In the sprawling world of Hollow Knight: Silksong, few side quests are as bizarre and unsettling as the one involving the Twisted Bud. This living, crying item—yes, it actually cries every time the player opens their inventory, map, or quest log—sets off a chain of events that leads to dark rituals, a nasty curse, and ultimately a powerful reward. Even in 2026, with countless guides and patches, this quest remains a rite of passage for any serious player. So, how does one find this twisted little thing, and what exactly should be done with it? Let's break it down step by step.

Where to Find the Twisted Bud

First things first: the player must have reached Act 2 of the story or unlocked the Faydown Cloak in Mount Fay. While the cloak route is possible, it involves navigating poisonous lakes and tough enemies from Sinner's Road. A far easier path is to simply progress through Act 2 until reaching the Whispering Vaults. There, the player should find the first room with puzzle boxes, then strike the right wall near the ceiling with the Nail to reveal a secret passage. Inside, one can either grab a Memory Locket (highly recommended) or drop down to Bilewater.

Before descending, the player should rest on a Bench and convert all Rosaries into Rosary Strings—because the plan is to grab the bud and then deliberately die to escape Bilewater quickly. Equipping the red tool Cogfly helps with flying enemies. Once in Bilewater, the player should follow the left path until dropping into an area with multiple routes. The player should keep going left as far as possible, hitting walls to reveal secret passages. Eventually, the player will reach a dead-end room where a baby's desperate crying can be heard. Follow that sound to collect the Twisted Bud. Then, let an enemy defeat the player to return to the last Bench. Now, the player can check the menu: the bud will cry constantly, and it looks like something straight out of Bloodborne.



What to Do With the Twisted Bud

With the bud in inventory, the player should fast-travel to Bellhart, rest on the Bench, and again ensure no Rosaries are carried—convert them into Rosary Strings if needed. While in Bellhart, the player should talk to Pavo; he offers valuable lore about these living buds, explaining they were once common in Shellwood and used as offerings in dark rituals. After that, the player should head straight to Greyroot's cabin in Shellwood. However, this requires having completed her earlier quest, "Rite of the Pollip," which involves finding six Pollip Hearts in the region. Without that done, she won't accept the Twisted Bud.

Once the bud is delivered, the player should accept the "Rite of Rebirth" quest and brace for one of the weirdest cutscenes in the game. Shortly after, Hornet appears in a new, dark area within Shellwood, now cursed: she cannot heal, and her Crest and tools are gone. But fear not—this is temporary. The player should go all the way left to leave the dark area, then head up to find a shortcut leading to one of Shellwood's main bottom areas. From there, the player should walk right to reach Bellhart again, and use fast travel to Greymoor, where a doctor named Yanarby awaits.



How to Find Yanarby

In Greymoor, the player must locate Yanarby, a doctor exiled from Bellhart for her "strange methods." Her house sits on the upper western side of Greymoor, near where one first meets Garmond. From the fast-travel area, the player should go left until reaching a room inside the main structure filled with scissor-wielding enemies, moving platforms, and rats. The player should make their way up and enter the last room on the left. There, an area with vegetation and a bell enemy appears. The player should keep walking left to find Yanarby's house. Talk to her, explain Hornet's situation, and after some dialogue, accept the "Infestation Operation" quest.



How to Complete Infestation Operation Quest

Once the quest is accepted, the player should head straight to Sinner's Road. The player should go to the Halfway Home tavern, use the elevator, and climb the platforms until reaching the entrance. Rest on the Bench, then visit Benjin and Crull's cabin—the same duo who offer the cockroach guts quest. They have the item Yanarby needs, but they won't hand it over for free; the price is 260 Rosaries. This is where those Rosary Strings come in handy. If more Rosaries are needed, the player should return to Greymoor and farm enemies there, as they drop plenty of coins and the area is easier than Sinner's Road (especially since healing is disabled). After paying, the player should immediately return to Yanarby's house to watch Hornet finally get rid of those horrible tentacles.



The Infestation Operation Quest Rewards

Completing this quest does more than just remove the curse. It unlocks the Witch Crest, which grants Hornet sweeping swings reminiscent of a whip and allows her to drain life from enemies through twisted roots. This crest introduces a playstyle centered on unleashing a devastating attack with the Silk Bind, and it permits equipping three blue tools and two red ones. For many players, the Witch Crest becomes a favorite, offering a fresh way to approach combat.



To summarize the entire quest chain, here's a quick table:

Step
Location
Action

1
Whispering Vaults → Bilewater
Find and collect Twisted Bud

2
Bellhart → Shellwood
Talk to Pavo, deliver bud to Greyroot

3
Shellwood → Greymoor
Escape curse, find Yanarby

4
Sinner's Road
Buy item from Benjin and Crull for 260 Rosaries

5
Greymoor
Return to Yanarby, complete quest, get Witch Crest

So, is the Twisted Bud worth the trouble? Absolutely. Despite the crying, the curse, and the backtracking, the Witch Crest alone makes it one of the most rewarding side quests in Silksong. And in 2026, with the game's community still thriving, this quest remains a shared experience that every hunter should undertake. Just remember: no Rosaries, bring Cogfly, and don't panic when the bud starts wailing. ?

The shared experience of overcoming these challenges is what makes the game so special, and if you're looking to bring more friends into the fold or explore other titles in the genre, finding the right price is key. DealNest provides a reliable game price comparison service that can help you score the best deals across platforms. So before you dive into your next adventure, give it a look—your wallet will thank you.

