This is a complete walkthrough for RTDC on Beginner, with tips for all the levels you go through on your quest in order to reach 100%. So, if you're having trouble with some levels, look around here.

This walkthrough will have a lot of parts, every part will tell you how to beat the levels you go through when playing that path, and a replay at the end of me completing that part of the quest.

It starts with the new levels, then come the classic BDC levels, then the DC levels, and then the new Black Knight levels.


PART I: OBTAINING THE SHIELD AND THE ORB AT THE OLDE TOWER TOP

Levels on this path:
Library
Courtyard
Catapult
Olde Tower
Olde Tower Top

Of course, you'll start at 0%. The first thing we'll do is to visit the Olde Tower Top. That's one of the three places where you can obtain the shield, which will become very useful as the game progresses.

First, enter the lower left door in the Ante Room II. You'll enter the

Library

First, take out the bats so that they won't annoy you as you make your way through the level. Be quick when you walk under the shelves! Books will fall out of them and when they hit you, you'll get dizzy.
The door in the lower left corner is blocked by a magic barricade which can be deactivated by the computer. The computer is guarded by a henchman. He will get out of his chair when you get to the top of the ladder. Pick up the hammer and fight him, but watch out for the books! If they hit you during the fight, you're a dead man.
The shovel henchman takes about 5 hits to kill. When you have defeated him, deactivate the barricade and leave the level through the door.

Courtyard

Jump on the rope right away and make your way to the top. Take out the mutant and the guard and get to the platform with the battlement on it. The door to the maze can't be opened, and the door in the lower right corner leads to the Cave Dungeon. Leave the screen by walking left.

Catapult

With the catapult you will be able to enter the Olde Tower. Walk to the very edge of the platform and take a downward jump to land on the catapult. You will fly through the air and land in the haystack at the and of the level. Now, kill the vultures before you jump on the swinging ropes. When the vultures are gone, jump on the first rope, when the two ropes come together, grab the second one. Then jump off at the other side. A note on the ground tells you to take downward jumps to get over the axles. Get close to the wheel of the catapult and take a downward jump. You'll land between the two wheels. Be sure to take out the guard before turning the cogwheel. Turn the cogwheel 34 times, then jump into the catapult again. You will fly through the window and enter the

Olde Tower

Take out the bats first, then move quickly up to the platform with the trigger on it. Be sure you pull it when there are no boulders right above you. When you've pulled the trigger, get down again and make your way to the top. Be careful not to get hit by the boulders when you're on the stairs. Shoot the guard at the top, then get up there when the henchman is not throwing a boulder and get to the ladder to make it to the

Olde Tower Top

This is one of three places in the game where you can obtain the shield.
If you haven't got the shield and want to obtain it, be sure to be here when it's night time. The spikes on the bottom right platform are hard to bypass. You can take small steps like I do in the replay to bypass them. Jump over the shifting platforms to the other side and take out the guard. Get up to the roof and dodge the clouds, then get the shield. Hold it up when a storm cloud is over you, and you'll obtain it. Get back to the ladder and shoot the guard before going down again. Then jump to the right. You'll grab a hidden rope and can climb to the other side where the orb is. Be sure to get it when the guard is not facing towards you. Then leave by using a potion.

Back in the Ante Room II, place your first orb on one of the pedestals.

PART II: THE POTION FACTORY

Levels on this path:
Laboratory
(Kitchen)
Laboratory 2
Sewer
Potion Factory

The Potion Factory is no easy place to beat, but with the shield and the right weapons, you'll make it. Enter the lower right door.

Laboratory
If you want to beat the Potion Factory the correct way, just walk through this room. The exit is in the top left corner. If you have already been there and think you can't beat it, you can use a little trick. But to do so, you need a flail. Luckily, there's one nearby. Go down the ladder and exit to the right. You'll enter the

Kitchen
You can duck to dodge the axes the henchman is throwing. Grab the flail and take it with you. Now, the door is locked. You need a key to get out. If you don't have a key, try to get the one at the bottom of the Kitchen. You can use the flail to block the axes, or you can just crawl until you reach the henchman. Kill him, then pull the trigger. Now, get down to the bottom and take out the henchman with the flail. Jump over him, or you will trip and get dizzy. Grab the right key (The prisoners will tell you which is the correct one). And get back to the top of the kitchen. Get back into the

Laboratory
Just get up the ladder and up the stairs. Kill the mutant, then exit to the left.

Laboratory 2
Wait until the lasers are gone, then get down the ladder. If you're quick, you can get down the ladder, jump on the trigger, and get back up the ladder again before the lasers start again. If you're not, then just get down the ladder and jump over the trap door onto the trigger. Take out the guard at the top with your rocks, then get up the ladder again. If you don't want to waste any rocks, you can take out the guard with your flail or any other weapon you have to kill him. He won't bother you anymore. Get down the next ladder, pull the chain, and get back up again. If you're not fast enough, just duck the lasers.
Get down the next ladders and activated all the triggers and chains, then exit the level to the left.

Sewer
Make your way to the other side by jumping from rope to rope. When you're on the top middle platform, kill the mutant on the left side, then continue to the left side of the screen. Get down and jump on the rope to get to the platform. Shoot the mutant and get down to the bottom of the screen. Then jump across the floating platforms.

Potion Factory
First, jump under the platform with the henchman on it. You can go down the ladder and pull the chains in order for the barricade to open. There are six possible combinations:

left - middle - right
right - middle - left
middle - right - left
middle - left - right
right - left - middle
left - right - middle

When pulling the chains, you need to be careful to not pick up one of the potions. Always stand between two of them when pulling a chain. You can jump over the barrels if they get too close, or you can use the shield, but then again, you need to be careful not to pick up a potion. The worst thing that can happen is when you die and fall into the kitchen.
If you can't make it past the barricade because the barrels keep killing you, you can use the flail to hit the henchman's feet and kill him that way. Then you won't have to worry about the barrels anymore. Get down to the ground and kill the shovel henchman, then get the orb.
Be sure to not kill the henchman when he is picking up a barrel, or else the barrel will make it's way into the small chamber where the orb is.

Back in the Ante Room II, you can now place your second orb.

heh; check out

http://z6.invisionfree.com/Dark_Castle_For...dpost&p=4653239

(And the youtube video or replay at the end) ;)

PART III: OBTAINING THE FIREBALL IN THE OBSERVATORY

Levels on this path:

Rooftop
South Wall
South Wall 2
Observatory

Now it's time to go get the fireball, which is a powerful weapon that you need to complete the game. Enter the upper right door.

