#next steps guide

[haplogamingchef]

What to Do After Beating the Paintress in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Starting the Real Endgame

So you’ve taken down the Paintress and expected the credits to roll—but surprise, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is just getting started. Act 3 kicks off with a massive shift, opening up new areas, secrets, and features you couldn’t access before. Whether you're looking to hit the level 99 cap, hunt down hidden bosses, or complete side quests, the post-paintress world is packed with content.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you can do after defeating the Paintress—from unlocking flight to exploring the endless tower and building character relationships. This is your roadmap to mastering the endgame of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Unlock Flight and Explore Hidden Areas

Right after Act 3 begins, one of the biggest updates is that you unlock flying. This feature opens up previously unreachable spots on the map. You’ll find new zones loaded with optional challenges, tough enemies, and side paths that weren’t accessible before. Look out for portals—these act as fast-travel hubs and lead to secret areas loaded with loot and encounters.

The best way to approach this? Start revisiting older regions. Check your map for any unexplored icons or places that seemed out of reach before. You’ll be surprised how much the world of Clair Obscur expands once flying becomes available.

Find Hidden Bosses Across the World

Once you’re airborne, you can start tracking down hidden bosses. These aren't just random monsters—they’re characters you’ve already encountered during your main adventure, now waiting as secret boss fights in remote areas. Some of these bosses are inside the portals you just unlocked, while others are roaming the open world.

Don't be shocked when you run into enemies with hundreds of millions of HP. This is where you’ll want to focus on serious builds and maxing out your levels. The endgame in Expedition 33 isn’t just for sightseeing—it’s a full challenge on its own.

Build Character Relationships and Unlock Gradient Attacks

If you haven’t been spending time at your camp, now’s the perfect moment. Talk to every NPC you’ve recruited. Strengthening relationships unlocks gradient attacks—powerful moves unique to each character that can make a huge difference in high-level fights.

Some of these bonds even unlock mini side quests. For example:

Spend time with Lun, and you’ll be tasked with finding her parents near Serene's Island.

Build your connection with Myel, and she’ll eventually ask you to help locate Alicia.

Befriend Manokco, and he’ll lead you to a quest to bring Nooco back by heading to the Sacred River.

Once these side stories are available, your map updates to show where you need to go. It’s a smooth way to explore and keep progressing without getting overwhelmed.

Swim, Collect, and Unlock Luminina Pools

If you're leveling up your relationship with SKA, you’ll unlock a new traversal ability. Specifically, you’ll gain access to Luminina pools—those water patches you've seen around the world. With SKA’s help, you’ll eventually be able to dive and swim underneath these pools, reaching hidden spots that hold color of Luminina.

These areas are often tucked away, so backtracking is worth it. Don’t forget to scout all previously visited zones. You never know which patch of water will lead to a fresh collectible or secret path.

Tackle the Endless Tower Challenges

One of the biggest late-game features in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the Endless Tower. You can’t miss it—it takes up a huge part of the map and is marked by a golden disc near the center. Once you find the main portal, step through and walk across to the inner portal to enter the tower itself.

Inside, you’ll find a canvas that lets you begin a series of increasingly tough trials. You’ll start at Stage 1, Trial 1, and each level gets progressively harder. These battles are serious, so make sure your team is optimized. Hit level 99, equip top-tier gear, and don’t skip those gradient attacks. The Endless Tower is the ultimate test of your builds and combat skill.

Level Up to 99 and Optimize Your Builds

The new level cap is 99, and you’re going to need every bit of it. Many of the hidden bosses and tower challenges feature extreme health pools and powerful moves. Simply progressing through the story won’t be enough—you need to grind, optimize, and experiment.

Here’s how to prepare:

Revisit areas for XP farming.

Fine-tune gear and ability setups.

Use character synergy to your advantage.

Maximize unlocked skills through character bonds.

Don’t skip enemy groups on the way to objectives. Every battle adds up, and the tougher you get, the more ready you’ll be for what’s waiting in the endgame.

Don’t Miss Any Side Quests or Hidden Encounters

The world in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is packed with content that’s easy to miss if you're rushing. After defeating the Paintress, take the time to explore every corner, portal, and dialogue tree. Character quests, relationship events, and optional boss fights are everywhere—many tied to specific NPCs or items you’ve collected along the way.

Use your map regularly. Areas with lingering fog or unchecked objectives may now be accessible. This is also a great moment to wrap up any side content you skipped earlier. Whether it's for lore, loot, or just the fun of discovery, the game rewards your curiosity in Act 3.

