Dance with the Devil

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

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.

Detailed Phase 3 Dodge Timing

In Phase 3, the Devil of the Reed Field introduces distance attacks where the screen darkens as a visual warning. When you see the darkness effect, prepare to dodge. The boss fires four consecutive ranged strikes in a set pattern. Dodge the first three in quick succession, then wait briefly before dodging the fourth. There is a deliberate pause between the third and fourth attacks designed to bait an early dodge. If you roll too early on the fourth strike, you will be caught mid-recovery. Timing the pause correctly makes this sequence manageable.

Between these ranged barrages, the boss returns to melee range where the parry-and-break strategy from Phase 1 still applies. Parry the Devil's melee swings to fill the stagger gauge, break its guard, and unload heavy combos during the knockdown window. The second Devil that appears and disappears throughout Phase 3 uses the same melee patterns but does not perform the ranged darkness attacks, so you only need to worry about the dodge timing when facing the primary Devil at range.

Checkpoint System

If you die during the fight, the game restarts at the beginning of your current phase, not the beginning of the entire encounter. This means dying in Phase 3 does not force you to repeat Phase 1 and Phase 2. The checkpoint system significantly reduces frustration, especially given how long the full three-phase fight can take. Each phase typically lasts 3 to 5 minutes depending on your damage output and how aggressively you parry.

Post-Fight Story Transition

After defeating the Devil, a cutscene plays showing Kliff overpowering the Reed Devil before it manages to escape. The victory is not a clean kill; the Devil retreats wounded, leaving the door open for future encounters in the storyline. The Sunset Reed Cloth Gloves reward is a solid armor upgrade for this point in Chapter 3, offering improved defense that will serve you well through the remaining Pioneering quests.

The +600 Hernandian Contribution XP counts toward your standing with the Hernand region, unlocking access to higher-tier regional vendors and services. After this quest, the tone of Chapter 3 shifts dramatically. The next quest, Hope After the Draught, is a calmer narrative mission focused on checking on Andrew's condition and regrouping with the Greymanes. The Pioneering sub-chapter that follows deals with camp expansion and recruitment rather than combat.