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After the Mantis Lords fall, the straightforward next destination is City of Tears, reached by heading back out of Mantis Village into Fungal Wastes and continuing east. Defeating the Mantis Lords also opens a second route from Mantis Village into Deepnest, which is optional at this stage.
The direct route: City of Tears
City of Tears is the clearest next step for most players. It sits to the east of Fungal Wastes, and the Mantis Claw is the tool that gets you across the wall-climb section on the way there.
- Leave Mantis Village and return to Fungal Wastes.
- Move east through Fungal Wastes toward the City of Tears entrance.
- When you reach the wall-climb section, use the Mantis Claw to climb across. Community guidance describes this crossing as the bridge-style entrance from Fungal Wastes.
The Fungal Wastes wiki page is the most reliable reference for these connections. It confirms that Fungal Wastes links to City of Tears, which is why the eastward route is the one most guides present as the default progression path.
The optional route: Deepnest
With the Mantis Lords defeated, a passage from Mantis Village into Deepnest becomes available. Nothing in the sources indicates that you must enter Deepnest at this point, so treat it as a choice rather than a required step. Players who want a more open-ended exploration session tend to take this path, while players who want clearer progression usually go east first. Deepnest is generally described as the more dangerous-feeling area of the two, though the sources give no objective difficulty rating to compare them.
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Grab the Mark of Pride before you leave
Mantis Village has a chest that becomes accessible once the Mantis Lords are defeated. It contains the Mark of Pride charm. Collect it before choosing either direction, since it is in the village you are already in and you may not return soon.
Choosing between the two directions
| Factor | City of Tears (east, via Fungal Wastes) | Deepnest (via Mantis Village passage) |
|---|---|---|
| Status after the Mantis Lords | Direct progression route | Alternate route, optional |
| Required tool to proceed | Mantis Claw for the wall-climb crossing | Opened by defeating the Mantis Lords; no additional tool named in the sources |
| Best suited to | Players who want a clear next destination | Players ready to explore a more dangerous-feeling area |
| Difficulty rating | Not stated by the sources | Not stated by the sources |
What the sources support and where they stop
The route information above comes from the Fungal Wastes wiki page, a Steam community discussion where players describe the Mantis Claw route to City of Tears, and the AskStuck guide, which confirms that both directions exist. The wiki is the strongest of these for area connections and the Mark of Pride chest. The Steam discussion is anecdotal player guidance, and AskStuck is a secondary guide, so neither should be read as an official developer statement. No official Team Cherry documentation was available to confirm the route order, and the game does not enforce a single correct sequence after the Mantis Claw, so both directions remain open.
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Players who asked where to go next in forum and search results used phrasing such as “I really don’t know where I should go next,” which reflects how common this point of confusion is.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Bottom line
Go east from Fungal Wastes toward City of Tears, using the Mantis Claw to cross the wall-climb section. Pick up the Mark of Pride in Mantis Village first, and treat the Deepnest passage as an optional detour you can take whenever you are ready.
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