There are three Mysterious Energy puzzles to uncover in The Witchwoods region in Crimson Desert. This guide will show players where to find them all and go over how to complete the puzzles to earn some Abyss Artifacts and unlock some new fast travel destinations.
Crimson Desert - Hernand Interactive Map
Locate every fast travel point, quest, and more with our Hernand interactive map.
Abyss Nexus by the Witch's House
The first source of the Mysterious Energy in The Witchwoods area is an Abyss Nexus just southwest of the Witch's House on the Alfonso Estate. If you're standing in front of the Witch's home, just walk up the hill behind it, and it should be rather easy to spot. Stand on the plate to push it down to activate it. Once you do this, you can move your cursor over the Nexus on the world map and fast travel to return here later without having to ride your horse or spend time sprinting.
If you need extra help finding the local Abyss Nexus, look where 'The Witchwoods' text is located on the map, and then just travel a little north of where the 'E' in 'THE' is.
Azure Moon Labyrinth at Phoniel Ranch (Abyss Cresset)
To reach the second source of Mysterious Energy in The Witchwoods, you want to head a bit northeast of the Abyss Nexus by the Witch's House. Heading this direction will bring you to the Phoniel Ranch on the Alfonso Estate. You'll need to then enter a nearby shack that has a hidden ladder to reach the Azure Moon Labyrinth.
You can read this detailed guide on solving the labyrinth's puzzle, but as a quick solution, here's what you need to do to activate the Abyss Cresset:
- Once you enter, shimmy your way over the wall to bypass the flamethrowers.
- Pull the handle to open the gate.
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In the room with the slats on the wall, push them in this order:
- The P on the right side with three lines jutting out.
- The P on the right side with one line sticking out.
- The normal P on the right side.
- The F on the left side with three lines.
- The normal F on the left side.
- If you do it successfully, the gate will open, and you can grab the Abyss Artifact. Now you can use the Abyss Cresset as a useful fast travel point.
Duskwood Ancient Ruins (Abyss Cresset)
Heading directly north of the Phoniel Ranch will lead you to the final Mysterious Energy in The Witchwoods, which is the Duskwood Ancient Ruins. You'll reach an area that has five mysterious pillars and an altar in front of them. The goal here is to use the altar with your Stab skill and change the heights of the pillars to line up with the pillar on the far left.
There are four slots that you can stab your sword into on the altar and each will control a corresponding set of pillars. The pillars will glow once you put your sword into a slot.
For a simple solution for this puzzle, you can check out our dedicated Duskwood Ancient Ruins guide here or just follow these steps:
- Choose pillar 2-3-4, and move them halfway up.
- Choose pillar 3-4-5 and move them halfway up as well.
- Move pillars 2 and 5 together to align all the pillars.
Once you solve the puzzle, you can grab the Abyss Artifact and activate the Abyss Cresset as a fast travel point.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79/100 Critics Rec: 75%
- Released
- March 19, 2026
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Pearl Abyss
- Publisher(s)
- Pearl Abyss
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World, Exploration