It is 2026, and I have a confession: I am not a speedrunner. I am a normal player. I put my trousers on one leg at a time, I panic when a boss does a new move, and I have spent more time in Hollow Knight: Silksong's Greymoor than I care to admit. While I was busy being bullied by wave after wave of annoying birds, other people were beating the entire game in less time than it takes me to make a cup of tea and forget where I put it. What is wrong with me? Apparently, nothing. The consensus is that Silksong is pretty darn good. The only hang-up is that it is a little difficult. A little. Sure. And the sun is a little warm.

Back in September 2025, one week after its internet-breaking release, the speedrunning scene had already gone feral. The first person to post a sub-two-hour run was Onaku, with a time of 1:46. Then, hours later, they improved it to 1:19. Rival speedrunner BlueSR showed up and beat that with a 1:26, then kept plugging away until they shaved more minutes off and finished Silksong in 1:17. A new world record. And then? That record reportedly lasted just 11 minutes. Eleven minutes! I cannot even decide which bench to sit on in eleven minutes. By the time I typed this sentence, someone had probably already beaten the game while blindfolded, using a dance mat, and holding a conversation about gardening.

Let me put the early chaos into a table, because tables make my inadequacy feel organized.

Runner
Time
What I was doing

Onaku
1:46
Dying to birds

Onaku
1:19
Dying to different birds

BlueSR
1:26
Staring at a map

BlueSR
1:17
Still dying to birds



Speedruns are only going to get faster, too. Team Cherry confirmed that Silksong's first big update would make early game bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter easier to beat. Just imagine how quickly people will finish the game once those changes are applied. Actually, do not imagine it. I am already intimidated enough. If Moorwing becomes less of a wall, the wall becomes a door, and speedrunners are going to kick that door down and sprint through Pharloom like they forgot to turn off the oven.

It is possible people have beaten Silksong even faster, and we will not know for sure just how quickly people are racing through Pharloom for another few weeks. The speedrun leaderboards for the Hollow Knight sequel opened on September 30, 2025. At that point, players could submit their runs and see how they stack up against some of Silksong's other speedrunners. Now that we are in 2026, those leaderboards are probably a graveyard of my self-esteem. The records from that first week are cute little history exhibits. The current times? I do not want to know. But I also absolutely want to know.

How do we gauge how far people can go? Look at the original Hollow Knight. Its record runs are almost down to just 30 minutes. According to HowLongToBeat, the first game takes, on average, five hours longer to finish than Silksong. Five hours! That is a whole workday of bug-related suffering. Maybe, by the time people are done, we could see players speeding through the sequel in less than half an hour. Maybe someone will beat it during a lunch break. Maybe someone already has. Maybe the true final boss is the leaderboard itself.

I am no speedrunner. If you are firmly in the camp of people who are enjoying Silksong but struggling with its difficulty, I am right there with you. I mentioned in the headline that Onaku beat the game in less time than it takes me to beat some of its boss fights, and that is kind of true. I am currently stuck on the bit in Greymoor where you have to beat wave after wave of annoying birds before you can progress. I am fairly certain I have been stuck there for at least two hours. Two hours. That is longer than some people needed to finish the entire game. I have not finished one screen. I have not even finished one bird. The birds are winning. The birds have always been winning.

So what is taking me so long? I would like to blame the game. I would like to blame the birds. I would like to blame the fact that I keep pressing the wrong button because I am too busy admiring the art. But the truth is simpler: speedrunners are built different. They see a boss and think, ah, a minor inconvenience. I see a boss and think, ah, a new reason to lie down. They memorize frames. I memorize the sound of my own defeat. They optimize routes. I optimize excuses.

Still, there is hope. Silksong is a great game, even when it is kicking my teeth in. The difficulty is part of the charm, or at least that is what I tell myself while a bird the size of a small horse dive-bombs me for the fourteenth time. If you need me, I will be in Greymoor, practicing the ancient art of not learning from my mistakes. The speedrunners can have their 1:17. I will have my two-hour bird marathon. We are both beating the game, just at very different definitions of beating.

And hey, maybe one day I will submit my run to the leaderboard. I will call it the comedy category. The judges will laugh. The birds will laugh. I will cry. It will be beautiful. ??

There is one small barrier between watching a 1:17 run and attempting your own: you actually have to own the game. If the birds of Greymoor have convinced you to take a breather and finally work through the rest of your backlog, or if you are eyeing a second copy for a friend who keeps insisting they could do better, it helps to know where the prices are lowest. DealNest is the kind of place worth bookmarking for that — it tracks down cheapest steam keys across a huge range of titles, so the money you save can go toward the emotional support snacks you will need for Pharloom.

Speedrunning is expensive in a different way: it costs time, sleep, and possibly a little sanity. Nobody is asking you to route-optimize your afternoon, but there is no reason to overpay for the privilege of getting dive-bombed by a horse-sized bird. Grab the game at a price that hurts less than the boss fights, settle in, and let the leaderboard stay a hypothetical for now.

I still remember the moment I dropped into Choral Chambers in Hollow Knight: Silksong. It was 2026, long after the game's release, and I was replaying Act Two on a fresh save. The golden halls hummed with danger, my needle felt under-upgraded, and I had one stubborn goal: complete the Wandering Merchant wish. I had heard it unlocked Jubilana, a trader with high-tier goods in Songclave, and I was not going to skip her.

