Some secrets in Wuthering Waves do not announce themselves with a giant quest marker. The Old Sketch is one of them. A player who wanders around the submerged buildings near Donglu Research Station may notice a puzzle that looks like a water-drainage experiment gone wrong. Solve it, and the reward is not just access to a lower room. The room contains an Old Sketch, a rough map that points toward a buried treasure chest near a lonely chair by the river. Even in 2026, when Wuthering Waves has expanded far beyond its launch regions, this little Huanglong mystery remains a tidy example of environmental puzzle design.
Here is the short version for any player who wants the broad strokes before diving into the details. Teleport to the Beacon near Donglu Research Station. Go to the buildings submerged in water at the Forgery Challenge. Complete the Induction Cell Socket puzzle to drain the water. Enter the bottom room. Inspect the ground for the Old Sketch. Then travel west to a lone chair near the river and dig up the treasure. That is the whole loop, but the middle part is where most players get stuck.
| Phase | Goal | Key Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reach the Forgery Challenge buildings | Beacon near Donglu Research Station |
| 2 | Drain the flooded room | Induction Cells and Sockets |
| 3 | Recover the map hint | Old Sketch |
| 4 | Claim the reward | Buried treasure chest |
The puzzle seems complicated because the area is packed with Spikes, breakable rocks, Corroders, Induction Cells, and a locked gate. In reality, it is a short chain of pickups and placements. The player only needs to activate three Induction Cell Sockets to drain the water. One socket is temporary and can be emptied later, which is the part that often confuses first-time explorers. If the water is already drained, they can skip straight to the bottom room and grab the Old Sketch.
Step-by-Step: Draining the Water
1. Use the first Corroder on the Spikes. The player takes the Corroder and goes to the opposite building, called Room 1 for convenience. They use the Corroder on the Spikes blocking that room.
2. Break the rocks at Room 2. Next, the player heads to another building with breakable rocks in front. Breaking those rocks opens Room 2. Inside, they find another Corroder. This second Corroder clears the way so Room 1, previously blocked by the Spikes, can be entered.
3. Power the socket outside Room 1. Inside the now-open Room 1, the player takes an Induction Cell. They slot it into the Socket just outside Room 1. This is the first active socket.
4. Open the locked gate near Room 3. The player returns to Room 2, where the second Corroder was found, and takes the Induction Cell there. They slot it into the Socket near the room with a locked gate. This room can be called Room 3. The gate opens.
5. Power the socket outside Room 3. Inside Room 3, there is another Induction Cell. The player takes it and slots it into the Socket just outside Room 3. This is the second long-term active socket.
6. Reuse the gate cell for the final socket. Now the player goes back to the locked gate at Room 3 and retrieves the Induction Cell used there. That cell is placed into the last Socket near Room 2, where the second Corroder was found. At this point, three sockets are powered at the same time. The puzzle is complete, and the water drains from the lower area.
💡 Quick tip: If a socket refuses a cell or the water does not drain, the player should check which socket is empty. The puzzle cares about the final three-socket arrangement, not the exact order of every pickup.
Claiming the Old Sketch
Once the water is gone, the player drops into the room at the bottom. The ground here has an Inspect option. Inspecting it gives the Old Sketch. The sketch is not a full quest item with a glowing trail, but it does hint at a location for a buried treasure chest. In 2026, this remains a simple exploration reward, so there is no need to wait for a specific event or patch.
Finding the Buried Treasure
The final part is refreshingly direct. From the puzzle location, the player travels west. They should look for a lone chair near the river. When they approach the chair, an Inspect option appears. Choosing it lets them dig out the treasure. If the option does not show up, the player can move around the chair, check the nearby riverbank, and make sure the Old Sketch is already in their inventory.
| Check | What to Do |
|---|---|
| No Inspect at the chair | Move a few steps around the chair and riverbank |
| Water still high | Recheck the three active Induction Cell Sockets |
| Old Sketch missing | Return to the bottom room and inspect the ground again |
| Treasure already claimed | Check the exploration progress for the area |
Why This Puzzle Still Matters in 2026
Wuthering Waves has grown a lot since launch, with new regions, characters, and systems arriving over time. Older Huanglong puzzles like this one can feel small by comparison, but they are still worth doing. They offer Astrite, exploration progress, and a pleasant change of pace from combat. The Old Sketch puzzle is also a good reminder that not every secret needs a loud map marker. Sometimes the best reward is hidden behind a flooded room, a few Corroders, and a chair that looks completely ordinary.
For any player cleaning up old exploration tasks, the route is simple: Donglu Research Station, Forgery Challenge, drain the water, take the Old Sketch, then head west to the lonely chair. It is a short detour with a satisfying payoff, and it remains one of the cleaner environmental puzzles in the game.