Dragon-Kin Mausoleum

This is a short route. Enemies along this route drop Large Titanite Shards, Titanite Chunks, and Lightning Gems. After defeating the Giant Man Serpent standing near a wooden bridge, the run from there to the Great Belfry bonfire is long and filled with Rock Lizards that have immense physical damage absorption. Unless you want to farm the Rock Lizards for Twinkling Titanites and Titanite Scales, end your route at the wooden bridge. For this route, I recommend you use a weapon with lightning damage such as a Lothric Knight Greatsword+9 because all serpentine creatures in Archdragon Peak are weak against lightning. In NG+0, while 2-handing a Lothric Knight Greatsword+9, each Man Serpent can be one-shot by a fully charged R2. Any Man Serpent who blocks with a greatshield can be guard broken by a running R2 of this weapon. The Drakeblood Knight has a lot of damage absorption, but is vulnerable to stun lock by an ultra greatsword having a thrust R2. Before you proceed with this route, ensure you have defeated the Havel Knight standing near a dead dragon above the Great Belfry bonfire. If the Havel Knight is still alive, there is a chance he would be summoned to fight you instead of the Drakeblood Knight.

Start from the Dragon-Kin Mausoleum bonfire, run upstairs, kill the Man Serpent Summoner, and then defeat the Drakeblood Knight. Two Man Serpents are hiding behind a wall, waiting to ambush you; lure each one out and eliminate one at a time. Now make your way to the Great Belfry bonfire, dispatching all enemies up to and including the Giant Man Serpent standing near a wooden bridge. In NG+0, equipping the Silver Serpent Ring+0, Shield of Want, and Symbol of Avarice, this route yields approximately 44,155 souls.

Farming souls: Dragon-Kin Mausoleum, Dark Souls III

Below are some data on the approximate amounts of souls you would obtain if you use the above route for soul farming in various NG cycles. The data were gathered while equipping the Silver Serpent Ring+3, Symbol of Avarice, and Shield of Want.

• NG+0: 54,191

Near the Dragon-Kin Mausoleum bonfire is a Drakeblood Knight who, as long as the Man Serpent Summoner is alive, continues to re-spawn after being killed. To effectively farm the Drakeblood Knight for souls, you require a (melee) weapon that can kill him in as few hits as possible. The first hit can be a backstab and the 2 remaining hits can be stun locks from a thrust fully charged R2 of an ultra greatsword. I farmed the Drakeblood Knight for 30 minutes using a Lothric Knight Greatsword+9 and equipped the Silver Serpent Ring+3, Symbol of Avarice, and Shield of Want. Below are some data on the amount of souls per half-hour session for each NG cycle. The number in square brackets is the average quantity of souls per minute.

• NG+0: 758,160 [25,272]