The Slab is a mid-game capture sequence where Hornet is jailed without her cloak and Needle. Progress is possible with basic movement, but the route is opaque and one platforming check is unusually strict. Follow the steps below to collect the required keys, secure a bench and map, make the tricky jump, reclaim your equipment, and exit.
What you need to know before you start
The abduction that sends you to the Slab can trigger in different regions (commonly near Deep Docks, sometimes Bilewater or Moorgray). After the event fires, the abductor no longer appears at that spot. Inside the Slab you can find at least two keys used to open gates in the area: the Indolent Key and the Heretic Key.
1. Break out of your first room
Inspect the small starting chamber and test the ceiling. Strike the brittle overhead to reveal a hidden release that opens a path through the left-side door.
Go through the newly opened door on the left into the cold passage. Keep your movement deliberate to limit chip damage while you scout safe footing.
Continue to the next corridor and head right past a short enemy patrol. Use jumps to create space rather than trading hits while unarmed.
Drop through the narrow hole at the segment’s end. This lower branch is your first progression path deeper into the Slab.
2. Secure the Indolent Key and a checkpoint
Explore this lower route until you locate the Indolent Key pickup. This key opens one of the Slab’s central gates, enabling a mini-boss and further paths.
Push forward until you reach a bench area. Sit to set your respawn here; the run-backs are long without this checkpoint.
From that bench, run right to find a hidden map pickup for the Slab. Revealing the layout dramatically simplifies navigation jumps between rooms.
3. Use the Indolent Key and clear the first mini-boss
Return to the main center of the Slab and locate the lower-right locked door. Use the Indolent Key to unlock it and step inside.
Engage the mini-boss encounter in this room. Focus on spacing and patience; you are still light on gear, so avoid greedy strings.
After the fight, exit to the right to reach an exterior vertical wall. This wall leads toward the route with the tricky gap.
4. Make the tricky rightward jump (the “bottom rock” setup)
Climb the right-hand wall until you can see the ledge across a spike pit. Resist the impulse to launch from the top of the wall; the angle is wrong.
Slowly slide down the wall until Hornet’s feet align with the last small rock nub. This lower takeoff point gives the needed horizontal clearance.
Jump across and immediately dash to the right mid-air. Executed from the bottom nub, this jump reaches the opposing wall without hitting spikes.
From the far side, look for a left-facing notch that serves as a shortcut back to the bench. Hit the blockage to open the return path for future attempts.
5. Earn the Heretic Key and open the upper route
With the jump cleared, keep ascending through this right-side path. Scan for narrow ledges and small footholds as the geometry tightens.
Defeat the multi-enemy “mob” encounter near the top to obtain the Heretic Key. This key opens the next critical gate toward your gear.
6. Reclaim your equipment and fight out
Use your keys to open the remaining locked gate(s) and head toward the tall vertical shaft on the far right. Take it to the top to find the leftward passage.
Move left through the chilly corridor and drop back down into the thieves’ section. Your Needle and cloak are retrieved in this sequence.
Clear the final escape battle after your gear is returned. Once you exit the Slab, activate nearby transport as soon as you find it to reduce future backtracking.
Optional (lore/NPC): Near the first mini-boss’s door, play your Needolin inside the doorway to draw out the Old Penitent. Speak to him for optional dialogue once you have the song ability.
Known issue — Cloak missing after the final wave (official fix)
If you die at the exact moment you kill the final wave, you may respawn outside the Slab without your cloak and be unable to re-enter the gear room. This is a known issue listed on the game’s official Help page (hollowknightsilksong.com/help).
Use the Auto Save feature on the Select Profile screen to roll back to the “Caged” auto save. Be aware that restoring an auto save overwrites the current slot and requires replaying the escape.
On Steam or GOG, you can switch to the public-beta branch, load your save, and save again to restore your cloak immediately. The permanent fix is scheduled for the next patch and will retroactively restore missing gear on load.
Tips for smoother runs and troubleshooting
Treat the right-side gap as a precision wall-slide setup rather than a speed check. Sliding to the lowest nub before jump+dash is the difference between making it and faceplanting into spikes.
Prioritize securing the bench and the hidden map as early as you can. Both cut repeat travel time and reduce the cost of mistakes while you learn the route.
If nothing seems to trigger in the expected Deep Docks room before the Slab sequence, check Bilewater or Moorgray for the abduction event. The encounter appears in multiple regions and only one location will be active in your file.
Once the keys are handled and the jump is nailed, the rest of the Slab flows quickly—grab your gear and get back to the hunt.
