I still wake up in cold sweats remembering my first encounter with the Sacrifice - Bringer, its glacial claws tearing through my team like a chainsaw through wet tissue paper. As a hardened Zenless Zone Zero veteran, I've faced every nightmare the Hollows throw at us, but nothing—absolutely nothing—prepares you for the bone-rattling intensity of Notorious Hunts. These aren't just boss fights; they're personalized torture sessions where Ethereals from major story arcs return with vengeance in their pixelated hearts. Imagine a rabid honey badger hopped up on energy drinks—that's the ferocity you'll face weekly for those precious upgrade materials. And oh, the drama of farming nine per character while Roland casually texts you like it's a coffee invite! 💀🔥

How to Unlock These Gates of Hell

Unlocking this masochistic playground requires jumping through flaming bureaucratic hoops that felt like negotiating with a brick wall. First, grind to Inter-Knot Level 26—easy? Hah! I burned through Battery Charges faster than a kid devouring candy. Then came Chapter Two: A Call From the Hollow's Heart's soul-crushing finale. Only then did Roland slide into my DMs like a shady dealer, luring me to Scott Outpost with promises of 'Routine Cleanup' (lies!). After weeping through Drive Disc farming and meeting Ophelia—who smiles like a chessmaster watching pawns suffer—I trudged to Sixth Street's Bardic Needle Music Store. One agonizing in-game day later, I returned to Ophelia, trembling as the Notorious Hunt portal swallowed me whole. The process? More convoluted than assembling IKEA furniture blindfolded!

The Five Horsemen of My Apocalypse

Facing these bosses is like wrestling tornadoes dipped in lava—each has unique mechanics that’ll make your thumbs ache for weeks. Forget Expert Challenge pushovers; these fiends demand perfection. Thank the devs for Resonia buffs and Ether Droplet revives, or I’d have rage-quit permanently. Weekly, you get three free attempts before hemorrhaging 60 Battery Charges per extra run. Rewards? Glorious… if you survive:

Boss	Weakness	Resistance	Key Rewards	My Trauma Rating
Newborn Dead End Butcher	Ice, Ether	None	Ferocious Grip, 600 Credits	😱😱😱😱
Unknown Corruption Complex	Electric, Ether	None	Living Drive, 4-6 Noise Reduction MC	😱😱😱😱😱
Twin Marionettes	Ice, Ether	None	Final Dance Shoes, 3k-4.5k Dennies	😱😱😱
Corrupted Overlord Pompey	Fire	Electric	Scarlet Engine, Hi-Fi Master Copies	😱😱😱😱😱
Sacrifice - Bringer	Ice	Physical	Sycophant's Refinement	😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

The Twin Marionettes? Pure chaos—they pirouette around you like deranged ballerinas on crack. Pompey’s fire resistance made my electric team sputter like a drowned firework. And Bringer… shudders. That second-phase arm is a patience-shredder!

My Dream Teams: Assembling the God-Slayers

Brute-forcing these fights is like bringing a spoon to a tank battle—possible but stupid. After 50+ failed runs, I curated squads that turned despair into victory symphonies. Miyabi against Bringer? Chef’s kiss! She carves him up like a Thanksgiving turkey 🦃. Here’s my elite roster:

• Dead End Butcher: Ellen Joe (DPS) + Lycaon (Sub-DPS) + Nicole (Support)

Why it slays: Ellen’s ice blades slice Butcher like warm butter while Lycaon extends stun windows—a combo smoother than jazz. Nicole’s Disorder procs? Icing on the carnage cake.

• Corruption Complex: Grace + Burnice + Lucy

Chaos unleashed: Grace’s Shock meets Burnice’s Burn for explosive Disorders. Lucy? The glue holding this fiery madness together.

• Twin Marionettes: Zhu Yuan + Qingyi + Nicole

Ether annihilation: Qingyi boosts Zhu’s stun damage while Nicole debuffs defenses—synergy tighter than a spy’s handshake.

• Pompey: Burnice + Lighter + Lucy

Fire festival: Burnice mains DPS while Lighter buffs fire damage. Lucy’s swaps? Faster than a caffeinated squirrel.

• Sacrifice: Miyabi + Yanagi + Astra Yao

Ice apocalypse: Miyabi’s ultimate shreds Bringer; Yanagi fuels Disorders. Astra? MVP—her heals saved my sanity.

The Grueling Character Grind: Who Needs What

Upgrading passives is a marathon where each character demands nine boss-specific materials—a grind so tedious, it makes watching paint dry feel like a rollercoaster 🎢. Farming Ellen Joe’s Ferocious Grips? I battled Butcher 12 times straight. The drop rate? Crueler than a cliffhanger finale. Key links:

• Dead End Butcher: Ellen, Lucy, Anby, Nicole, Billy, Jane, Nekomata

• Corruption Complex: Grace, Qingyi, Zhu Yuan, Yanagi, Koleda, Anton, Ben, Seth

• Twin Marionettes: Soldier 11, Lycaon, Piper, Soukaku, Corin, Rina, Astra Yao

• Pompey: Burnice, Lighter, Caesar

• Sacrifice: Miyabi, Harumasa

Miyabi’s Sycophant Refinement farming broke me—each run felt like extracting teeth with pliers. Pro tip: Focus one boss weekly or risk burnout worse than a melted CPU.

My Final Stand: Metaphors & Mayhem

Facing the Unknown Corruption Complex was like fighting a sentient power grid during a thunderstorm ⚡—all spastic limbs and electric fury. Pompey? A literal dumpster fire 🔥 that laughed at my misfired attacks. And the Marionettes… their dance was a grotesque waltz, like spiders tap-dancing on my grave. But victory? Sweeter than stolen chocolate. After weeks of failures, my Miyabi team finally downed Bringer—a moment so epic, I cried digital tears of joy.

FAQ: Surviving the Notorious Gauntlet

Q: How many boss kills to max one character?

A: Nine—but each drop is RNG hell. Expect 10-12 runs minimum. Stockpile sanity potions!

Q: Can I reuse teams across bosses?

A: Only if you enjoy pain! Elemental weaknesses matter. That Butcher team? Useless against fire-resistant Pompey.

Q: What if I exhaust free weekly hunts?

A: Toggle 'Pursuit to the Depths' to burn 60 Battery Charges per extra run. Worth it? Only for addiction sufferers.

Q: Are Resonia buffs game-changers?

A: YES! That 15% ice damage boost against Butcher? Turned my Ellen from peashooter to cannon.

Q: Worst boss for beginners?

A: Sacrifice - Bringer. His phase shifts are nastier than a tax audit. Bring Miyabi or perish!