Chapter 4, Act 4: Cataclysm’s Quickening - Genshin Impact Guide - IGN (2024)

Genshin Impact’s fourth Fontaine Archon Quest, Cataclysm's Quickening, picks up immediately after the previous one, as you finally have solid leads on what happened to Childe. This walkthrough will take you through the rest of the investigation inside the Fortress of Meropide.

Lyney contacts you with another card right after you find out that you need Frminet’s help to follow Childe’s escape route – it’s perfect timing, really.

Jump to a Section:

• Into the Deepwater Murk
• The Truth Shrouded in Shadow
• Secret Keepers and Forbidden Zones
• Calamitous Tread
• A Moment's Respite

Into the Deepwater Murk

It’s the monthly free day inside the fortress, and your first task is to investigate a bit more by eavesdropping at all three marked spots on the cafeteria level.

Two inmates, Cuistot and Laverune, will provide useful information about Jurieu and Lourvine – a man and woman who frequent the infirmary. And another man, Bavilliers, reveals that Wriothesley was once an inmate himself.

Head over to the upper production zone to meet Lyney after those three conversations. In preparation for the dive, Lyney will contact and assist Freminet while you investigate the infirmary.

The game automatically takes you to the infirmary and has the Traveler take a strange potion to purposefully get sick. They then spot a secret hatch on the floor while Sigewinne, Lourvine, and Jurieu help with the fake sickness. Return to the dormitories after Sigewinne gives you your meds.

Time will then fast-forward all the way to the ninth day Lyney spoke about earlier, bringing an end to the first part of this quest.

Completion Rewards:

• x3 Hero’s Wit
• x775 Adventure EXP
• x34,075 Mora
• x6 Mystic Enhancement Ore

The Truth Shrouded in Shadow

Walk along the marked path to find Lyney in the upper production zone. Then, head back to the infirmary to check on Lynette’s investigation progress. Nobody’s in the infirmary at all, so it’s time to look for clues.

Check the desk on the left side of the room, the bed in the middle of the room, and the hatch on the right side of the room. All three spots are already marked.

It seems as though Wriothesley knew about your plans all along, possibly allowing both Freminet and Lynette to investigate before making them disappear. Lyney rushes to find the Duke and it’s revealed that Sigewinne might’ve overheard the entire conversation.

You’ll then get a flashback to Sigewinne’s perspective of the infirmary incident from the first part of the quest. Follow Lyney after the flashback, then float down to Wriothesley's office on the cafeteria floor.

Wriothesley confirms your suspicions as soon as you arrive – he knows where the missing siblings are, and he wants to meet Arlecchino face-to-face. To save Lynette and Freminet, you need to correctly answer three questions.

Here’s the list of clues you need to choose, in order, for each answer:

1. Second clue, first clue, third clue
2. Sixth clue, second clue, fourth clue

Before the third question can be answered, Lyney Tap to Reveal at Wriothesley before Sigewinne stops him. Two more characters appear to further complicate the situation, but you’ll find answers after speaking to Wriothesley and Lyney when everyone calms down.

Lynette reappears after the arrival of Freminet and Clorinde, and this whole situation has something to do with Primordial Seawater. Return to the infirmary to check on Freminet and learn about his experience first-hand.

You gain control of Freminet in a Domain to relive his adventure through the pipes. Float down to the bottom floor and follow the quest marker to a large room. Activate the marked device to lower the platform in front of you, then activate the next one to rotate the platform.

Once you’re on the top level of the room, activate the far device to rotate the platform, then activate the second device to raise the platform. Continue along the path, deeper into the pipes, to reach the water and begin your dive.

After swimming a short distance, Freminet will encounter the Primordial Seawater that he spoke about earlier, forcing you to swim back to the entrance as his health depletes. This part of the mission comes to an end after you return to the infirmary in the present.

Completion Rewards:

• x30 Primogems
• x5 Hero’s Wit
• x1,275 Adventure EXP
• x55,650 Mora
• x10 Mystic Enhancement Ore

Secret Keepers and Forbidden Zones

Make your way back to Wriothesley’s office to finally get some answers about what’s really going on inside the Fortress of Meropide. The Duke provides more details about the situation, but you’ll need to follow him to a hidden passage leading into the forbidden zone.

The meter in the room reads levels of Primordial Seawater, and you learn that the fortress Tap to Reveal. Jurieu and Lourvine were helping to solve this forbidden zone issue the entire time, which is why they seemed suspicious. Shockingly, they’ve been recruited to build Tap to Reveal as a solution to the impending release of Primordial Seawater.

Now, it’s up to you to convince Lyney that conflict should be avoided as Wriothesley works on his secret ship project.

Completion Rewards:

• x3 Hero’s Wit
• x850 Adventure EXP
• x36,825 Mora
• x7 Mystic Enhancement Ore

Calamitous Tread

Return to the infirmary yet again to find Lyney and share what you’ve just seen. But before you can share anything, Lyney figures out almost every major bit of info by himself. Head down to the cafeteria after the short chat to find Sigewinne and Clorinde. Then, head back up to the dormitories after dinner to finally get some rest.

There’s a commotion in the morning, and Cuistot and Laverune warn you that an evacuation is happening. Float down to Wriothesley’s office and enter the forbidden zone to trigger a cinematic cutscene.

You’re automatically transported out of the fortress after the scene, and Neuvillette is waiting for you on the surface. He tasks you with keeping Furina safe from The Knave, Arlecchino, as they’re about to have a meeting in the opera house. The meeting is about as awkward as you’d expect, with Furina acting more nervous than usual.

Eventually, the game will cut back to the fortress to show you how Neuvillette prevents the Primordial Seawater from flooding Fontaine. When you return to the meeting, you get to see Furina defend herself and make a few serious statements.

Follow Arlecchino when she leaves to have a private chat and see a few flashbacks from her perspective. It’s revealed that Furina Tap to Reveal, and the Hydro Archon Tap to Reveal.

Neuvillette returns as The Knave leaves, and another revelation arrives as this part of the quest ends – Tap to Reveal.

Completion Rewards:

• x4 Hero’s Wit
• x950 Adventure EXP
• x41,750 Mora
• x8 Mystic Enhancement Ore

A Moment’s Respite

Go back to the Fortress of Meropide to check up on everyone who’s still down there. Visit the Administrative Area entrance, the forbidden zone, the cafeteria, and the infirmary to hear four concluding conversations. Finally, return to Wriothesley’s office to have a chat with him.

Rest in the dormitories one last time to see a scene related to Childe, leaving us with more questions than answers as Act 4 ends.

Completion Rewards:

• x30 Primogems
• x1 Memory of Running Stream
• x3 Hero’s Wit
• x775 Adventure EXP
• x34,075 Mora
• x6 Mystic Enhancement Ore

We’ll have to wait until the next update to get the continuation of Fontaine’s storyline, but until then, be sure to check out our Neuvillette Story Quest walkthrough now that you’ve finished its prerequisites.