Lava Ruins Walkthrough

It is not a masterpiece in terms of artistry, but here is a Walkthrough for the Snow Ruins. It shows both the paths to the Shortcut Stairway and the Isolated Stairway on each Floor.



Although I did not find Energy Drink X in any Treasure Chest or White Urn on the 4th or 5th Floors of the Lava Ruins, Sue, who asked for the Walkthrough for the Snow Ruins, managed to find Energy Drink X on the 3rd Floor of the Lava Ruins. Well done!
I have created a separate post describing the path to the chamber on the 3rd Floor that often yields E. Drink X.

You will find Energy Drink X very often in the twin Towers built on the Floating Chamber of Whale Island. That would be the easiest method of obtaining it if you haven't the Skill to make it yourself yet. Simply take Rune Stones to Whale Island and either climb the rope or use the Circle Portal (if you have defeated the Giant Squid) to go directly to the upper levels, then open all the doors of the twin Towers and search the Treasure Chests... I usually would find 4 to 8 Energy Drink X in a single visit, not to mention all the Little Crystals of various levels. (More likely to find 4 Energy Drinks than 8, in all honesty...) In fact, using a Grass Stone for each door at the Tower of Life, as soon as you climb the Rope, you should be able to net at least 2 Energy Drink X from the Treasure Chests behind the locked doors. If your levels are low, there is no need to fight any Monsters as you can avoid triggering the action of the Generator if you are careful to creep along the southern wall.

The locked doors in the Tower of Life require Grass Runeys, however, and I personally would advocate a visit to the Tower of Birth instead, where all Rune Stones are accepted and you therefore can use Water Rune Stones. The Tower of Life yields only Level 2 Little Crystals as well as E. Drink X. Level 2 is not significantly better than the Level 1 Little Crystals found in the Tower of Birth, where you can use Water Rune Stones to unlock the doors. Grass Runeys tend to be the most precious but Water Runeys are generated in great quantities in all seasons.

Remember that the best tools can be made effectively with only Level 1 Little Crystals as you then can use two pieces of Scrap Iron to upgrade them to higher levels. It is only when forging the best weapons that you would be advised to use higher levels of Little Crystals. The Tower of Glory yields Level 8 Little Crystals as well as E. Drink X. If your levels are low, however, you should limit yourself to explorations in the Tower of Life as you then can avoid combat with powerful Monsters.

Most Direct Route to Silver in your first Trip to the Lava Ruins

I wrote the following for a good friend who is desperate for Silver and only just unlocked the Lava Ruins so has not yet unlocked the Shortcut Stairway. Perhaps it will help other players who are looking for the most direct, quickest path to SILVER in Rune Factory Frontier:

If you have not unlocked the Shortcut Stairway, this is your route to your first piece of Silver in the Lava Ruins.
First of all, go north through the first chamber where there are both Killer Ants and Ants. Detonate the bomb and move back to allow it to clear a path for you. Proceed north throught the next chamber and continue north through the opening in the wall. Go round the lava crack in the floor and continue north through the opening in the wall in the northeast.
Now you must change direction briefly in the chamber with the Ghosts and Ants, and the cluster of Rocks that can be smashed for Ores/Gems. Go west through the sliding door into a small chamber filled with Ghosts. You will see another sliding door in the north. Go through it to find the isolated stairway to the 2nd Floor.
Descend to the 2nd Floor, then go west from the stairway to a little area containing Furpys. You will see a little stairway to the south. Descend and you will find yourself in the northwest corner of the largest area on the 2nd floor. This area is divided into four sections and has a large number of tillable fields. The section in which you find yourself contains two Ducks and their Generator. If you go east along the northern edge, you will find two smooth square boulders that you would need an upgraded Hammer to smash, making this route inaccessible at the start of your exploration of the Lava Ruins.
You ultimately need to make your way to the southeast corner of this large area and to do so, must go through a sort of maze.
First, find the stairs in the southwest corner of this section of the large area at the point where you cannot go further south because of a canal of water. Go up the little stairs through a sliding door, then take a short bridgeway south over the lava. In the next chamber, you will find a sliding door in the east that will take you to a short flight of stairs that descends east back into the original large area. Now, however, you will be on the southern side of the water canal in the southwest section of this area.
You need to find your way to the southeast corner now. Skirt the water that spills out of the canal and thread your way past the fallen pillars in the centre of the area, Go to the southeast corner of the large area and you will see a short flight of stairs ascending upward to the south.
Go up the stairs and you immediately will find yourself on the western end of a long causeway that goes east. Go east to the end of the causeway and through the sliding door there into a chamber containing two Mini-Golems, each with his own Generator.
You will see a sliding door in the north. Take it and you will see the isolated stairway to the 3rd Floor in front of you.
Descend the Isolated Stairway to the 3rd floor. You will find yourself in the middle of a long platform that extends along the eastern limits of the dungeon from north to south. Go north along this platform and you will see a cluster of Rocks that can be smashed for Ores/Gems, a bomb and two Scorpions. This is the Cluster of Rocks that usually contains at least one piece of Silver. You actually can detonate the bomb to crush at least one of the Rocks (and possibly a Scorpion) instead of using a Hammer. If you fail to find Silver in any of these Rocks, use Escape, leave the Dungeon, then re-enter and try again!