Unfortunately, it was too dangerous to follow.

There were two level fifty-five elites stationed at the gates, and strangely, they simply let the invader pass.

Daru's eyes narrowed slightly as he fell deep in thought.

He wasn't keen enough to notice such subtle changes, but his brain wasn't as resistant to thinking anymore, honed and forced by the unforgiving, underworldly realm of Limbo.

In the past, he didn't like using his brain for other matters, subconsciously feeling that it dulled his senses and intuition with the sword.

Overthinking was never a good thing in a competitive wooden sword duel inside the safety of a renowned high school in Neo-Earth.

After all, one wouldn't die, only lose the match.

Overly using one's brain in such a situation was only detrimental, and an intense focus on a one-on-one match was more helpful than an overactive brain.

In the Myriad Sword Realm, on the other hand — specifically in a strange and deadly location like Limbo — one would die if one only thought about things in a limited perspective.

If one didn't place enough importance on strategy, analyzations, and problem-solving, then one would forever wander the monochrome world, even if one was lucky or skilled enough to survive.

Not to mention, there was also the matter of his surviving due to luck.

Harlowe could've taken his life as easily as picking a berry off a bush. It was just that the horror didn't wish to.

Stealth and ambush…while cowardly in his opinion, was more practical and deadly than he had been giving it credit for, and in the depths of an unfamiliar castle, who can say for sure that he wouldn't be ambushed by a strong opponent?

Perhaps an entire band of warriors would shut the gates the moment he entered and hunt him down in the castle grounds…

Daru frowned, discovering and acknowledging reality through ponderment.

In the end, he didn't dare enter, as the mere sound of a closing gate would immediately spell his doom.

This was a risk, like any other, that had the possibility of paying off for him.

However, this one was unwise to take, merely due to how easy it was for him to lose his life in relation to how difficult it would be for him to gain something.

So, Daru merely listened for now.

Rocante's footsteps faded into the interior of the Stone Castle, and he was left with nothing much to do but wait.

He planned to test the two elites later.

But for now, he shall try to gather as much information from what he could hear, and later, from what he could see.

A few uneventful minutes passed…then a thundering bang occurred on the upper levels of the Stone Castle.

Daru instinctively turned to the source.

Somewhere up there, he saw Rocante's muscular back, seemingly attempting to stand back up in a hurry after knocking over a chunk of the ancient stone walls, causing it to drop to the ashen ground in a heavy thud of haze.

And then piercing clangs, each ringing true.

The battle could only be more intense than the duel he witnessed in the Altar Mountain.

After all, Rocante had been the one suppressing his opponent back then, but now, it appeared that he was on the back foot.

At least that's what was implied by what he saw earlier.

The duel — likely between Rocante and The Crown — raged on.

It had only been a minute, at most, since the battle between the two abominable horrors began, yet the devastation it brought to the castle was more than what Daru could inflict on the royal structure in half an hour or more.

The gap between physical attributes was made crystal clear.

'Strong…'

Daru observed the elite castle guards, finding their apathetic reactions both strange and admirable.

It was like they had absolute faith in their king.

And it seemed for a valid reason, as, just a few more minutes of intense exchanges later, a massive figure was sent flying out of the castle, having crashed into and destroyed a sizable portion of the stone walls.

It was Rocante.

The horrifying damage value of [-33,520!] floated above the hulking monstrosity's head as he landed outside the castle grounds, right before the reinforced stone gate he entered from.

Daru was only able to pay attention to the struggling horror for a short time as the gates suddenly slammed shut, snatching his attention.

Meanwhile, Rocante, after standing up, only gazed at the closed gates, his once-prideful back hunching and his expression turning dejected.

Then, after seemingly contemplating for a few moments, the hulking monstrosity turned and began his return journey to La Filosa's ruins.

Daru watched the defeated figure leave, shifting his focus right back to the gates with a frown.

It was unfortunate that he wouldn't be able to test the two elites.

However, he wasn't too disappointed. On the contrary, Daru was delighted, gaining confidence to act more boldly.

It seemed that the open stone gates weren't a trap, as they would've closed the moment Rocante entered.

Instead, it closed only once the hulking monstrosity was seemingly defeated by the king, unwelcome for yet another challenge.

Daru could assume that, as long as he left before Rocante was defeated, he wouldn't be locked inside the castle grounds.

It would be foolish to entrust his life to this theory alone, though.

Since he could still spare a day or two before he needed to return to Egress to restock on sustenance, he shall use them to gain more information about The Crown and his stone castle — witness the final horror's appearance and get a glimpse of their abilities, if possible.

While it would be preferable to gather all the information needed on a single run, Daru reminded himself that it was fine to take his time.

In fact, this would be the smarter choice, and rushing would most likely end up ruining their chances as opposed to increasing them.

He would just return and continue his investigation after restocking on supplies if needed.

Thus, Daru took a deep breath and began looking for a safe resting spot.

He was too exhausted today.

Since he had decided that he had all the time in the world tomorrow, it would be better to rest first.

He shall learn more about the Stone Castle and decide whether he would enter and follow Rocante inside with a fresher mind and body.

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