Once Melinoë realizes she’s not only required in the depths of Tartarus but also at Mount Olympus itself, heading up there becomes her next task. Here’s how you can head up to the Surface in Hades 2.
How to Travel to the Surface in Hades 2
You need to complete the Permeation of Witching-Wards incantation before traveling to the surface. Before you can obtain this spell, you have to meet certain conditions first, which include:
- Speaking with Hecate at the encampment about Hermes (the messenger).
- Mentioning Hermes and his mission to Charon at least once.
- Meeting Hermes himself at the start of a run.
- Getting past Hecate right after meeting Hermes.
- Start another run, then finally reach Hecate once again.
Melinoë must first be aware of Hermes and his mission as a spy in Olympus, then discuss it with Hecate and Charon, who are also involved in the plans against Chronos. You might also get a scene of Charon visiting the encampment and mentioning Hermes, but it’s unclear if that’s necessary for Hermes to show up.
Keep making new attempts until Hermes finally shows up to you at the start of a run. I got him around my seventh run, right after reaching (and dying at) the Fields of Mourning for the first time. Progression might be relevant to making the God reveal himself to Melinoë, due to how difficult the Surface’s enemies are.
Related: How to Get Obol Points in Hades 2
Once you get Hermes boon, your next Hecate dialogue in this same run will be about him. Continue your run as usual, and during the next attempt, you get another string of dialogue mentioning the Surface. This dialogue unlocks the Permeation of Witching-Wards incantation, which will unlock the gates to the surface for you once and for all.
The incantation asks for:
- x1 Cinder
- x1 Shadow
- x3 Moly
You should have a spare Cinder from beating Hecate, and you can find Moly by harvesting them from Erebus. However, Shadow is a more obscure item. No pun intended.
How to Get Shadow in Hades 2
Shadow cannot be obtained anywhere on your way to the Underworld. Instead, open your inventory and look for the Shadow stack, which should be at zero. Once you do, Melinoë will trigger a new voiceline about extracting Pure Shadow. After hearing it, return to the encampment and interact with the Cauldron. A new tab will reveal itself, where you can now brew Shadow.
The recipe itself uses:
- x30 Ash
- x30 Psyche
- x3 Fate Fabric
All these items can be obtained either from exploring the Underworld, through the Wretched Broker or by exchanging your Obol Points. Using your points is the easiest, cheapest way to get exactly 3 Fate Fabrics, but you’ll need to wait for a whooping 60 Time until they arrive. In other words, keep playing until you manage to clear a total of 60 rooms. Alternatively, simply buy everything from the Broker with your Bones.
With everything in your hands, you can immediately brew your Shadow. However, the recipe also takes 12 Time to complete. Another run it is, I guess.
But once this is finally done, you can finally cast the incantation and reveal the path to the surface in Hades 2. When walking outside the training camp, head up to the previously locked passage instead of down to visit the realm of living.
Be aware that enemies are much tougher there than usual, being comparable to Fields of Mourning or even Tartarus opponents. Make sure to come prepared with your best weapons, as this area is essential to keep following the main storyline.