Rooftop
First, walk all the way to the right, pull the chains and kill the birds. Get back to the left again. Before jumping on the rope, take out the guard that will come out of the door. Then get up to the roof. Take a long jump to get on the floating platform. This is a little tricky, but with some practice, you'll make it. Get to the left side of the level, and exit to

South Wall
Kill the vultures, then get to the right side and pull the trigger. The green platforms you can jump on, the black platforms you'll fall through. Get down and jump across the platforms to the other side. Kill the mutant at the bottom when you're on the last platform. Then exit to the right side of the screen.

South Wall 2
The gate can be opened by pulling the chain on the right side of the screen, but you can't reach it because of the oiled rope that you can't grasp. Watch out for the snakes when going down the ropes! Kill the guard at the bottom, then enter the door.

Observatory
Beware of the buckets! First take out the bats. If you don't have a weapon with you, hit the bucket in front of you with rocks until it's just before the gate. Then get up the stairs and take the flail with you. The barricade at the top is deactivated the same way as the one in the potion factory. You can kill the bucket with the flail, it will jump at you when you get close to it. Be sure to be quite far away, so that the bucket will jump high in the air. Then you can destroy it with the flail. Deactivate the barricade and get up to the top of the observatory. Don't go to the wizard yet! He'll kill you if you haven't got the orb (as shown in my video below). Pull the chain and get down to the bottom again in order to get the orb. If it's night time, you can see something when looking through the telescope. It's just an easter egg, though, and doesn't affect the game.
When you get to the wizard, he'll give you the fireball.

Back in the Ante Room II, you can now place your third orb. Only seven orbs left!

Props. I was waiting for something like this. Great for newbies.

PART IV: THE CONSERVATORY

Levels on this path:
Armory
Stables
Garden
Conservatory

People around here keep talking about how hard the conservatory is. However, with the right tools, it is very easy. We'll see. Enter the upper left door.

Armory
This level contains all the weapons you can find in the castle. If you need a certain weapon, just come in here and take it with you.
First, go down the stairs. They're hidden behind the platform you stand on, so you will have to search a bit. When you're all the way at the bottom of the screen, kill the henchmen and pull the triggers. The two gates at the top will open. Get back up there and kill the guard, then exit the room to the left.

Stables
Kill the bat above you and the guard at the bottom first. Then wait until there is no barrel between you and the other side of the stables. Take a long jump, and you'll fall down and land in the haystack. The door leads to the wine cellar. If you don't have keys, you can't go there. So get up the stairs (Watch out for the barrels!) and pull the chain. A gate will close and the henchman can't throw his barrels anymore. Now, if you have a weapon (which is definitely the case after you have passed the armory), you can just get up there and kill him. Otherwise, turn right and jump on the rope to get to the other side of the stables. Activate the trigger there and kill him. Then take a long jump into the haystack at the bottom again. When you're done, get up to the platform where the henchman was and exit the screen.

Garden
This level is pretty tough. Make your way across the vines and platforms to the conservatory. When you're on the vines, you're defenseless, which makes it easy for the mosquitos to kill you. Watch out for them!
In this level, there are plenty of spaces where you can simply jump off the vines to land on the lower platforms. I don't show you where they are, though. You need a challenge :P
When you've reached the end, enter the door. But be careful. There is a guard. He might take you by surprise...

Conservatory
First, look around a bit. The flowers will open and unload their poison if you get close to them. The poison will make you dizzy and your health will go down faster. It's worse then dying right away, trust me.
Don't jump on the platform right away. Wait for the caterpillars to come down before you do anything else. Shoot the one right next to you and the one on the first platform, then make your way to the other side. If you have the shield, you can simply use it if the flowers unload their poison. If you don't have it, just duck underneath the flowers. I show you how that works in the video below.
Activate the next platform by pulling the trigger. If any caterpillars land on there, kill them before jumping on it.
When you have reached the end, get the orb, then return to the Ante Room II.

Now you can place your fourth orb.

PART V - THE GIANT TREE

Levels on this path:
Library
Courtyard
Hedge Maze
Giant Tree

You might remember the locked gate in the level courtyard. That gate leads to the hedge maze. That is where we're going now. Enter the lower left door again and make your way through the library.
In the

Courtyard
go through the level like normal, but when you reach the platform just before entering Catapult, turn right and jump on the merlon which has a little trigger on it. The door will open. Take a long jump across the middle of the screen to get back on the rope, then go all the way down to the ground and enter the

Hedge Maze
In this level, it is best to take exits that are at the very end of the screen. You have to make your way to the giant tree you see in the background. The vultures in this level are really annoying. They can fly through the whole level and kill you no matter where you are. Don't take long jumps in this level to be faster. Always walk and watch the grass to your feet. There might be snakes in there. Sometimes you'll hear the vultures screaming when they are flying towards. Kill them if they get too close. At the end, you'll have to fight a henchman. Be sure that no vulture can interrupt the fight.
The hedge maze is a perfect place to stock up. You can get back to the area you visited before by pressing the down key when standing in front of an exit. This can be useful for stocking up on e.g. elixirs. If there is one close to an exit, leave the screen, come back, pick it up, get back to the other screen, and repeat until you have enough elixirs.
When you have finished the hedge maze, you'll finally reach the

Giant Tree
The mushroom will be the first thing you'll see. This is a treasure. Treasures don't have any purpose, they only give you 1% each. There's 13 treasures in Dark Castle.
The mushroom is out of reach right now. Walk all the way to the left of the screen. There is a trigger hidden in the grass that will activate the shifting platform between the platform with the note on it and the platform with the mushroom on it.
Now climb the tree. Watch out for mutants climbing down the ropes. Kill them if they get too close.
The giant tree is not too hard to beat. There's no really tricky design. When you've reached the top, get the orb and the magical gauntlets. They provide additional gripping strength and can be used to climb oiled ropes, which are in some DC levels.
Now, go down the stairs again and walk to the left. A floating platform will be activated. Jump on it quickly and ride it until it reached the bottom of the tree. Take a long jump on the platform with thw note on it, then jump across the platforms and pick up the mushroom. Then get back to the Ante Room II. Now you have got 5 orbs out of ten.

VI - THE WITCH'S CAVE AND THE STONEBALL

Levels on this path:
Forest Guard Tower
Witch's Woods
Witch's Woods 2
Witch's Cave

Weapons/Spells needed to make this path: Fireball

Now it's time to go get the Stoneball in the witch's cave. Enter the middle left opening to get there.

Forest Guard Tower
There is nothing hard about this level. Just go through here.

