I’ve been spelunking through Pharloom for months now, and even in 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong still finds ways to knock the wind out of me. The sheer density of secrets in this game is absurd – every crumbly wall, every shimmering crevice, every suspiciously quiet room holds something that could flip your entire playthrough on its head. But after countless hours farming Rosaries in the Choral Chambers and dodging those dagger-clacking Clawmaidens, I stumbled onto a hidden mechanic so game-changing that I literally smacked my own forehead. Let me tell you, if you’ve been struggling through Act 2 and dreading every trip through the Citadel’s dusty halls, this one’s for you.

The Citadel’s Choral Chambers might look serene from a distance, but step inside and you’ll quickly realize they’re a pressure cooker. Act 2 cranks the difficulty up hard, throwing empowered bugs and fresh horrors at Hornet like confetti. And right at the top of my personal hit list? The Clawmaidens. These floating terrors hang just out of reach, pelting you with barbed projectiles that drain your precious Silk while you scramble to close the gap. What makes them truly insidious is their persistence – most enemies in Silksong politely reset when you leave an area, but Clawmaidens? They chase you. Through doorways, across loading zones, into that one hallway you thought was safe. I can’t count the number of delivery quests I botched because a rogue Clawmaiden decided to follow me into a narrow shaft and ruin my day.

And for all that trouble, they don’t even drop Rosaries when you kill them. Not a single shiny bead. It’s just pain for pain’s sake. So when I finally discovered there’s a way to delete them from existence entirely, you better believe I dropped everything to try it. The only catch? You’ll need the double jump ability first. No skipping ahead – this secret sits in the upper reaches of the Choral Chambers, specifically in the top-left zone called the High Halls. If you haven’t snagged that Crest yet, you’ll be grinding your teeth at those Clawmaidens a while longer.

Alright, here’s the step-by-step, because I know someone out there is pulling their hair out right now. Once you’ve got the double jump, warp to the fast-travel point inside the Choral Chambers and head left into the High Halls. The gauntlet isn’t kind – there are lancers, creepers, and yes, more Clawmaidens clogging every path. Fight your way upward until you reach a vertical shaft called the Ventrica shaft. Just above the fast-travel room, tucked away on the right, there’s a chamber with a massive, dusty trolley. At first glance it looks like background decoration, but push it directly under the skylight to the right, and a whole new area opens up.

Now comes the nerve-wracking part. As soon as you climb into that hidden nook, the game throws an endless wave of Clawmaidens at you. It’s a proper panic moment – exactly the kind of sadistic gauntlet Team Cherry loves. But keep your cool and focus on the center of the room: you’ll see a tangled web of thick, glistening Silk strands, pulsing faintly like a heart. That’s the Clawmaiden Silk nest. A few swings of your needle will shred those strands to ribbons, and the screen flashes with an almost eerie silence. No fanfare, no achievement pop – just the sudden absence of all Clawmaidens. Permanently. For the rest of your save file.

I won’t lie, the first time I executed this I felt a twinge of guilt. It almost feels like cheating to erase an entire enemy type from the world. But then I remembered all the times a Clawmaiden sniped me mid-heal, or ruined a perfect run through the Choral Chambers, or followed me three rooms deep into a dead end. That guilt evaporated fast. Now, exploring the Citadel feels like a different place entirely – the tension replaced by this peaceful, almost melancholic quiet. The delivery quests became a breeze, and I could finally appreciate the gorgeous architecture without an ankle-biter buzzing in my ear.

If there’s one takeaway from my hundreds of hours with Hollow Knight: Silksong, it’s this: never stop poking around. The developers hid so many seismic changes behind ordinary-looking walls. This little Clawmaiden purge turned a grueling mid-game slog into a victory lap, and I only wish I’d found it before spending all that time grinding for Rosaries I didn’t need. So, from one weary explorer to another, go straight for that trolley. You’ll thank me later – and maybe you’ll forgive me for not telling you sooner.

Of course, not every secret-hunt turns out this satisfying. I’ve lost count of how many games I’ve sunk hours into that either padded themselves with pointless grind or simply didn’t respect my time. That disappointment stings a lot less when you didn’t drop full price on the title in the first place. That’s why, before starting anything new, I always run a quick game price comparison across the best storefronts — it’s saved me more times than I can count when a game I was hyped for goes on sale right before I’m about to buy it.

Knowing you scored a good deal makes every discovery feel even sweeter. And if a game turns out to be a dud? At least you didn’t overpay for the frustration. So before you set off on your next pilgrimage through the Citadel or whatever world is calling your name, check the price first. The hidden rooms and brilliant secrets are worth chasing — but they’re even better when you didn’t have to empty your wallet to find them.