Diablo 4: How to Complete Holding Back the Flood Season 1 Quest

Season of the Malignant is the first season in Diablo 4 and it starts off with a bang. After a few quests, however, it comes to a bit of a halt with the Holding Back the Flood quest. With a general goal to finish Chapters 1 and 2, Holding Back the Flood progresses you through more of the seasonal battle pass. This is what you need to do to complete Holding Back the Flood in Diablo 4.

How to Complete Holding Back the Flood in Diablo 4

Season of the Malignant starts the new storyline with a man shouting that a woman turned into a corrupted demon. For the first quest you’re sent off to find Cormond. Once you find him, he sends you on a couple more quests. Finish them up and he then tasks you with clearing malignant corruption while waiting as he searches through the ruins of Orbei Monastery.

This is when the quest Holding Back the Flood starts. As a means to waste time while Cormond is away, you’re tasked with completing Chapters 1 and 2 of the seasonal story in your Season Journey tracker. To open your tracker, navigate to the Battle Pass menu using U on keyboard. Click on the Season Journey percentage bar to see the chapters and their quests.

Chapter 1 Quests

To complete the first chapter of Season of the Malignant, you need to finish seven of the nine quests listed in the journal. Throughout the first few quests for Cormond you’ll have finished a couple of them already, however. All nine quests are:

• The Hangman’s Garden: Collect Gallowvine, found nearly anywhere.
• Heart Of Corruption: Collect a Malignant Heart, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• Den Of Evil: Complete any Dungeon found on your Map.
• Trouble In The Wilds: Complete a World Event found on your Map.
• Into The Frozen Dark: Complete (3) Dungeons in Fractured Peaks.
• What Lurks Below: Complete a Cellar.
• Kind Stranger: Complete (5) priority or side quests.
• Keeper Of The Keys: Collect a Whispering Key, sold at the Purveyor of Curiosities.
• Waste Not: Salvage (10) Normal items at the Blacksmith.

If you need to finish the main campaign still, you’ll most likely have finished seven of the quests during the course of that gameplay. Heart of Corruption and Den of Evil will end up marked off as done once you start Holding Back the Flood.

Chapter 1 Rewards

Along with getting rewards for each quest completed, you’ll get additional rewards for completing chapter 1.

• Greater Favor
• First Journey Cache
• Aspect of Ancestral Charge (Barbarian only)
• Subterranean Aspect (Druid only)
• Aspect of Gore Quills (Necromancer only)
• Aspect of Pestilent Points (Rogue only)
• Aspect of Searing Wards (Sorcerer only)

Chapter 2 Quests

Nine of the 11 quests need to be completed in order to move on from chapter two.

• Undertaker: Complete 10 Cellars.
• Stopping The Spread: Collect (3) Malignant Hearts, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• Ruins Reclaimed: Conquer a Stronghold.
• Gemcutter: Craft any Chipped gem at the Jeweler.
• A Torch In The Depths: Complete (5) Malignant Tunnels, available after completing or skipping the Campaign.
• Baptized In Blood: Reach level 25.
• Vivisector: Collect (15) Demon Hearts, found from killing Demons or in Cellars.
• A Warrior Of Taste: Change your gear’s appearance at the Wardrobe (five items).
• Lighting The Way: Interact with (10) waypoints for faster travel to new places.
• Spit And Polish: Upgrade (2) items one level at the Blacksmith or Jeweler.
• Finer Clarity: Upgrade your potion to Minor at the Alchemist.

Once you finish the nine quests you’ll end Holding Back the Flood.

Chapter 2 Rewards

• Greater Favor
• Second Journey Cache
• Bold Chieftain’s Aspect (Barbarian only)
• Shockwave Aspect (Druid only)
• Aspect of Exposed Flesh (Necromancer only)
• Aspect of Surprise (Rogue only)
• Aspect of Frozen Orbit (Sorcerer only)

That’s how to complete Holding Back the Flood in Season of the Malignant for Diablo 4. Once complete you’ll be able to learn more about the corruption and how to end it from Cormond. If you need help with any of the tasks, such as claiming a Stronghold, finding cellars to clear, or how to get Whispering Keys, check out our full guide library for D4.