MapleStory Classic KPQ Guide: Stages, Coupon Answers, King Slime

Quick summary

• KPQ (the Kerning City Party Quest) needs a party of exactly 4, all Lv 21 or higher. The leader talks to Lakelis in Kerning City, and the party has 30 minutes to clear 5 stages plus a bonus room (planet-helper, meowdb).
• Stage 1 is a coupon quiz from Cloto. Stages 2–4 are position puzzles with 4, 10, and 20 possible combinations, and every combination is listed below. The last stage ends with King Slime (Lv 32, 16,820 HP).
• KPQ runs on channels 3–6 only. Meowdb cites Nexon's release notes for the Oct 7 and Oct 8 channel changes.
• Rewards: EXP from each stage, King Slime's 2,400 EXP, a chance at Squishy Shoes, a Companion's Magic Box for each member, and the one-time Proof of Companionship quest.
• The sources list different questions; we show all of them.

Checked against the Founder's Access build on October 13, 2026. Grand Launch is October 21, 2026; see the end of the guide for what may change.

Check the entry rules

Rule	Value	Source
Party size	Exactly 4 to enter	planet-helper, meowdb
Level	21 or higher	planet-helper (quest text), meowdb
Level cap	None found	planet-helper, meowdb, henesys.gg
Start NPC	Lakelis, Kerning City; only the leader talks to him	planet-helper
Time limit	30 minutes	planet-helper, meowdb
Channels	3, 4, 5, 6	meowdb (citing Nexon's Oct 7 and Oct 8 notes)
Parties per channel	Several at once	planet-helper, meowdb
Job restriction	None	meowdb

Conflict on the level cap: the original game capped entry at Lv 30, and Henesys's quest page still shows 21–30. Planet-helper says neither the quest text nor Nexon's notes mention a cap. We go with the launch data: no cap.

Before your first run: pick up Proof of Companionship from Lakelis. Planet-helper and meowdb both list it as a one-time Lv 21 quest. It completes when King Slime dies and pays 1,870 EXP, 687 mesos, and one random Intermediate Earring scroll (STR, DEX, INT, or LUK, 25% each). Meowdb adds +1 Fame. Our quests guide covers the other Lv 20–30 quests.

Find or build a party

Meowdb says parties form next to Lakelis. Type J> PQ with your level and class to join, or L> PQ / R> PQ if you're building one. A balanced party for this quest:

Slot	Best fit	Job in KPQ
High-accuracy attacker	Bowman or Thief	Jr. Neckis in the final stage have high avoidability (planet-helper)
Melee	Warrior	Takes King Slime's hits; planet-helper's class notes call it "tanking King Slime's hits"
Magician	Any	Planet-helper says Magic Guard "turns King Slime's damage into MP loss"
Flex	Anyone	Fills a puzzle spot and collects coupons

Example: Your party is a Lv 24 Bowman, a Lv 22 Warrior, a Lv 21 Magician, and a Lv 23 Thief. The Bowman kills Jr. Neckis, the Warrior stands at King Slime, the Magician keeps Magic Guard on, and the Thief clears Curse Eyes.

Clear stage 1: Cloto's coupon quiz

The stage has 22 Ligators (Lv 21, 68 EXP each) that drop coupons. Cloto asks every member except the leader one question. The answer is a number, and that member hands Cloto exactly that many coupons to get a Pass. The leader collects the Passes and gives them to Cloto (planet-helper).

Question	Answer: planet-helper and meowdb	Answer: maplestory-classic.com
First job advancement level (any job)	10	10
EXP from level 1 to 2	15	15
Level to enter this party quest	—	21
Magician INT requirement	20	—
Bowman/Thief DEX requirement	25	—
Total AP from level 1 to 6	—	25
Warrior STR requirement	35	—
Second job advancement level	—	30

Leader-swap trick: if someone draws the 35-coupon question, make that player the leader. The leader isn't asked a question, and the old leader draws a new one (planet-helper, meowdb; reported by players).

Solve stages 2–4: the position puzzles

The correct positions change every run. Go down each list from the top. After each try, the leader checks with Cloto.

