory, Pepper produces ten iron and copper ores each, plus two rare white magnets, placing them on the counter.
"Whoa, nice haul! White magnets, too? Not bad," the smith says, impressed.
"Can you make an iron weapon—a dagger—and light armor with good defense?"
"Hang on… How's this for a weapon? And this for armor?" The smith displays a dagger, White Iron Tanto, crafted from copper, white magnet, and iron ore, and a Chainmail Vest accessory that uses the torso slot.
Slots are equipment spaces on a player's head, torso, hands, waist, and legs. Initially limited to one per slot, they unlock with level-ups, granting bonuses when equipped.
"Looks good. Will selling the extra materials cover the cost?"
"Yup, you're good. Want me to start?"
"Thanks, please do."
Pepper sells the spare ore, buys the dagger and chainmail, and is told to wait while they're crafted. To pass the time, they head back to Fasteia Mine for leveling and gold farming.
"Here we go!" Pepper cheers, striking a vein in Fasteia Mine. "Copper ore—better than plain rocks."
Moving deeper, Pepper hits mining points, driven by two goals: better minerals in the depths and exploration perks for uncharted areas.
"No Luck boost, but copper drops feel better. Gotta thank the Explorer's Child perk."
Their first visit yielded mostly rocks, with sparse iron or copper. This time, copper seems more frequent.
"Made it," Pepper says, reaching Fasteia Mine's depths. Countless glowing veins branch out, a kaleidoscope of natural beauty.
"Wow… stunning."
Pepper's heart races at the thought of rare minerals, but a question nags: So many veins, yet no players or monsters?
Normally, a spot like this would swarm with players, and monsters would guard it. Scanning for threats, Pepper finds no signs of a boss or action.
"Whatever. No trouble, no problem. Mine and head back."
Pickaxe in hand, Pepper targets a promising vein. But the strike produces a dull, unfamiliar sound.
"Huh? That's—"
A chill runs down their spine. Pepper leaps back as something massive barrels through where they stood, obliterating the spot.
"What the hell is that?!"
Switching the pickaxe for a self-defense knife, Pepper braces. As the dust clears, a 3-meter-tall, 30-meter-long monster emerges, its body armored with mineral-crusted rock, scuttling on countless centipede-like legs.
Pepper learns its identity too late: the Rock-Eating Worm, a rare Fasteia Mine monster with low encounter rates but high rewards. Its charge swallows them whole, and they respawn at the inn, defeated.
Rare Monster Encounter: Rock-Eating Worm
Location: Fasteia Mine Depths
Recommended Level: 5+
Recommended Party Size: 2+
Camouflaged as a vein, it blends into the rock. A dull pickaxe sound signals its presence—flee immediately. It charges with an open maw, aiming to swallow players, but can't turn sharply, so backstepping dodges it easily.
Its mineral-armored body and legs resist slashing weapons except at joints or internally. Blunt or magical attacks are best. The worm targets the nearest player, so one can act as a decoy while others attack its sides or climb atop to deal damage with blunt weapons or magic. Defeating it yields rare minerals.
Modeled after the Rock Eater from Goblin Slayer Gaiden: Year One.