In Echoes of Aincrad Tempered Steel doesn’t drop from monsters, and no vendor sells it. It’s pure steel that forms naturally rather than being forged, and is used in weapon and armor crafting recipes. So far, I have found only six side quests that reward Tempered Steel. Here’s every quest that gives Tempered Steel, plus full walkthroughs for the two easiest to grab early.
What You’ll Read:
All 6 Tempered Steel Side Quests
All six side quests reward one Tempered Steel plus a bonus item. Honestly, they are pretty easy, too, especially if you have the best build. The first two are the most straightforward choices; that’s why I wrote their walkthroughs below. But feel free to check out the rest too if you need more.
| Quest | Starting location | How to complete | Unlocks |
| Fragrant Feast | Trinket near Northern Lada Highlands safe area (needs Blink Talisman) | Defeat the Throncrown Mountain Spirit | During Grip of Despair / after Cliffside Marvel |
| Field Trip | Town of Beginnings | Defeat Illfang, the Kobold Lord, and activate the hidden terminal | After Black Swordsman II |
| Miracle Cure | Horunka | Clear the Ancient Ritual Hall dungeon | After Original Sin |
| Mother Dear | Marone | Defeat the Bao waves and the Bulbous Bao | No restriction listed |
| The Stench of Victory | Trinket west of Shifting Greenway (needs Blink Talisman) | Clear the Demi-Human Lair dungeon | During The Diva I |
| Portentous Plumage | Trinket north of Sacred Mountain of Lulue | Clear Cati’s Sanctuary dungeon | During The Final Trial |
Is There a 7th Tempered Steel?
A reader named Nerfllama mentioned in the comments that they found an extra Tempered Steel in a random chest near the “coffee notes” area during Black Swordsman II. I haven’t been able to check this myself yet. But let us know in the comments if you run into that chest too, or if he just got a lucky glitch.
Note: Fragrant Feast and The Stench of Victory both need a Blink Talisman to reach their starting trinket. Also, Miracle Cure needs the hidden terminal near Rubas Highway to be active first, which ties into the Heartbeat side quest.
Fragrant Feast Quest Walkthrough
Fragrant Feast is a floor 1 quest that begins in Tolbana. A waitress asks you to track down a strange aroma, which sends you out to Lada Highlands. Grab the quest from the trinket near the Northern Lada Highlands safe area first. You’ll need a Blink Talisman to interact with it.
From there, head east across the plains into the highlands. Stick to the eastern side of the route instead of rushing straight through. That’s where most of the treasure and collectibles sit that you normally will not notice. (Thank me later.)
Beat the boss, Throncrown Mountain Spirit, near the central Lada Highlands checkpoint, and you will finish the quest with your Tempered Steel as well as 200 Exp and a Might Crystal.
Field Trip Quest Walkthrough
Field Trip starts in the Town of Beginnings, where a noble scholar wants info on reaching a set of ruins. To complete it, you have to defeat Illfang, the Kobold Lord (or, as I like to call him, “the Kebab Lord”), and activate the hidden terminal. Then, you just walk into the ruins, and that’s it.
The route is straightforward, but don’t rush it. Side paths hide a good chunk of treasure that’s easy to miss. This one unlocks after Black Swordsman II. Although I found Reddit’s split on the exact trigger. Some players say it also ties to meeting a story character on floor 2, even though the quest itself plays out on floor 1. Let me know if you found it, which is the case.
But in any case, besides the Tempered Steel, this quest gives you 200 Exp and three High Flame Stones.
Is Tempered Steel Repeatable in EOA?
Tempered Steel isn’t farmable. A player reran Fragrant Feast specifically to check and confirm that the material only drops on the first try. Every quest on this list works the same way. So far as I researched (which I did obsessively), these were all the 6 guaranteed Tempered Steel per playthrough unless a seventh source turns up.
One player nearing the endgame floated the idea that a boss might drop it too, but nobody’s confirmed that yet. If so, I will add that to the guide, too. So treat these quests as your one shot or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted… (excuse my ADHD), instead of hoping for repeats.
Have you found any other Echoes of Aincrad Tempered Steel? Let me know in the comments below.
FAQ
What is Tempered Steel used for?
It’s a rare crafting material used in high-tier weapon and armor recipes rather than any single specific item. Hang onto every piece instead of selling it.
Is Tempered Steel missable?
Yes, for two of them. Miracle Cure and Field Trip are locked behind specific main quest beats, so blowing past those story triggers can lock you out of that quest for the run.
Which Tempered Steel quest should you grab first?
Field Trip unlocks earliest, right after Black Swordsman II, and it doesn’t require a Blink Talisman like Fragrant Feast or The Stench of Victory does.
i found another one in a random chest next to the “coffee notes” during black swordsman II. (wish i could send a screenshot)
Thanks for this! Added it to the guide with a shoutout to you. No worries about the screenshot. If you remember roughly where the chest was relative to the coffee notes (and whether it was before or after Illfang), drop that too, that’d help find the exact spot for other readers. Cheers! 😀