Crimson Desert Gate to Advancement & Skypillar Archipelago Puzzle Walkthrough

TL;DR

• The Gate to Advancement is located on Mount Benus in the southeast area of Delesyia.
• You need to start the Old Research Journal Marni Faction Quest before you can interact with the puzzle — but you do not need to complete it.
• Equip the Visione and solve the rotating disk puzzle by aligning all three rings into straight-line patterns.
• Solving it teleports you to the Skypillar Archipelago in the Eternal Corridor of the Abyss.
• Activate the Nexus with Force Palm to unlock a permanent fast travel point.
• From there, climb the clockwork cube to reach the teleporter that leads to Steamclouds Station.

The Gate to Advancement and the Skypillar Archipelago are the entry points into the Eternal Corridor — Delesyia’s unique Abyss chain. Unlike other Abyss areas built from ancient sky rocks, this entire section was engineered by Marni himself. It is a showcase of his genius and his ego in equal measure.

This is post-game content. You need to have finished all main story quests before you can access this. If you are still working through the story, bookmark this and come back later.

For everything else about the game’s Abyss content, our full Crimson Desert hub has every guide in one place.

What Is the Gate to Advancement

The Gate to Advancement is a unique puzzle spire on top of Mount Benus, in the southeast area of Delesyia. It is not an Ancient Spire like the others on the map. Instead, it is a purpose-built mechanical gateway that leads into the Eternal Corridor — a chain of interconnected Abyss zones including the Skypillar Archipelago, Steamclouds Station, Steelsail Archipelago, Fleet of Archives, and eventually the Clockwork Heart.

The whole sequence is tied to the Old Research Journal, a Marni Faction Quest found in Delesyia. You need to pick this quest up to be able to interact with the gate’s mechanism, but you do not need to finish the quest itself. Just having it in your journal is enough.

How to Unlock the Gate to Advancement

Before going to Mount Benus, make sure you have started the Old Research Journal Marni Faction Quest from Delesyia. You find this by investigating Marni’s manor and following where his records lead.

Once that quest is active, head to Mount Benus in the southeast area of Delesyia. The Gate to Advancement sits at the top. Go inside the structure and you will see the central platform at the heart of the room.

To interact with the puzzle mechanism, you need to have the Visione equipped. Make sure it is on before you approach the platform.

If you are still building up your Abyss abilities before diving in here, check out our guides on how to use Axiom Force and how to use elemental attacks.

How the Rotating Disk Puzzle Works

The central machinery at the Gate to Advancement is a three-layered rotating disk system. Each layer is a ring with engraved patterns. The goal is to align all three rings so their patterns form continuous straight lines running in all four directions across the full disk — like perfectly aligned spokes on a wheel.

The tricky part is that rotating one ring can throw off the look of the others. The key is to stop thinking about each ring individually. You are building one unified pattern across all three layers at the same time.

Focus on symmetry. Every adjustment should extend the same direction, not create a new one.

Step-by-Step: Solving the Gate to Advancement Puzzle

Step 1 – Enter and Approach the Mechanism Walk into the Gate to Advancement and move to the central platform. With the Visione equipped, interact with the disk mechanism to start the puzzle.

Step 2 – Rotate the Outer Ring First Start with the outer ring. Rotate it until you can identify where its pattern segments begin to form straight lines. This gives you a visual baseline to work from.

Step 3 – Align the Middle Ring Adjust the middle ring so its pattern continues the lines already set by the outer ring. You want to extend the same direction, not create a different angle.

Step 4 – Complete the Alignment with the Inner Ring Rotate the inner ring last to complete the full alignment. When all three rings are in the correct position, the patterns across all layers should form unbroken straight lines in all four directions.

Step 5 – Double Check Before Confirming Look at the disk from multiple angles before you lock it in. Even a slight misalignment stops the puzzle from triggering. Take a few extra seconds here — it saves frustration.

Step 6 – Watch for the Cutscene Once the alignment is correct, a short cutscene plays automatically. This confirms the puzzle is solved.

Immediately after, a teleportation sequence activates and takes you to the Skypillar Archipelago inside the Eternal Corridor of the Abyss.

