Venture into the unknown expanses of the Zone on a perilous exploration to unravel the mysteries of the Mold Artifact. This rare and mysterious artifact is the only item that can unlock the plan for Squint’s escape, but getting it won’t be easy. You’ll face treacherous caves, sneak past deadly mutants, and figure out anomalies. This guide will tell you tips and strategies to help complete the “Piece of Cake” mission in Stalker 2.
Piece of Cake Mission Guide
You’ll meet Squint during the main story. Squint is hiding in an old mill full of deadly traps. Once you disarm these traps, you can find him on the top floor. Your mission is to get a sensor from him. While you could simply take it by force, it’s better to listen first to what he has to say. Choosing “Easy, I’m a friend” will help him relax and open up about his desire to leave the Lesser Zone. From there, asking, “What’s your escape plan?” prompts him to reveal that he needs a specific Artifact to make it happen.
You can then offer to retrieve it for him. Instead of killing him, you can spare his life and get a new side quest called “Piece of Cake.” This quest sends you into a dangerous cave to find a valuable object called an Artifact located in an anomalous field.
Find the Artifact for Squint
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You’ll find a secret passage in one of the abandoned houses. This passage leads to a cave, but it’s filled with dangerous creatures called Bloodsuckers. These creatures can become invisible and attack very quickly, so be cautious. Go down into the hole to find a cave entrance. Don’t go too deep yet, as there’s a dead body near the entrance. Check the body for bullets, food, and first-aid supplies and prepare for a fight.
If you go a little further past the body, a mutant will scream from somewhere nearby and then suddenly attack you. You must be ready for this, as it can hurt you badly if you’re unprepared. The mutant is invisible until it attacks, so watch out for a faint shimmer as it gets closer.
The mutant will attack you a few times, then run away, and keep repeating this until one of you dies. As soon as you see the mutant’s outline, start shooting at it. Keep doing this until it’s dead. If the mutant hits you, heal yourself quickly, as it won’t take many hits to kill you.
Keep moving through the cave, staying on the left side. Eventually, You’ll find a long tunnel leading to another part of the cave. Once there, look to the right and see a bag hidden in the wall. Take the ammo, health items, and food from the bag.
After taking the loot, continue down the left path, and you’ll find a room filled with toxic gas and slug spots. This is where you’ll find the Artifact for Squint, so use your Scanner to find it while avoiding the gas and slug. Your Scanner will beep faster and louder as you approach the Artifact.
Use your Bolt to destroy the Anomalies and create a path to the Artifact. The first time you find the Artifact, it will jump to another Anomaly (or maybe a bug with our game). Keep repeating this until the Artifact stops moving.
Once it’s still, you can pick it up. Then, follow the tunnel to exit the cave and return to Squint in the windmill. Go back to Squint with the Mold Artifact you found and talk to him. Give him the Artifact, and he’ll give you Ward’s Sensors. He doesn’t have anything else for you right now.
