The Monastery is the twenty-second chapter of Among Thieves. Nate and Elena moved to infiltrate the monastery after witnessing Schäfer being handed over to Lazarević, alongside the Phurba.
Story[]
After entering the monastery Nate and Elena fight their way through a large group of soldiers, until they eventually manage to spot Lazarević moving Schäfer into a tower deeper within the complex. They attempt to follow, and after several more firefights are almost stopped by a large group of soldiers armed with Dragon Snipers, until Nate manages to defeat them. As they attempt to cross the rope bridge connecting the tower to the main part of the monastery the bridge falls apart, with Nate barely making it to the other side.
They again witness Lazarević, but without Schäfer and guess that he must be inside the building. After defeating several mote groups of soldiers they finally manage to reach where Lazarević was, but end up running into an ambush.
Walkthrough[]
First courtyard[]
Assassinate the soldier atop the ridge and take his M4 if possible, with which you can easily dispatch the handful of men patrolling around the trucks. If not you will have to take them down using melee. Load up on M4 ammo and take their 92FS - 9mm pistols as a sidearm and head up to the monastery around the corner. Note that you can pick up a crossbow at the base of the stairs in front of the bridge, as well as another one around the left-hand corner, which can be useful if you wish to take down soldiers during stealth while from afar, but that the M4 is going to be far more practical in the upcoming firefight.
The monastery soldiers will be unaware of you so take the opportunity to eliminate the three or four soldiers on the right. There is a lot of M4 ammo lying around, as well as several Mk-NDI grenades, and Pistoles if you need a short-range shotgun. Eventually you will likely be spotted or forced to engage, at which point you primarily need to be aware of the armored SAS - 12-wielding unit. There also is a Desert - 5-wielding sniper on-top of a platform that appears alongside a group of reinforcements. Lastly you must beware of a minigun turret positioned on the other side of the monastery grounds, which will drastically lower your chances of surviving out in the open.
Pick up the Desert - 5 if you can, then head for the cart atop the wooden bridge spanning the river and push it to the other side as a makeshift barrier. Soldiers will start to appear on your right side, including another armored soldier wielding an M4, as well as another Desert - 5 sniper. You can intercept them and take the long way around through several men and flank the turret gunner from behind. Alternatively you can climb around to the bridge's left side and all the way around the corner, flanking the turret from the left side. Quickly dispatch the gunner and anyone else occupying the room behind him, then swivel the turret to the far left and kill the aforementioned units positioned behind cover over there.
Eventually Elena will shout and a large wave of reinforcements will appear from across the river, and attempt to cross the river en masse and flank you yourself. You only need to watch out for the two snipers, as the turret will easily annihilate anyone that comes in its line of fire. Meet up with Elena afterwards and go through the closed gate into the next area.
The two towers[]
This section features a linear climbing scene; start by climbing down the cliff face, then jump over to the side to grab the rope and toss it to Elena. Use the planks to cross the gap, then use the broken wall to climb up the ledge, at which point you need to help Elena get up as well. With her help you can push the statue, and must then follow her to the surface area. Continue following her after the cutscene until you run into another locked gate. The goal is now to get into the tower, which you can do by climbing the lone pillar to the right of the gate, and going around on the broken structure here to reach the wooden beam atop the gate. From there you can fairly easily use the many brick handholds and wooden beams to reach the platform at the top of the tower.
Once at the top you can use stealth to eliminate a number of soldiers, or simply engage in a shootout. Stealth at least has the benefit of granting you additional guns and ammo for the upcoming firefights. If it does come to a shootout simply use your substantial higher position to your advantage, only watching out for soldiers coming up the ladder and the Desert - 5 snipers. A small group of reinforcements will also move in from the other tower, occupying the bottom floor. In either case, the moment you reach the second floor of the tower a large explosion will knock you down, inadvertently opening the gate for Elena as well.
Following the short cutscene you will be immediately thrust into another shootout, this time facing a large group of soldiers coming in from the second tower, as well as incoming RPG fire. Use the nearby Dragon Sniper to eliminate the soldier with the RPG, as well as the Desert - 5 sniper on the left, and possibly the riot shield-carrier as well. It might be best to keep the remaining bullets in reserve for the two armored soldiers carrying SAS - 12s coming in at the end of the wave, instead using grenades for the standard fare of soldiers moving across the narrow bridge.
When the entire wave is cleared move on to the tower, eliminating any final resistance inside, including another armored shotgunner. Once cleared Nate will point out the snipers, which will constantly force you to either seek cover or stay moving. Follow Elena's suggestion and boost her up the ladder, which triggers the three soldiers on the next floor to start attacking you. Continue moving up until you spot the bridge; inaccessible for now due to the snipers. You can use a series of handholds on the next side of the tower to climb around to the back, and from there reach the top.
Another RPG soldier will begin shooting you the moment you pick up any of the Dragon Sniper rifles laying around, so shoot it down lest it destroys all of your cover. Doing so also triggers the collapse of the entire tower, saving you the need to shoot the sniper above him. Eliminate the remaining snipers, which will trigger a massive wave of soldiers to try and cross the bridge. First shoot down the two snipers accompanying them that stay behind at the towers, then one by one shoot the soldiers trying to make the crossing. If you happen to run out of ammo then the M4s will be sufficient enough to finish the fight.
Move back down afterwards, hopefully with a fully loaded Dragon Sniper, then make your way across the bridge. After the cutscene in which it collapses you need to climb up as it continues to fall apart, eventually reaching Elena and safety at the top.
Second courtyard[]
There is no opportunity for stealth here, as upon entering the courtyard you will immediately be spotted by a Desert - 5 sniper on the left balcony, which also alerts the handful of soldiers patrolling the courtyard's center. Shortly after combat starts a large group of soldiers wielding Dragon Snipers will also take position all around the courtyard's rooftops, forcing you to keep moving. And secondly, a soldier carrying an M32 - Hammer will appear on the balcony behind the initial sniper. You can also find another M32 - Hammer opposite said balcony, on the right side of the courtyard.
The snipers and soldier with the grenade launcher take priority here, as the troops on the ground floor will not actively move onto the balconies. Once they have been eliminated it is comparatively easy to shoot the standard fare of soldiers from above, including the armored shotgunner that spawns alongside the second wave. Afterwards rearm and reload your desired weapons and join Elena, moving through a backdoor area using her help. You will eventually climb up a wall and be able to enter a large room with several soldiers. Stealth-kill the one in the windowsill and clear the rest, including a sniper that will take position atop the staircase in the far left corner, and a soldier with a riot shield.
Afterwards go through the room and back outside, turning left and going through the corridor until you pass a large red gate on the right. Going through said gate will end the chapter, continuing directly into "Reunion".