Conclusion: There’s a Lot More to Explore Post-Paintress

Finishing off the Paintress doesn’t mean you're done—far from it. With flight unlocked, level 99 goals, the Endless Tower, and hidden bosses scattered across the map, the game opens up in big ways. Whether you’re building deep character relationships, tackling the toughest enemies, or exploring all corners of the world, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 gives you more than enough reasons to keep going.

The best approach? Take it one step at a time. There’s no wrong order, but every activity pushes your party closer to being endgame-ready. Dive into the post-Paintress content and see how far you can go.

🎮 Meet Haplo Gaming Chef 🍳

Level 99 Kitchen Warrior here! I'm on a quest to transform your gaming sessions into epic culinary adventures. When I'm not farming rare ingredients in MMOs, I'm crafting real-world recipes inspired by your favorite video games.

Specializing in: • Game-inspired recipe creation • Cooking quest guides • Power-up snacks for gaming sessions • Achievement-worthy meal prep

Join my party as we explore the delicious intersection of pixels and plates. Whether you're a casual foodie or a hardcore gamer, there's always room at my crafting table! #Gaming #GamingGuides #GamingChef #HaploGamingChef For More Visit: https://haplogamingchef.blogspot.com/

[godofthestupid]

How to draw Manga/Anime heads in the rev1999 style!

it's not a rendering tutorial and just the construction of the female head for rev1999(and other anime art style really)

the images have alt text!

I highly recommend practicing by trying to replicate the heads in the wallpapers they provide with this method:

1. draw in the guidelines on the image itself(yes,basically tracing,bare with me)

2. hide the construction and draw the same guidelines beside the image

3. compare to the first construction lines

4. now,with the mistakes in mind,hide both the constructions and the image and try to replicate the constructions from memory

repeat 3-4 until satisfied

you should be able to remember how to draw the heads even without reference after doing this a bunch of times! ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ

[spaceyderg]

Tried making a hair guide for Comic Miguel, confused myself after making a ref board and just gave up. I did write down some stuff I noticed while making this. Both ATSV and Comic Miguel's hair is a lot easier to draw with the lasso tool

[hballegro]

the ideal way to watch quantum leap is actually via following me and watching clips i post with no context or clarifying details whatsoever, up to and including the actual plot of the show

[vagueeyes]

Dir Pemberton/Shearsmith

[daddy-long-legssss]

with james ford’s health diagnosis, i really don't see arctic monkeys releasing any music until 2026 or later. even if they choose another producer, i think the band (alex especially) trusts james so deeply and values his input on their records that they would want his presence on the next album in some way.

[stingyslegslookweird]

it took a while but i got every main heisei rider in infinite craft.

2.5/10. if you value your sanity do not try this.

[ailelie]

doing some thinking

[sysig]

Your Weekly TV Guide

On Monday you can expect:

2:30 PM: Handplates

And Tuesday:

2:30 PM: Handplates

Wednesday:

2:30 PM: Star Control II - Helix +4:20 PM Bonus!: Helix shitpost

Thursday:

2:30 PM: SCII - Helix

Friday:

2:30 PM: SCII - Helix

Saturday:

2:30 PM: SCII - Helix

Sunday:

2:30 PM: SCII OCs

Thanks for tuning in! (Patreon)

[jorvikzelda]

finally got the last hk ending (delicate flower) yesterday. beat absrad with a single mask left - I was counting hits because I was so sure I only needed 9 with the nail (with unbreakable strength) in the last phase, got up to like 12 hits or somethjng and went “why is she not dying??”, Panicked, got hit by an orb and went down to one mask, then hit her twice more in one go (quickslash i Love You) and that was it. Felt fucking fantastic. I am never doing pantheons again

[miercolaes]

while im working on replies and uni stuff, i just want to tell the dash that there's a how to become a mob boss netflix documentary kind of thing and i thought maybe some of you wanted to become one idk. i'd still love you if you'd start a mafia. do ur worst babes, but remember to be kind to the lower and middle class, they'll protect you more fiercely than ur accolades!!

[vagueeyes]

Well, let's just take it one day at a time, eh?      Yep, keep plodding on.

INSIDE NO. 9 | S5E3 "Love's Great Adventure"

[vulpine-gentleman]

RAAAAAHHHH IM SO EXCITED TO FINISH LIGHT FINGERS.

i am at. 290. this baby IS ALMOST BORN.

[reasonsforhope]

When self-described “ocean custodian” Boyan Slat took the stage at TED 2025 in Vancouver this week, he showed viewers a reality many of us are already heartbreakingly familiar with: There is a lot of trash in the ocean.

“If we allow current trends to continue, the amount of plastic that’s entering the ocean is actually set to double by 2060,” Slat said in his TED Talk, which will be published online at a later date. 