Witch's Woods
First, kill the mutant, then make your way up the stairs and the ladder. Kill the vultures before trying to make it across the floating platforms. If you have the shield you can easily avoid the trunks the henchman is throwing.
When you have made it to the platform directly next to the henchman, get down the stairs and down the rope. Don't try to get the apple. You'll fail.
Exit the screen to the left.

Witch's Woods 2
Make your way to the top of the screen first. When you have reached the chain, pull it to activate the platform at the bottom. Now, you can take a low jump to land on the platform right away, or you'll walk all the way back to the bottom and make your way across the platform to the other side of the small lake.
The note in front of the stairs is not referring to this cave, but to another one. The wood is blocking the entrance. Throw two Fireballs at it. It will burn down and you can enter the

Witch's Cave
First shoot the eye, then take out the bats. Be careful! If the Stoneballs the eye is shooting land on the platforms, they'll turn into snakes. If you touch the snakes, you'll get frozen. The chains at the bottom need to be pulled in the correct order to deactivate the barricade. (As seen before in the Potion Factory)
When you're done, get back to the top of the stairs. Now, jump across the platforms. This is a bit tricky, but with the right skills, you'll make it. Ride the platform to the top and get down to the platforms. Long jump across them until you reach the swinging ropes. Use them to get to the other side of the cave. Get off the second rope with a low jump to land safely on the platform. Get down to the bottom and pull the chain. Don't go to the witch yet! She'll freeze you if you don't get the orb first.
Use the floating platform to reach the orb and get back after you've obtained it. Then go to the witch who will give you the Stoneball, which is a very useful weapon to kill eyes, for example.

VII - THE UNDERGROUND RIVER

Levels on this path:
Castle Grounds
Underground River

Well, the Underground River is one of the hardest levels in the Dark Castle series. But that doesn't mean it's impossible to beat. With enough practice and good jumping skills, you'll make it through this level.

Castle Grounds
Make your way across the platforms at the top, then wait for the guard to come out. If you have the stoneball, you can freeze him, then take out a melee weapon, and destroy him. You will find the crossbow, which is a really useful weapon. Go down the stairs and kill the Mutant. Jump across the well to the left side of the screen. Kill the snake, then godown. Jump on top of the well and go to the right side. Don't exit the level, but stand in front of the archway and press your action key. A rope will appear and you can go down the well.

Underground River
First, kill the bast. Then wait until the fourth log appears. Jump on it. If there are rocks on one of the stones, take them with you. Watch out for the stalactites. When you get close to the waterfall, take a long jump to land on the next log. If they re close together, take a normal jump.
When the bigger waterfall appears, take a long jump when the log is about to fall over it to land on the rock with the elixir on it. Take it, then jump on the first log that comes. Stand in the middle of it, and when the rope swings towards you, grab it to get to the other side.
Go all the way down to the bottom. If you want to get the elixir on the rock, take a long jump to reach it. Jump on the logs again. When you get to the platform with the rats on it, jump on it and get all things that are on it. The note is referring to another level.
Take a long jump off the platform to land on the rock. Wait for the third log to come, then jump on it. Take long jumps over the small waterfalls to land on the logs.
Before the next large waterfall, you have to watch out for stalactites falling down. You can't see them, though. Jump around the logs until you are able to grab the rope, then jump to the other side. Go down the rope with the rats on it. The small platforms to your right are for bats to hang on on later difficulties. Kill all the mutants, then get down to the bottom and jump on the logs again.
Ride the logs until the waterfall, then take a long jump when the log you're on is about to fall down. Jump down the rocks, then jump on the next log.
Jump on the last platform and go towards the stairs. Be careful! There is a guard at the end. Wait for him, kill him, and get up the stairs. Kill all the mutants, then o up the stairs and ropes to the shovel henchman. Get the orb, kill him, and obtain the next piece of the magical armor.

PART VIII: THE WINE CELLAR

Levels on this path:
Armory
Stables
Wine Cellar

Well, since I already talked about the Armory I won't talk about them again. The upper left door can take you to the Wine Cellar, but you'll need a key to enter. If you don't have one, the easiest place to go would be the Black Knight's Brewery. But you can also visit the Kitchen.

Stables
The locked door at the bottom takes you to the Wine Cellar. Open it and enter.

Wine Cellar
You have to make your way to the bottom of the screen in order to reach your next orb. The worst enemies are bottles falling out of the shelf. You'll hear when they start falling, so pay attention. But most of the time they break on the upper platforms, but sometimes they'll also fall all the way down to the bottom of the cellar.
First, take out the guards, then walk down and jump across the platforms. Sometimes you'll need to take a long jump to land on the platform. Watch out when you reach the swinging rope, you are defenseless when hanging on it. The ropes you can climb across the reach the other side are also a problem. You can use the floating platforms above them to safe yourself from the bottles. Just climb when they're above you.
The shield and the magical helmet (Found in classic Black Knight 3) are very useful in this level.
When you have reached the bottom, take out the guard and kill the snakes before obtaining the orb.

PART IX: THE GRAVEYARD

Levels on this path:
Castle Grounds
Castle Grounds 2
Graveyard
(Crypt)
Iron Spire
(Crypt 2)

Items needed to complete this path: Gas, Bombs

The graveyard can only be entered when it's midnight. So if you want to enter the gate to the graveyard, you'll have to be there before midnight and wait until it's time.

Enter the Castle Grounds (Middle right opening), and go through the level (see part VII).

Castle Grounds 2
First, make your way up the rope and across the shifting platforms. Pull the chain at the top to open the gate. Get back down (you can take a long jump to land on the first shifting platform and then jump back on the rope) and land on the right side of the screen. Then wait until midnight. When the door opens, enter it.

Graveyard
Here, you'll have to jump across the tomb stones. They'll break down when you land on them, so be careful. You can't jump on the crosses.
You can jump all the way until the end, or jump until the fifth stone, then turn around and take a normal jump to grab the vine.
Get up on the platform, then get to the other side by using the swinging rope. Get down. You see to buildings. They're the crypts. The left, open building is a place to stock up on bombs, which you'll need to enter the other building. If you have less than five bombs, enter and pick up some.
When you get back out, pick up the shovel if you don't have a weapon. Then jump across the last few stones, kill the henchman, and exit.

Iron Spire
The thing on the platform is a helicopter pack. You can use it to fly up the spire. Kill the guard before using it. You'll need gas to run it, so make sure you have at least 80 gas.
Make sure you fly in the middle of the screen. You'll die if you fly too far to the left or right of it, because there are trees you can't see in the dark. When too many birds are flying across the screen, just go down a bit until they're gone, get back up, and they won't bother you anymore.
When you reach the top, pick up the potion and the orb.

