Let me tell you about the weirdest, most rewarding wild goose chase I’ve ever embarked on in a video game. It involves a tiny, mumbling fungus, a magical needle instrument, and an ending so hidden that even the game’s own map seems to conspire against you. If you’re aiming for the elusive “Passing of the Age” conclusion in Hollow Knight: Silksong, you’ll need to befriend—or at least persistently stalk—Mister Mushroom. And let me be clear: this isn’t some casual side quest. It’s a full-blown scavenger hunt spread across the entire kingdom, and I loved every cryptic second of it.

Before you can even smell a hint of mushroomy goodness, you have to reach Act 3. That means wrapping up every last side quest Wish in Act 2 and then surviving the grueling “Silk and Soul” mission. Once you’ve scored the Needolin—a soulful instrument that Hornet can literally play to coax secrets out of the ground—you use it on Grand Mother Silk, and boom, the third chapter unveils itself. For me, that moment felt like the game finally said, “Alright, time to get weird.”

Initiating the Hunt

With Act 3 unlocked, head to the Putrified Ducts, a delightfully grimy sewer zone that smells worse than it sounds. Swim through that nasty river in the lower right corner, hop up some platforms, and then Silk Soar your way skyward until you’re surrounded by eerie blue mushrooms. Inspect the lonely shrine tucked to the left, and you’ll kick off the “Passing of the Age” Wish. The game gives you a riddle wrapped in an enigma, but the gist is simple: Mister Mushroom is about to play an elaborate game of hide-and-seek, and you’re it.

Now here’s the kicker: you have to find this guy seven times, each time using Hornet’s Needolin to literally summon him out of the soil like the world’s shyest vegetable. Exhaust his dialogue, and he’ll vanish in a puff of spores, only to reappear in another far-flung corner of the map. Miss a single conversation? He won’t budge. It’s like dating a particularly flaky forest spirit.

Location #1: Moss Grotto

My first rendezvous was in the Moss Grotto, right beneath the exit to the Ruined Chapel. Between two comfy benches, I spotted that telltale patch of indigo fungi. I pulled out the Needolin, played a little ditty, and up he popped, spouting nonsense that made me both chuckle and scratch my head. One conversation later, poof, he was gone.

Location #2: Bone Bottom

Next, I trudged down to Bone Bottom, a place that sounds like a rejected metal band name. In the bottom right section, near the exit leading to The Marrow, I actually heard him mumbling before I saw him. It was a quiet, rhythmic chatter that made me feel like I was hallucinating. Sure enough, a small cluster of blue mushrooms on a platform gave him away. One performance later, and he was off again. If you don’t hear the mumbling, you didn’t talk to him enough last time—go back and pester him.

Location #3: Far Fields

The Far Fields felt almost peaceful—if you ignore the fact that a sentient mushroom is playing mind games with you. Near the bench in the dead-end corner, I climbed up to a rocky central platform thick with grass and those signature blue mushrooms. Hornet plucked her Needolin once more, and my fungal friend emerged to share another snippet of cosmic wisdom. By now, I was starting to wonder if he was actually leading me somewhere profound or just trolling me into exploring every inch of the map.

Location #4: Greymoor

Greymoor’s Halfway Home is a lie—nothing about this felt halfway. I had to Double Jump, bounce off floating detritus, and squeeze into a narrow hallway just left of the upper exit to the Wisp Thicket. The mushroom patch here is so tiny I almost missed it entirely. If you fall back into the big room, you’ve gone too far. Mister Mushroom was practically whispering in that cramped corridor, and I felt like I’d just won a staring contest with the game’s level designer.

Location #5: The Slab

This one nearly broke my spirit. From the lower left bench near Mount Fay, I jumped and used Hornet’s natural light to reveal a hidden ceiling path. Then Silk Soar launched me into a secret chamber full of chains and a massive bronze structure that looked important but was actually just set dressing. The mushroom spot was a tiny patch to the left. I summoned him here, and he had the audacity to act like we were old friends.

Location #6: Mount Fay

No Needolin needed this time! I ascended that frozen peak to the spot where I first earned the Double Jump, and there he was, casually chatting with the colossal bird. It was such a surreal moment—like running into a grocery store and seeing your weird neighbor buying seventeen cans of soup with a giant bird. I simply talked to him, and he vanished once more.

Location #7: The Cradle

This was it—the final frontier. Getting to The Cradle alone requires Silk Soar acrobatics through the Choral Chambers and Cogwork Core, but then you have to find a hidden ceiling gap at the very top and endure a punishing platforming gauntlet that seems designed by a sadist. One lonely bench halfway was my only comfort. At the very end, in a field of blue mushrooms bathed in a beam of light, I played my Needolin one last time. Mister Mushroom appeared, delivered his closing riddles, and the Wish was complete. The “Passing of the Age” ending was mine.

Looking back, chasing Mister Mushroom taught me more about Silksong’s world than any other quest. Every location held a new secret, a new challenge, and a new cryptic line that made the lore nerd in me squeal. If you’re willing to endure the hunt, this tiny NPC will reward you with one of the most memorable gaming moments of your life. Just be prepared to play a lot of Needolin—and to question your sanity when you start hearing mumbling in empty rooms.

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