Throughout Hornet’s journey in Hollow Knight Silksong, you’ll encounter numerous NPCs with unique quests, often rewarding valuable tools or upgrades that enhance your combat and exploration capabilities. One such memorable quest is the Alchemists Assistant Silksong quest. This quest, reminiscent of the original Hollow Knight, takes Hornet deep into the Wormways, where a curious bug obsessed with Plasmium, also known as Lifeblood, needs your help to collect samples.

Although it may appear simple at first, the Hollow Knight Silksong Alchemists Assistant quest has some risks involved. You'll be traversing downward and upward tunnels, eluding hostile mobs, and conserving your gear to collect all three Plasmium buds. Here is a step-by-step guide through the whole process: how to unlock the quest, collect all three Plasmium buds, return the buds to the alchemist, and receive your reward.

How to Start the Alchemists Assistant Quest

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Get Started

To start the Alchemists Assistant Silksong quest, the initial step is to get a Simple Key, which opens the door to where Alchemist Zylotol can be found. Although Pharloom has several Simple Keys, the most accessible one to obtain is bought from the Bone Bottom vendor for 500 Rosary beads. It is an early-game expense but well worth it given the payoffs. You will also need the Cling Grip ability, which can be purchased in Shellwood. It is not possible to go vertically through the Wormways otherwise, so make sure Hornet has the ability before you try the quest. With that taken care of, go west from Mosshome to the entrance of the Wormways. The walk involves crossing a chasm by jumping over two hanging cages suspended in mid-air and then moving west until you can find a locked door. Open it with your Simple Key, which takes you to the Wormways. This is where actual exploration comes in. Once inside, move up through the zone, ascending vertical shafts and tiny platforms, until you reach the end. There, in the hidden alcove, you will encounter Alchemist Zylotol, who formally assigns the task to you and provides you with the tool you will use to gather the Plasmium buds.

Harvesting the Plasmium Buds

After receiving the quest from Zylotol, your task is to locate three Plasmium buds scattered throughout the Wormways. Zylotol provides a tool that functions as a red tool in your inventory. Equip it at a nearby bench and activate it similarly to other red tools, like the Sting Shard. This tool is essential for safely gathering the Plasmium buds.

Plasmium Bud 1

The initial bud is visible in the room below Zylotol's position. If you descend, you can observe worms pouring out from the floor, attempting to attack Hornet. The enemies are not very powerful, but they will overwhelm you rapidly if you fail to eliminate them. The fast slash attacks are highly effective in dealing with these enemies, particularly when you apply the Crest of the Wanderer, which boosts your frequency and speed of attack. Surprisingly, some worms will be damaged if you hit them and can heal in battle. They simply respawn nonstop, though, so you have to be careful in movement and not get pinned down. When you arrive at the bud, use the red tool to grab it, then equip it to continue deeper into the Wormways for the second bud.

Plasmium Bud 2

Plasmium's second bud is located at the bottom of the Wormways, where the ground begins to visually blend into Moss Grotto. Continue east on the green-hued hallways, and you can access the bud after a brief passageway. Harvesting this bud also finds a nearby shortcut that leads back to the Moss Grotto. This is a handy finding, as it allows for quicker travel back, or whenever you must recover health and silk regenerating in between picking up the buds. The Wormways are slippery and dangerous, with deadly enemies and challenging platforming. Make use of the Cling Grip and Silk Soar moves to travel safely and avoid harm. Having set up the second bud, proceed to the southwest chamber for the third bud.

Plasmium Bud 3

The last bud is found in the far southwest room of the wormways. It is the biggest of the three and contains more environmental dangers, such as spikes and shafts that need to be perfectly timed to get through. The bud itself is found along the left border of the room, just a little past the entrance of the westmost region. The acquisition of this last bud rounds out your collection of Plasmium samples. Now, ensure that you obtain all three buds before returning to Alchemist Zylotol. If one gets lost, the quest cannot proceed, so be careful exploring.

Returning to Alchemist Zylotol

Once you've bought all three of the Plasmium buds, return to the top of the Wormways to Zylotol. Top up your Silk and health at the bench nearby before ascending. Returning to the alchemist completes the quest and grants you a top-level gadget: the Plasmium Phial.

Quest Rewards

The Plasmium Phial is a red, physical item that provides Hornet with an additional temporary cloak of health. The item has three uses per charge, and you recharge it in your reserve slots when you are relaxing at a bench. The Phial will function for you twenty times before it must be recharged. Once you have expended it, you can refill by going to Zylotol and selling or trading Rosary beads for more charges. This item is worth its salt when utilized in difficult areas of Silksong, giving you a safeguard against taking damage in close platforming areas or hard-hitting combat fights. Not only do you gain a useful combat edge by completing the Hollow Knight Silksong Alchemists Assistant quest, but you also gain access to areas of the Wormways that were otherwise inaccessible and could potentially have other collectibles or shortcuts to visit further.

Tips Beyond the Alchemists Assistant Quest

Pre-prepare the red tool in advance: The red tool provided by Zylotol will be needed to pluck Plasmium buds. Try making do without it, if you can. Use the Cling Grip in moderation: The Wormways are plagued by frustrating vertical movement. The Cling Grip will allow you to cling to walls and get to areas that you might otherwise not have been able to get to. Eliminate enemies slowly: The worms inside the rooms are not strong, but they will recover. Kill them slow, one at a time, not getting overwhelmed. Use benches: There are many benches along your way. Use these to recover silk and health, as you will need both to safely move around and to fight. Plan your journey: Wormways can appear to be a maze, and the journey from the buds to Zylotol will be time-efficient and stress-free.

Conclusion

The Alchemists Assistant Silksong quest is a classic representation of Silksong's combination of discovery, battle, and reward. It begins with a simple locked door in the Wormways, but before long, it is a multi-stage challenge that pushes Hornet's skills and your own mastery of the game's tools to their limits. From crawling up vertically rising shafts and dodging attack-holding worms to gathering three Plasmium buds and bringing them back to Alchemist Zylotol, the mission is edge-of-the-seat stuff from beginning to end. By acquiring the Hollow Knight Silksong Alchemists Assistant quest, the players are rewarded with the Plasmium Phial, a red high-damage weapon that would go a long way in helping to survive tougher fights throughout the game. It is also fulfilling in discovery, opening up secret paths and shortcuts throughout the Wormways, and fulfilling the internal mechanics of the game, i.e., exploration and finesse. Whether completionist or just seeking a level-grinding piece of equipment to enhance Hornet's survivability, Alchemists Assistant Silksong is a tough but rewarding part of your Pharloom journey.