The prospect of a futuristic cybernetic dystopia is intimidating enough without throwing insane cultists into the mix. But I guess out of all the mind-bending stuff you see in Cyberpunk 2077, a rando with a predilection for blood rituals isn’t especially unusual. Here’s how to crack the ritual shard and defeat Zaria Hughes in Cyberpunk 2077.
That’s a Lot of Effort to Open a Fridge
While traveling through the west part of Northside, you may receive a report from Regina about a cyberpsycho sighting in a job titled “Bloody Ritual.” When you arrive on the scene, you’ll see why: there’s a giant, bloody sigil on the ground with a fridge full of human gore in the center. How delightful.
A Maelstrom cultist will babble some gobbledygook at you as you approach before passing out. Check his body, you should find an encrypted data shard. You’ll need to crack this thing to progress the quest, which isn’t hard in itself, but it’s in a bit of an obtuse spot.
How to Crack the Ritual Shard in Cyberpunk 2077
Under your Journal menu, open the Shards menu. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the list to find an encrypted shard titled “It’s Time.” Cracking the shard is simple; it’s just the usual three-key encryption. Afterwards, you’ll need to perform a quick investigation of the crime scene. Use your optics to scan the gross fridge, as well as a particular body on the left side of the area. Johnny will point it out if you’re having trouble.
Once you’ve got the information, the cyberpsycho herself, Zaria Hughes, will leap out of the fridge, mantis blades swinging. Try to stay out of her melee range, as she deals an especially nasty fire damage effect. She has a critical weakness to electrical attacks, so pack a ranged weapon with an electric modifier to make quick work of Miss Meaty. Give Regina a call afterwards, and the job’s done. The decrypted shard, now simply titled “!!!,” can be read now if you like, but don’t expect it to be especially pleasant.