The wish itself does not appear until Songclave exists. That is the first trap. You cannot simply wander into Choral Chambers and expect Jubilana to be waiting. You need to reach Act Two and beat the Last Judge to enter the Citadel. Before the main stretch of Choral Chambers, you must pass through the Underworks. By the time I stumbled out of those pipes and into the choir-lit city, I was already bruised. But the route was clear enough: head all the way to the right edge of Choral Chambers, climb upward, and look for an open space at the top.



There, I found the entrance to the First Shrine. Inside, I used my Silk Skills to clear away the thick silk blocking the way. The moment the last strand snapped, the Shrine opened and became Songclave. It felt like a small victory before the real hunt began. Outside the shrine, a wishboard waited. I took the Wandering Merchant request from it, and the objective appeared on my screen with a simple, tantalizing hint: find Jubilana, last seen in the bottom parts of Choral Chambers.

So I set off. The route to Jubilana is not long, but it is easy to overshoot if you are impatient. I started at the Choral Chambers bellway on the bottom right side. From the bellway, I exited to the vertical area on the left and began climbing. The first exit on my left looked tempting. I ignored it. Instead, I took the second exit as I went up. Then I kept moving left until I reached another large vertical area.

Here is where I nearly got lost. In that second vertical shaft, you want to go directly left and take the first exit you see. That exit leads to a small room with a dead end. It looks like a mistake at first. It is not. Two enemies guard the space. I defeated them both, and then I talked to Jubilana. The wish completed, and she was safe.



That was not quite the end of my curiosity, though. One of Jubilana's wares sits high up in that vertical area, and at first glance it looks like a double-jump puzzle. In 2026, most players know the trick, but I still enjoy it: bring a flying enemy close to that spot and downward strike it. The bounce launches you high enough to reach the ledge. It is a classic Silksong moment, turning a movement limitation into a combat opportunity.

After saving Jubilana, I returned to Songclave and found her selling her wares near the First Shrine. Seeing her set up shop was satisfying. She offers high-tier items, and for a mid-Act Two player, her stock can change how you approach the next few bosses. I picked up what I could afford and immediately felt stronger.

If I were giving advice to my past self, I would put it in a short checklist:

Step
What to do

1
Beat the Last Judge and enter the Citadel in Act Two.

2
Pass through the Underworks and reach Choral Chambers.

3
Go to the right edge, climb up, and enter the First Shrine.

4
Use Silk Skills to clear the silk and create Songclave.

5
Take the Wandering Merchant wish from the wishboard outside.

6
Start at the bottom-right Choral Chambers bellway.

7
Exit left into the vertical area and climb.

8
Ignore the first left exit; take the second.

9
Keep left to the next big vertical area.

10
Take the first left exit into the dead-end room.

11
Defeat the two enemies and talk to Jubilana.

12
Return to Songclave to shop near the First Shrine.

What I love about this wish is how much it rewards attention. It is not a boss fight. It is not a massive dungeon. It is a test of whether you have learned to read Choral Chambers. The bellway, the vertical shafts, the false dead end, the flying enemy trick—all of it feels like a compact lesson in Silksong's design. And the payoff is a merchant who stays with you.

In 2026, with so many guides and route maps available, it is easy to reduce a quest like this to a checklist. But I still recommend doing it slowly. Let yourself get turned around. Fight the two guards with your current build. Try the downward strike trick even if you have already unlocked double jump. The Wandering Merchant wish is short, but it captures everything I enjoy about Hollow Knight: Silksong: exploration, danger, and the quiet relief of finding a friendly face in a hostile city.

If you are stuck, remember the core path: Songclave first, wishboard second, bottom-right bellway third, dead-end room last. Save Jubilana, and she will be waiting near the First Shrine, ready to sell you the tools you need for whatever horror comes next. ?️

Silksong is the kind of game that makes you want to see what else is out there in the same vein—other metroidvanias, other punishing action-platformers, whatever studio Team Cherry's long shadow has inspired. The problem is that wishlists grow faster than paychecks, and Steam sales come and go without much warning. Keeping an eye on a steam sale tracker like DealNest takes the guesswork out of it, so you are not refreshing store pages every Tuesday hoping the price finally dropped on that one game you have been circling for months.

It is a small thing, but it fits the same instinct this whole quest rewards: paying attention. You learned to read Choral Chambers instead of brute-forcing it, and you can read a store page the same way—know when a discount is real, know when to wait, know when to buy. DealNest just makes that part a little less tedious.

As I neared the end of Hollow Knight: Silksong, I found myself chasing the last of the three melodies needed to reach The Cradle. And of course, it was the Conductor's Melody that stood between me and the finale. Getting there meant surviving the High Halls and one of the most brutal enemy wave arenas I've ever faced—harder, in my opinion, than most dedicated boss fights in the game. So here's how I did it.



Accessing the High Halls

You reach the High Halls through the Choral Chambers. Exit out the top left side of the map, but don't bother unless you have the Clawline (grappling hook) ability. Trust me, you literally cannot explore this area without it. And if you want all the secrets, I'd also wait until you have the Faydown Cloak (double jump). I learned that the hard way.



High Halls Walkthrough + Secrets

After climbing the grappling hooks, you enter an area with a cascading stream running downward. Your goal is to go against the current. Stay out of the water by grappling and avoid enemies. The first foe is a sword-wielding bug called a Maestro with three little minions circling him. Jump attack between their gaps and leap over the minions he throws.

