Overview
Dance with the Devil is the 40th main quest in Crimson Desert and the climactic fight of Chapter 3's "The Face Behind the Mask" sub-chapter. Kliff confronts the Devil of the Reed Field at the Mountain of Frozen Souls in a three-phase boss battle. This is one of the hardest encounters in Chapter 3, and proper preparation is essential. During the fight, Kliff can learn the Swift Stab skill by observing the boss's attack pattern.
Quest Details
Detail | Information |
|---|---|
Type | Main Quest |
Chapter | Chapter 3: Howling Hill (The Face Behind the Mask) |
Region | Hernand |
Location | Mountain of Frozen Souls |
Prerequisite | |
Next Quest | |
Rewards | Sunset Reed Cloth Gloves, Swift Stab skill, 600 Hernandian Contribution XP |
Preparation
This boss can kill Kliff in one or two hits if your gear is underleveled. Before starting the fight:
Stock up on at least 50 to 100 Grilled Meat (80 HP each). You can buy meat from the Hernand butchery, which restocks each night at midnight.
Alternatively, hunt deer in the surrounding woods; each deer drops 3 to 4 meat that you can cook at a bonfire.
Purchase and upgrade plate armor from the Hernand merchant and blacksmith. Use ores to increase your defense rating.
Equip your best weapon. The boss is not weak to a particular damage type, so raw attack power matters most.
Boss Fight: Devil of the Reed Field
Phase 1: One-on-One
The Devil uses a limited set of attack patterns in this phase. Most attacks can be parried (L1/LB at the right moment). The one exception is a lunging thrust attack where the Devil charges forward with its blade extended. Dodge sideways to avoid this one.
A successful parry fills a gauge below the Devil's health bar and briefly staggers it. Use stamina-free light attacks to land combos during openings. Once the stamina gauge is completely full, break the Devil's guard for a window of 2 to 3 extended combos. Repeat this cycle until the phase ends.
Phase 2: Scarecrows and Clones
Five Scarecrow totems spawn around the arena alongside four Devil clones. Your objective is to destroy all five Scarecrows while the clones attack you. The clones cannot be killed; they exist only to harass you.
Dodge frequently. All enemies attack at the same time, so standing still is not an option.
Heal constantly between attacks. The damage adds up fast.
Target the Scarecrows during lulls in the clones' attack patterns. Each Scarecrow takes a few hits to destroy.
After all five Scarecrows are destroyed, three of the four clones vanish. Damage the remaining Devil to push into Phase 3.
Phase 3: Two Devils
This phase plays like Phase 1 but with higher aggression. A second Devil appears alongside the original, and both use new red energy wave attacks. Roll sideways when you see the red energy build up.
The parry-and-break strategy from Phase 1 still works here. Parry attacks to fill the gauge, break the guard, and unload combos. The second Devil appears and disappears randomly, so stay mobile and do not get caught between them.
Learning Swift Stab
During Phase 2, watch for the moment when the Devil clutches its blade close to its chest and performs a quick stabbing motion. This triggers the "Watch and Learn" prompt. If you observe the attack (use your observation ability), Kliff learns the Swift Stab skill. This is a powerful melee skill worth picking up during the fight.
Notes
If you die, the game restarts at the beginning of the current phase, not the beginning of the fight.
The Sunset Reed Cloth Gloves are a solid equipment upgrade for this point in the story.
The 600 Hernandian Contribution XP counts toward your standing with the Hernand region.
After winning, the story tone shifts significantly. The next several quests are calmer narrative missions before the final stretch of Chapter 3.