Into the Fungal Wastes

The Fungal Wastes is the third major area you can visit in Hollow Knight. After completing your preparations, you must venture to this new, dangerous area, which introduces new challenges and enemies. This Hollow Knight walkthrough covers how to find the Fungal Wastes, how to navigate it, and where you must go next.

To learn how to obtain the variousCollectiblesHollow Knight has to offer, visit our pages onCharms,Spells,Mask Shards, and more.

• How to Get to the Fungal Wastes
  • How to Find the Fungal Wastes Map
• How to Beat the Shrumal Ogre Mini-Boss
• Open Leg Eater's Shop
  • Grub Location
• Head Deeper into the Wastes
• Unlock the Queen's Station Shortcut

How to Get to the Fungal Wastes in Hollow Knight

To reach the Fungal Wastes in Hollow Knight, start at the Queen’s Station Bench next to the Stag Station, then head left and ascend to the top. Take the exit in the upper-right corner, and you’ll arrive in the Fungal Wastes.

Dodge or kill the poison-spewing balloon-type enemies called Fungoons as you make your way right.

How to Find the Fungal Wastes Map - Cornifer Location

Navigating areas in Hollow Knight is tough without maps, and luckily, the one for the Fungal Wastes can be acquired almost right away. To find the Fungal Wastes map, proceed east from the Fungal Wastes main entrance until you reach a hole in the floor. Next to the hole is a piece of discarded paper, a telltale sign that Cornifer is nearby.

He is! Drop into the hole and you’ll hear Cornifer’s signature humming. Descend and take the first left to find him in an alcove.

Purchase the Fungal Wastes area map for 75 Geo, then go back up to the previous area and head right.

Fungal Wastes Map

How to Navigate Using the Purple Mushrooms

Throughout the Fungal Wastes are small, purple mushrooms that release purple spores. These fungi offer you a, ahem, fun way to explore the area. To use the mushrooms, Nail Jump on them. Doing so launches you into the air, allowing you to reach areas too high for our pint-sized hero.

Hidden Geo Deposit Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

Before you leave Cornifer, head to the right, using the purple mushrooms to leap over the column of rock. Use the purple mushroom at the end of the room to launch yourself to the Geo deposit hanging from the ceiling.

You won't be able to continue by going down, since you're lacking a key ability.

Hallownest Seal Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

Before proceeding into the next area, you can take a brief detour to acquire a Hallownest Seal, an item that sells at a particular shop for 450 Geo. To find it, enter the room above Cornifer and climb up and to the right. Climb the floating platforms to reach the top of a column at around the two-thirds point of the room.

Hop up into the room above, but take care with the fungal Sporg enemies that send homing explosive spores your way! Ascend quickly and hop over to the top ledge and interact with the item on the ground to get the Seal.

You'll enter a small shaft near the center of the area. Several passageways are blocked off, so take the only exit available and continue right into the next area.

After dispatching or bypassing the new shrieking mushroom enemies, climb to the upper platform and proceed left, back into the previous area through the top-left exit. Slash the lever to unlock the gate, then hop up through the top exit and enter the gated arena to initiate the Shrumal Ogre mini-boss encounter.

How to Beat the Shrumal Ogre Mini-Boss in Hollow Knight

At the beginning of the fight, you’ll only engage a single ogre. Avoid the orange ooze and slash the foe a few times, or unleash several volleys of Vengeful Spirit (especially if you bought the Shaman Stone from Charm Lover Salubra) to dispatch it, then focus your attention on the other ogre.

If you stay close to the ogres for a prolonged period, they’ll initiate a quick, repeated headbutt attack, so initiate hit-and-run tactics to make easy work of the mini-bosses.

After you have destroyed the two Shrumal Ogres, a Charm Notch upgrade will fall from the ceiling. Pick it up to increase your Charm slots by one. When you're ready, continue right to the next area. Ascend, taking the first exit to the right to meet Leg Eater.

How to Open Leg Eater's Shop

Leg Eater is an unusual NPC, but can be useful to you... for a price. Speak with him, and he'll request a nominal fee from you to "see something nice." Pay him 86 Geo and you'll gain access to his Charm shop.

