Reaching your second milestone in AION 2 requires a mix of dungeon crawling, stealthy infiltration, and intense boss fights. If you are looking to unlock your full potential as an Arch Daeva, this aion 2 ascension guide will walk you through every step from Pilgrim’s Ridge to the final trial. The journey is long, but hitting that next power spike makes every tough encounter inside the Bulwark entirely worth it.
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- Finding the Missing Merchant
- Conquering the Krao Cave Dungeon
- Helping Bao and Finding Clues
- Clashing with Astin Mercenaries
- Infiltrating the Aullaeu Camp
- Uncovering the Secret Key
- Activating the Altar
- Navigating Urugugu Canyon
- Visiting Zumion Village
- Completing the Second Ascension Quest
Finding the Missing Merchant
Once you finish your first Ascension, find Caelid waiting right outside the Illusion Oratory. He will send you to check on the temporary outpost over at Pilgrim’s Ridge. Once you arrive, chat with Caelid again to see what is going on.
The local Shugo merchants have been locked up. When you go to speak with them, a hostile pack of Aullaeu will ambush you. Beat these attackers, release Bao from his cage, and talk to him to plan your next move.
Bao needs a hand recovering his gear, so search the nearby merchant supplies to move the quest forward. Talk to Caelid and then back to Bao. He will point you toward Krao Cave to harvest Krao Ore, which is your ticket to meeting Kochi—the merchant rumored to have ties to the Priestess of the Illusion God.
Make your way over to the entrance of Krao Cave and talk to Dili, who is waiting just outside. Once you are prepped, click on the dungeon gate to step inside.
Conquering the Krao Cave Dungeon
Heads up: the Krao Cave run is a multiplayer dungeon. You can either matchmake to get grouped up with four other players or bring your own pre-made party of five to tackle the dangers inside.
You will run into several bosses as you clear the cave, but you do not actually need to slay all of them. To save time, just focus on the targets listed in your active quest tracker and bypass the optional ones.
Take down a Krao Mutant and look around for a Kibelisk. Unlike the massive statues you find out in the open world, the ones in this dungeon are much smaller and shaped like diamonds.
Only one person in your party needs to bind with the Kibelisk to register it. Once that is done, get ready to square off against either Enhanced Harcon or Neglected Gadioton.
Press on deeper into the caverns and defeat the Krao Seal Guardian. Make sure to bind with the nearby Kibelisk before moving forward, as you are about to face Ultimate Berk.
Ultimate Berk hits like an absolute truck, so stay alert. When you see him start to spin, drop everything and run out of range immediately. Avoid taking direct hits, chip away at his health, and once he falls, grab your rewards from the center cube and exit.
Tracking Down Kochi
Back outside, return to Bao at the temporary outpost. You will need to speak with Caelid next, then go back to Bao. There are two nearby Lugi beasts—interact with both of them to proceed.
You will have to escort Bao and his crew at a slow walking pace. Down the road, you will encounter five destroyed carriages. Search the crates scattered around each wreck to advance the quest.
Talk to Bao once you are done searching. An aggressive pack of Aullaeu will ambush you; defeat them, check back in with Bao, and cross the river to meet him at the Northern Shugo Station.
Bao will point you toward the nearby Shugo HQ. Head inside and look for Kochi, though he will give you the cold shoulder. Speak with Bao again, then consult with Caelid.
Make your way to the quest zone and hunt down at least eight Tolbas Gravi enemies. Once they are cleared, head back to the Shugo HQ tent, only to discover that Kochi has vanished.
It looks like someone kidnapped Kochi. Talk to Caelid and the other witnesses around the camp, then search the tent for clues. Once you have gathered everything, step outside and report back to Caelid.
Dealing with the Astin Mercenaries
Your search takes you to the Northern Tolbas Forest. Once you arrive, you will need to complete three quick objectives:
- Smash two Aullaeu Defense Totems
- Defeat six Tolbas Forest Konutin
- Inspect two leftover weapon remnants
Return to Shugo HQ to update Bao and Arin, then travel to the Southern Shugo Station to find Caelid. The area is overrun with hostile Astin Mercenaries, so you will need to take out at least eight of them.
Search the camp for a weapon rack and smash it to reveal a hidden mercenary watcher. Speak with him, then find Arin near the tent, who will instruct you to track down Astin at the Astin Mercenary Base Camp.
Walk over to the nearby base camp and confront Astin. He will refuse to talk, so go speak with Baison nearby instead. He will tip you off about Astin’s secret storage location.
At the secret storage site, a Tyrant Ursus will attack. Defeat the beast, dig through the stash of documents, and head back to Baison at the base camp. He will then direct you to the nearby Night Dew Cave.
Inside Night Dew Cave, you will find a dead Shugo and obvious signs of forbidden magic. Investigate the clues, speak with Phernos, and head back to confront Astin. He is gone, and Jade won’t tell you anything useful.
Head back to Bao at the Southern Shugo Camp. He will send you to a marked coordinate to clear out eight more Astin Mercenaries before you can regroup with him again.
You will learn the location of a black-market trade deal. Meet up with Caelid outside, step into the cavern, and you will find Astin working hand-in-hand with the Aullaeu.
Defeat the Aullaeu guards, rescue the caged Shugo, and speak with both Pai and Luteros. Leave the cave and meet Bao at the Eastern Shugo Station, where he will task you with destroying an Aullaeu Sorcery Totem nearby.
Report back to Bao to get your next objective: stealing enemy communications. Go to the marked spot in Aullaeu Village and search the supply crates to swipe the Aullaeu orders.
To blend in, you need to gather items for a disguise. Achieve this by completing these tasks:
- Defeat three Aullaeu Village Guards
- Defeat three Aullaeu Apprentice Shamans
- Search two baskets of goods to loot their helms
Take your materials back to Caelid on the village outskirts to put on your Aullaeu disguise. Walk safely into the village and talk with both the Aullaeu Sentinel and the Aullaeu Trainee.
Infiltrating the Aullaeu Village
Search three marked crates to read their guard logs, which reveal exactly where the Shugos are locked up. Head to the highlighted area and talk to the guard stationed near the prison cells.
Speak with the caged Shugo, then confront the guard. Defeat the local guards to secure the key, unlock the cell door, and then meet up with Bao near the village border.
Head over to the Root Cellar, speak with Caelid outside, and head inside. Use the localized Totems to easily defeat the Aullaeu forces blocking your path as you push deeper into a room packed with wooden crates.
Smash these wooden chests until you find the hidden Shugo. Keep pushing forward into the cellar until you encounter the Gatekeeper Pinopi boss. This giant relies on heavy, slow melee swings, so keep your distance when he winds up his signature spinning attack.