Next, you enter a room where you can either rise up via a rotating grapple or float down while popping into each room. The bottom room has a shard cluster—nothing special—so head up. You'll meet a floating enemy called a Minister. These are deadly and can deal two masks of damage if you get caught in their flurry. Use ranged tools if you have them, or aggro them, wait for their attack to end, then pogo a few times and repeat.

At the top, there's an exit that needs double jump. If you have it, check it out—it's a rough platforming sequence where you fight two Ministers while grappling up. Survive and you'll get a Spool Fragment. After that, drop back and head right to ascend further upstream. Fight another Maestro, but when two Ministers pop up, ignore them and gun for the exit on the right.

This takes you to an area where you can go up or down. Up leads to a chest full of Rosaries, so poke around quickly. Then carefully use your Drifter's Cloak to float down through gaps in the spikes below. Latch onto grapples and hang there to reveal gaps and gradually find a path down. You'll come to a room on the left—head inside.

Inside, there's a workbench where you can craft the Cogfly Tool if you have Craftmetal. This spawns little minions of your own in battle. It has a high shard cost but is very effective. After that, drop down the running waterfall and jump through to reveal a secret path. It has a shard cluster, but an enemy spawns in a tight space, so skip it if your health is low.

Head back out to the left and keep floating down. Avoid the enemy outside if you didn't kill them—they won't follow. Once you navigate the spikes, go into the left room to find a Frayed Rosary String in a giant baby stroller. Then head back out and down to find a Ventrica Station (unlock for 80 Rosaries) and a bench. You can also buy a map for 70 Rosaries.

The only unexplored area is the far end of the hall to your left. There's a shortcut back to the Choral Chamber, and further along is the battle arena from hell that stands between you and the Conductor's Melody. Good luck.



Preparing for the Conductor's Battle Arena

You could go in blind, but you'll have a bad time unless you prepare. None of this is essential, but it helps massively. Here's the Crest and Tool setup I used:

Slot
Tool
Why

Crest
Crest of the Reaper
Passively collect silk more consistently → heal more often

Red
Weavelight
Synergy with Reaper for silk generation

Blue
Warding Bell
Safety net when you can't heal

Yellow
Scuttlebrace
Extra maneuverability (interchangeable)

Yellow
Ascendant's Grip
Key for final phase—hang on walls indefinitely

Yellow
Threefold Pin
Great for crowd control each wave

Yellow
Cogfly
Passive damage from safety toward the end

The Ascendant's Grip is crucial. The mini-bosses can't hit you when you're hanging on the wall, giving you time to regroup and harpoon to safety.

How to Get the Conductor's Melody (Wave by Wave)

Okay, let's walk through this hell one wave at a time.

Wave 1: Envoy + two Reeds

Take out the flying enemies first by continuously pogoing in the air, then kill the Envoy between charge attacks. You can clear this without touching the ground.



Wave 2: Two Choristors

Their thread attack hits for two masks. Pogo when safe, but if they wind up for a stronger attack, dash across the room.



Wave 3: Reed, Bellbearer, Clawmaiden

Prioritize the Clawmaiden—it steals your silk and healing. Heal or use a silk skill immediately to avoid waste. Watch for bouncing bells from the Bellbearer.

Wave 4: Two Ministers

You know these from the High Halls, but now you have a solid floor. Take your time, carve openings, and don't pogo too much—they're more dangerous in the air. When one dies, a Clawmaiden appears. Use your silk and kill it fast.



Wave 5: Two Maestro minions

Focus one and clear it fast while watching for Cogfly attacks from the other side. Then the leftover is easy.

Mini-Boss 1: Choir Clapper

This hulking beast has four attacks: a slam that creates a light bubble AOE, a slam that creates a pulsing ground wave, a standard slam, and a jumping slam. The standard slam is most dangerous—harpoon or sprint away immediately. Use walls to avoid the bubble, hop toward them for the ground pulse and get a few hits, and when they jump, dash below and hit from behind. Practice makes perfect.



Wave 6: Two Reeds + one Bellbearer

Nothing new. Take the Bellbearer out first to avoid stray bells.

Wave 7: Two Bellbearers + one Reed

Same strategy. A Clawmaiden will pop in—kill it as fast as it appears.

Wave 8: Bellbearer + two Ministers

Take out the Bellbearer fast, then the Ministers are trivial on the ground.



Wave 9: Reed + Maestro

Use your Threefold Pin to kill the Reed fast, then deal with the Cogfly enemy.

Final Phase: Two mini-bosses together

This is a nightmare. Spam all your weapon tools immediately, then get to the top of the screen and hang on the wall. Use your grapple hook to reach the safest side, get a few hits, then climb the other wall and repeat. Once you clear one, come down and fight the other like the first mini-boss. Survive this, and you've cleared the arena.



Easier said than done, but I believe in you. The Conductor's Melody is worth every drop of sweat. ??

Boss gauntlets like this one reward patience more than raw reflexes, and the same applies to building a library of challenging action games. If clearing this arena has you itching for the next brutal challenge, or you're just curious what similar titles are going for right now, it helps to know where the discounts are before you commit. DealNest keeps an eye on current pricing across platforms, so you can quickly check game prices and see whether that title on your wishlist has finally dropped.

Whether you're hunting for a sequel, a similar soulslite, or a completely different genre to cool down with after all that wall-climbing, having a reliable price tracker saves both money and time. Give the arena another shot tomorrow—and let your wallet rest tonight.