Stage 2: ropes (4 combinations). Three members each hang on a different rope, leaving one empty. Ropes A and B hang from the high branch, C and D from the low ones (planet-helper, meowdb).

Try	A	B	C	D
1	●	●	●	○
2	●	●	○	●
3	●	○	●	●
4	○	●	●	●

Stage 3: kitten platforms (10 combinations). Five platforms hold 1–5 kittens. Name each platform by its kitten count. Three members each stand on one.

Try	Platforms	Try	Platforms
1	1-2-3	6	1-4-5
2	1-2-4	7	2-3-4
3	1-2-5	8	2-3-5
4	1-3-4	9	2-4-5
5	1-3-5	10	3-4-5

Meowdb warns that a widely shared list has only nine combinations and leaves out 3-4-5, "exactly the one a party reaches for after the other nine fail."

Stage 4: barrels (20 combinations). Six numbered barrels are stacked with 1 on top, then 2–3, then 4–6. Three members each stand on one.

Try	Barrels	Try	Barrels	Try	Barrels	Try	Barrels
1	1-2-3	6	1-3-5	11	2-3-4	16	2-5-6
2	1-2-4	7	1-3-6	12	2-3-5	17	3-4-5
3	1-2-5	8	1-4-5	13	2-3-6	18	3-4-6
4	1-2-6	9	1-4-6	14	2-4-5	19	3-5-6
5	1-3-4	10	1-5-6	15	2-4-6	20	4-5-6

Example: Barrel try 7 fails. Call out "8: 1-4-5" in party chat before anyone moves, so nobody repeats a combination.

Beat the last stage and King Slime

The last stage has four tiers. Curse Eyes are at the top, Jr. Neckis in the middle, King Slime at the bottom, and the NPCs are back at the top (meowdb). All 10 monsters drop a Pass, and the leader needs all 10.

Monster	Lv	HP	EXP	Count	Notes
Curse Eye	29	1,186	94	3	Respawns every 180 seconds
Jr. Necki	25	765	80	6	High avoidability; respawns every 180 seconds
King Slime	32	16,820	2,400	1	No respawn

King Slime's stats (meowdb, launch data): 288 weapon and magic attack, 15 weapon and magic defense, 11 avoidability, and it's knocked back by hits of 1,750 damage or more. It resists holy, fire, ice, and lightning (planet-helper), so physical attacks and Energy Bolt work best. When it dies it splits into 11 Slimes.

Tactics from the sources:

• Jump the slam. Original-game players jumped just before King Slime landed so the shockwave passed underneath them. Meowdb notes this behavior is "still unconfirmed for Classic World."
• Bring potions. One post planet-helper cites says the fight takes about 50 HP potions (community report).
• Don't skip it. Planet-helper says many parties skip King Slime, but Proof of Companionship needs the kill.
• Ignore the split-Slimes myth. Meowdb quotes veteran players who say killing the small Slimes never changed the reward.

At Lv 21–30 most Magicians are still in first job, so Energy Bolt is the spell to use. Once your Cleric has Holy Arrow (see our Cleric guide), remember King Slime resists holy. Our bosses guide covers every other boss.

Farm the bonus room and leave

After the boss you enter the bonus room: 24 Horny Mushrooms and 12 Green Mushrooms in one wave. Planet-helper and meowdb both call it the densest map in the quest. Everyone attacks freely. Planet-helper says these mushrooms can drop class weapon scrolls, which vary by job. KPQ maps have no normal portals, so talk to Nella to leave. She stands in all seven maps (meowdb).

