The Witcher: Monster Slayer's second quest is a protracted treasure hunt that will lead you into the lair of a mythical Gargoyle King.
Entitled "A Joint Venture," the mission opens with you negotiating with a merchant named Thorstein, who has received a tip-off about some valuable loot hidden nearby. He agrees to share the wealth with you on the condition that you take care of all the fighting and the dangerous parts of the journey, while he just watches from the sidelines.
As this is an Augmented Reality (AR) game in the vein of Pokemon Go, you must physically head outdoors to find the elusive treasure. Specifically, you will need to follow a waypoint that Thorstein has marked on your map, which will take you to a riddle that needs solving. Newsweek has already prepared a guide on how to crack this puzzle.
Once you have done that, Thorstein will translate some ancient runes that outline your next steps. According to the cryptic message, you must now track down the ancient "Gargoyle King"—who is protecting the treasure you seek—and challenge him to a duel.
'A Joint Venture' Walkthrough: Find the Gifts for the Gargoyle King
After completing the stone monolith puzzle, your map will automatically be updated with four separate markers. One of these signifies where you can find the Gargoyle King himself, while the other three represent gifts that you can offer to appease him.
All four waypoints should spawn right next to each other, so you do not need to venture too far to collect them. If they are not close enough—or if they have randomly generated in an area that is inaccessible— you do have the option to "relocate" them in your journal.
We recommend finding all three artifacts (the heart, the sword and the crown) before you speak with the Gargoyle King. The reason for this is that, when you approach each of the gift altars, you will be ambushed by a wraith that is relatively easy to defeat. Not only will you get some XP for defeating these ghosts but, if you manage to defeat all three, then will be able to claim a bonus ability point from the bestiary.
Finding the heart and the crown offerings should be fairly straightforward, but when you arrive at the sword altar you will discover that the last gift is missing. It transpires that the blade has already been stolen by another would-be adventurer. You needn't worry though, as the sword will turn up momentarily.
'A Joint Venture' Walkthrough: Which Gift Should You Bestow to the Gargoyle King
With the heart and crown offerings in your possession, you can now head on over to the Gargoyle King.
When you arrive at the monster's dwelling, you will find the skeletal remains of the aforementioned treasure hunter with the missing sword lying right next to him. The implication here is that your predecessor obviously failed whatever test the Gargoyle King had in store.
Speaking of which, you will now have to decide which of the three offerings you want to present to the Gargoyle King. A riddle indicates that you must look over the crown, the sword and the heart and decide which of them is most regal.
If you make the wrong decision, it is not the end of the world, as your mistake will only trigger another wraith encounter. In other words, you will not fail the quest.
As per Indiana Jones logic, the sword and the crown are there to mislead those who think that a king should rule with an iron fist. Instead, the conclusion that you are supposed to draw at is that a good leader should consult their heart, so that is the offering you need to make here.
'A Joint Venture' Walkthrough: Fighting the Gargoyle King'
By choosing wisely, you have proven yourself worthy enough to challenge the Gargoyle King in one-on-one combat.
The stone warrior is actually quite formidable, but if you go in prepared with the right loadout then he can be defeated. You should definitely prioritize crafting some elementa oil, as this will give you a significant damage buff in the fight. Meanwhile, he is also vulnerable to dimeritium bombs which you can purchase from the in-game store using gold coins.
Finally, make sure you are using heavy blows, as the Gargoyle King barely flinches at quick strikes. Only by using strong attacks will you be able fill his stagger bar to the point where you can land a critical hit. On that note, make sure you are also deflecting his projectile vomit and melee strikes so that your progress does not reset.
If you use a combination of dimeritium bombs, the Igni sign, and critical hits, you should be able to vanquish this daunting adversary and complete the quest.
The Witcher: Monster Slayer is available now on iOS and Android devices. If you are looking for general pointers on how to defeat the toughest enemies, prepare for fights or level up more quickly, check out our tips and tricks guide.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
