Mascon to Daybreak

1. In Mascon, buy a Large Shield($3500), Thunder($1200), & Q($600).
2. Leave Mascon in the East and take a slight detour by hopping along to the end of the first screen and then falling through the crack. Continue East on this platform for a couple of screens until you can climb a ladder, then go to this neat shop that sells a Death($9800), Elixir($4300), and an Hour Glass($5600), items hard to come by elsewhere(as well as cheap Red Potions for $300).
3. Once you buy what you'd like, it's time to find a Guru. Now follow the lower path South of the shop until you reach a burning house, in which you can receive some info from some unfazed residents. Now go North, then East until you reach 3 doors, choose the middle to reach the Guru.
4. From the Guru, head Northwest on the upper platform to reach a half missing building--the Tower of Suffer--for which you will need a Q Key.
5. In the Tower, take the right ladder, then go North and then East, killing many Tall Things with Many Legs (as seen in the picture below) along the way until you reach a ladder to the upper platform, then follow the platform till here:
   
6. Climbing this ladder will lead to a Wyvern that I prefer to avoid by using Wing Boots, because on the next screen there is another difficult Wyvern. For this Wyvern, you will need a lot of magic and Red Potions. My preferred strategy is to use magic and a few slashes to force him into the wall and then attack him when he swoops down.
7. When he is defeated, he will leave the Pendant, which is supposed to raise your attack power, but I've noticed it seems to do the opposite. O well.
8. This step is not necessary if you have a spare pair of Wing Boots. Return to Forepaw to buy a pair of Wing Boots($2800), and have a Q so you can return to the mist area.
9. Now head back to near the Guru near the Tower of Suffer, but instead of climbing the the ladder go West to here:
   
10. Use Wing Boots and climb the ladder at the West side of the screen, and follow the path to the Last Mist Town; it is quite ambiguous as to whether this is still part of Mascon.
11. Buy a Full Plate($5200) and K($1500).
12. Follow the path East of town, when you can go North or East for 2 screens, go East until you reach a house where you can buy Fire magic($3000), my personal magic of choice. Now go back West 2 screens and climb the ladder and going North on the screen immediately to the East(that is the screen next to where you buy magic).
13. After going North, go West until you reach two red buildings, go in the left one to receive some info.
14. Continue on the path until you reach a building at a dead end, use the K Key to get in.
15. In the Tower of Mist go East until you reach a Wyvern, go North here and avoid the next Wyvern and fall through a floor crack to end up on the right side of the southern Wyvern.
16. Now continue East, and walk along the upper platform until you reach a large monster that looks basically like a torso . This is the guardian of the Black Onyx. Quickly descend the ladder making sure you have at least half health to absord a hit or two. Now stand in the middle of the screen, so that the monster should be jumping right over your head, back and forth. Now anticipate his jump, and jump slightly before he leaves the ground, then strike at the apex of your jump. You should score a hit, but if you jump too late you'll get hit. This method works for this creature later in the game as well.
17. Now you can leave the Tower of Mist or just die. Now go a few screens East of the Tower where there are 2 red houses(you went into the left one earlier). Now go back into the left door to get the Ace Key (you can return and get another A if you need to).
18. Now enter the right building on that screen, using the A Key to enter the World of Branch.
19. Follow the path until it forks East-West. Go East until you reach the town of Conflate.
20. Pick up a Magic Shield($9800), Giant Blade ($8500), and you will need to have two spare K Keys from the previous town.
21. Head directly West from Conflate and use a K to get in the door.
22. Continue West a couple screens and face another one of those big torsos, use the same strategy and receive the Battle Helmet.
23. Now go to 2 screens West of Conflate, where a path goes North; follow the path and and use a K Key to get in the door.
24. Follow the path for a few screens and enter another door- note you will need a K if you wish to return to Conflate past this point (unless of course you die).
25. Go East a screen to here:
    
26. Then go South. Head East until you reach a dead end with another Torso, this one guarding the Battle Armor.
27. After killing the Torso, head West one screen, then North to pick up the Magical Rod.
    
28. After doing this, a great example of bad NES programming takes effect. After going West a few screens, you will be forced to head North on the ladder. When you get to the top, however, you will not be able to get up without getting knocked back down by the swordman (all of my attempts have proved futile, but perhaps your's have not).
29. There are three possible solutions to this small difficulty: use Wing Boots, an Hour Glass, or as usual, die. The drawback of dying is that you will need to buy another K to return here.
30. Or as Éric has kindly pointed out: "You'll notice that when you're at the top of a ladder, and continue to press upwards, your player "flashes" between climbing position and standing position. If you "tap" the upward arrow and release it at the right moment, this will leave you in standing position at the top of the ladder. In this particular spot of the "branch" world, you can use this trick to hit the blue swordsman without having to walk into him and get bumped down." Very handy tip.
31. Now go back to the screen you couldn't reach--no matter which way you got back--head North for two screens, then East, then North again.
32. Get onto the upper platform, then head East and go down to reach the town of Daybreak.