| Playing: 'Castle Corridor' |

You'll start off in a corridor, and your first foes are Zombies. Remember, Soma's starting dagger has a really short reach, so you'll want to use your Winged Skeleton soul if you have it, but keep an eye on your MP. Stick around and fight these Zombies for a bit; there's a decent chance you'll get their soul. The Zombie soul is an Attribute soul, meaning it's always active and actually makes you *stronger* when poisoned. Pretty neat, huh?

Continue heading right. You'll enter an area that might look familiar if you're a Castlevania veteran. Here, you'll find Bats hanging out to the right. This is a great spot to farm them because you can easily re-enter the room from the left. Take them down to get the Bat soul, which is an Attack soul that fires sonic waves.

Just below where the bats were, you'll find your very first weapon: the Short Sword. Grab it immediately! It boosts your Attack power and, more importantly, gives you much-needed range. While I personally enjoy the challenge of close-range combat, having more reach is always a good thing early on.

Head downwards from the Short Sword. You'll see a door to your left. You can go in if you want, but there's nothing for us there right now, so we'll skip it. To the right, you'll find a fountain area with plenty of Mermen. This is another good spot to farm for souls. Make sure to break the center candle here to get the Grave Keeper soul. This is a super useful Attack soul that lets you backdash by pressing 'L'. Keep fighting the Mermen until you get their soul, which lets you fire a water pistol.

The room to the right of the Mermen is a Save Room. Definitely use it to save your progress and fully restore your HP and MP. Once you're ready, head UP from the fountain area. Make your way to the top of the room to grab the Cape, your first accessory.

Now, enter the upper-right room. Here you'll encounter the Skeleton enemy. They'll throw bones at you, and if you let them, they'll even detach their heads to use as projectiles! They also have an Attack soul: the Skeleton soul, which lets you throw bones.

Move past the Skeleton room. You'll find another new enemy: the Axe Armor. There's also a Skull Archer above the first Axe Armor, hidden behind a second one, but you can't reach that area yet. This is an okay place to try and get the Axe Armor soul, but honestly, the Skull Archer soul is better farmed elsewhere. Just a heads-up, with our current low Luck stat, getting the Axe Armor soul can be a real pain. The souls are: Axe Armor (throws axes) and Skull Archer (fires enchanted arrows).

Your only option now is to head through the BOSS DOOR on the right. Make sure you've saved your game, because it's time for your first boss fight!

Boss Battle: Creaking Skull
This is your first boss! Don't let it intimidate you. Your Winged Skeleton soul is great here; aim for the top of its head for multiple hits before it vanishes. Just watch out for its two main attacks.

• Fireball: The boss charges up energy in its ribcage and shoots a fireball. It's pretty easy to dodge or jump over, so try not to get hit.

Bone Slam: It slams down the giant bone it carries. It has a good range, so back away when you see it preparing this move. You can't duck this one, so distance is key!

After you defeat the Creaking Skull, an energy orb will appear. Grab it to refill your HP and MP. You can also check the Bestiary to confirm that the Creaking Skull does indeed have a soul you can collect. Don't worry if you didn't get it right away; you won't miss out on it forever if the boss doesn't drop it immediately.