The Night Realm walkthrough: Inkfish, Night Essence, and base potential

Field Complaint

I keep dying when I try to explore the Night Realm. How do I even get there safely?

Validated Response

The Night Realm is a distorted mirror of the Security Sector, and you get there through gateways created by the IS-0059 Reaper — yes, that creepy scythe-wielding cloaked figure you have been avoiding. Kill it or hit it with an X-Ray Lamp and it drops Night Essence, then the gateway opens. Once inside, the environment feels oddly calm compared to the main facility, with unique flora and fauna that do not immediately try to murder you. The main attractions are the Inkfish swimming in the central ink well — you need a Night Helmet equipped before you even think about casting a line, and there is no bait available for them so just cast and hope. Regular Inkfish have about a 40% Night Essence drop chance, and the rare Sable variant drops even more. You will also find four Night Essence pickups scattered as loot around the realm. Bring Nightspheres to create exit portals and clear Clinging Shadows that latch onto you. For efficient farming, treat this like a speedrun loop: enter through a portal, sprint to the Reaper spawn areas, grab the Night Essence, exit, repeat. With good pathing you can average one Night Essence every 30 seconds, which blows the Reaper fight out of the water for consistency. Here is the kicker nobody mentions: there is a GATE power box near the entrance, and some players consider the Night Realm one of the best base locations in the entire game because it is tranquil, defensible, and free from the constant portal storm nonsense of the main facility. You can also grab Snag Vine Seeds while you are there, and the IS-0059 Sigil is craftable from Night Essence materials. Pack a Night Helmet, some Nightspheres, and a Fishing Rod, and the Night Realm goes from death trap to your personal resource spa.

Summary

The Night Realm is calm, lucrative, and possibly the best base location in the game. Bring a Night Helmet and fish the ink pool.

Prerequisites

• Access the Security Sector where the IS-0059 Reaper creates gateways
• Craft or find a Night Helmet for Inkfish encounters
• Carry empty Test Tubes for anomaly collection

Recommended Loadout

• Night Helmet (required for Inkfish)
• X-Ray Lamp for Reaper encounters
• Empty Test Tubes for anomaly hunting

Step-by-Step Route

1. Enter the Night Realm through gateways created by the IS-0059 Reaper in the Security Sector
2. The environment is a distorted, oddly calm reflection of the Security Sector — treat it as a separate zone
3. Fish the central ink well for Inkfish — 40% Night Essence drop rate per catch, requires Night Helmet, no bait available
4. Collect the four Night Essence pickups scattered as loot around the realm
5. Farm efficiently by entering/exiting through portals and running to Reaper spawn areas — one essence per 30 seconds with good pathing
6. Build a base near the GATE power box — many players consider this the best base location due to the area's tranquility
7. Collect Snag Vine Seeds from the realm for advanced crafting recipes

Common Mistakes

• Entering without a Night Helmet and dying to ambient hazards before reaching the ink pool
• Trying to brute-force the IS-0059 Reaper with melee instead of Energy Pistol or X-Ray Lamp
• Forgetting that the Night Realm has a GATE power box — missing a premium base building opportunity