Praise the Sun! A Hidden Bonus in Elden Ring: Nightreign

“Praise the Sun!” — and perhaps also celebrate a surprisingly generous mechanic in Elden Ring: Nightreign. Under specific conditions, players can gain an extra merchant buff for free.

How the Free Buff Works

Technically, the buff isn’t “free” outright—you first need to resolve a curse by purchasing its removal. This essentially makes it a buy-one-get-one-free deal.

The Curse & Its Consequences

During certain unfortunate runs, players may acquire a curse that reduces maximum HP. To remove it, you must locate the Demon Merchant and either:

• Purchase the cure (costs 15,000 runes on Day One, 35,000 on Day Two), or
• Defeat the Demon Merchant in combat.

An alternative—though extreme—method involves jumping off a bridge. However, this skips the curse payment entirely and forfeits eligibility for the free buff.

The Key Discovery

A Redditor discovered that after fully paying off the curse—regardless of whether you later fight the Demon Merchant—you can speak to Libra again to claim any available merchant buff without drawbacks.

They noted:

• “Eventual Greatness” activates immediately (no delay),
• Your Flask does not lose levels when consumed,
• You can kill the Demon Merchant on Day Two—if sufficiently prepared—but only after paying the curse and securing the free buff.

Why It’s a Great Deal

For just 15,000 runes, you can:

1. Eliminate the HP penalty,
2. Obtain a free, drawback-free merchant buff,
3. Earn a talisman by defeating the Demon Merchant.

This offers incredible value—provided you and your teammates pay off the curse first instead of rushing into combat.

A Note on Difficulty

That said, many players report the new Everdark Sovereign is much easier to defeat than the original version. Even so, proper preparation—including acquiring this bonus—is always wise.

Further Reading

While you’re here, check out our Elden Ring: Nightreign review and our curated collection of Elden Ring: Nightreign tips.