Arriving at the Skypillar Archipelago

When you arrive in the Skypillar Archipelago, the first thing to do is activate the elevator. Look for the Force Palm trigger on the south wall and use it. This gets the elevator running.

Once you are in the area proper, you will find the Abyss Nexus — a circular wall-mounted device. Do not skip this step.

Approach the Nexus and use Force Palm on its center. This permanently activates it as a fast travel point inside the Abyss. It is the same type of Nexus you would have used in earlier Abyss zones. If you forget to activate it now, getting back here later requires redoing the disk puzzle.

For context on how this fits into the broader Abyss network, see our all Abyss Gears list and our Twisted Thicketway puzzle guide which covers a similar Abyss Nexus setup in Pailune.

How to Get to the Steamclouds Station from Skypillar Archipelago

After activating the Nexus, stand on it and look west. You will see a cluster of large floating clockwork cubes.

Your destination is the top of the large clockwork cube on the west wall. Here is how to get there:

Climb the Rotating Cubes The cubes rotate slowly. Use them as stepping stones, timing your movement between rotations.

Use Jump + Triple Force Palm to Gain Height Stamina depletes much more slowly inside the Abyss than on the ground. Take advantage of this. Chain Jump and Triple Force Palm together to push yourself upward whenever you need more height. Use your Flight or Glide ability between bursts to extend your reach.

Reach the Device at the Top At the top of the large clockwork cube, you will find a strange circular device. Stand directly in the center of it. This activates it and teleports you inside the Steamclouds Station — the next section of the Eternal Corridor.

Once inside the Steamclouds Station, use Force Palm on the activation trigger on the south wall to proceed.

For related traversal tips, see our guides on how to unlock double jump and how to enter and climb the Spire of Clockwork.

What Rewards Do You Get

The Gate to Advancement and Skypillar Archipelago do not drop traditional loot like weapons or silver. The value here is access and progression. Completing this section gives you:

• Entry into the Eternal Corridor chain, including Steamclouds Station, Steelsail Archipelago, Fleet of Archives, and Clockwork Heart
• A permanent Abyss Nexus fast travel point in the Skypillar Archipelago
• Progression toward late-game Abyss rewards further into the Eternal Corridor chain

The Eternal Corridor is one of the richest sources of late-game content in the entire game, so the time invested here pays off significantly as you push further in.

Common Issues and Fixes

Can’t interact with the disk mechanism? Check that you have started the Old Research Journal Marni Faction Quest and that the Visione is equipped. Without both of these, the puzzle will not trigger.

Puzzle is not solving even though it looks aligned? The alignment needs to be precise in all four directions simultaneously. Rotate each ring again slowly and check from a different angle. Even one ring being one click off prevents the cutscene from triggering.

Missed the Nexus activation in Skypillar Archipelago? You will need to redo the disk puzzle at the Gate to Advancement to return. Use Force Palm on the south wall elevator trigger to navigate once you are back in.

Can’t reach the top of the clockwork cube? Keep chaining Jump + Triple Force Palm. Stamina consumption is lower in the Abyss, so you can use these moves far more freely than you can on the ground. Use Glide between each burst to maintain your altitude.

More Crimson Desert Guides

If you are progressing through the Abyss or working on related content, these guides are useful next steps:

• Ascetic’s Rest Abyss Puzzle Solution
• Monolith Crown Abyss Cube Puzzle Solution
• Vault of Vengeance Abyss Puzzle Guide
• Root’s End Abyss Puzzle Solution
• Precipice of Truth Abyss Puzzle Solution
• Unlock Witches Abyss Gears Guide
• Twisted Thicketway Puzzle Guide
• Secret Garden Abyss Puzzle Solution
• How to Enter Hernand Castle
• Mysterious Energy Zones – Hernand Town
• All Bosses Locations in Crimson Desert
• How to Get Abyss Cells
• How to Open Sealed Abyss Artifacts
• Best Skills to Level Up First
• How to Get Max Health
• How to Get Max Stamina
• How to Reinforce Equipment
• Marni Laser Helmet Upgrade Guide
• How to Repair Mech ATAG
• Urdavah Research Guide

Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Visit the official Crimson Desert website for more.