Leg Eater only sells three charms, but each of them is quite powerful: Fragile Heart increases the Knight's available health by two Masks; Fragile Greed increases the amount of Geo the Knight receives from all sources; and Fragile Strength increases damage dealt.

Each of the Fragile Charms is broken upon death, but Leg Eater can repair them for a relatively low fee. The Charms can be upgraded later to become unbreakable.

Leg Eater Charms
Fragile Heart	Fragile Greed	Fragile Strength

Head Deeper into the Wastes

After you're done with Leg Eater, head back down to the bottom of the chasm and continue to the right, following the sign that looks like a group of buildings. Once you’ve reached the vertical shaft at the end of the path, descend through the acid-filled chasm.

Hidden Geo Deposit Location

This Geo Rock can be found in the small shaft on the eastern side of the Fungal Wastes.

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

Head down one level to spot the Geo hidden behind a mushroom silhouette. Watch out for the Sporg attached to the wall! Avoid the spore it releases and attack it until it's destroyed; that way, you can harvest the Geo safely.

Continue until you reach the bottom, then head left and into the next area, where you’ll meet a fellow adventurer named Cloth.

Cloth is an NPC who, like Zote, also has a side quest you can follow. Speak with Cloth if you wish and continue interacting until you exhaust her dialogue. She warns you of a warrior tribe deeper below.

Continue past Cloth and into the next room.

Hidden Geo Deposit Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

You can grab some Geo from a deposit just past the room where you met Cloth. Use the purple mushrooms to propel yourself to an alcove above the doorway where you'll find a Geo Rock.

The room contains purple fungus, which the Knight can use as bouncing platforms. Utilize the Nail Jump technique and slash downward as you land to gain an extra boost to your jump height and clear the acid pit.

Proceed until you reach the bottom, where you’ll see Hornet run into the next area to the right. We don’t have the necessary item to follow her, so head left instead, and continue into the area below.

Hollow Knight Lore

At the point where you see Hornet escape, you'll come across another sign like the one you found at the start of Greenpath. The sign reads:

"Here ends the Pilgrim's Way. Hallownest's Heart lays open before you. Proceed onward to share in its glory."

Hidden Geo Deposit Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

The next Geo deposit area can be found after dropping into the area to the left of where you saw Hornet. Enter the area below and hang a right, keeping in mind the two enemies. Two Geo Rocks are waiting for you near the end of the path.

How to Unlock the Queen's Station Shortcut

As you descend through the next vertical area, take the first exit on the left by Nail Jumping, then dash off a cluster of purple fungus.

Follow the corridor left until you reach a lever which unlocks a shortcut back to the Queen’s Station Stagway and Bench.

Grub Location

Go To Map

Hallownest Map

There is a Grub hidden away deep in the Fungal Wastes. You can find it just before you reach the lever that unlocks a shortcut back to the Queen's Station. Head into the room with the lever from the small shaft. Use the purple mushrooms below the vertical shaft just past the doorway and ascend to the top, keeping in mind the floating enemies.

When you reach the top, head right through the corridor lined with purple mushrooms.

A trapped Grub is waiting at the end.

Hidden Geo Deposit Location

There's a final Geo deposit you can find just before reaching Mantis land. You can get it after acquiring the hidden Grub near the shortcut lever. Head up the shaft just past the doorway to the lever. Instead of going right, where you can find the Grub, take a left. Continue until you drop into a room.

Inside the room are two Geo Rocks. Leave by dropping down the hole at the end of the room.

Enter Mantis Territory

After unlocking the shortcut, return to the previous vertical chamber and continue down. Once you reach the bottom, head right. At this point, you’ll begin to encounter Mantis enemy types. Continue to make your way to the Mantis Village.

Into the Fungal Wastes Completed

Up Next: Mantis Village

PreviousPreparing for The Fungal WastesNextMantis Village

Top Guide Sections

• Walkthrough
• Bosses
• Collectibles
• Items, Equipment, and Upgrades

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Hollow KnightTeam Cherry

Initial Release: Feb 24, 2017

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