The Ruin Serpent is a world boss in Genshin Impact that was added to the game along with the arrival of The Chasm during the version 2.6 update of the game. It is an Automaton under the Ruin Machines category, which means it is one of the “robot” enemies you will encounter in the world of Teyvat.
An ancient living machine believed to have existed since the old civilization. It was said that the Ruin Serpent was heavy-duty engineering equipment left behind by a nation that had been destroyed. This giant snake-like machine has been lurking and digging caves and tunnels deep below the mining area of the Chasm. The gear system on its head can grind its way through even the hardest bedrock.
Haftvad the Worm
Haftvad the Worm is a special version of the Ruin Serpent as it only appears as the boss and last enemy you need to defeat as part of the world quest Chasm Delvers. It is located in the deepest part of the Chasm: Underground Mines and will appear as part of the Wherefore Did the Spiritstone Descend? Sub-quest.
The way this version of the giant worm machine attacks is exactly similar to that of the regular Ruin Serpent.
Location and How to Unlock the Ruin Serpent
The Ruin Serpent can be found in the Serpent’s Cave, on the western side of the Chasm: Underground Mines. To access this region below the ground, you need to complete at least the first step of the sub-quest Surreptitious Seven-Star Seal Sundering, where the seal closing off the underground mines will be lifted.
To be sure, try and complete the first step of the sub-quest Chasm Spelunkers, where you are tasked to descend to the underground mines. This way, you will have access to the entrance to the mines below the surface.
Combat Mechanics
The Ruin Serpent will constantly dive onto the ground and emerge on a different spot, giving you a short period to attack it. In instances where it will prepare to attack, is the time it will stay longer on the surface, giving more time to attack. You can save your characters’ elemental bursts and use them in these moments.
Elemental Resistance
Since this world boss is a machine, it is highly resistant to Physical attacks. As with all other mechanical enemies of the game, the Ruin Serpent is weak to all elemental attacks. This means that characters who can spam elemental attacks like catalyst users are the most effective ones to use against this giant worm.
The Ruin Serpent has 70% resistance against Physical attacks and only 10% resistance to all other elements.
Lumenstone Adjuvant Energy Drain
When you move into the Ruin Serpent’s arena, the energy of your Lumenstone Adjuvant will be reduced to 2 bars. You can recharge or collect more energy from yellow rocks that will appear together with some Oozing Concretions.
Power Charge
If at least one Oozing Concretion is present, the Ruin Serpent will charge and try to draw power from it. When the power charge is complete, the Ruin Serpent will make one of its two special charged attacks—Bomb Barrage and Shockwave.
To prevent the mechanical monster from performing the special attack, you need to temporarily disable it by either clearing out the Oozing Concretion that the monster is drawing power from or hitting its weak spot.
Attack Moves
Slam and Roll
For this move, the Ruin Serpent will raise its body and slam it onto one side on the ground. It will then roll to the other side as if sweeping and rolling over anything on its path.
You can move behind the monster as it slams its body to the ground to avoid getting hit by the following move.
Ram and Drill
This attack will start with the giant worm violently slithering towards you and then crawling under the earth. It will then emerge with its drilling tail first to violently strike the ground.
The slithering part cannot be dodged with an I-frame but can be avoided by timely moving away from the path. At the end of the attack, the striking move deals AOE damage but can be avoided with a perfectly timed dodge.
Quicksand Vortex
While the Ruin Serpent is beneath the surface, a certain part of the arena will start whirling and draw you into its core. The vortex will grow wider as the giant worm dives around, and if you are within its area of effect, you will continuously take damage.
It is best to sprint away from the vortex while it is still starting because when it gets wider, it also gets more difficult to move away from it.
Oozing Concretions
From time to time, the Ruin Serpent will dig under the earth and emerge at the center of the area and then dive back under on the same spot. This will cause ominous dark mud and Oozing Concretions to spill out onto four corners of the area.
A yellow crystal will also appear along with the Oozing Concretions, and breaking this crystal will release Lumenstone energy to recharge your Lumenstone Adjuvant lamp. Use this to cast Blooming Light and clear out the Oozing Concretion.
Special Charged Attacks
When the Ruin Serpent has completed absorbing power from the Oozing Concretion, it will make one of the following special charged attacks.
Bomb Barrage – with this attack, the energy that the Ruin Serpent has collected will explode into small bombs that will fall all over the battle arena. The bombs close to your active character will move directly to that character-like missiles.
This attack is indicated by a move where the giant worm will spiral vertically and continue to spiral horizontally as the collected energy rises up and then explodes into a barrage of bombs.
Shockwave – this attack will start with the Ruin Serpent spiraling three times and then raising its head at the level of the collected energy. When the energy charging is completed, a laser beam will be shot to the ground, and a shockwave will follow in an average area of effect.
Four weak spots will be exposed at the starting move for special charged attacks where the giant worm spirals in place. The weak spots are glowing segments that are easily visible and can be struck with an arrow or a charged melee hit. Doing so will temporarily stun or disable the Ruin Serpent, giving you time to attack.
Rewards or Dropped Items
After defeating the Ruin Serpent, you can spend 40 Original Resins to open the Leyline Blossom that will appear and possibly get the following rewards:
Runic Fang
This monster loot is an item that the Ruin Serpent exclusively drops. This mechanical piece, with ominous runes carved on it, is the “fang” with which the mysterious, snake-like machine of old dug into the mountains’ depths.
Prithiva Topaz Slivers, Fragments, Chunks, and Gemstones
These mineral crystals are commonly obtained from boss enemies manipulating the Geo element.
Artifact Set Pieces You can also obtain parts for the artifact sets Traveling Doctor, Instructor, The Exile, Gladiator’s Finale, and Wanderer’s Troupe. For the last artifact sets, you will have a chance of getting either the 4-star or the 5-star variation.