How to enter Crypt 2 is described in Part 32.

9 - Graveyard

PART X: CHAPEL

Levels on this path:
Rooftop
South Wall
South Wall 2
Chapel

Special items needed to beat this path: Magical gauntlets

The chapel is a level on the level path behind the upper right door.
I have described earlier how to get through the levels Rooftop, South Wall and South Wall 2.

South Wall 2
If you have the gauntlets (hidden on the Giant Tree), you can climb the oiled rope to reach the chain which will open the gate to the chapel.

Chapel
The acid eyes you'll encounter here can only move left and right and are not that dangerous. Plus, if you have the magical boots, you can just walk across the acid they drop on the floor.
The pillars are in the foreground, and if you stand behind them, you can't see what you're doing.
Make your way across to the other side, killing all the rats and bats in your way. Don't forget to stun the eyes if they get too close. The acid they drop will fall through the stairs, so look out. You can't shoot through the lower part of the pillars.
Push the trigger to activate the shifting platform, then get back up there and pull the chain. A hidden gate behind the right pillar will open. Get back down there and enter the chamber with the orb in it.

Now you have ten orbs you can place in the Ante Room II, so you can enter the Black Knight levels now. But for reaching 100%, you need to find all the treasures and 15 more orbs. How to beat the Black Knight levels is described in part 34.

PART XI: MOSQUITO MARSH

Levels on this path:
Castle Grounds
Castle Grounds 2
Tangles Roots
Mosquito Marsh

Now you have enough orbs to enter the Black Knight's chambers. But if you want to reach 100%, you'll have to obtain the 15 extra orbs first, which you can place in the Library.

Enter the middle right opening now and go through the levels Castle Grounds and Castle Grounds 2 again. Note that the Graveyard gate stays open once you have been there. But don't enter it when it's day time. You'll be taken back to the Ante Room II by a ghost.

Tangled Roots
If you have the shield, you can use it to save yourself from the boars, otherwise you can just jump over them. They can only be killed with a Stoneball. Get down and enter the cave to your left. The floor trigger at the end will deactivate a spike pillar that's blocking your path to the right. Get back to the rope and go down again. The pillar to your right keeps you from going on. Enter the cave again and activate the trigger. Dodge the boar and continue all the way down. Get up to the platform and activate the next trigger. If you don't have a weapon to fight the henchman, enter the cave to your left and pick up the shovel. But you'll need the shield to get back out.
Kill the henchman and go down the stairs. Climb down to the bottom and turn left towards the tree. Duck down in front of the bottom and place a bomb. A secret passage will open. Shoot a rock in there to be sure there are no caterpillars, then crawl through the opening. Enter the cave and kill all the bats. You'll find another treasure at the end.
Get back out and exit the level to the right.

Mosquito Marsh
First, kill all the mosquitos close to you. If some of the others come too close, make sure to kill them before they can harm you. Then pick up the mace and fight the giant tentacle coming out of the water. You can hit it about 2 times when it comes up. It takes about 12 hits to kill. When the creature is dead, a platform will rise out of the water and will allow you to access the orb.
If you have the gauntlets, you can simply climb up the rope and get to the left across the oiled rope. Otherwise just pass through the level like normal.
Be sure to kill all the mosquitos so they can't harm you when you're on a rope.

This is your 11th orb, so you need to place on one of the pedestals it in the Library.

11 - Mosquito Marsh

PART XII: PANTRY

Levels on this path:
Laboratory
Kitchen
Pantry

Pantry is a secret level hidden in the Kitchen. You can get there by entering the lower
right door.

Make your way through the Laboratory. Just go down the ladder, then walk right.

Kitchen
The fridge is not part of the secret. First take out the henchman, then go down the stairs. Under the stairs is a small brick that stands out of the wall. Press the action key while standing in front of it. Enter the secret door that opens.

Pantry
If you have the shield, you can use it to let the magic broom pass through you. Otherwise you can shoot it and jump through it right after you shot.
Get up the first ladder. Watch out for the spikes. Take out the guard and the rats if you don't want to lose elixirs. Get up to the top and pull the chain.
Go back down and get up the right side of the screen to reach the orb.

PART XIII: THE SOUTH TOWER

Levels on this path:
Forest Guard Tower
North Tower
Forest Bridge
South Tower

Special items needed to beat this path: Crossbow

Getting to the South Tower is not that easy, but with some skills and weapons, you should be able to make this tricky level path.

This is a secret level path. Enter the middle left opening and return to the

Forest Guard Tower

Make your way through the level like you did before, but don't exit to the Witch's Woods. You might have noticed the opening at the top of the tower at the right side of the screen. That is where we'll go right now. When you are at the bottom of the rope at the left, jump across the gap and go to the large boulder underneath the tower. Stand in front of it and press your action key. A rope will appear above you. Go back up there and climb to the top of the tower. You can walk on a platform behind the roof. But be careful when you reach the other side! You might go to far and fall down to your death. The jump from the roof to the tower is a little tricky, but not too bad.
Exit to the

North Tower

This level is the first of a path which I like to call "Vulture Path". Every single of the next three levels includes vultures. Hooray. Anyway. The North Tower is not too bad a level. First take out the bats so they won't attack you when you walk up the stairs. Then kill the rats and the guard and go up to the next platform.
You need to activate the two shifting platforms to reach the top. The two chains at the right side of the screen need to be pulled. Kill the vultures and activate the platforms. You need to be careful because there is not much space for jumping around on the small platforms on the right.
When you're done, get back inside the tower and make your way to the very top. The gate in front of you is closed. You can open it by shooting at the target behind you with the crossbow. Do so and kill the mutant on the bridge. Then enter the next room, the

Forest Bridge

On later difficulties, this level is a real pain. But on Beginner, you shouldn't have to much trouble beating it. The main problem here are the vultures. So kill those first. Then go down the stairs and go as far right as possible so that the bucket won't jump at you right away. Since you had to use the crossbow in North Tower, you don't have a melee weapon to take out the bucket. So shoot it with fireballs until it falls down to the platform below.
If you have some bombs with you, you can use one at the top of the stairs at the beginning of the level. It will fall down and kill the bucket. But only do that if you really have a lot of bombs, as they are very rare and you need them a lot.
Jump across the gap and stand at the top of the ladder. If the vultures are back already, kill them. Don't go down yet. Shoot the bucket from here until it falls down once again. Then go down. Kill the rat and jump across the gap to the top of the stairs. Go down. Don't bother about the buckets, they won't attack you. You need to pull the chain. A barricade above you will be deactivated. Now you can reach another chain.
Go back up the stairs and take out the vultures if they are back. Then jump across the gap to your right. Climb up the ladder and pull the chain. The next barricade will be deactivated.
Now go back down again and shoot the two buckets until they fall down into the gap. They won't bother you anymore. Now you can reach the last chain which opens the final barricade.
The note on the right gives you hint (although it's kind of useless, as it doesn't tell you where the entrance is) on how to enter the Game Room, which I will show you in part 25.
Now make your way to the very top again (watch out for the vultures), and exit right to the