Know what you get

Reward	Detail	Source
Stage EXP	Earned as you clear each stage	meowdb
King Slime EXP	2,400 at launch (248 in the second closed test)	meowdb
Squishy Shoes	Lv 28, no class or stat requirement, +1 to all stats, 5 slots, tradeable	planet-helper, meowdb
Companion's Magic Box	One per member on clear; contents not in launch data	planet-helper; meowdb tracks player reports
Proof of Companionship	One time: 1,870 EXP, 687 mesos, Intermediate Earring scroll	planet-helper, meowdb

Decide whether KPQ beats grinding

Situation	Better choice	Why
Lv 21–22 with a ready party of 4	KPQ	Players report about 50–55% of a level per run, bonus room included (planet-helper; community)
Lv 25 with a party	KPQ, or Ant Tunnel if your party is slow	Players report 30–40% of a level per run (community)
Solo with no party forming	Ant Tunnel III / Ant Tunnel Park	See our training guide
You want Squishy Shoes or the earring scroll	KPQ	These only come from King Slime
Lv 28 or higher, close to second job	Grind or do your job quest	You get less EXP per run as you level, per the reports above

Players quoted by planet-helper put a run at about 35 minutes. The timer is 30, so that figure probably includes forming the party. Early fan reports said KPQ EXP had been cut. Meowdb's launch data shows King Slime's EXP rose from 248 in the second closed test to 2,400. We now treat KPQ as worth running with a full party.

Recover from a death or disconnect

These come from player reports, not official notes (planet-helper, meowdb):

• Dying no longer ends your run. Meowdb says a player who died in the August test walked back in.
• Three players can finish. Stage 1 needs only two Passes, and the leader fills the third spot in the puzzles.
• The run is over if you drop to two before the puzzles are done. Leave and rebuild. Two players who have already reached the boss stage can still finish.
• A trade-blocked player can't drop Passes. Make that player the leader (meowdb, April test).

Follow the run etiquette

Meowdb's list: help the slowest player with coupons, drop stray coupons and Passes in front of the NPC, explain combinations calmly, say so before you go AFK, and don't leave or kick anyone mid-run.

Plan KPQ for returning, boosted, and alt characters

• Returning from old GMS? Every first job is at Lv 10 now, which changes the old coupon answers. There's no Lv 30 cap. Several parties can run at once on channels 3–6.
• Powerleveled past 30? You can still enter (no cap was found), but each run is worth less. A powerleveling service changes your level, not the party quest rules.
• Alts: bring a fresh Lv 21 alt for Proof of Companionship and its earring scroll. Squishy Shoes are tradeable, so one character can farm them for the others. Our world-first party plan covers group roles.

Want a hand with this?

If you would rather not grind this part yourself, MapleStory Classic powerleveling services are listed on FullBoosts. Read Nexon's Terms of Service before you buy any service from anyone, FullBoosts included — a marketplace listing isn't publisher permission.

What may change at Grand Launch

This guide describes the Founder's Access build as it was on October 13, 2026. Re-check these against Nexon's Grand Launch notes on October 21: whether crafting still stops at craft level 8, whether Forgotten Hollow, Orbis and third jobs stay closed, KPQ channel limits, NPC shop stock, and any Founder's Access-only events or packages mentioned here. Nothing here assumes a closed area or feature will open.

FAQ

What level do you need for KPQ in MapleStory Classic World? Lv 21. Planet-helper and meowdb found no level cap. The original game's cap of 30 still appears on some pages.

Can you do KPQ with fewer than 4 people? You need exactly 4 to enter. Players report that 3 can finish if one person drops out (planet-helper, meowdb).

What are the KPQ coupon answers? Planet-helper and meowdb list 10 (first job level), 15 (EXP from level 1 to 2), 20 (Magician INT), 25 (Bowman/Thief DEX), and 35 (Warrior STR). Maplestory-classic.com lists 21 (party quest level), 25 (AP from level 1 to 6), and 30 (second job level) for other questions.

Which channels have KPQ? Channels 3 through 6, per meowdb's summary of Nexon's Oct 7 and Oct 8 changes.

What does King Slime drop? Squishy Shoes (Lv 28, +1 to all stats, tradeable), and it completes Proof of Companionship. Each member also gets a Companion's Magic Box when the run is cleared.

Is KPQ worth it in Classic World? With a full party, yes. King Slime gives 2,400 EXP, and players report 30–55% of a level per run at Lv 21–25. Solo players with no party should grind Ant Tunnel instead.

How long does a KPQ run take? The timer is 30 minutes. Players quoted by planet-helper say about 35 minutes counting setup.