It took Daru a dozen minutes to stabilize his mental state.

Gazing straight into the howling waters seemed unsafe, so Daru rested his eyes on the small deck of the boat instead.

Waiting was boring, and some time later, his attention drifted off to the massive stone monument near the peak of the tallest mountain.

'The Five…'

Apparently, he would obtain more information about The Five there, perhaps even a page of the harrowing book.

His mind was on the topic already. So, Daru decided to consolidate what little knowledge he knew about the five horrors.

La Filosa and Rocante were two of them.

Only, Egress hadn't figured out who was who.

The Eye, The Sword, The Thorn, The Ivy, and The Crown.

His goal was to look for as many pages of the book on the other side of the Underworld River, because these pages would give them hints about the identities of The Five.

For example, The Eye, although a bit obvious, was tied to observation and inaction, which meant that Rocante couldn't be The Eye.

The hulking horror was always on the move, after all, never staying in one place to merely observe.

'Or does he?'

Daru didn't know, which was why, aside from grinding a few more levels to increase his chances of winning the battle against the five special horrors, he also had to gather as many pages as he could, locate the other three, and spy on them.

Then, once they've determined the true identities of The Five, they could proceed to the next step, which was identifying the correct sequence in which the horrors must be taken down.

According to Nando, depending on the order they were defeated, the battle against the next could become either easier or harder.

There was also the Gravewarden.

What was the connection of the Lord of the Cemetery to The Five?

'So many things to do and so many unanswered questions…'

Daru sighed…then smiled.

The unholy puzzle was rather tiring to solve, but he liked it. His return to the Surface would only be more satisfying this way.

Daru's mind continued to wander.

Some of the matters he thought about were nonsensical, while some were related to his solo mission.

Before he knew it, the bow of the small boat was cutting through the water close to the riverbank on the other side.

It was time for him to disembark.

Somehow, the ferryman managed to rotate the boat without him noticing, so the ashen ground was now just a step away.

Daru took that step, turning to look at the ferry that was already leaving.

He watched for a few moments before shifting his attention to the land in front of him.

It seemed to be a continuation of a hopeless grove of dead or dying trees, shrubbery, and stone slabs.

His immediate surroundings, at least.

Daru was on limited resources, and he didn't know if he would be able to obtain sustenance on this side of the river, so he immediately began moving.

His initial plan was to wait for Rocante and tail him.

But on second thought, Daru decided to explore first, climb to the monument, and return here to follow the hulking monstrosity only once he knew the area better.

What kind of Swordspawns lurked here, what could he obtain in the area, where to hide, and other such helpful stuff that would make following Rocante safer and easier.

Putting one leg in front of the other, Daru started his scouting mission, the familiar and rather peaceful sifting sounds echoing as he moved.

There was surprisingly nothing except for the same old trees, stone slabs, shrubbery, and ashes.

Before he knew it, an entire hour had passed, and while he could still hear the eerie howling of the Underworld River, Daru couldn't see it anymore.

He was now in the middle of the vast expanse of the half-dead forest surrounding the foot of the mountains, yet he still hadn't encountered a single Swordspawn.

Daru didn't know whether he was happy about it or not.

Nonetheless, he kept moving, scouting not only a straight line, but also the surroundings of the path he was taking.

Still nothing.

Daru's brows furrowed.

He would appreciate some action right about now…

Shaking his head, he glanced in the direction of the Underworld River and sighed.

It seemed that there truly weren't any Damnedlings here…

After all, how could mere mindless wretches cross such a horrifying river?

'Well…I guess that makes my mission a lot easier?' Daru shrugged, a weird wisp of disappointment in his heart.

Of course, he didn't dare let his guard down, remaining vigilant as he wandered the forest.

Daru eventually reached the foot of the tallest mountain, scaling it with his gaze.

'Uhh…how do I climb this?'

He was not a mountaineer, and he didn't know a single sad thing about climbing mountains.

All he could think of was to look for a side that would be easier to scale.

So, Daru decided to circle the mountain first, scouting out the surroundings while at it.

He still didn't find any Swordspawns.

However, at least his idea was correct. He had confirmed that some sides indeed seemed more forgiving than the others, though still a dangerous climb, nevertheless.

Daru didn't rush things and continued to circle the foot of the Monument Mountain in search of a path to the peak.

He eventually entered a valley.

There were still no Swordspawns, but at least he found the base of a rather gentle ridge.

Daru found it scalable enough for a clueless bladeborn like himself and so began his ascent there.

The ashes truly seemed endless, covering even the ridge with a powdery layer.

An hour passed, then a few more…and before Daru realized, sleep was beckoning. He had truly underestimated climbing mountains.

He thought he would reach the peak in a few hours of effort, but he hadn't even scaled a fourth of the Monument Mountain.

So, with a rather weary sigh, Daru decided to look for a good resting spot first.

He shall resume his journey after a good, gray night's sleep.

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