What to know
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Pick up the Sealed Abyss Artifact at a small wooden shrine west of Pailune Floodgates, south of Pailune city in Hernand, surrounded by cats.
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Choppies are rare white rabbit-like chimeras that flee when approached, easiest to find in the Axiom Archive sky island Abyss zone.
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Fast travel via the map’s Abyss layer to the Axiom Archive Nexus, then chase and hold interact to capture three.
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Claim rewards like Abyss Artifact and Fortune I from inventory after sheathing weapons.
In Crimson Desert, the Mystical Ecosystem challenge requires capturing 3 choppies. Choppies hide in specific Abyss areas, making this Hunting challenge under the Life category a quick win once you know the spots. Players often overlook these chimeras on the surface world, but the Axiom Archive provides reliable spawns early in the game.
Mystical Ecosystem Locations

Head to the shrine just off the road in Hernand, directly west of Pailune Floodgates and north of Frostwind Cave for the artifact.

Walk to the shrine and pick up the challenge.

Then switch your map to the Abyss layer centered on Hernand city to fast travel straight to Axiom Archive Nexus on the sky island where choppies roam freely around the early story area from the Polar Opposites quest.

Choppy appearance and behavior
Choppies resemble small white rabbits with large pointed ears and black-tipped paws or extremities.

They scurry away quickly as you approach, forcing you to sprint after them across the grassy patches of the Axiom Archive. Spotting their first capture unlocks a Journal entry under Mysterious Creatures > Chimeras, revealing they are not ordinary animals but ethereal chimeras tied to Abyss realms.
How to access Axiom Archive
Open your world map and center the view on Hernand city.

Press R3 on console or middle mouse on PC to toggle the Abyss layer, highlighting sky islands like Axiom Archive.

Select the Abyss Nexus fast travel point to teleport directly onto the island, landing near the zones where multiple choppies patrol slowly.

How to capture Choppies step by step
Step 1
Approach a choppy slowly at first to avoid spooking it too early, then break into a sprint as it starts fleeing across the open areas of Axiom Archive.

Step 2
Chase it down while dodging any obstacles or other creatures; keep your stamina managed since choppies weave unpredictably but don’t stray far from spawn clusters.

Step 3
Get within grabbing range, usually 1-2 meters, and hold the interact button (square on PS5, X on Xbox, F on PC) to scoop it up—timing is key as they dart side to side.

Step 4
Confirm the capture in your notifications; the choppy vanishes into your inventory count, and repeat for a second one nearby since 3-5 often spawn together.

Step 5
Locate the third choppy, which may require a short walk around the island’s central paths or near puzzle areas from early quests, then capture as before.

Step 6
With all three secured, the challenge auto-completes; return via fast travel if needed.
Mystical Ecosystem rewards

Tips for success and troubleshooting
Walk slowly between chases to respawn more choppies if a spawn is low, and avoid combat nearby to prevent accidental kills or distractions. If no choppies appear immediately, fast travel out and back to the Nexus to refresh the area—these chimeras respawn reliably here unlike surface rarity. This spot ties into early main story visits, so no high-level gear is needed.
Completing Capture 3 Choppies unlocks key Abyss progression and contributes to the Ultimate Hunter achievement.