Traverse the fortress, towers and bridges to Skalpel.
Pickups in this mission
01Outer fortress stairs: meet Tristan and drop along the outside wall
Resume the main story in Cursed Fortress to find Skalpel.
Follow the only route and climb the stairs.
Speak to Tristan above.
Collect the purple item left of the doorway before leaving.
Choose your landing carefully and drop at the entrance.
02Nexus inside the outer wall: open the bookshelf passage for the diary
Follow the exterior path to a Blade Nexus.
Interact with the bookshelf to reveal a passage.
Descend inside for Attendant Lantimos's Diary.
04Underground cells and swinging iron balls: cross before dropping down
Continue forward, watching for floor traps beneath the stairs.
Go right below, anticipating an ambush from the right cell.
Remove the archer ahead from range.
Time your crossing past the swinging iron ball.
Drop on the left after crossing.
05Iron-ball corridor and upper shield guards: use the traps to clear the way
The left door cannot be opened from here. Go right.
Another swinging ball guards the corridor. First enter the small left door.
Defeat two skeletons and collect the white item in the dead end.
Continue and climb the stairs.
Explore right for a purple item while avoiding the iron ball.
Return left and lure the charging shield soldier into the swinging ball if possible.
Turn left here, timing the iron ball at the intersection.
Another shield soldier waits left. Avoid being knocked off.
06Descending left branch: defeat the room elite and break the planks for the shield
At the next fork, descend left first.
At the bottom, turn left at the end for a white item.
Defeat the elite inside the right room.
Open the iron gate on the left afterward.
Break the left boards for a chest.
Collect the Ghostly Shield from the chest.
08Back to the iron-ball route: search the cage and descend to connect the gate
A different cell contains a white item. The remaining empty cell need not be opened.
Return to the main route.
Eliminate the next archer before crossing the swinging ball. The cage on the right contains a white item and offers shelter.
Watch for the left enemy's ambush and avoid the floor trigger ahead.
Collect the item on the ground.
First take the left branch down the stairs.
Absorb the memory below and open the right gate as a shortcut to the earlier area.
09Upper right corridor: break the left wall for the Soulstone
Climb back and go right this time.
Defeat the corridor skeleton and break the hidden wall on the left.
Break the Soulstone inside.
11Narrow shield-guard passage and gate: reach the next Nexus
Continue upward through a narrow passage containing a shield soldier and a trap.
Climb the left stairs beyond it.
Activate the switch to open the iron gate.
Rest at the new Nexus beyond the gate.
Collect the items in front of it.
12Camp by the left stairs: search the tent memory and enter the barrel room
Turn back and enter the route left of the stairs.
Clear the soldiers and climb the left staircase.
Open the exploding chest on the left.
Turn back and absorb the memory behind the tent.
Climb the right stairs. Enter directly or circle around the left side.
Collect the blue item outside.
13Indoor stairs and central gap: land on the planks for the jar
Inside, climb the left stairs. The right room has only optional white items.
Watch for archers igniting the explosive barrels above.
Choose a landing and drop through the central hole onto the boards.
The boards hold this mission's Jarling.
15Climb the stairs again: head right past the triggered trap
Drop to the earlier right doorway and climb the stairs again.
This time go right of the opening. A proximity-triggered trap guards the route; dodge through as you approach.
Collect the blue item on the mandatory route.
Climb the ladder into another corridor with enemies and explosive barrels.
Outside ahead, collect the purple item on the right beam.
16Long ladder to the roof and window: drop along the edge to the outer wall
Climb the left staircase.
Open the iron gate and enter.
Climb the long ladder inside.
Clear the enemies above and absorb the memory on the right.
Follow the left edge and drop for a purple item.
Descend through the window.
17Bombarded wall and plank path: search the breached-wall chest before climbing
Continue outside the castle and move quickly as the right stone wall breaks open.
Open the chest on the right inside the breach.
Leave and continue along the boards for a purple item around the bend.
18Roof under catapult fire: cross the platforms and drop through the central opening
Climb to the Blade Nexus and rest.
Collect the white item on the rooftop's right side.
Keep moving under catapult fire. Follow the sole route and collect the blue item in the corner.
Continue for a memory in the right corner.
Drop from the pictured position afterward.
Climb this ladder below.
