WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Resident Evil Village, available now.
Resident Evil Village sees Ethan Winters make his way through a small European village in search of his daughter Rose, who has been split apart and placed in four separate flasks. Each flask has been taken by one of the village's four mutant lords, who guard them under orders from Mother Miranda.
After finally defeating the revolting Salvatore Moreau, players make their way back to Moreau's hideout to obtain the next piece of the winged key. Upon doing so, the nearby television sparks into life. Heisenberg has a new challenge for the player.
A New Challenge
Heisenberg wants to test you. He challenges you to enter The Stronghold, an area teeming with Lycans where he has hidden his flask. First, you'll need to make your way back to the village. Return to the reservoir elevator and take it back up to the windmill. If you desire, you can now use the newly obtained crank to unlock the door in the windmill's yard before continuing.
This area contains the Mermaid Ball needed to complete Moreau's labyrinth and the M1851 Wolfsbane magnum. When ready, follow the path back down into the village, the same one you used to enter the windmill area originally. Upon doing so, you'll be greeted by some very useful (and ominous) directions.
Following the Signs
You won't need to worry about getting lost, Heisenberg has made your next destination abundantly clear. The towering signs will lead you directly to the entrance to The Stronghold, the door to the area requiring you to use your newly obtained Six-Winged Unborn Key to unlock. Before heading down the path Heisenberg has laid out, you may head to the left of the "Good Luck" sign to locate Otto's Mill. Here you can battle a deadly Uriaș Drac mini-boss in order to access Cannibal's Plunder, which houses rare treasure and a stash of meat.
Alternatively, feel free to use the crank to lower the drawbridge on The Lone Road to take the boat to a few secret areas for treasure and other goodies, including the rare Golden Fish and a foregrip for the W870 TAC. Follow the signage to continue towards The Stronghold when you're ready, but be prepared for an ambush.
The Gauntlet Begins
The path towards The Stronghold is home to many Lycans guarding the area. The moment you step forward past the bridge between the rocks, they will attack. Take your time and scavenge the area for ammunition and scrap. Pressing onwards, you will again be ambushed by Lycans. Archers will fire on you from the ruins, so the sniper rifle will be useful in dealing with them. You'll need to ascend the ruins via the spiral ramp, dealing with Lycans as they appear both in front of and behind you.
When you reach the top, you'll see a closed gate ahead. You will need to pull two levers on either side of the gate in order to open it. Ascend the stairs to the left of the gate and pull the first lever. This will trigger another Lycan ambush, so deal with them before rushing for the next lever. Take note of the explosive barrels in the area and use them if needed. When the last of the wolf-like monsters has fallen, head to the other side of the gate and pull the second lever, unlocking it. Enter the large doors ahead of you to reach The Stronghold. A save point is located in the entryway so be sure to use it after collecting the goodies in the area.
Into The Stronghold
The next room is a large arena with multiple levels of elevation. The challenge begins in earnest here. Take note of the explosive barrels at the other end of the room and in the pit below before making your way inside. Soon you will be utterly swarmed by Lycans. Fend them off and make your way to the other end of the room. It's recommended to run across as quickly as possible, as the Lycans will spawn indefinitely, so don't waste all your ammunition attempting to kill them all. At the other end of the room, hop on the zipline and take it across the gap before heading up the stairs to the next level.
More Lycans will spawn, so clear them off the bridge so you can cross unimpeded. Follow the path around to the exit, where another pack awaits you, led by an Armored Lycan. Try firing off a round from the grenade launcher or throwing a Pipe Bomb to clear the group, or at least, remove the armor from the head of the pack. With the group dead, exit the room through the doors behind them and take a little break from the carnage. Gather resources from the area and head down the staircase. You'll squeeze through a tight gap where many more Lycans will be visible before reaching another save point.
Urias
The next area is a mini-boss battle with Uriaș, the giant hammer-wielding Lycan from the introductory segment in the village. Uriaș is able to leap great distances and will swing his hammer wildly, so be sure to observe his behavior in order to predict his next attack. If the monstrosity walks towards one of the pillars in the room, then he plans to lift it out of the ground and throw it at you. Hiding behind the other pillar is the best strategy in order to avoid damage from this attack. Lay into the beast with shotgun shells and explosives. The magnum will also deal exceptional damage but it is always a good idea to conserve magnum rounds until absolutely necessary due to their scarcity.
After dealing enough damage to him, Uriaș will call down several other Lycans to assist in the battle. Be careful not to get pinned by one, as a follow-up from the behemoth is inevitable and can deal incredible damage. If you're clever, you can manipulate Uriaș into killing the Lycans himself as he swings at you. Alternatively, group the minions up with Uriaș and use an explosive to blow them all away. After finally felling the creature, grab the Crystal Hammer and move on.
Escaping With the Flask
The next room contains a mass of crystals (that may or may not be the remains of various Megamycete hosts). Take a moment to locate the glowing spots and shoot them to drop some valuable crystal fragments, as well as locate some others placed on formations on either side of you. Moving forward, you will finally come across the last flask, and Heisenberg is apparently impressed. He will once again contact you through the nearby television, tasking you with placing all the flasks back at the altar in order to meet with him.
Grab Guglielmo's Plate from the next room and hop in the boat, taking it to the next dock by the ladder. Before leaving, feel free to head down the nearby passage for some ammo and a clue to the location of the elusive Golden Fish, but be prepared to deal with a small group of Moroaică if you do. Climbing the ladder will place you in the locked mausoleum next to the church. Make your way over to The Duke to sell all your new loot and prepare to face Heisenberg's Factory.