The canopy of Shellwood had finally gone quiet. Hornet stood among the hanging vines with a new trick woven into her limbs — the Cling Grip, the wall-clinging skill that every traveler in Pharloom eventually needs and that no one can afford to skip. Shellwood is not an optional detour; it is a gate, and the gate has just swung open. So the question that follows is a natural one, the same question that has sent thousands of players scrolling through forums in 2026: what now? Where does the pilgrimage go once the trees stop talking?

The answer is not east, and it is not deeper into the woods. It is back toward the people Hornet left behind — specifically, toward the haunted settlement of Bellhart.

First, Break the Curse in Bellhart 🕸️

Before any gate in the Citadel will acknowledge her, Hornet needs a voice that can answer the Citadel's own music. That voice comes from the Needolin, and the Needolin can only be earned by lifting the curse that has settled over Bellhart. Until that curse breaks, the road ahead is simply a wall with scenery painted on it. This is why the sequence matters so much: Cling Grip opens Shellwood, and Bellhart opens everything after it.

Once the Needolin hums in her grasp, the map changes shape. Songs become doors. Ledges become invitations.

The Shortcut Out of Shellwood 🧭

Most travelers assume they must crawl all the way back through Bone Bottom and start the western trek from scratch. There is a better way, and it hides in plain sight. Hornet should move toward the bench that links Shellwood to Bone Bottom — but she should not drop down to it. Just before reaching that bench, she needs to look up. A passage hangs overhead, and the freshly acquired wall jump is the key to it. Climbing that shaft unlocks a bench sitting directly beside the Shellwood Bellway, which turns a long walk into a short hop.

From that bench, the route unfolds like this:

Finding Shakra and the Blasted Steps Map 🗺️

The vertical chamber is the landmark to watch for. Once Hornet reaches it, she should slip into the room on the right, where the wandering merchant Shakra waits. Shakra sells the Blasted Steps map, and buying it is not a luxury — the region is a maze of wind, sand, and crumbling stone, and going in blind is how runs end. There is a simple tell for whether the right room has been found: Shakra's signature rings begin appearing on the ground, scattered like coins from a pocket.

With the map in hand, the next objective is vertical. Hornet must climb the tall chamber until she finds the Bellway station of the Blasted Steps. There are two ways up — straight from Shakra's room, or out the door and up from the corridor beyond — and both funnel to the same platform. It is worth resting at the bench, unlocking the fast-travel point, and only then pressing east.

The Grand Gate and the Last Judge ⚖️

East of the Bellway, the path narrows and the wind sharpens until Hornet arrives at the Grand Gate itself. Here the Needolin proves its worth: the gate does not open to strength or speed, only to song. This is precisely why the Bellhart curse could never be postponed.

And then the gate delivers its price. A boss encounter with the Last Judge begins, a fight that punishes anyone who wandered in without a nearby respawn point. That is the quiet reason the bench by the Grand Gate matters so much — losing the duel and waking up half a region away is a far crueler punishment than the fight itself.

A Quick Checklist Before the Gate ✅

• Break the Bellhart curse and claim the Needolin

• Use the hidden upward passage near the Bone Bottom bench for a shortcut

• Buy the Blasted Steps map from Shakra

• Unlock the Blasted Steps Bellway and rest at the bench

• Approach the Grand Gate, play the Needolin, and brace for the Last Judge

Shellwood taught Hornet how to hold on. Bellhart taught her how to speak. The Grand Gate is where those two lessons finally meet — and where the Citadel begins to listen.

Runs through the Blasted Steps tend to teach the same lesson in different ways: preparation is what separates a clean ascent from a loop of painful resets. That mindset is worth carrying over before you even press start — entering the Citadel with your tools upgraded, your map collection complete, and your patience intact turns a punishing climb into something closer to a dance. Plenty of players only discover how much they enjoy this style of exploration after they've already committed to a full playthrough, which makes getting the base game at a fair price the first real decision of the journey.

If you're still weighing whether to take that first step, browsing a site like cheapest steam keys from DealNest is a practical way to compare prices before committing, so the only thing left to worry about is the Last Judge's timing. Once the download is done, the checklist above is waiting — and the Grand Gate won't open itself.