The Mothwing Cloak was more than a trinket; it was a revelation. With this newfound ability, the Knight's movements gained a fluidity that transformed the very fabric of its journey. From Hornet's arena, the Knight turned left, descending into the vibrant wilds of Greenpath before unlocking a shortcut back to its familiar trails. It was a small triumph in a world riddled with trials, but a triumph nonetheless.
The Knight's course now led to the Stagway, where the ancient Stag carried it once more to the Forgotten Crossroads. The shafts and chambers of the Crossroads echoed with a new purpose as the Knight made its way southeast, retracing the path to Sly's rescue.
The Charms of Salubra
Through twisting corridors and into a quiet chamber, the Knight came upon the shop of Charm Lover Salubra. Her presence was both comforting and peculiar, her love for the mystical Charms infectious. She offered wares that hinted at untold potential—the Shaman Stone, which magnified the Knight's magical prowess; the Longnail, extending the reach of its trusty weapon; and the Quick Focus, a boon for swift healing.
Though Geo was scarce, the Knight purchased what it could and rested at the nearby Bench to equip these new tools, their power resonating faintly as the Knight prepared to delve once more into the depths.
Into the Fog and Fungal Wastes
The Greenpath Stagway station marked the next leg of the journey. The Knight descended, following the trail to the right, and rested at a Bench near the border of a new domain: Fog Canyon. The transition was subtle yet striking, the air growing denser and tinged with a luminous green haze.
Navigating Fog Canyon required both caution and dexterity, the path twisting downward into an array of shafts and chambers until it led to the Queen's Station. Here, the Knight discovered another Stagway and Bench, the station's forlorn grandeur a testament to Hallownest's lost splendor.
From Queen's Station, the path turned upward and eastward into the Fungal Wastes. The air was damp with decay, the ground soft beneath the Knight's feet. Poison-spewing balloon-like enemies floated menacingly, their bursts of noxious gas a hazard to the unwary. Following the humming melody that heralded Cornifer, the Knight soon found the cartographer tucked into an alcove. For 75 Geo, the Knight acquired the map of this strange and pungent region.
A Charm and a Challenge
The Wastes unfolded with hazards both natural and sentient. Explosive spores dotted the terrain, and shrieking mushroom enemies ambushed from unseen corners. The Knight's path led to a gated arena where it faced the Shrumal Ogres, two massive fungal foes. Their orange ooze and brute strength made them formidable, but the Knight's Vengeful Spirit, amplified by the Shaman Stone, proved a potent weapon. With patience and precision, the Knight felled both beasts, claiming a Charm Notch as its prize.
Leg Eater's Wares
Deeper into the Wastes, the Knight encountered Leg Eater, a vendor of fragile yet potent Charms. For a small fee, Leg Eater revealed his wares: Fragile Heart, Fragile Greed, and Fragile Strength. Though these Charms broke upon death, they offered unparalleled utility. The Knight purchased what it could, the investment tempered by the promise of future upgrades to make the Charms unbreakable.
Cloth and the Bounding Fungus
The journey through the Wastes grew stranger still. In a quiet corner, the Knight met Cloth, a fellow adventurer who exuded an air of camaraderie. After a brief exchange, the Knight pressed onward into chambers of purple fungus. These bizarre platforms provided a peculiar challenge, requiring the Knight to Nail Jump for extra height and to traverse acid pits.
Though Hornet appeared briefly, her path remained inaccessible for now. The Knight instead turned left, delving further into the labyrinth.
To the Realm of the Mantis
The descent brought the Knight to a vertical chamber alive with the sounds of life unseen. The first exit leftward revealed a lever, which, when struck, unlocked a shortcut to Queen's Station. With the connection secured, the Knight returned to the vertical shaft and descended further.
At the bottom, the atmosphere shifted. The air grew heavier, and the architecture more sinister. Mantis warriors, sharp and swift, emerged from the shadows, their precision a reminder that this region was not to be taken lightly. The Knight readied its Nail and spells, for ahead lay a kingdom's most tenacious defenders—and the secrets they guarded were not offered freely.
The Knight pressed onward, the path winding ever deeper into the heart of Hallownest's mysteries.