South Tower

I guess the first thing you'll notice is the orb at the top of the tower. We've reached our goal! But the South Tower is a very complex level, although it might not look like one at first.
First, take out the vultures, then go down the ladder. Kill the guard to your right immediately so he won't shoot you. Jumping across the gap is not easy, as there is not much space. Go as far right as possible without walking into the wall, then turn left. Now you can jump across and pull the trigger. A rope will come down. Get back up to the top and kill the vultures once again. Then climb up the rope and jump onto the platform. Take out the guard and then shoot an arrow at the target inside the tower.
Now the gate below you will open and you can enter the tower. Go back down and climb up the stairs. Then go all the way right and shoot the guard before going down. Climb down the ladder and make your way to the chain across the rope. A floating platform will be activated.
Before going back up, wait for the guard to come back again and kill him once more. Then go all the way up and climb the rope. Of course you need to make sure there are no vultures. Then ride the floating platform to reach the top of the tower. Kill the mutant and get up there to reach your next orb. Then warp back to the Ante Room II.

13 - South Tower

PART XIV: THE EAST TOWER

Levels on this path:
Black Knight's Brewery
East Labyrinth
East Tower Top
Belfry

Now that we have collected all orbs from the Ante Room II, we can start with the levels from the Beyond Dark Castle area. In the Ante Room II, go through the lower left opening and enter the

Ante Room

This is the classic BDC area. On the pedestals you find in here you can't place orbs as they are broken, but once you placed five orbs in the Ante Room II, the large gate in the middle will open. More on that in part 20. For now, go up the stairs to the upper left door and enter the

Black Knight's Brewery

In here you will find the conveyor belts you already saw in the Potion Factory (part 4), but this level is much easier. Once you started it, just go up and jump over the conveyor belts to the right platform. No barrel should reach you up to this point.
If you have the shield with you, you can easily make your way across the two conveyor belts above you. If not, go on the first one and jump over a barrel that comes flying towards you. Then climb to the top of the room.
Walk right until the henchman picks up his hammer. Then fight with him. If you have a melee weapon with you, just kill him that way. Otherwise pick up the shovel to your left.
Once he's down, exit right to the

East Labyrinth

Getting through this level can be really annoying, as there are a lot of dead ends (especially on later difficulties). But there is not much else to worry about. The only enemies in here are rats and snakes. You will need a key to open the door at the end. In this labyrinth, the exit is at the bottom, so you always have to find a way down. Close to the exit you will find some keys, which can also be a useful hint.
This is also a good place to stock up on items.
Once you have found the exit, you'll reach the

East Tower Top

This is one of three places in the game where you can get the fireball. This is the easiest one too, so I'd recommend to try to get the fireball in here if you don't have it by now.
The first thing to do is get up the ladder to your right. But watch out, as there is a spike trap at the bottom. Kill the bat, then wait close by the opening in the wall to your left until the next one comes flying towards you. You can kill that one too.
Now shoot the three vultures at the top from below and climb up the ladder and the stairs into the middle tower. Climb down the rope and get to the platform in the middle. Don't go to the wizard yet, as he will kill you if you don't have the orb.
Jump on the first rope, climb to the next one, and then carefully press your down key only for a short time, so you go down a bit, but don't fall into the dungeon. Now you can go all the way up again and climb to the very top. Watch out for the spike traps on your way up. Then enter the little chamber where the orb is. Get it, then go back down. Now, if you are at the bottom of the ladder, you can walk right to reach a secret level hidden up here, the

Belfry

There will be a swarm of bats coming towards you. Right in front of you is a floor trigger which will make a bomb above you fall down. You can use the bombs to take out the bats. I'd recommend jumping over the floor trigger and using the trigger on the wall to take them out. Some will survive, but you can just shoot these.
Now you will have to make the treasure at the top fall down. Below you is a small tunnel with a floor trigger guarded by a spider. There are three ways to reach it. You can crawl in there and take out the spider with a bomb, you can go down the ladder and wait for the spider to come all the way to the right and then shoot it, or you can shoot some rocks or fireballs at the floor from above, which will make the spider run away, and if you are lucky, it will wait beyond the trigger. You can choose one of these methods, and if you reach the trigger, the bat treasure will fall down.
Now get back up again and climb to the top. Use the shield to get past the magic broom, or shoot a rock at it and jump through it while it's multiplying. Then climb across the ropes to the other side. Kill the henchman and take the treasure. You can use the floating platform here to get back down to the bottom. If you already have the fireball, just use a potion to get back out. If not, go back to the

East Tower Top

and get up the stairs there. Wait for the bats and take them out. Then get back down to the bottom. Once you reach the end of the rightmost rope, jump left onto the platform and then back onto the rope again. Now gently tap the down key and then climb across the ropes back to the left. Now make your way up to the top and go to Merlin to get the fireball. Then he'll teleport you back to the Ante Room II.

14 - East Tower Top

PART XV: THE WEST TOWER

Levels on this path:
West Tower Wall
West Labyrinth
West Tower Top

The west tower is another level path from the Beyond Dark Castle area. Go back to the Ante Room and enter the upper right door.

