E4M9: Vile Cross (No End In Sight)

E4M9: Vile Cross is the ninth and secret map of episode Blood Stained Earth of No End In Sight. It was designed by Emil Brundage (NaturalTvventy).

Essentials
Kill the shotgun guys and imps in front of you, take the megaarmor (only on I'm Too Young To Die (ITYTD) and Hey Not Too Rough (HNTR) skill levels) then step through the grated doorway and collect a chaingun sitting on a lift. Head east through a door to see a baron of Hell in a tower guarding the red keycard - you must raise the floor to reach this key. Drop down to the bottom of the tower to find health bonuses and a partial invisibility (plus an invulnerability on ITYTD and HNTR) then head up the steps to find the blue skull key in front of a blue door.

Go through the door behind the key, kill the imps ahead then follow the passage until you land in the south-west quadrant of the level, where a wall will open to reveal a spiderdemon and several other monsters. There are two pillars in the arena that can be used as cover, and also hold a plasma gun and a rocket launcher; press the switches on each pillar to lower them. On Hurt Me Plenty (HMP) skill level you will find a megaarmor in the arena, and on ITYTD and HNTR you will also find a supercharge and two partial invisibility pickups. Once the area is clear, go to the area that the spiderdemon came from to find a lift with a skull switch next to it; use the switch to lower the lift, then step on it to be taken back up to the tower. Press the switch here to raise a staircase leading east.

Climb the stairs you just raised and go through the door at the top, then follow the passage to a ledge with a megaarmor before dropping into the south-east quadrant. A platform in the middle of the quadrant will rise to reveal another spiderdemon; use the rising and lowering pillars around the quadrant as cover while fighting it (as well as a partial invisibility powerup by the east wall on ITYTD and HNTR), then go to the south-west corner to find another lift next to a skull switch. As before, press the skull switch to lower the lift then ride it up to return to the tower area; there is a switch here that will raise a staircase leading north.

Head north up the steps, collecting an armor on the way if needed, and go through the door at the top then follow the passage to a ledge with a berserk pack before dropping into the north-east quadrant, which contains a megaarmor and a partial invisibility on HMP or lower; as you explore, two red walls at the east side of the quadrant will lower to reveal a spiderdemon and several other monsters. After clearing the area, investigate the small pillars at the south and north sides of the quadrant to find switches that will lower the central column to reveal a third switch inside it. Press this switch to reveal a skull switch that will lower the lift in the south-west corner, then ride this up to get back to the tower area. The switch here will raise the steps around the tower, letting you return to the start point.

Go back to the start point and head north through a door which requires the blue key, dropping into some lava in the north-west quadrant; when you step onto solid ground a number of monsters will start teleporting in, including a spiderdemon (or three on HMP or higher). Get the spiderdemons to infight if possible, and search the buildings in the middle of this quadrant to find a megaarmor and two supercharges (plus a partial invisibility and a third supercharge by the east wall on ITYTD and HNTR). Once everything is dead, go to the south-east corner to find a skull switch by a lift - the switch will not lower the lift, but will open a nearby alcove containing a baron of Hell and reveal another switch in the north-west corner. Press this second switch to lower the lift, collect the BFG9000 on it then ride the lift up to return to the tower area.

Press the final switch at the top of the lift, which will raise the floor and allow you to reach the red key. Return to the starting area and step on the lift that held the chaingun to be taken down to a room containing the exit door and a computer area map - open the door, destroy the lost soul behind it then step on the patch of sky to finish the level.

Secrets

 * 1) After jumping into the south-west quadrant, a wall to the south-east will have opened up. Return to the hall leading to the corner here and enter it to find a supercharge, a teleporter and (on ITYTD and HNTR) a BFG9000. (sector 111)
 * 2) The north wall in secret #1 can be lowered as a lift. Ride it up to find zombiemen and energy cells. (sector 202)
 * 3) In the south-east quadrant, there are rising and lowering pillars. Go towards the western-most pillar and ride it so you are in the middle. There will be a switch inside this pillar. This switch opens a wall on the east side of the quadrant, where you can walk across the red rock for a supercharge. (sector 155)

Current records
The records for the map at the Doomed Speed Demos Archive are:

Miscellaneous demos
This information was last verified in its entirety on August 18, 2021.

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level: