Puzzling out how to get a needle upgrade in Hollow Knight: Silksong, and then tracking down Pale Oil for further enhancements, presents a significant challenge. Unlike its predecessor, Silksong’s enemies are more formidable, making weapon upgrades not just helpful, but essential for survival. While your first needle enhancement is attainable early, securing the scarce **Pale Oil** for subsequent upgrades requires keen exploration. As your trusted guide on Digital Tech Explorer, TechTalesLeo is here to illuminate the path. This guide will walk you through obtaining your initial **needle upgrade** and reveal the locations of all three **Pale Oil** deposits needed to fully empower Hornet’s weapon.
How to upgrade your needle in Silksong
The good news is your initial needle enhancement comes free, but first, you must free Bellhart (located in the far left of Greymoor). This means venturing into Shellwood and defeating Sister Splinter to acquire the Cling Grip upgrade, enabling your wall jump ability. You’ll then need to use this new skill to jump into the Bellhart tunnels, found just to the right of her arena, and defeat the Widow boss to liberate Bellhart from cursed threads once and for all.
Once Bellhart is free, climb the platforms on the left side of town. Hop past Relic Seeker Scrounge’s bellhome to discover Pinmaster Plinney’s workshop on the upper-right side. Plinney will sharpen Hornet’s needle for free, providing this crucial first enhancement. He’ll also hint at further upgrades, obtainable with a specific, rare resource.
Whispering Vaults Pale Oil
After this first enhancement, Pinmaster Plinney assigns the Pinmaster’s Oil quest, tasks you with locating valuable Pale Oil within The Citadel. Be aware, this resource remains out of reach for some time; you’ll need to complete Act 1 and the initial parts of Act 2 to gain access. This involves navigating out of the Underworks, ascending the Choral Chambers to defeat its boss, and then descending into the Cogwork Core to finally reach the Whispering Vaults—all part of the game’s natural progression.
The only segment that might pose a challenge is entering the Whispering Vaults via the Cogwork Core. As you descend into the main chamber, you’ll want to go down, then right, then up again, completing a platforming puzzle that involves expertly bouncing off a series of moving cogs with your needle.
Once inside the Whispering Vaults, proceed to the main descending chamber, then seek an entrance on the left as you make your way down. You’ll need to head through the upper-left entrance in the main room (by bouncing on top of the large, sleeping enemy at the platform’s end). Within, a box-moving puzzle awaits; solve it to claim your first Pale Oil. Return this to Plinney for your second needle enhancement.
Great Taste of Pharloom Pale Oil
Another Pale Oil awaits those who conquer the Great Taste of Pharloom quest, initiated in the dining rooms on the Choral Chambers’ upper-left side. This intricate culinary scavenger hunt requires you to collect five unique edible items spread across the kingdom.
Deliver all ingredients, and you’ll be rewarded with a precious Pale Oil. Pinmaster Plinney can then use this to further enhance your needle, though this upgrade will come with a cost of approximately 500 Rosaries.
Ecstasy of the End Pale Oil
The third and final Pale Oil is your reward for completing the challenging Ecstasy of the End quest. This quest becomes available from the Bellhart board in Act 3, *after* you’ve located all the flea locations across Pharloom and they’ve migrated to the Pale Lake within the Putrified Ducts. The quest involves excelling in three minigames at the Festival of the Flea; outperform the high scores in each to claim the ultimate prize: another invaluable Pale Oil.
Before you can apply this, ensure you’ve rescued Pinmaster Plinney in the Shellwoods during Act 3. Once saved, he’ll return to his workshop, ready to perform your ultimate needle enhancement. This final upgrade will also require around 500 Rosaries, often slightly more than the last—a rather steep price given your recent heroic rescue!
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