Plus, once plastic is in the ocean, it accumulates in “giant circular currents” called gyres, which Slat said operate a lot like the drain of the bathtub, meaning that plastic can enter these currents but cannot leave.

That’s how we get enormous build-ups like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a giant collection of plastic pollution in the ocean that is roughly twice the size of Texas.

As the founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, Slat’s goal is to return our oceans to their original, clean state before 2040. To accomplish this, two things must be done.

First: Stop more plastic from entering the ocean. Second: Clean up the “legacy” pollution that is already out there and doesn’t go away by itself.

And Slat is well on his way.

Pictured: Kingston Harbour in Jamaica. Photo courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup Project

When Slat’s first TEDx Talk went viral in 2012, he was able to organize research teams to create the first-ever map of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. From there, they created a technology to collect plastic from the most garbage-heavy areas in the ocean.

“We imagined a very long, u-shaped barrier … that would be pushed by wind and waves,” Slat explained in his Talk. 

This barrier would act as a funnel to collect garbage and be emptied out for recycling. 

But there was a problem.

“We took it out in the ocean, and deployed it, and it didn’t collect plastic,” Slat said, “which is a pretty important requirement for an ocean cleanup system.”

Soon after, this first system broke into two. But a few days later, his team was already back to the drawing board. 

From here, they added vessels that would tow the system forward, allowing it to sweep a larger area and move more methodically through the water. Mesh attached to the barrier would gather plastic and guide it to a retention area, where it would be extracted and loaded onto a ship for sorting, processing, and recycling. 

It worked. 

“For 60 years, humanity had been putting plastic into the ocean, but from that day onwards, we were also taking it back out again,” Slat said, with a video of the technology in action playing on screen behind him.

To applause, he said: “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, honestly.”

Over the years, Ocean Cleanup has scaled up this cleanup barrier, now measuring almost 2.5 kilometers — or about 1.5 miles — in length. And it cleans up an area of the ocean the size of a football field every five seconds.

Pictured: The Ocean Cleanup's System 002 deployed in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Photo courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup

The system is designed to be safe for marine life, and once plastic is brought to land, it is recycled into new products, like sunglasses, accessories for electric vehicles, and even Coldplay’s latest vinyl record, according to Slat. 

These products fund the continuation of the cleanup. The next step of the project is to use drones to target areas of the ocean that have the highest plastic concentration. 

In September 2024, Ocean Cleanup predicted the Patch would be cleaned up within 10 years. 

However, on April 8, Slat estimated “that this fleet of systems can clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in as little as five years’ time.”

With ongoing support from MCS, a Netherlands-based Nokia company, Ocean Cleanup can quickly scale its reliable, real-time data and video communication to best target the problem. 

It’s the largest ocean cleanup in history.

But what about the plastic pollution coming into the ocean through rivers across the world? Ocean Cleanup is working on that, too. 

To study plastic pollution in other waterways, Ocean Cleanup attached AI cameras to bridges, measuring the flow of trash in dozens of rivers around the world, creating the first global model to predict where plastic is entering oceans.

“We discovered: Just 1% of the world’s rivers are responsible for about 80% of the plastic entering our oceans,” Slat said.

His team found that coastal cities in middle-income countries were primarily responsible, as people living in these areas have enough wealth to buy things packaged in plastic, but governments can’t afford robust waste management infrastructure. 

Ocean Cleanup now tackles those 1% of rivers to capture the plastic before it reaches oceans.

Pictured: Interceptor 007 in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup

“It’s not a replacement for the slow but important work that’s being done to fix a broken system upstream,” Slat said. “But we believe that tackling this 1% of rivers provides us with the only way to rapidly close the gap.”

To clean up plastic waste in rivers, Ocean Cleanup has implemented technology called “interceptors,” which include solar-powered trash collectors and mobile systems in eight countries worldwide.

In Guatemala, an interceptor captured 1.4 million kilograms (or over 3 million pounds) of trash in under two hours. Now, this kind of collection happens up to three times a week.

“All of that would have ended up in the sea,” Slat said.

Now, interceptors are being brought to 30 cities around the world, targeting waterways that bring the most trash into our oceans. GPS trackers also mimic the flow of the plastic to help strategically deploy the systems for the most impact.

“We can already stop up to one-third of all the plastic entering our oceans once these are deployed,” Slat said.

And as soon as he finished his Talk on the TED stage, Slat was told that TED’s Audacious Project would be funding the deployment of Ocean Cleanup’s efforts in those 30 cities as part of the organization’s next cohort of grantees. 