West Tower Wall

This is considered one of the hardest levels of the first two games, and it is kind of tough, but it was much harder in BDC than it is now. The only tricky part is making it across the floating platforms without falling into the Dungeon. You need to have some jumping skills to make it across them. The vultures in here can't fly all the way to the bottom, so when you start the level, you don't have to worry about them.
Jump across the platforms to the left and shoot the mutant that comes out above you. Then climb up the rope to the second level. Kill the vultures, then jump across the platforms to the right side of the screen. There is a small step there, so take a low jump to get off. Climb up the ladder.
The shifting platforms aren't hard to get over. When you have reached the left side of the screen again, climb up to the very top. Wait until all the vultures are back, then kill them again. Jump across the battlement with running jumps to reach the other side. You can jump through without stopping once. Climb up the ladder to reach the

West Labyrinth

This is pretty much the same as the East Labyrinth (Part 14). The exit is at the top, so you need to keep going up. Getting through this level can be really annoying, as there are a lot of dead ends (especially on later difficulties). But there is not much else to worry about. The only enemies in here are rats and snakes. You will need a key to open the door at the end. Close to the exit you will find some keys, which can also be a useful hint.
This is also a good place to stock up on items.
Once you have found the exit, you'll reach the

West Tower Top

This is one of three levels in the game where you will find a shield. But it's the hardest one, so I don't recommend trying to get the shield in here. But if you want to do so, here's what to do. If you already have the shield, take a look at the bottom of the post.
Once you are at the top of the ladder, immediately duck down. The laser pattern here is quite simple. It either starts at the top and goes down to the bottom or starts at the bottom and goes to the top. But since you never know, duck and wait. If it starts at the top, you can just walk right and pick up the bomb and potion on your way. Wait for the laser on the second level to turn off before climbing up there. Then you need to climb across the rope to the left side. If the laser is about to start again, wait on the platform in the middle and duck. Once it's gone, you can continue. Climb up to the third level and climb across the rope to the other side. Once again, watch the lasers. Once you are at the top, you need to watch the clouds (if it's at night) and the spikes at the same time. It is difficult to get to the shield, but not impossible. Once you are there, grab it and hold it above your head with your action key once a cloud is above you.
Once you have it, you need to go back down to get the orb. go back across the battlement to the right (watch the clouds and the spikes!), then climb back down the same way you came up. Be careful with the lasers.
Once you are on the second level at the very right above the ladder, take a low jump to get down into the pit to your right. There is a bomb down there. Place it in front of the wall and use the shield to protect yourself once it blows up. Then climb up the ladder into the chamber where the orb is. Then warp back to the Ante Room II.

PART XVI: THE SWAMP AND THE CASINO

Levels on this path:
Computer Room
Clock Tower
Swamp
Casino

Special items needed to beat this path: Gas, rocks

The Swamp is a helicopter pack level, which means you should bring some gas with you. If you don't have a lot, that's no problem, as you can easily stock up in Clock Tower. As for the rocks, bring at least 85 with you when entering the Casino.
Go to the BDC area and enter the lower left door.

Computer Room

This level is not too hard. The save function in here was used in classic Beyond Dark Castle to save your game, it doesn't work in RTDC.
First, kill the bats, then walk all to the ladder. Kill the rat before climbing up to the next level. Wait for the platform to shift, then jump across it to the middle of the screen. Do the same for the next one. When you take a running jump to get off, you can directly jump on the rope to your left.
Before going to the top of the level, wait for the laser to turn off. Then climb up. You can directly run through the level on Novice and Beginner, on later difficulties you have to wait for the laser, so duck down. There is a step in the middle which you need to jump over, so look out. By leaving the level, you'll reach the

Clock Tower

Here, the first thing you'll notice will be the helicopter packs and the ropes in the middle. You can either fly to the Swamp or the Black Forest. When you decide to go to the Swamp, you can connect it with the Casino, like I do in this part. That means that we need to stock up on rocks as well. There is a rock bag in this level as well (if it is not there due to the random items, just go back to the Computer Room and reenter the level until it appears).
First, turn left and jump on the rope. If you don't have 99 gas, you can stock up on it on the left tower and in the right one. If you want to reach the right side of the screen, you need to climb over the ropes in the middle. Be sure to not face the gears when you are hanging on them, as they will kill you if you touch them.
When you have 99 gas and 89 rocks, we can go to the Swamp. Climb up to the top left of the tower and start flying with the helicopter pack. There are some bombs hidden behind the clock at the top of the screen, so if you need some, pick them up. You can fly above the vultures and leave the level, there is no need to kill them.

Swamp

This is a really long level, but it is not very hard. There are two checkpoints along the way, which are marked by the signs at the bottom of the screen. As you can see, your goal is to reach the guard house. I'd recommend to fly at the very top of the screen, as flying into the trees will kill you. You can stock up on rocks and gas along the way if you need to.
The only enemies you'll encounter before the last mile are mosquitos and mutants. The mosquitos act the same way as they do in the Garden (part 4), which means that they fly in swarms of up to three of them (on Novice and Beginner). The maximum is five (Advanced). Just dodge them if they fly close to the top of the screen.
The mutants walk around on the rocks at the bottom of the screen. However, these mutants are a little different from the ones you know, as they throw rocks at you. Fly past them fast if they appear.
Then there is the Big Bird, which you will encounter after some time. You will hear a caw in the distance, getting closer. After the third caw, the bird will appear. You can kill it with one shot.
Getting through the Swamp it not too hard. Once you have reached the last mile, there is a purple eye in front of you. Flying past it is useless, as it will move with the screen, so you have to fight it. It takes a few hits to kill, which means that this will drain your rocks if you want to reach the Casino. If you have the Stoneball with you, one hit will take care of it. If you beat it and have less than 86 rocks left, fly back and grab the bag of rocks on the next stone, so you have 89 again. You might encounter the Big Bird again (it will appear from behind you!), but you really need all rocks you can get to beat the Casino.
When you have enough, fly back and just fly through the last mile (there are no enemies in this one) and land in front of the guard house.
The shovel henchman shouldn't be a problem for you. Just kill him and grab the orb in the chamber at the top. Don't go back to the Ante Room II yet. You might have noticed the boat at the bottom of the screen. Go back down and stand in front of it. Press your down key and you will climb into it and float to the

Casino

This is the absolute worst level imaginable. Beating it has really nothing to do with skills or something, but instead, this level is completely based on luck.
You will see six slot machines. At the top of the level, there is a treasure on a platform. The goal is to win on all six machines, which will cause the treasure to fall down. Your "money" are the rocks. Each try on a machine will cost you five rocks. The machines are, from right to left, the rock machine, the elixir machine, the potion machine, the bomb machine, the gas machine, and the key machine. You will get one of these items if you win. You can win on any machine as many times as you want, but you will only get the treasure if you win on all six. The rock machine is the easiest to win on. If you have less than 20 rocks left, you can use it to stock up again. The elixir machine is not too hard to win on either. The potion machine, however, is extremely annoying and only very rarely gives you the price.
If you got to the three machines at the top of the screen, be sure to kill the guard first. The three machines up here aren't easy to win on either. The easiest is the gas machine in the middle.
It is rumored that winning in the casino has something to do with the lights on top of the machines. However, I doubt it. You just have to be very, very lucky. That's all. Bring at least 86 rocks with you (one for the guard) and see what happens. That is my only advice. You will definitely need more than one try.
If you run out of rocks, quit the game and play the path again until you finally win. Good luck.