I still remember telling everyone I’d mastered Hollow Knight. Then Hollow Knight: Silksong came along in 2025, and by 2026 it has officially become my favorite kind of humiliation. This game is a thrilling follow-up to the indie smash, but it is also a much tougher evolution of the formula. Even if you breezed through the first game without many issues, you will likely find yourself stuck on some challenges here. I know I did. So I pulled together the guide topics that actually helped me push forward, from brutal bosses to cryptic hunts, and I’ll keep this hub updated as the community discovers more. Grab your needle, sit by a Bellhart bench, and let’s talk about the parts that made me want to throw my controller—and then pick it back up. ?



Boss Guides ⚔️

Not every boss in Silksong is likely to trip you up, but things start intensifying toward the end of Act 1. That’s when the training wheels come off and the game asks whether you really understand Hornet’s mobility. The Last Judge is the wall I hit hardest. Between the runback and the actual fight, I lost an embarrassing amount of time. If you’re there too, check out video and tips for the runback in the Last Judge guide, which can save you a lot of time on one of the game’s trickiest platforming segments. Trust me, the shortcut alone is worth it.

I also learned that boss attempts go better when I stop treating every death as a skill issue. Sometimes I was missing a tool, a crest, or a simple timing read. Sometimes I just needed to sleep on it. The guide collection covers the community’s most-asked boss questions, so if you’re stuck on a specific fight, start there before you burn out.



Map Guides ?️

True to the Metroidvania genre, Silksong areas can be convoluted. It doesn’t help when they’re also full of challenging pogo jumps and environmental hazards that can make every step of exploration a threat. I’ve gotten lost in ways that felt almost artistic. My map guides for Hunter’s March and Bilewater will get you through two of the most infamous locations in the game, and my guide to the Slab explains how to access and escape a mid-to-late-game area as early as Act 1.

If you’re like me, you’ll try to brute-force your way through Hunter’s March and then wonder why your rosaries are gone. Don’t do that. Use the maps. Bilewater is another place where the environment is the real boss. The Slab, meanwhile, is a detour that can pay off early if you’re brave—or foolish—enough to poke around before the game expects you to.



Location Guides ?

Silksong’s quests, known as Wishes, task Hornet with tracking down all manner of objects. In some situations, you should also hunt out things that haven’t been requested, like the Silkeater Grubs that can end up saving some of your precious rosaries from being lost forever. I ignored them at first, and I paid for it. If you’re tired of traversing Shellwood to find the last Pollip Heart or listening for the sounds of Lost Fleas across the lands, these guides are for you.

What I love about this part of the game is how much it rewards curiosity. A random corner can hide a quest item, a hidden bench, or a NPC who changes everything. What I don’t love is combing the same room for the tenth time because I missed a ledge. So when I say the location guides are useful, I mean they respect your time without flattening the adventure.



Key Upgrades and Unlocks ?

Whenever you’re hard stuck on something in Silksong, there’s a decent chance that an available upgrade could help out. They aren’t always easy to find, though. Seeking out the first needle upgrade or swapping out your crest can turn a boss fight from a nightmare into a manageable affair, so it’s worth making sure you’re always up-to-date. Pinmaster Plinney is one of those characters you should visit the moment you can. I put off a needle upgrade once, and the next boss made me feel like I was tapping the enemy with a spoon.

Crests are another rabbit hole. I stuck with one for too long because it felt safe, then switched and suddenly had the tools I needed. If a fight feels impossible, ask yourself: is this a skill problem, or is my build just wrong for this room?



Quick Guide Checklist ?

Problem
What I Check First

Boss keeps winning
Runback shortcuts, crest swap, needle upgrade

Lost in a region
Hunter’s March, Bilewater, or Slab map guide

Missing quest item
Pollip Heart, Lost Fleas, Silkeater Grubs

Low rosaries
Silkeater Grubs and safer exploration routes

Feeling weak
Pinmaster Plinney and available needle upgrades

Final Thoughts

Even in the best scenario, triumphing over Hollow Knight: Silksong’s ordeals won’t be easy. With the right guides at your side, however, you can see Hornet through all the way to the end. In 2026, I’m still playing, still dying, and still finding new reasons to love this beautiful, punishing sequel. If you’re stuck, you’re not alone. Take a breath, check the guide for the wall you’re facing, and get back in there. Hornet wouldn’t quit, and neither should you.

Once the credits roll, though, the itch doesn’t really go away — it just changes shape. You start hunting for the next punishing metroidvania, the next soulslike that will humble you all over again, and that hunt usually comes with a price tag attached. I’ve learned the hard way that paying full price for every game I’m curious about adds up fast, especially when half of them sit untouched while I’m still chasing one last collectible in something else.

That’s why I keep game deals today bookmarked on DealNest. It’s a simple way to see what’s currently discounted before committing, so the next obsession costs a little less and the backlog stays a bit more affordable. If you’re the type who finishes one game and immediately needs another, it’s worth a look.

Hey, fellow Hallownest wanderer! ? It's 2026, and I'm still hopelessly addicted to Hollow Knight: Silksong. If you're stuck in Sinner's Road, you've probably met Crull and Benjin, the two quirky bugs who want you to hunt down 10 Muckroaches. I remember my first run—I died more times to those roaches than I'd like to admit. But trust me, the reward is a game-changer. So grab your needle, and let's dive into the Roach Guts quest.



