Lesser Demon, Ctulhu.

Navigate the Alchemist Laboratory and Inverted Castle in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Learn strategies to defeat Lesser Demons, Ctulhu, and other enemies.

You will enter the Alchemist Laboratory after passing through the red door, leaving the Royal Chapel behind. Ahead is a familiar hallway with a greenish door that requires the JEWEL OF OPEN relic, which you should already possess.

The next room is a long vertical one. To the left is the boss room where Slogra and Gaibon were fought; however, we will bypass it for now. Ascend this room, similar to returning to the Normal Castle's starting point. You will encounter two Salem Witches, spellcasters that hurl fireballs. They take about four hits to defeat and have a noticeable charge-up time, making them relatively easy to dispatch. A save room is located on the top right, and your exit is through the door on the top left.

The subsequent room presents a challenge with Gremlins that leave trails of fire and mostly invisible Bitterflys. Patience is key to spotting the Bitterflys when they reveal themselves. On the left side of this room, you'll find a Salem Witch and a path below her. Take this lower path first before proceeding to the top left route.

This lower path leads to a dead-end where you can break a globe to obtain a Life Max Up. Return to the previous room and go left from where the Salem Witch spawned.

This empty room requires you to navigate platforms and exit through the door on the top left.

The next room is similar but contains two Salem Witches and a Gremlin. Focus on one enemy at a time. At the top of this room, before exiting, are two hidden rooms accessible by breaking walls. The top right wall hides a Heart Max Up, and the center top wall breaks to reveal a room where breaking the glass on a table yields a Katana. This two-handed sword increases damage output but leaves you vulnerable without a shield. Exit this secret room and proceed to the next room via the door on the left.

Upon entering this room, drop to the pathway below. You will encounter the slow but powerful Fire Demon. He is relatively easy to defeat and avoid. This pathway ends with a High Potion found in a glass on a table.

After collecting the High Potion, leave the room, ascend, and head left. You will encounter another Fire Demon and approximately 4-6 Lesser Demons. While fighting them is an option, using the Mist form to escape is also viable. Battling Lesser Demons is tricky due to collision damage; each requires 5-6 hits to defeat. The path to take is the bottom left doorway below the save room. This is the room where you broke a barricade with a cannon to obtain the unique basilard sword. The room after this, which previously housed an elevator, is now filled with Imps. Drop down and hug the right corner or use Mist form to land on a section halfway down. Here, you will obtain the Goddess Shield, which has no special effect on its own but is used with the Shield Rod. Leave this room, return to the room with the Lesser Demons, and ascend to the Save Room.

After saving, exit the Save Room and use the platforms below to reach the top right side of the room. Here, you will encounter two Lesser Demons and a Ctulhu. The glass on the table contains a Manna Prism. Exit this room through the top left pathway.

In the next room, you will face more Lesser Demons and Ctulhu. The glass on the right holds a Resist Dark consumable item. Exit this room through the red door on the left to enter the Inverted Castle Beginning.