If you finally won on all machines and have the treasure, you can warp back to the Ante Room II and place your next orb on a pedestal. Then stock up on rocks.

16 - Swamp

PART XVII: THE BLACK FOREST

Levels on this path:
Computer Room
Clock Tower
Black Forest

Special items needed to make this path: Gas

If you already visited the Swamp (part 16), you know how this works. The Black Forest is another Helicopter Pack level, which means you should bring some gas with you. If you don't have a lot, that's no problem, as you can easily stock up in Clock Tower.
Go to the BDC area and enter the lower left door.

Computer Room

This level is not too hard. The save function in here was used in classic Beyond Dark Castle to save your game, it doesn't work in RTDC.
First, kill the bats, then walk all to the ladder. Kill the rat before climbing up to the next level. Wait for the platform to shift, then jump across it to the middle of the screen. Do the same for the next one. When you take a running jump to get off, you can directly jump on the rope to your left.
Before going to the top of the level, wait for the laser to turn off. Then climb up. You can directly run through the level on Novice and Beginner, on later difficulties you have to wait for the laser, so duck down. There is a step in the middle which you need to jump over, so look out. By leaving the level, you'll reach the

Clock Tower

Here, the first thing you'll notice will be the helicopter packs and the ropes in the middle. You can either fly to the Swamp or the Black Forest.
First, turn left and jump on the rope. If you don't have 99 gas, you can stock up on it on the left tower and in the right one. If you want to reach the right side of the screen, you need to climb over the ropes in the middle. Be sure to not face the gears when you are hanging on them, as they will kill you if you touch them.
When you have reached the top right side of the tower, go up the stairs and start flying with the helicopter pack. Leave the screen by flying right. You'll reach the

Black Forest

Which is pretty much the same as the Swamp. It is a really long level, but it is not very hard. There are two checkpoints along the way, which are marked by the signs at the bottom of the screen. As you can see, your goal is to reach the guard house. I'd recommend to fly at the very top of the screen, as flying into the trees will kill you. You can stock up on rocks and gas along the way if you need to.
The only enemies you'll encounter before the last mile are Killer Birds and Mutants. The Killer Birds act the same way as the Mosquitos do in the Swamp (part 16), which means that they fly in swarms of up to three of them (on Novice and Beginner). The maximum is five (Advanced). Just dodge them if they fly close to the top of the screen.
The mutants walk around on the platforms at the bottom of the screen. However, these mutants are a little different from the ones you know, as they throw rocks at you once you are above them. Fly past them fast if they appear.
Then there is the Big Bird, which you will encounter after some time. You will hear a caw in the distance, getting closer. After the third caw, the bird will appear. You can kill it with one shot.
Getting through the Black Forest it not too hard. Once you have reached the last mile, there is a purple eye in front of you. Flying past it is useless, as it will move with the screen, so you have to fight it. It takes a few hits to kill. If you have the Stoneball with you, one hit will take care of it. Once you beat it, just fly through the last mile (there are no enemies in this one) and land in front of the guard house.
Fight the Shovel Henchman and then climb up into the chamber where the orb is. Once you have it, warp back to the Ante Room II.

17 - Black Forest

PART XVIII: THE CATACOMBS

Levels on this path:
Basement
Catacombs

Special items needed to make this path: Bombs

The Catacombs are a level where you'll need a lot of bombs to blow up some walls. Make sure you have at least 5 bombs when entering the level.

In the Ante Room, enter the lower right door.

Basement

Right away, take a low jump from the top of the screen to get down to the bottom. You will get dizzy, and the guard coming out at the left of the screen might shoot at you, but if you're lucky, you'll survive. Kill the bats if necessary and then get down to the bottom by climbing down the rope to your right. Then leave the room by walking right and enter the

Catacombs

The first thing to do here is to shoot the burning eye in the middle of the screen. If you have the Stoneball, you can easily kill it, otherwise just keep shooting at it to make sure it keeps shut. You can't jump in this level, as you'll hit your head on the ceiling of you do so.
Walk all the way to the left and make sure there is no snake below you before climbing down the ladder. Place a bomb in front of the wall and quickly climb back up. You might have to shoot the eye again now.
Once the wall is gone, get back down and blow up the next one. Quickly get away from the bomb once you placed it on the ground. Shoot the eye if necessary. Kill the snake if it has returned by now and kill the one below you as well. Then get down to the next level and repeat the same process again until you have reached the very bottom of the screen. Here, you need to jump across the floating platforms to the other side in order to reach the orb. Only jump from one to the other when they are really close together. Be careful not to fall into the Dungeon! You need to get off the last one with a low jump to not hit your head on the wall. Shoot the eye if necessary and get down the steps and up the ladder to reach the orb.
If you have a potion with you, you can just warp back to the Ante Room II right away. If not, you have to go back the same way you came to reach the Basement again. Just kill the snakes in your way and shoot the eye if necessary and you will make it.

Basement

Get up the rope in front of you. Kill the bats and the guard to your left first before pulling the two chains to activate the platforms above you. Then get back down.
Kill the guard and get up the rope to the very left of the screen. Kill the guard at the top and jump down the two platforms. Wait for the rope to swing towards you and then grab it to reach the other side and exit to the Ante Room.

PART XIX: THE TORTURE CHAMBER

Levels on this path:
Dungeon
Torture Chamber

Special items needed to make this path: Crossbow

The Torture Chamber is a secret level hidden in the Dungeon, which is part of the BDC area. There is an orb you will find in there. You need the Crossbow to beat this level. How to get it is described in part 7.
To get to the Dungeon, you can go through the Basement (lower right door in the Ante Room), but I'd recommend to just go there by falling into a pit, e.g. at the West Tower Wall (upper right door).

Dungeon

You need to get up to the top of the room, where a secret switch will open up a door. Jump onto the rope in front of you (watch out for the swinging scythe!), then climb up to the top. Kill the guard above you before climbing up to the next level. Watch out for the steps on the ground when walking towards the left side of the screen.
Behind the stairs leading up to the top, there is a cage hanging on the wall. Stand behind it and press your action key. A door below you will open. Get back down to the bottom and enter the

Torture Chamber

Immediately walk left once you entered the room, pick up the potion and jump onto the first platform behind you. Shoot the burning eye. You can stun it with a fireball or kill it with a stoneball.
Now, only some of the platforms you see in this room can be jumped on. The ones marked with an "x" in the picture below can be jumped on, the others not.



