Root's End Abyss puzzle walkthrough in Crimson Desert

The Root’s End Abyss puzzle in Crimson Desert is tricky from the start, as this floating island’s secret “roots” are devilishly well hidden. Once you’ve found the entrance to the puzzle chamber, an unreachable blue energy crystal will become your next problem. It’s worth restoring balance to this Abyss, though, as you’ll be rewarded with an Abyss Artifact in the end.

This Crimson Desert Root’s End Abyss walkthrough will lend you a hand.

How to reach the Root’s End Abyss in Crimson Desert

The Root’s End is the third island in the Abyss in Crimson Desert. It becomes available after you’ve completed both the Axiom Archive and Ethereal Pathway Abyss puzzles as part of the main story quest, “Abyss Without Balance.” Though it isn’t strictly necessary, it’s useful to boost your stamina and upgrade Axiom Force and Flight skills before restoring this Abyss.

To reach Root’s End, fast-travel to the Ethereal Pathway’s Abyss Nexus, then walk east, passing through the skybridge gate. Proceed across the floating rocks. They’ll move sideways, so it’s best to wait until they’ve formed a straight line in the middle before crossing.

Graphic: Marloes Valentina Stella/Polygon | Source image: Pearl Abyss via Polygon

On the other side, step onto the circular platform to teleport to the next set of floating islands. Cross the moving platforms again, and when you hit a seemingly dead end, glide toward the massive island ahead. If you haven’t upgraded your flight abilities yet, beware that you must land on one of the island’s lower ledges, after which you’ll have to climb all the way to the top.

How to solve the Root’s End puzzle in Crimson Desert

At the top of Root’s End, make sure you’ve unlocked the Abyss Nexus portal on the north side, then proceed to the small pavilion in the middle of the island. You can ignore the floating lamps; all you must do to open the hatch is crouch and use Force Palm. Crouching will allow you to aim Force Palm downward.

The entrance to the Root's End Abyss puzzle in Crimson Desert.

After you fall through the hatch, maneuver through the laser beams — sticking to the walls makes it easier. Don’t forget to unfold Kliff’s wings before he hits the ground.

Kliff opens a doorway to the Root's End Abyss puzzle in Crimson Desert.

If possible, try to land on a floating rock near the smaller blue energy crystal. Your goal is to use Axiom Force to place the energy crystal in the empty socket on the ground. If you’ve already landed, you can use Axiom Force on the two floating boulders to reach the blue energy crystal and move it down.

Kliff grabs a blue energy crystal to solve the Root's End Abyss puzzle in Crimson Desert.

It works like this: You lower one boulder and climb on top (rotate the boulder if necessary), then grab the next boulder and place it slightly higher than the one you’re standing on, and climb this one, too. From there, grab the first boulder and place it a bit above your current position again. Climb it, and you should be able to reach the blue crystal with Axiom Force.

Use Axiom Force to move the blue crystal next to the empty socket, then stand next to it and use Force Palm to push the crystal securely in place. Step on the circular platform (see picture below on the right) to teleport to the highest point of the Root’s End Abyss.

Kliff activates a portal during the Root's End Abyss challenge in Crimson Desert.

Grab the blue energy crystal on the right pillar with Axiom Force and move it into the socket. Again, use Force Palm to secure it. To complete the final step in Crimson Desert‘s Root’s End Abyss puzzle, walk onto the large circular platform, crouch down, and use Force Palm on the ground.

Arrows point to the energy crystal and platform encountered during the Root's End Abyss puzzle in Crimson Desert.

Don’t forget to collect the Abyss Artifact before you leave! It’s in front of the skybridge, marked with a star in the picture above. If you want, you can use the skybridge to reach the next Abyss: Precipice of Truth.

Just starting out in Crimson Desert? We have guides to help you learn the basics and refresh your memory on how some of its systems work. The world of Pywel is huge, so you might have a hard time deciding where to go first, but you can make your journey a little easier with the help of our interactive map. Along the way, make sure to learn a few life skills like fishing, logging, cooking, and mining, all of which can help you make money.