While it is unclear how much support Ocean Cleanup will receive from the Audacious Project, Head of TED Chris Anderson told Slat: “We’re inspired. We’re determined in this community to raise the money you need to make that 30-city project happen.”

And Slat himself is determined to clean the oceans for good.

“For humanity to thrive, we need to be optimistic about the future,” Slat said, closing out his Talk.

“Once the oceans are clean again, it can be this example of how, through hard work and ingenuity, we can solve the big problems of our time.”

-via GoodGoodGood, April 9, 2025

[daemonbrain]

Part 2

1.8k, cw: ghosts a pervert, smut, readers husband is piece of work, not proofread.

Simon Riley who first saw you at the butcher's shop on the phone. 

You were a pretty thing. Wearing a pink little yoga set, one arm holding your mat and the other holding your phone to your ear as you wait for the butcher to bring out your cut of meat.

Which was taking a long time

Simon would’ve had it chopped and packed to go by now. Though, he can’t complain with the view he has of your ass- you. The man was touch starved. He hadn’t been back home in a while, back-to-back deployments keeping him occupied. His only company being his calloused and scraped hands roughly jerking himself until he came, bordering on unpleasurable. Not what some could consider enjoyable, but try being in the middle of fuckin’ nowhere for weeks on end and see if you care so much about gentle.

The borderline perverted look you were blissfully unaware of was tracking down your form. He stared at the way the material tightly clung on to every bit of you in a welcoming way, a second skin. The sweat on you from your little session.

Just how flexible does yoga make a bird like you?

It was only when he heard a grating sound come from your phone that he snapped out of his trance. Even with his bad ears from all the bullets whizzing past him, bombs going off within meters of him, and the usual shit show he did for a living he could hear the voice which bled through your phone's speaker.

"Get me a steak this time. Nonna that nasty shit from last time!"

You hurriedly turned your volume down as it blasted in your ear, startled by the voice. Chewing on your lip you pivoted towards the counter to see if your order had been brought out; the motion to no avail as the employee continued chopping away in the back room.

It was only when your other hand came into full view from the motion he noticed the absolute rock on your finger.

"Honey, I thought the salmon was pretty good." That prick clearly firing something back as you winced away from your phone once again. Gritting your teeth as if biting back your arguments, looking around to occupy your time as the man on the phone continues to speak. "I know... I'm sorry. Don't worry, it'll be ready by 7." You placatingly cooed.

"Listen, I have to go. I love y-" You began, but the moment the words tumbled from your lips you pulled the phone fully from your cheek to see a blank screen with the time staring back on you. The asshole hung up!

What a fuckin tosser.

Simon hears the butcher finally call your name with familiarity and with a sigh you step towards the counter. 

He leaned on to the wall further as he had been the entire time. Silent. Unsettling. A stark contrast to your bright appearance in the shop, the larger man brooded in his corner waiting his turn.

“See ya’ next Friday!” You still managed a bright smile at the butcher who handed you your meat.

A mild thing like you really shouldn’t be talked to so thoughtlessly, some guys are fuckwits though. He never liked the type. Why lock a bird down with a ring if you were gonna be mean to her?

“S’cuse me sir, i’m just gonna push past you here” You asked. With widened eyes, Simon gruffly mumbled a “Yeah,” out before creating a stupidly small space.

Maybe he really did want you to push past him. Or just push up on him but oh well.

Sweeping past him, you give him a toothy smile as you had so sweetly done to the butcher, as if you hadn’t got yelled at less than five minutes ago. God you really have no common sense, beaming up at the lurker in the corner at least twice your size. A girl as pretty as you should really stick to herself.

From that interaction on, Simon found himself being guided by the memory of you back to the butcher shop the next Friday.

And the next…

And the next.

Every week progressively standing closer and closer to you as you picked up your usual order. One day you had taken the liberty of starting small talk with him after recognizing his unmistakable stature. After all, there were only so many people you had seen in this shop and none so… large.

You could not deny you found this mystery man disquieting. Always dressed in dark colours, not so much as a word coming from him. Like clockwork you would come in after hot yoga, greet the butcher, he would come in, silence would ensue as you both waited for your meat, and you would leave with a quick smile.

It was rude. He had never even said a simple hello to you! Though, you suppose that it could be due to your own curt exits. The thought of the unkindness you might’ve exhibited subconsciously sent your mind into a spiral, leading to your abrupt introduction.

After all, who were you to judge! Kindness is and should always be the response in your books.

At this kindness, Simon swore he had to take a breath in as you politely outstretched your hand and spoke your name casually. Tilting his head down to your face he raises a brow skeptically, and then firmly shakes your head.