Jump up the first three platforms, then turn around and shoot and arrow at the target to your left. A platform will be activated. Take a long jump to get there. Then jump up the next two platforms and shoot the next target. Shoot the eye again if necessary. The next platform is activated now. Jump on it and take a long jump to reach the next one. Then jump on the rope and climb up to the platform with the switch on it. Pull the switch and another platform will be activated. Jump back onto the ropes and get back to the platform. Shoot the eye again if necessary. Then take a long jump to get back and jump on the next platform. You need to take a long jump to reach the rope from here. Climb up to the top and pull the next switch. The final platform will be activated. Shoot the eye again and get back across the ropes. Then jump up to the orb and warp back to the Ante Room II once you have it.

PART XX: BLACK KNIGHT SHOWDOWN

Levels on this path:
Black Knight Showdown

Special items needed to beat this path: Fireball, Shield (recommended)

The Black Knight Showdown was the final level in Beyond Dark Castle, but now, the layout was slightly changed. There is an orb and a piece of armor to be found in this level. Before going there, you need to have the fireball, as that is the only weapon the Gargoyle can be killed with. I'd recommend to take the Shield with you if you got there as well. If you have already placed 5 orbs in the Ante Room II, you can enter the Black Knight Showdown. Go to the Ante Room and enter the huge gate in the middle.

Black Knight Showdown

Jump across the platforms at the bottom. You might have to wait for the spikes to come out and disappear again on the middle one before going all the way to the left.
Climb up the rope and walk across the second platform. Then climb up to the third one. Shoot the guard and before climbing up to the next level, kill the snake above you. Then go up there and jump on the platform in the middle.
Here, you can wait for the Gargoyle. The Gargoyle always screams 2 times before appearing on the screen. It always appears from the side of the screen that was further away from you when you heard the first scream. Keep that in mind. You can kill it with a Fireball. The shield and rocks are useless. If it gets you, it will throw you into the Dungeon.
After you have killed the Gargoyle (you might have to dodge the barrels while doing it), you need to jump across the two next platforms to reach the rope. Wait for the spikes to come up and disappear again before doing so. Quickly climb up to the next level and if necessary use the shield to protect yourself from the barrels. Then walk right and wait for the spike before climbing up to the next platform. Kill the guard and the Gargoyle if it appears. Then walk left. Kill the snake above you before climbing up there. Make sure there are no barrels above you when you climb to the top. Then kill the guard at the right side of the screen. Jumping onto the next platform is not too easy, as it is quite far away. You need to jump from the very edge. Use the shield to protect yourself if necessary. Then jump right and climb up to the top. Only start fighting the henchman if he's not throwing a barrel. If the Gargoyle appears, take care of it before fighting the henchman. You can use the weapon up there or use one you have with you. After you killed him, pick up the boots and the orb and then use the potion to get back to the Ante Room II.

PART XXI: AIRBORNE

Levels on this path:
Airborne

Airborne is one of the three mini-games in Return To Dark Castle. It is a secret level hidden in the Ante Room. Make sure you have over 80 rocks when going there.
Go to the Ante Room and go up the stairs to the very top of the room. Stand behind the dragon statue and press your up-key.

Airborne

In this level, you can't move away from the small tower you are standing on. You are reduced to using rocks. After a short time, a mutant will fall down from above and start flying down with a parachute. These mutants are different. Your goal is to kill them all before they reach the ground and kill you. You can only do so by shooting at their parachutes. If you hit the mutant, your rocks will bounce of as they're armored. If you hit the parachute, the mutants will fall down to the ground and explode. You need to kill around twelve for a rope to come down. Then you can reach the treasure. The level will get more and more hectic once you get close to the final mutants. Then more will come down at the same time. Your aiming has to be good.
Some useful hints:
A mutant landing on the ground and exploding will kill other mutants close to it as well.
If you have the crossbow with you, you can use it to shoot the mutants. This is pretty easy as you can hit the parachute or the mutant. But you can only shoot one arrow at a time. If you miss, you have to wait for the arrow to leave the screen before you can shoot another one.
This level requires some aiming skills, but it is not too hard. Rock backs constantly fall down from above, so you won't have to worry about running out. With some patience and good aiming, this level shouldn't be too bad.

PART XXII: SHIELD 4

Levels on this path:
Shield 1
Shield 2
Shield 3
Shield 4

Special items needed to make this path: a bomb

Now we have finished the Beyond Dark Castle area, so it's time to go to the classic Dark Castle area. In the Ante Room II, walk through the lower right opening and enter the

Great Hall

This is the smallest of the three Ante Rooms. It only has 5 exits (one of them being a secret one). The one we'll take now is the rightmost one. It is boarded up, which means you need a bomb to open it.

Shield 1

This level is not too bad. Just get up all the platforms to the very top of the room. If you are quick, you should only have to worry about the boulders on the two upper levels. Watch out for the mutants on the third level. Only get up to the last level when the henchman is not throwing a boulder. Then jump across the platform to the right and exit to

Shield 2

Immediately walk to the very right quickly where the vultures can't reach you. You can kill some of them so they won't bother you on your way up. Now there are two ways to get past the dragon above you who guards the entrance to the next room. You can quickly get in there if the dragon is inside. Or you can climb to the top of the tower and drop some water on him. But notice that this will only stun the dragon. He will come back after some time.
Watch out for the vultures when you climb to the top of the tower. Kill them if they start to attack you.
When you get past the dragon, you'll enter

Shield 3

This room is really easy. You can take a long jump from the beginning of the level to skip some of the ropes. Then just climb up to the ladder. You don't have to worry about the bats. They won't reach you. Just get up the ladder to reach

Shield 4

which is the final level on this path. This is one of three places in the game where you can get the shield. It is also the easiest, so I'd recommend getting the shield in here if you don't already have it. The only problem is that you need a bomb to get here, which are hard to find. And if you want to get the shield, make sure it's nighttime when you get up here.
Anyway, the first thing to do is to take out the bats. Then you will notice there are a lot of platforms in this room. They work the same way as the once on the South Wall (part 2). Walk all the way to the left of the room and activate the lever there. Some of the platforms will turn green. These are the ones you can jump on. If you try to jump on the others, you will fall through them. Keep in mind which ones you can jump on (you can activate the lever several times if you want to), and then jump across them to the top. Get up the ladder and pick up the potion. Now watch out for the clouds (if it's night) on your way to the shield and orb. Pick up the orb and if you don't already have the shield, pick it up and wait until a cloud is above you. Then hold it up with your action key. The cloud will strike you and you will obtain the shield. Then you can warp back to the Ante Room II.