Boss Guide: Tenebrum (Chapter 4 — Scholastone Institute)

Tenebrum is a puzzle-style boss encountered during the "Gate to the Otherworld" main quest at the Scholastone Institute. Unlike every other boss in the game, Tenebrum is immune to all regular weapons — swords, arrows, and skills do nothing. This fight is about understanding the arena's one gimmick and executing it cleanly.

🛡️ Preparation

Category	Recommendation
Level	15+
Required Skill	Force Palm (R3 / Right Stick click) — this is the ONLY attack that damages Tenebrum
Healing Items	20–30 Grilled Meat (mostly for fall damage, not boss hits)
Spirit/Stamina	Bring restoration items — you'll need Spirit to cast Force Palm and Stamina to glide

⚔️ The Gimmick: Force Palm Is Your Only Weapon

After destroying the unstable core with Axiom Force, Octavius's experiment goes wrong and Tenebrum emerges. The game prompts you to use Blinding Flash to "reveal the weak spot" — but here's the truth:

Blinding Flash is largely useless in this fight. Multiple verified guides confirm it marks Tenebrum visually but provides no mechanical advantage. Use it once to satisfy the tutorial prompt, then ignore it. The real strategy revolves entirely around Force Palm.

⚔️ How to Win in 3 Hits

The arena has a pit beneath Tenebrum with an upward wind current. This is your path to victory:

Step 1 — Activate Wings: Jump/glide into the pit beneath Tenebrum and double-press Square (X on Xbox) to activate your wings. The upward wind current will lift you into the air.

Step 2 — Wait for the Opening: Fly toward Tenebrum but do not attack immediately. Hide behind the stone pillars to avoid his shadow tendrils and shockwave attacks. Wait for him to stop in the center of the arena to charge his AoE attack — this is your window.

Step 3 — Force Palm: Lock on (D-pad Down), glide toward Tenebrum, and hit Force Palm mid-air. Each hit takes roughly 1/3 of his health bar. Immediately retreat behind a pillar after landing the hit.

Step 4 — Repeat: Repeat this pattern 2 more times (3 hits total). The fight is over.

Do not attempt to land 2 hits in one window — there isn't enough time before his shockwave fires. One hit per cycle, retreat, repeat.

🤼 Tips & Common Mistakes

Don't panic if you fall. If you fall to the lower level, you respawn upstairs and Tenebrum's missing health stays depleted — no reset.
Lock on with D-pad Down to keep Tenebrum targeted while gliding.
Spirit/Stamina management: If you run out, hold L3 + R3 to restore (hide behind a pillar while doing this).
The pillars are your friends. They block every attack Tenebrum has. Always return to cover between Force Palm strikes.
Don't waste time on Blinding Flash. Multiple sources (PowerPyx, Polygon, Dexerto) confirm it's a tutorial red herring that does not help.

🎁 Rewards

Abyss Core: Unique core related to the Scholastone questline
Progress to Chapter 5 and the Kearush encounter

What's Next?

With Tenebrum defeated, Chapter 4 concludes and you'll move into Chapter 5 — home of the infamous Kearush the Slayer. Check out our Kearush Boss Guide to prepare for the game's first major skill check.

Tenebrum in 30 Seconds

Ignore Blinding Flash — it's a red herring
Force Palm is the ONLY damage source
Glide up the wind current, hide behind pillars
3 Force Palm hits = fight over
Don't try 2 hits per window — one and done