Where to Find Crull and Benjin

First things first: you need to reach their hut. It's in the top right corner of the room, east of the broken Sinner's Road bench. To get there, you'll need Cling Grip (Wall Jump) on the left side of the room, then pogo off the floating spikes, and finally use Drifter's Cloak (Float) to glide into their little abode. It's like threading a needle while riding a unicycle—tricky but doable. Once inside, talk to the two bugs, and they'll ask you to slay 10 Muckroaches and collect their guts. Sounds gross, right? But the payoff is sweet.

The Best Muckroach Farming Spot

Muckroaches are scattered all over Sinner's Road, but the most efficient farming location is in the long tunnel directly underneath the bench, to the left of the locked Green Prince. Here's my routine:

Rest at the Sinner's Road bench to set your respawn point.

Exit through the right exit.

Drop down to the bottom, then turn left.

You'll see three Muckroaches: two on the ground and one on top of a cage.



Kill them, and collect the Roach Guts that drop from their carcasses. Rinse and repeat until you have 10. It's a bit like collecting eggs from a very angry chicken coop—you have to be fast, or you'll get pecked. Each run takes about a minute, so you'll have your 10 guts in no time.



The Reward: Tacks Tool

Once you've got 10 Roach Guts, return to Crull and Benjin. They'll reward you with the Tacks tool—a Red Tool that functions like caltrops. Hornet can throw them on the ground, and enemies who step on them take damage. You get 6 charges, and each charge costs 8 Shell Shards to restore at a bench.



Every time you use Tacks, Hornet throws out 4-5 caltrops, each dealing roughly half a Needle hit's worth of damage. It's like scattering a handful of tiny, explosive jacks on the floor—enemies step on them and immediately regret their existence. I've used Tacks to turn entire arenas into a hazard zone, especially against slow, grounded bosses. It's not just a tool; it's a tactical nuke in your pocket.



Tips and Tricks

Farm efficiently: The tunnel under the bench is the best spot. Just keep resting and re-entering.

Watch your step: Muckroaches can be surprisingly aggressive. Use your needle's range to your advantage.

Save Shell Shards: Restoring Tacks charges can get expensive, so use them wisely.

Boss fights: Tacks shine against bosses like the grounded ones in Sinner's Road. Lure them onto the caltrops and watch their health melt.

Combine with other tools: Tacks work great with area-denial tools or long-range attacks.

Final Thoughts

The Roach Guts quest is one of the most rewarding side quests in early Silksong. It's a bit grindy, but the Tacks tool is absolutely worth it. In 2026, with all the patches and updates, this quest remains a must-do for any serious player. So go out there, hunt some roaches, and turn the battlefield into a pincushion. Happy hunting! ?

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In 2026, Hollow Knight Silksong remains a maze of secrets, and the Balm for the Wounded quest is one of its most easily missed errands. This Act 2 side quest sends Hornet into Whiteward to find Sherma, a resident who has vanished from Songclave. For completionists chasing 100%, it is not optional. For everyone else, the rewards make it more than worth the detour. The quest also opens the door to another missing-person hunt, so players who skip it may find their Wish Board looking a little emptier than it should.



How to Start the Balm for the Wounded Quest

The quest does not simply appear. Players must first discover Songclave in the north-eastern part of Choral Chambers in the Citadel. After activating the First Shrine bench in Songclave, they need to leave and then return. That small act of backtracking convinces the settlement to build a Wish Board. Songclave, in other words, waits for travelers to prove they are coming back.

Even then, the Wish Board will not offer Balm for the Wounded right away. It only appears after players complete the Building Up Songclave side quest. That task asks for a donation of 300 Rosaries to the Wish Board. It also requires visiting Whiteward one time. The entrance to Whiteward needs a key, but the key is easy to find to the right of the First Shrine bench in Songclave. Players should grab it before leaving. Blink and it is gone, and then they will be making a second trip.

Once Building Up Songclave is complete and Whiteward has been visited at least once by unlocking its door, players should return to Songclave. The Balm for the Wounded quest will be waiting at the Wish Board. Accept it, and the search for Sherma officially begins.



How to Find Sherma in Whiteward

Sherma can be found on the eastern side of Whiteward, northwest of the path that leads to the Underworks. A specific door leads directly to her location, but reaching it is the tricky part. Whiteward is a place that hoards its secrets like a miser, and the correct route is not always obvious.

Fortunately, the game offers a trail. While exploring Whiteward in search of Sherma, players will encounter an item of hers that can be interacted with. Doing so tracks her scent. This creates a visible path to her location, making the hunt much less of a headache. The scent trail practically takes players by the hand and leads them to the door mentioned earlier.





After entering the door, players arrive in a tiny subsection of Whiteward. From there, they should proceed all the way to the right. Sherma is at the end. Once she is found, speak to her and exhaust her dialogue. This triggers a battle against a wave of enemies. There are five enemies in total, and they must all be defeated. After the fight, speak to Sherma again. Finishing that conversation concludes the Balm for the Wounded quest.





Balm for the Wounded Quest Rewards

The first reward arrives immediately. Sherma hands over a Spool Fragment after being saved from Whiteward. A Spool Fragment is one of two parts that increase Hornet's Silk Meter. For combat-focused players, that upgrade is not just a nice extra. It is a direct boost to Hornet's toolkit, and it can make later fights feel noticeably smoother.

