Daru didn't know how much time had passed since he got trapped in the monochrome world.

All he knew was that he was here, and he was working hard, having already leveled up three times since that fateful day.

He had made the Ancient Settlement his base of operations in the previous days — however many passed in the span of time he failed to keep track of accurately — and made some progress.

Daru had gathered enough sustenance for the next three days in preparation for the move.

He planned to progress his journey towards the monument atop the mountain, and since he was unsure how he would acquire the necessary consumables to keep him going in a different location, he decided to stock up first before leaving the area.

Biting on a Limbo Carrot while waiting inside a ruined residence in front of the main, ancient stone path, Daru sighed, glancing at the sustenance in his hands.

He missed eating a whole meal…

The carrot tasted bitter, and the hellberries, too. His tongue craved something delectable.

But what could he do except survive for now?

'I'll order a lot of meat once I get back…'

Daru was snapped out of his thoughts in the next moment as the familiar heavy thuds echoed in the distance.

He quickly exited the abode through the window, circling to the back.

The moment Rocante passed, Daru began stalking him again, now with more confidence, as he was now more familiar with the Ancient Settlement.

They passed ruined residences — one after another — until they arrived at yet another set of collapsed walls.

Daru had already explored the entire settlement, and naturally, this location wasn't new to him.

He simply allowed the hulking horror to exit through the massive gap in the destroyed walls before following suit.

Now, he's in unfamiliar territory, as he has never ventured on this side yet.

The vigorous river chillingly howled some distance to their right.

However, both Daru and Rocante ignored it, continuing to walk along the ashen path in the middle of a misty grove with the same occasional stone slabs, dead trees, and half-dead shrubbery.

The former still couldn't help but be fascinated by the change of the latter every after the Whispering Ritual with La Filosa.

From being a depressed monstrosity with two stone swords stabbed in his ears every time, Rocante would suddenly look like a prideful warrior — back as straight as a spear and head held high with an eerie smile that curved from ear to ear.

Daru had long wondered where the hulking horror was going after regaining himself.

But they only continued walking, probably for around two hours now, and still counting.

He had made sure to adjust his sleeping schedule for this.

If his theory was correct, Rocante's routine was strangely strict, and he would always pass by the Ancient Settlement at the exact same time every day.

This became his only semblance of time in the god-forsaken realm.

While he wasn't certain that he was correct, it should be nighttime in Neo-Earth now, and he had become a night owl.

It would be quite annoying to reset his sleeping schedule.

However, this was a necessary sacrifice due to the special situation he was in.

Scenery continued passing, yet none dared cause a ruckus near the hulking horror, and while he spotted a few Lost Damnedlings, most merely ignored him and proceeded on their way back to the Ancient Settlement.

Daru's brose rose as, around two and a half hours of walking later, he spotted an eerie silhouette in the distance.

Not of a person but an arch, and stone tablets a short distance farther.

Lots of stone tablets.

He thought that, based on the current path Rocante was walking, the hulking horror would pass through the location of the silhouettes.

However, Rocante suddenly turned and strayed from the path, heading over to the Howling River.

Daru's brows furrowed in puzzlement.

He couldn't fathom how the hulking horror would cross it, until he noticed yet another silhouette in the river, drifting closer and closer.

A boat.

Very small and can only fit two people, with one of the seats already taken by a bony figure who was seemingly very old, evident in the way he paddled.

The creature was wearing an old, worn-out black cape, its face hidden in a thick veil of mist, though one could form a rough image of its head thanks to the Salakot Hat resting atop.

The strangest of all was that it didn't have a nameplate.

'A Waykeeper? No...even Waykeepers had one...'

The existence of the ferryman was yet another mystery unsolved.

Soon, the small boat arrived at the riverbanks, and Rocante stepped in, shaking the boat slightly and sitting down at the only free plank seat.

The eerie ferryman then began paddling again after accommodating his regular passenger, this time drifting towards the other side of the river.

Daru naturally had no choice but to stop following Rocante for now.

Joining the hulking monstrosity wasn't the brightest of ideas.

So, he simply continued watching for a few more dozen seconds before shifting his attention to the arch silhouette ahead.

Daru had nothing else to do, anyway, plus he would be feeling sleepy in another hour or two.

It was better to take his mind off Rocante for now.

After all, the hulking horror would be back tomorrow, and Daru planned to watch as he returned from the other side in a downcast and depressed state.

Walking over to the arch silhouette, the mist suddenly thickened, and the air got chillier, seemingly penetrating deep into his bones.

The faint sense of unease was also back, though Daru had long been able to make peace with the feeling.

Around ten minutes later, he arrived, realizing what was in front of him.

A cemetery.

From what little he knew about the Underworld, it should already be a place for the dead, so how could there be a cemetery here?

Could the dead die again?

But then, remembering how he killed all those Lost Damnedlings…

The answer was yes.

In this monochrome world, one can die, though Daru wasn't exactly sure if the Swordspawns here were among the living or the dead.

He was far too mortal to know.

In any case, Daru entered through the black metal archway first to see what he could find.

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