There are plenty of secrets to uncover in Elden Ring's Shadow Realm. FromSoftware gives away very little (or nothing) in Shadow of the Erdtree, and finding secrets requires exploring every corner of this new world. Of course, the rewards don't always live up to the challenge.
One of the best rewards for exploration in the entire DLC is found in the Shadow Fortress. The rewards are an optional boss, 5 Shadow Tree Fragments to increase your power in the DLC and the possibility of unlocking a path to the green area in the northeast (Interior and Stone Fingers Hill).
You must first remove the water from the flooded area of the fortress using a large lever, and then before you go down to the area where there was water before, explore the opposite side of that level. You will find an elevator. You can't miss it.
The starting point is the Grace called “Warehouse, Loft”. It's right after the elevator I mentioned. Now comes the tricky part: you have to go through the castle beams looking for a staircase that takes you to the other side of the area, as I show you in the video in the post. If you get past that hell, you'll just have to take another couple of elevators and you'll reach another Grace (Shadow Keep, Back Door) and the entrance to the boss.
You'll see a small chapel on the right. Use the “Oh, Mother” gesture in front of the statue of Marika to unlock another path, but don't go through it. Defeat the boss Commander Gaitus (it is not excessively difficult) and then continue north to the Chalice of the Shadow TreeThere you will find the 5 fragments you need to become a little more powerful.
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