Kearush, the Slayer

Kearush the Slayer is a gorilla-like creature who serves as the chapter five boss and is widely cited by players and guides alike as the hardest fight up to that point in the game and one of the most punishing encounters across the entire campaign. He threatens Hernand from within a banquet hall setting — a confined space that worsens his already-dangerous positional pressure, frequently cornering players against walls during his attack chains. His three health bars represent three escalating phases, each requiring different management strategies, and the fight's total duration combined with its damage output makes preparation more critical here than in any previous encounter. Guides consistently recommend a minimum of 100 Grilled Meat units before entering the fight, with some recommending closer to 200 for players who are not min-maxing their defensive stats.

Phase 1 introduces the core pattern: Kearush attacks in ground-slam sequences of three to four moves, charges forward and slams his fists three times consecutively before pausing, and uses this recovery window as the primary attack opportunity available to players. Parrying his attacks is not recommended — his fist-based assault style is better managed through evasive dodging than blocking, and attempting to parry his charges frequently results in stamina breaks that lead to the fight-ending pickup attack (which cannot be interrupted once it begins and deals massive damage). The core offensive approach is circling behind him and using the Back Hang grapple skill — a sub-skill of the Grappling tree that must be unlocked before the fight — to stab from his rear, dealing significantly higher damage per exchange than frontal engagement.

Phase 2 introduces the wall climb and body slam. Kearush ascends the arena wall, observes the player's movement, and launches himself down onto their location with a body slam that deals catastrophic damage on a direct hit. The attack is "relatively easy to dodge" once recognized, as the wall-climbing animation provides clear advance warning and the slam trajectory is direct rather than angled. Rolling or running from the landing zone during the launch animation is the consistent solution. He also gains the pickup attack in this phase as a regular threat — if Kliff's stamina bar depletes, Kearush will grab and throw him, an un-blockable sequence that deals substantial damage and wastes positioning.

Phase 3 turns the health bar red and combines everything from Phases 1 and 2 at elevated speed. His attack chains extend from three hits to five or more, his recovery windows between attacks shrink significantly, and the wall climb appears more frequently. The phase introduces a buff state where Kearush stands on his hind legs and beats his chest — an animation that precedes "basically impossible to block, parry, or dodge" attacks that simply must be survived through HP buffer rather than avoided cleanly. The Fire Spear weapon is strongly recommended by guides for this fight, as fire damage causes Kearush to exhibit a brief rolling behavior that interrupts his attack animations and provides recovery time. A Plate Helm prevents the roar attack from stunning players. The fight is a gear check as much as a skill check: players who reach Phase 3 under-leveled will find the damage output simply too high to survive through mechanical excellence alone.