He failed to hide the shudder which wracked his body. The way your hand effortlessly slipped into his. Soft and manicured engulfed in his.

“Simon.”

“Well it’s good to meet you Simon” With the twinkly little smile you would grace him as you hauled it out of the shop. He felt the shiver go down his spine a second time when you spoke his name for the first time.

And then- it happened.

You giggled. A soft thing, no doubt intended to be small. It wasn’t to Simon though. It reverberated throughout the room, rang so prettily in his ears. Fuck. He would remember that sound later on tonight.

“Are you cold? You keep shivering. It’s pretty harsh out there right now.”

“Nah. Not really.” His accent thick as he shrugged.

Letting out a little “mhm” you nod and look back to the counter.

“I was freezing outside! Usually I walk home-” Simon already knew that “-but today I called my husband to come grab me! Way too cold!”

That visibly made him stiffen. Of course. Perfectly normal that guy is coming to get you, he’d be an idiot to leave you walking home alone in the cold.

If you were his girl, Simon wouldn’t have let you out of his sight. Fuck sakes you practically had “come mess with me” written all over you. There were creeps all over the place nowadays, (thought the creep).

He would’ve carried everything for you, scarfed down whatever the hell you had taken the time to prepare him. That husband of yours doesn’t like your salmon? Simon would. Hell if he didn’t, he’d cram it down his throat with gratitude anyways. He doubted anything could be worse than some of the rations he’s eaten on duty. 

That train of thought is pretty redundant when he takes note of how you wouldn’t be able to leave the bed to make anything.

Maybe you’d cram something of his down your throat in gratitude.

Shaking his head subtly, he hears the bells of the store door opening. He watched your face fall as you step away from him and it’s when he sees your husband's look of complete irritation he understands why.

You had grabbed your order swiftly and with a quick wave goodbye you were on your way back to your husband. Simon could only register your husband's whisper-yell as he disapprovingly glared his way. “The fuck are you doin talking to him?”. And with that you were hurriedly ushered out.

You deigned it necessary to continue greeting Simon, have little chats about the weather, any plans he had for the weekend. Tossing in your stupid jokes that he would laugh at. You interpreted it as something closer to a breathy snort-hopefully positive- and it went on as such for weeks

And every time he returned home Friday night, he came home with only one thought after. You.

As he laid in bed the same thought persisted as he slipped his cock out of his boxers, red and weeping for some sort of stimulation. He took to his usual harsh pace. You’d be so much softer.

You’d be so nice to him wouldn’t you? Coo some compliment as he lets you tug at him. Fuck he wouldn’t know what to take first.

Would you give him a blowie or a hand job? 

No. You wouldn’t be on your knees- not yet. If you’d let him have you, you’d be on your back in an instant. He’d rip the stitches of those leggings right down the middle, your panties next.

“Fuuuuuck” he moaned into the quiet of his room. He’d stick it in slow, he’d try. It would be torture not to ram himself right up to the hilt, but he’d do it for such a good girl.

That’s what you were, weren’t you? Always a nice word for someone? What would you say to him when he began to rut into you like a madman. When you would feel the pummeling intrusion, his head knocking into the deepest parts of you.

He’d be able bend you into so many different positions that you’d better hope that yoga has taught you well. Split your legs open to accommodate his imposing body size as he’d take purchase between them. Then you better hope your cunny can accommodate his other size when he spears you open on his cock.

Would you take it smiling? Would your tears roll down your cheeks, the prodding bordering too much? You’d take it either way, he knew you could. He’d rub at your clit with such tenderness he never afforded himself (as gentle as he could anyway). He’d make sure you begged to stay on his cock forever, fuck himself so deep you would be too stupid to pull away unknowing of where he ended and you started. Not that you’d have to care.

He’d flip you on to all fours and rip away your clothes entirely, pounding you from the back and instead of just his own labored breaths, the sound of skin slapping together would ring out.

In silent stoicism, he feels his balls tighten up at the thought of your perfect face stuffed into the pillows screaming your thank you’s. You probably were just as nice with someone stuffing themselves into your pussy.

At both his ruthless ministrations and boundless imagination, his release spurted all over his hand with a breathy sigh. When you were here he’d make sure to slam his hips to yours and keep them flush against you, coat your insides in hot cum better than your limp-dick husband ever could. That man wouldn’t be able to fuck you the way Simon knew he could. You deserve someone who could make you go stupid on his dick, not cry of frustration like you probably did everytime that knob who thinks himself a man rolled over after finishing himself off.

Not that you’ll have to worry about that soon

…

He wouldn’t be around for much longer anyways.