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The ability to Parry isn’t unlocked naturally in Hollow Knight: Silksong. You’ll have to explore a secret level and defeat an optional boss to unlock the powerful Cross Stitch ability. Activating this skill costs silk and counters enemy attacks with a powerful strike. Learning to master the parry mechanic can make certain tough bosses much, much easier. It also phases Hornet out of existence for a moment, giving you invincibility frames after landing a parry.
Parry is incredibly powerful but getting it can be tough. You’ll need to reach the Bilewater area, then enter the Mist before battling the Phantom optional boss. Here’s how to access and progress through each area, step-by-step.
How To Unlock Bilewater
To get the Parry Mechanic (called Cross Stitch) you’ll need to find and defeat an optional boss called Phantom. They’re located deep in a secret area of the map called Bilewater.
- Bilewater is accessed by breaking a secret wall in Sinner’s Road. On the right (east) edge of the area, there’s an NPC called Styx. Find the vertical shaft outside his chamber and reach the breakable wall on the right side. This spot is only accessible with double-jump or wall-jump. Check the map above for details.
Break through the wall and go right to enter Bilewater. This disgusting zone is full of maggot-infested water that will poison Hornet. There are two directions here — down leads to the Mist area, while up leads to the Putrefied Ducts optional area. Our goal is to reach the Mist.
How To Pass Through The Mist
In the lower levels of Bilewater, you’ll find the Mist. This mysterious location has strange ghostly apparitions, and Hornet will make no progress if you simply run around the map. If you fall through the mist or go in a wrong direction, Hornet will reappear at the start of the labyrinth. The ghosts here are also some of the most aggressive enemies in the game — watch out for their grab attack.
The Mist area is a maze and there’s only one way to get through.
- Solution: To pass through the Mist area, find the white butterflies — use the Needolin power to play music. The butterflies will glow and show you how to progress. Follow them to the exit.
Follow the butterflies through multiple screens and you’ll exit out to a large structure called the Exhaust Organ. Inside the Exhaust Organ, you’ll encounter the Phantom boss.
This fast-paced boss fights just like Hornet and has the Cross Stitch ability herself, so don’t attack when she attempts to parry. Defeating her will unlock the Cross Stitch parry mechanic for Hornet.
Defeating the Phantom will also dissolve the Mist area, allowing you to fully explore the rooms you passed through earlier.
