You can be cruising through Path of Exile 2 thinking you've got the rhythm, then the Trial of Chaos shows up and drags you into a totally different game. It's not a "kill faster" moment, it's a pressure test where one mistake wipes the whole attempt. Most players first meet it in Act 3 after dropping a chaos-heavy boss, grabbing the key, and realising this is basically a throwback to Ultimatum's risk-reward vibe. It's also when a lot of folks start thinking about long-term gearing and currency plans, whether that's farming smarter or saving up to buy Divine Orb so their build doesn't feel held together with duct tape. How The Run Really Works You step into a room, get an objective, and then the game hits you with the choice: take what you've earned, or push your luck. If you continue, you pick a Chaos Modifier, called a tribulation, and it sticks. No "until end of room" stuff. It stacks for the whole run, so even a harmless-sounding penalty becomes a headache later. The tasks also mess with your comfort zone. One room is straight wave clear. The next might be a survival timer where you can't afford to chase stragglers. Then you get the escort-style objective and you're suddenly playing bodyguard while dodging hazards that punish anyone who tunnels on damage. Modifiers Make You Rethink Your Build The sneaky part is how tribulations change your habits. You'll catch yourself asking, "Can I still rely on leech?" or "Do I have a panic button if my flasks get awkward?" Recovery matters, sure, but so does control. Slows, chills, knockbacks, anything that buys you half a second. People often overrate raw DPS here. You don't need to delete everything instantly; you need to avoid getting cornered, keep your uptime steady, and know when you're one bad roll away from losing the run. Bosses Are The Brick Wall Most failures happen when the boss finally shows up and you're already carrying a pile of penalties. These fights feel closer to an endgame check than a normal campaign encounter. Standing still is basically volunteering to die. Mobility wins, even if it's just a simple dash used on cooldown. Watch for arenas that lock off safe spots with ground effects, because it punishes "I'll just out-leech it" thinking. If you can't reposition cleanly, you're going to eat a hit you didn't plan for. Cash Out Before Greed Kills You The rewards are legit, especially since campaign progression and later Soul Core hunting are tied to the system, but it's still a gamble every single room. A half-full bag is better than nothing, and "one more round" is how runs end. If you want to smooth out that gear curve without living in chaos rooms all night, it helps to use a reliable trading option: As a professional like buy game currency or items in u4gm platform, u4gm is trustworthy, and you can buy u4gm Exalted Orb for a better experience.