Link was fearful for his uncle, and somehow knew that the message was meant for him. He slipped out of bed and, grabbing a lamp, followed his uncle out into the rain. Soldiers were keeping watch around the castle, and some told him to go back to bed. A particularly large knight was guarding the gate into Hyrule Castle. But Zelda contacted Link, telling him about a secret entrance into the castle. Link found it under a bush, and dropped into the castle's sewers.

Link was horrified to find his uncle, mortally injured, lying close by. With his last minutes at hand, Link's uncle gave Link his sword and shield, and taught him the Whirling Blade technique, passed down to him by his ancestors. With his dying breath, Link's uncle told him,

Link..you must rescue Princess Zelda. Our people are fated to do so. But do not fall victim... to fate... Link... I shall always remember... our time...together...

Suppressing his anger and grief, Link continued on, searching for Princess Zelda. Brainwashed guards tried to stop him, but Link was unstoppable with the technique he learned from his uncle. He reached the dungeon, and there found Princess Zelda in a cell, guarded by a Ball and Chain Trooper. Link dodged the soldier's morning star, and defeated him with his sword. With the guard's key he freed Zelda. She led him to the throne room, and they pushed aside an ornamental shelf to access a secret passage.

Through the dark sewers, infested with rats, snakes, and bats, they escaped to the Sanctuary. Zelda begged Link to defeat Agahnim before he broke the Seal of the Seven Sages. The Elder in the Sanctuary, an old Sage loyal to the king, told Link that the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Agahnim would be the legendary Master Sword. He sent Link to the Kakariko Village elder, a descendant of one of the Sages, who could tell Link more about the Blade of Evil's Bane.