You’re running through the end of a high-tier map, the adrenaline is pumping, and you click the Ritual Altar just to see what’s on the menu. Then you see it. An Audience with the King. It’s sitting there, glowing with a price tag that makes your jaw drop.
Honestly, it’s one of those "holy crap" moments in Path of Exile 2. You’ve probably heard the horror stories. This isn't just another side quest; it's a brutal invitation to face the King in the Mists, a boss that has basically become the gatekeeper for anyone trying to actually finish their Atlas passive tree.
But here’s the thing: most people mess this up before they even step into the arena. They see the fragment, realize they can't afford the tribute, and just... leave. Don't do that.
How to Actually Get An Audience With The King
If you’re hunting for this fragment, you need to understand that it’s not a "one-and-done" purchase. It’s expensive. Like, "I need to sell my soul" expensive. Usually, it shows up in Ritual rewards for somewhere around 2,500 to 3,800 tribute.
If you don't have enough, you must defer it.
Basically, deferring it reduces the price and ensures it shows up again in a future map. It might take three or four defers before you can actually afford to take it home. If you're playing in a trade league, you can skip the grind and buy the fragment from other players, but expect to pay a premium. Last I checked, these were going for anywhere from 5 to 7 Divines because everyone needs that extra Atlas point.
- Pro Tip: If you're struggling to get enough tribute, try "juicing" your maps. Use waystones that increase monster pack size or add magic monsters. More monsters inside the Ritual circle equals more tribute. It’s simple math, but it makes a massive difference when you’re 200 points short of a deferral.
The Fight: Why the King in the Mists is a Nightmare
Once you have the fragment, you take it to the Realmgate and open the way to the Crux of Nothingness. This isn't a walk in the park. It’s a multi-phase fight that tests your patience more than your DPS.
The first phase is mostly about movement. The King is a tall, creepy dude with a staff who loves to play games with your character's ability to walk. You’ll see two specific curses that you need to memorize, or you’re dead:
- Ritual of Dance: A purple icon appears. If you stop moving, you get rooted. Just keep circling him.
- Ritual of Meditation: A red icon. If you move, you get rooted. This is the one that kills most people because our instinct is to always be dodging. You can usually get away with one dodge roll, but then you have to stand still and pray.
He also summons these things called Mystic Fetishes on raised platforms. If you don't climb the ramps and kill them, the arena fills with "rat tornadoes" or chaos-spewing frogs. It gets cluttered fast.
The Maze (The Part Everyone Hates)
When you hit about 33% health, the King disappears and teleports you into a dark, thorny maze. This is where the salt levels usually peak. You have to follow small, glowing wisps to find the exit.
The problem? The wisps are finicky. Sometimes they lead you into a wall that looks like a path but isn't. If you take too long, the mist closes in and starts chewing through your HP. Honestly, if you feel like you’re hopelessly lost, some players just log out to reset the instance—though that’s a risky move if you’re low on portals.
Phase Two: The Abomination
After the maze, the King transforms into a massive, tree-like ent. He’s slower now, but he hits like a truck. This phase is a chaotic mess of everything you saw earlier plus "Insect Balls" that home in on you and explode.
The King gains heavy armor here, so your damage will feel like it’s plummeted. The key is to bait his "Explosive Spore" (a giant purple orb) to the edges of the arena. When it explodes, it leaves behind pustules that detonate if you touch them. If you drop these in the center, you’ll have nowhere to stand.
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Is the Loot Worth the Headache?
Is it worth it? Yes and no.
The main reason anyone does this is for the Book of Knowledge. It gives you passive skill points for your Ritual Atlas tree, which is huge for long-term farming. Without those points, your Ritual rewards will always be mediocre.
In terms of actual gear, he drops things like the Ingenuity Utility Belt or the From Nothing Diamond. These can be worth a lot of currency if the rolls are good, but let’s be real: you’re here for the Atlas progression.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
If you’re planning on taking him on tonight, keep these points in mind:
- Check your Chaos Resistance: Most of his "oops, I died" damage is Chaos-based. If you're sitting at -20%, you're going to have a bad time.
- Don't panic in the maze: Follow the wisps, but look for the actual "gap" in the thorns. The visual clarity in the maze is notoriously poor.
- Audio cues are everything: Listen for him to shout. When he yells "Keep Running!", he’s about to hit you with the Ritual of Dance.
- Upgrade your Flasks: Since this is a long fight with multiple phases, having flasks that gain charges over time or on a critical hit is a lifesaver.
Stop treating this like a regular map boss. It's a mechanic-heavy encounter that rewards "not dying" more than "killing fast." Take your time, watch the icons above your head, and you might actually make it out with that Atlas point.