Drop through the central hole above.
Look left after landing for the Soulstone behind the crates.
20Side room below the roof: open the shortcut and search the golden material
Follow this route and turn back on the right for a blue item.
A ladder on the left leads to a gate reconnecting with the previous area.
Collect the golden material in the room.
21Lower main route and elite shield guard: climb the left stairs to the balcony
Return to the main route and open the chest right of the door.
Enter and descend.
The room has little loot. Outside right, two enemies guard no collection items.
Absorb the memory in the left corner.
Turn back and continue straight toward an elite shield soldier.
Defeat it and collect the blue item on the right.
Turn left along this route.
Climb the stairs and go onto the balcony for a Soulstone.
23Inner room on the return from the balcony: find the Prophecy
Return and take the pictured route.
Collect Prophecy I inside.
25Paired switches inside the castle: circle back to the earlier Nexus
Return to the main route and descend these stairs.
Inside the castle, pull this switch to open the left iron gate.
Descend beyond it and go left on the level ground for a red material.
Pass through the doorway for a chest behind it.
Descend the right stairs afterward.
Activate the lower mechanism to open the iron gate.
The gate reconnects with the previous Nexus.
26Stairs on both sides beyond the gate: scroll on the right and Soulstone on the left
Rest, then enter the large gate directly.
Absorb the memory beside the stairs.
At the first doorway ahead, take the right stairs.
Defeat the two soldiers for the Great General Scroll in the corner.
Return to the main road and collect the white item on the left.
At this doorway, climb the left stairs.
Continue inside, defeat the soldiers and break the Soulstone behind them.
29Ballista route and plague pool: diary in the left corner and chest up the right stairs
Return to the main route and destroy the machine firing arrows ahead.
Collect the white item on the right platform.
Avoid lingering in the blood pool, which inflicts plague. Collect the Worn Diary in the left corner.
Defeat the enemy on the right and take the right stairs.
Open the chest inside.
31Memory ahead and elevator on the left: reach the Nexus and hall fragment
Climb the forward stairs to absorb a memory.
Finally, take the elevator on the left.
Rest at the new Nexus above.
Climb into the hall and collect the purple Vaisar Disc Fragment on the left.
Break the hidden wall on the right for another Soulstone.
The large gate on the main route leads to the boss.
34Coffin hall: Skalpel's Greatsword and coffin charges
Enter to find Skalpel wielding a greatsword and carrying a coffin, already corrupted by chaos.
Skalpel has two phases.
Attack ①:
A three-slash combo with a delayed final hit.
Attack ②:
Another three-slash combo ends in a Burst Attack.
Attack ③:
A shockwave precedes his climb onto the coffin, which he rides toward you through four waves.
Attack ④:
An attack from behind the coffin vehicle causes a relatively small explosion around it.
Attack ⑤:
A jumping coffin shockwave. Time your response to the landing.
Attack ⑥:
The coffin glows before a grab pulls you inside. Listen for the audio cue as well.
35The coffin opens again: handle Skalpel's second phase
After the first health bar, he enters the coffin. The mission-complete message does not mean the fight is over.
He emerges again, seemingly controlled by the coffin. During phase two, he slowly loses health on his own.
Phase two — Attack ①:
Three ranged shockwaves. Dodge with each downward strike.
Attack ②:
He jumps, launches tentacles from the coffin and slams down, then charges an explosion around himself.
Attack ③:
Short-range homing projectiles emerge around the sword. Back away and they hit the ground harmlessly.
Attack ④:
Another tentacle sequence begins on the ground, then repeats twice with jumps.
36Absorb Skalpel's memory: confirm the Lord of Chaos's identity
Other moves resemble phase one. Defeat him again to win.
His memory reveals he resisted Ozma and continued believing in Khazan's innocence.
Blade Phantom protects Khazan from chaos afterward. Both now recognize Ozma as their shared enemy.
Khazan prepares to confront the master of chaos, ending the chapter.
Related side missions
Crimson Trace →
Select the mission after the fortress and hub dialogue.
The Last Guard →
Speak to Tristan to search for Sivan and Vimon.
Transcendental Sword →
Continue the side missions to recover Blade’s sword.
Reference: 3DM Guide Team
GAME NOTE has reorganized and rewritten the routes from this walkthrough.