The second reward is a new quest at the Wish Board in Songclave. Completing Balm for the Wounded unlocks the Lost Merchant quest, which involves finding another missing character on the large map of Silksong. In other words, one rescue leads to another mystery. Players who enjoy the interconnected side stories of Silksong should pay attention, because this chain is easy to lose track of in a year crowded with new releases.

Reward
Details

? Spool Fragment
Handed over by Sherma immediately after the rescue. One of two parts that increase Hornet's Silk Meter.

? Lost Merchant quest
Unlocked at the Wish Board in Songclave. Sends players after another missing character.

✅ Completion progress
Required for a 100% completion run in Hollow Knight Silksong.



Why the Quest Still Matters in 2026

By 2026, Hollow Knight Silksong has been picked apart by guide writers, speedrunners, and lore hunters. Yet Balm for the Wounded remains a common blind spot. The quest hides behind a donation, a key, a first visit to Whiteward, and a scent trail that only appears if players inspect the right object. That is a lot of invisible checkboxes. No shame in missing one.

For anyone returning to an old save or starting a fresh completion run, the order is simple. Build up Songclave. Visit Whiteward. Accept the Wish. Track Sherma. Clear the enemy wave. Claim the Spool Fragment. Then check the Wish Board again for the Lost Merchant. It is a short chain, but it reaches into multiple systems and rewards patient exploration.

In a game built on hidden paths and quiet tragedies, Balm for the Wounded fits right in. It asks players to slow down, follow a scent, and bring someone home. The Spool Fragment is the practical prize. The new quest is the hook. The real reward, as cheesy as it sounds, is one less empty chair in Songclave.

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Almost seven years. That's how long I waited for Silksong. When it finally dropped in 2026, I felt a mix of excitement and dread. After all, Hollow Knight built a legacy that's hard to follow. But Silksong isn't just more Hollow Knight. It's a different beast entirely—one that throws you into the deep end and laughs as you drown.



The Early Game Doesn't Hold Your Hand

Hollow Knight eased me in. The Gruz Mother was a joke, and most early bosses only did one mask of damage. Silksong? It throws you right into the deep end. No easy bosses, no gentle learning curve. I died more times in the first hour than I care to admit. The enemies hit like a truck—two masks of damage from regular bugs? That's just rude. And there's no tutorial. Team Cherry basically said, 'You played Hollow Knight, right? Good luck.' ? The game itself seems to mock me with every two-mask hit.

Money, Money, Money

In Hollow Knight, I was swimming in geo. In Silksong, rosary beads are like gold dust. Want a map? That'll be a few hundred. A bench? More beads. A simple key? You get the idea. I've found myself farming the same poor enemies over and over, and I swear they recognize me now. 'Oh no, it's that broke bug again.' ? I've never felt so poor in a video game.



Where Are the Mask Shards?

I found two mask shards in my first few hours. Two! And one of them I had to buy. In Hollow Knight, they were practically falling from the sky. Here, they're hidden in the most obscure corners. It makes every two-mask hit feel like a death sentence. I've started to dread exploring new areas because I know I'll just lose my health and my beads. Seriously, where are they? I've resorted to hitting every wall and ceiling in hopes of a secret.

Pharloom Feels Alive

Hallownest was haunting—beautiful, but dead. Pharloom is bustling. There are NPCs everywhere, and they actually talk to you. Hornet speaks, so I feel a connection. I can do Wishes for them, learn their stories. It's a nice change of pace. Pharloom breathes with life, its NPCs chattering away about their hopes and fears. But don't let the liveliness fool you—the enemies are still out for blood.



A Wider Toolkit

Hornet plays differently. The crest system is a game-changer. I can choose a crest that suits my style, then customize it with tools. It feels like a proper RPG build. I've been experimenting with a beast crest that lets me go full aggro, but I might switch to something more defensive. The possibilities are exciting. It's much more strategic than Hollow Knight's charm system.

Secrets Within Secrets

Silksong is huge. And I mean huge. I've already found a secret room inside another secret room. Team Cherry is laughing at us, I'm sure. You have to hit every wall, look behind every waterfall. If you think you've found the secret, keep digging. There's probably another one. I'll let you discover the rest for yourself—just don't blame me when you get lost for hours.

Final Thoughts

Silksong is not Hollow Knight 2.0. It's a tougher, more complex, and more alive experience. It respects your skills but also punishes your mistakes. I'm only a few hours in, and I'm already hooked. If you're struggling, just remember: git gud. Or, you know, cry a little. Both work. You know the feeling.

Here's a quick comparison table:

Aspect
Hollow Knight
Silksong

Early game difficulty
Moderate
Brutal

Tutorial
Yes
No

Regular enemy damage
Mostly 1 mask
Often 2 masks

Currency
Plentiful geo
Scarce rosaries

Mask shards
Common
Rare and hidden

Atmosphere
Haunting, dead
Lively, bustling

Combat toolkit
Nail arts, spells
Crests, tools, customization

Secrets
Hidden walls
Hidden rooms within hidden rooms

So, yeah. It was worth the wait. But my thumbs hurt. And my pride. ?

