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  • Picking Up Contract: Strange Beast
  • Investigating The Wagon
  • Killing Hagubman

In The Witcher 3, Geralt can find a contract for an unusually intelligent monster. The few people that survived its attack were shocked by its intelligence and its effortless lethality. This monster had managed to set an ambush and execute it to perfection, killing several seasoned warriors in the process.

Related: The Witcher 3: Destination: Skellige Main Quest Walkthrough

This contract for a strange beast is one of the game's best-paying monster-slaying jobs and gives you a challenging fight against deadly monsters. The reward alone makes this quest worth pursuing, though if you are struggling with any part of the quest, there is no shame in using this guide.

Picking Up Contract: Strange Beast

There are three ways to start this contract.

Pick Up The Contract

You can find it on Larvik's Notice Board, like most other witcher contracts.

Talk To Thorleif

Thorleif is the contract issuer, sitting by the Larvik's entrance. You can talk to him to start the quest.

Inspecting The Ambush Site

Geralt will search for the monsters responsible for the ambush if he finds it on the road leading east out of Larvik.

If you started the quest in Larvik, Thorleif will tell Geralt to interview the attack's survivors. They are licking their wounds near the Fast Travel point and are trying to come to terms with the attack.

This is one of the best-paying contracts in the game. You should take this chance to negotiate for the highest pay possible. Witcher gear won't pay for itself, after all.

Geralt will ask them for details about the monster to help his preparations. All they can tell him is that the monster is unusually intelligent and deadly. It's not much to go on, meaning that you will have to investigate the ambush site next.

Investigating The Wagon

The wagon is not far from Larvik, being just down the road. You will find it pushed to the side, next to the dismembered corpse of a victim. There are four clues to investigate.

The Body

This gory display is right next to the wagon and is hard to miss.

Red Clay

Search behind the wagon for a small pile of red clay. Geralt recognizes it as a method of communication used by nekkers.

Pool Of Blood

You will find the pool of blood on the opposite side of the road from the wagon.

Tracks

After you investigate the other clues, Geralt will find a set of tracks leading away from the wagon.

The tracks lead to a nearby cave where the monsters responsible for the attack have made their home.

Killing Hagubman

Jump down into the cave to start earning your pay. The first group of nekkers will be waiting just past the entrance and will attack you immediately.

The air within is swimming in poisonous vapors that will drain Geralt's health. Use Aard or Igni to dispel it. You can also consume Golden Oriole to gain an immunity to the poison gas.

Fire will cause an explosion that will burn any unfortunate souls in range. Do not use a torch for the same reason.

Nekkers attack in numbers and will try to overwhelm you. You will need to avoid their claws and stay out of the poison gas simultaneously, which is no easy feat. You can use Ogroid Oil to increase your damage against them.

A cutscene will play in the next room where the mastermind nekker itself, Hagubman, will face Geralt. This creature is the target of your contract.

Hagubman is a deadlier version of a nekker warrior, which is simply a deadlier version of a nekker. It relies on the same lunging claw attacks that its smaller brethren use. You will be able to get by with the usual dodging that had carried you this far into the cave.

Hagubman will disappear each time it loses a third of its health. During this period, it will be supported by nekkers that will attempt to swarm you. It will return once you have killed enough of its brethren.

Managing the swarm will be key to emerging victorious. Yrden will provide you with an area where nekkers will be slowed down, making it easier for you to avoid their lunges. Northern Wind can freeze large groups of them, giving you both breathing room and the chance to inflict serious damage.

Once the nekker is dead, loot its body for its trophy and mutagen. You can return to Thorleif in Larvik with the proof of your labors, ending the quest and giving you a hefty coin pouch.

Hagubman drops the Nekker Warrior Mutagen, used to make the Nekker Warrior Decoction. This item is perfect for mounted combat.

When under its effects, Roach will never panic, and you will deal 50 percent more damage while mounted.

Next: The Witcher 3: Complete Guide And Walkthrough