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Ride the Styx Into Hell
Subnautica: Below Zero

Ride the Styx Into Hell

Navigate the treacherous Blood Kelp Zone and Lost River to reach the Inactive Lava Zone. Discover crucial upgrades, face dangerous leviathans, and find valuable Ion Cubes.

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Navigate the treacherous Blood Kelp Zone and Lost River to reach the Inactive Lava Zone. Discover crucial upgrades, face dangerous leviathans, and find valuable Ion Cubes.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Locate an entrance to the Blood Kelp Zone. The northwestern entrance near Lifepod 2 is recommended for its size, though it has an adult Ghost Leviathan. The western trench is narrower and predator-free. Both lead to the same destination.
  2. 2
    Descend into the caves and navigate towards a bright, green biome: the Lost River. Be cautious of corrosive green brine pools. Scan skeletons for lore and gather Nickel to upgrade your Cyclops and Prawn Suit depth modules. Your Cyclops can currently only handle up to 900m depth.
  3. 3
    Continue navigating the Lost River, seeking a way deeper. Look for an area with harmless glowing blue pools and a large, unique tree. Proceed past this tree to find the next area.
  4. 4
    Descend further to reach the Inactive Lava Zone. This area contains molten lava that is lethal. Do NOT enter without your Prawn Suit, as even proximity can cause damage.
  5. 5
    Find a large, circular cavern with a central mountain-like structure. Locate the entrance within this mountain. Your Cyclops cannot fit, but your Prawn Suit can. Craft any necessary tablets (e.g., Purple Tablet) before entering.
  6. 6
    Inside the mountain cave, beware of Sea Dragon Leviathans, which are extremely aggressive, lethal, and can attack with fireballs. Use slow movement and silent running on your Cyclops to avoid detection.
  7. 7
    Once inside the mountain structure, collect any Ion Cubes you find. If you have the Prawn Suit with a drill arm, utilize the Ion Cube mining node within.
  8. 8
    Locate two doors requiring a Purple Tablet. One contains a Blue Tablet, and the other holds blueprints for the Ion Battery and Ion Power Cell, which have five times the capacity of standard cells. Craft these upgrades for your Prawn Suit and Cyclops. Save one Ion Cube to craft a Blue Tablet for later use.
  9. 9
    After gathering necessary items, exit the mountain and return to your Cyclops. Search for a deeper path. If you can't find one, a pit north of the mountain has a tunnel in its wall leading to another lava area.
  10. 10
    Find a large cavern containing another leviathan and an Alien base. Dock your Cyclops near the base. Use two Blue Tablets to enter the base via the Prawn Suit.
  11. 11
    Inside the base, find a respawning Ion Cube node. Explore doors to the left and right for lore and scanables. The door directly ahead is a moonpool requiring a Blue Tablet to open. Diagonal doors lead to Alien Arches that act as teleporters when an Ion Cube is placed on their pedestal.
  12. 12
    Proceed through the forcefield door into the moonpool. Stay put to witness an event. Sink lower in the water to get a better view.
Tips
  • The northwestern Blood Kelp Zone entrance is easier to navigate initially but has a Ghost Leviathan.
  • Gather Nickel in the Lost River immediately to upgrade depth modules.
  • The Prawn Suit is essential for navigating the Inactive Lava Zone and the mountain cave.
  • Sea Dragon Leviathans are extremely dangerous; use stealth and slow movement to avoid them.
  • Ion Batteries and Power Cells offer significantly longer operational times.
  • Save at least one Ion Cube to craft a Blue Tablet for the final facility.
  • Ion Battery and Ion Power Cell blueprints.
  • Access to Ion Cube mining nodes and a respawning Ion Cube node in the Alien base.
  • Lore and scanables within the Alien base.

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