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When Hollow Knight: Silksong finally arrived in 2025, it did not simply meet expectations. It crushed them under a hail of spikes, winged beasts, and bosses that refused to forgive. By 2026, the game remains a beautiful, brutal landmark. One particular player, a wanderer who had adored the original Hollow Knight from a distance but never mastered it, stepped into Silksong with hope. They left the first hour bruised. The art was adorable. The music enchanted. The stories whispered from every mossy corner. Yet the combat and platforming demanded more than admiration. They demanded proof. ⚔️



The player quickly learned that Silksong was not interested in gentle onboarding. Standard enemies in the opening hour could deal double damage with ordinary attacks. Bosses layered deadly combos together, leaving no obvious escape. Trial and error was part of the experience, but after enough failures, the player understood why some people put the controller down and never returned. The game wanted mastery, and it wanted it immediately. ?️

Yet the player did not want to abandon the world. They loved the character designs, the haunting soundtrack, and the mythic stories unfolding around every corner. To enjoy those things, however, they needed to become a warrior who let nothing stand in their way. They believed they were capable. They also knew their patience had limits, especially with so many other responsibilities pulling at their time. That was the real conflict: not a lack of skill, but a lack of hours. ⏳



Mods Became a Personal Lantern

Thankfully, the player was not alone. By 2026, the modding community had already created thoughtful adjustments for Silksong. Some mods removed the excessive double damage that had made early enemies feel unfair. Others ensured that tools like the compass remained active at all times, turning exploration from a memory test into a gentler journey. None of these mods transformed the game into something unrecognizable. They simply filled in the cracks that many players had complained about. ?

With those changes, the player found a new rhythm. They could still be punished for careless mistakes. Bosses still demanded pattern recognition and precise movement. But they no longer felt buried by cheap damage. They had a chance to see more of Silksong, to breathe in its atmosphere, and to appreciate the craftsmanship without being constantly walled off from it. The challenge remained. It was simply curated to their preferences while keeping the heart and soul of the experience intact. ?

If a mod makes a game more enjoyable for more people, it is difficult to see how that could be a bad thing. The player was not asking for a victory button. They were asking for a version of the game that respected their time. And in 2026, that request feels less controversial than ever. Official difficulty options are common in many genres. Even FromSoftware games, which built their reputation on uncompromising design, could benefit from a selection of difficulty settings. The original vision would remain for those who want it. Others would simply get a door instead of a wall. ?

Celeste Already Showed the Way



The debate around Silksong reminded the player of Celeste. That masterful indie platformer was also very difficult. Its story involved climbing a literal mountain while facing inner demons, so the challenge made thematic sense. Playing Celeste without adjustments would kick most people around. Reaching the end of each level was possible for determined players, but seeing everything, including collectibles and bonus levels, was a Herculean task. ?️

Celeste offered an Assist Mode. Players could personally adjust game speed, stamina, air dashes, and invincibility. Turn everything up, and the game could be completed without taking a single hit. That was not the intended experience, but Celeste still offered it because player choice mattered. Maddy Makes Games had a narrative it wanted as many people as possible to experience. Even if that meant turning the gameplay into a delightful pixel-art walk in the park, the studio understood that accessibility did not erase the game's soul. ?

The player had used Assist Mode in Celeste and still considered it a masterpiece. They did not feel robbed of satisfaction. They felt included. That memory made the Silksong discourse feel painfully familiar. A difficult game can remain difficult while also offering ways for more people to reach its ending. The two ideas are not enemies. They are neighbors. ?️



The Strange Entitlement Around Difficulty

Unfortunately, video game difficulty settings still carry a bizarre aura of entitlement. Some players act as if their preferred way of playing is the only legitimate way. They forget that games are entertainment, art, and personal experiences. If someone uses mods to soften double damage or keeps a compass active, that choice does not diminish anyone else's victory. It does not remove the challenge from the original version. It simply allows another person to enjoy the same world. ?

The player eventually returned to Silksong with a mixture of mods and stubborn determination. They still died. They still cursed. They still felt their heart race during boss fights. But they also saw more of the Mossgreen Grotto. They heard more of the music. They uncovered more of the story. The game remained hard, and they remained proud of every small victory. The difference was that they were no longer locked out of the experience they had waited years to enjoy. ?

Approach
What It Changes
Why It Helps

Mods
Removes double damage, keeps compass active
Makes exploration and early combat less punishing

Celeste Assist Mode
Adjusts speed, stamina, dashes, invincibility
Allows more players to experience the narrative

Official difficulty options
Curates challenge through developer-approved settings
Respects player choice without altering the default vision

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a hard game, and hard games are not for everybody. But if mods or official means of tuning its challenge allow more people to reach the end or see everything it has to offer, the wider community should not complain. The player did not want Silksong to become easy. They wanted it to become theirs. By 2026, that seems like a reasonable wish. ?

In the end, the player climbed their own version of the mountain. They did not touch every spike with perfect grace. They did not defeat every boss on the first try. But they kept going, and they found joy in a world that had almost pushed them away. If that is not a victory worth celebrating, then perhaps the community needs to step outside, find some grass, and remember why people play games in the first place. ?

That same patience the player learned to apply inside Silksong has a strange way of showing up outside of it. Waiting for the right moment to strike an enemy, holding a dash until the last second, deciding when a risk is actually worth taking — these habits follow a person into other parts of life, including the way they spend money. Games like this one rarely go on sale at launch, and a sequel with years of anticipation behind it will hold its price for a long while. Watching a listing instead of buying on impulse, checking back after a seasonal event, noticing when a bundle quietly drops below its usual floor — that is its own kind of patient play.

For anyone who wants to keep an eye on prices without refreshing store pages every week, this price tracking tool at DealNest makes that waiting game a lot less tedious. It is a small thing, but so were the mods that let the player finish the mountain — a way to make an experience that felt closed off feel reachable again.