Link left Parapa Desert and traveled west across Hyrule to the town of Ruto. A distressed woman walking outside her house told Link that the Goriya of Tantari had stolen her family's prized trophy. Promising her he would find it, he moved on to the rest of the village. A nice young lady advised Link not to go south of the village without a candle, and a man stopped to tell Link that only the hammer could destroy a roadblock.

Link left Ruto for the Tantari Desert in the northernmost reaches of Hyrule, looking for the Goriya that had stolen the trophy. Inside a dark cave Link took out his candle to explore the cavern. Aches, bats that live in dark places, hung from the ceiling, waiting for Link to draw near so they could swoop down and try to knock him into deadly pits. At the end of the cave Link found the Goriya of Tantari, a little devil that attacked Link with his boomerangs. Taking cover behind his magic shield, Link defeated the Goriya and reclaimed the trophy, which was in the shape of an angel.

Returning to the town of Ruto, Link presented the salvaged trophy to its rightful owner. The thankful woman let Link into her home, asking him to see her uncle, a wise man. He taught Link the Jump spell, magic which could increase Link's jumping power, allowing him to reach greater heights. Thanking the wise man for his help, Link left Ruto and headed south.

The road from Ruto led between high cliffs, and dead-ended at a dark cave. Taking out the candle, Link braved the dark cavern, which was infested by Goriyas and Aches. One red Ache, landing on the ground, revealed its true identity: a red devil named Acheman. It spit fire at Link and changed back into an Ache, but when it landed again it got a taste of Link's magic sword. Link's exploration of the cave stopped when he reached a high ledge. Casting the Jump spell, Link gave a great leap and jumped up on the ledge, reaching the exit of the cave.

The cave opened out onto the edge of a boggy mire, Moruge Swamp. Link braved the murky swamplands, walking quickly to avoid sinking into the muck. Octoroks hid underneath the surface of the goop, jumping up to spit rocks at Link. The Octoroks didn't present too much of a problem, but suddenly a flock of birds that was circling overhead began to attack. The birds, called Mobies, swooped down one by one, flying straight toward Link. Link had a wild time fighting off the birds and blocking the Octoroks' rocks at the same time. He was glad when he finally reached the end of the swamp and got back on the road.

The road led to a roaring river, and the only way across was on a rickety wooden bridge. Link walked cautiously, and as he stepped onto the bridge the skeletons of fish, Bago Bago, leaped out of the water, spitting fireballs and attacking Link. Even the waterways of Hyrule had been enchanted by Ganon's henchmen; along with the dead fish, Link had to avoid bubbles filled with poisonous gas rising from the surface of the water.

Safely across the water, Link followed the dusty road south to the water town of Saria, on the banks of another river. Link found the way across the river blocked by a soldier, who told Link that only town folk were allowed to cross. Link went back to talk to the villagers, and one man told him to be careful because the eyes of Ganon were everywhere. Link saw later what he meant; when he tried to talk to some more villagers, they turned into Aches and attacked him.

On his guard now, Link explored the rest of the town. A young lady carrying a basket outside her house told Link that she had lost her mirror. Link was good enough to find it for her under a table in the neighboring house, and the delighted woman told Link to follow her into her own house. She led him to a wise man in the basement who, recognizing Link's good character, taught him the Life spell so he could heal himself during his numerous battles with evil.

Inside another house Link was surprised to find a Bit snoozing on the table. He realized that it must have turned from its evil ways and joined the villagers, so he tried to wake it up and ask it for information. The tired blob wouldn't wake up until Link shook him really hard, and then the monster groggily yelled to leave him be, and to see his master in the woods north of the river. Link left him to sleep and talked to some more villagers. A large woman standing by some tombstones gave Link a hot tip: if Link went to Midoro Swamp, northeast of the river, he could find a handy glove. Link needed no convincing, so he headed out immediately.

Link crossed the river to the north by a different bridge, but encountered the same dead fish and noxious bubbles. Heading north across the plains toward Midoro Swamp, Link was ambushed by two orange Goriyas, but they were no match for Link's skill and determination. Midoro Swamp was very much like the previous swamp Link had gone through, but as he explored deeper and deeper into the decaying mire he found himself between two cliffs. In the distance, Link could barely see the outlines of a palace through the thick fog, and drawing closer, he saw that he was indeed at the entrance to the Marsh Palace.

Inside the palacem blue Stalfos' attacked Link by jumping up and trying to stab him from above. Blood dripped from the top of some of the pillars, and when the drop of blood was blue it spawned a Bit when it hit the ground. Link dodged flying dragon heads and falling blocks, and fought a tough red Ironknuckle to get the Power Glove. With this handy glove, Link had the strength to break blocks with his sword.

Looking for the palace guardian now, Link descended an elevator into a room haunted by a flying, one-eyed ghost called Moa. It threw fire on the ground, which Link had to avoid while fighting two Ironknuckles. Later, Link was caught in several booby-trapped rooms. In each room two stone heads shot out ball after ball of energy towards the middle of the room, and after fighting a Stalfos Link had to walk slowly, lifting his shield gradually, to keep the balls from hitting him.

At last Link entered the inner sanctum of the temple guardian, Jermafenser. This huge monster, encased entirely in armor, towered over Link as the brave hero approached with caution. Jermafenser shot out balls of energy, and Link jumped to hit Jermafenser's head with his sword. To Link's surprise, the monster's head, helmet and all, came off in one clean sweep. The decapitated helmethead hit the ground, bounced, and lay for a moment. But then it started to rise into the air, and shot energy out at Link!

Worse yet, Jermafenser's body grew yet another helmeted head, and continued to attack Link. Link cut this head off too, but it flew into the air as well. Jermafenser finally stuck out his true head, a white, pasty, horrible one unprotected by metal. Link had to dodge the energy balls shot by three heads at once, while jumping up and hitting Jermafenser's unprotected head. After many blows, the temple guardian could take no more, and its body and three heads exploded into nothing.

In the next room, Link placed the next crystal into the red statue's forehead, and left the temple. Looking back, Link saw that this temple too had also turned into solid stone.