How to Earn the Crab with a Knife Pet and Secret Portal Skin in Diablo 4

Diablo 4 is filled with hidden rewards, secret achievements, and rare cosmetics that many players may never discover without community-driven exploration. One of the most intriguing secrets currently available is the hidden Howling Mouth of Madness town portal skin, a unique cosmetic that cannot be purchased, claimed through the Season Journey, or unlocked through the standard wardrobe system.

Instead, this exclusive reward is hidden inside Echoing Hatred, one of Diablo 4's challenging endgame activities. Players who complete a secret shrine sequence and defeat a special goblin can unlock both the hidden achievement "Only The Mad Run Free" and the Howling Mouth of Madness portal. Those who push even further can also earn the highly sought-after Crab with a Knife pet.

Here's everything you need to know to unlock these hidden rewards.

Step 1: Obtain a Trace of Echoes

Before you can begin the secret unlock process, you'll first need a Trace of Echoes.

This special item serves as the key required to enter Echoing Hatred. Trace of Echoes can drop from various endgame activities, including:

Nightmare Dungeons

Helltides

Kurast Undercity

Torment difficulty content

Other high-level endgame activities

The drop rate appears to be relatively rare, so don't be discouraged if you don't find one immediately. Continue farming your normal endgame content, and Diablo 4 Gold should drop.

One important detail to remember is that players can only carry a single Trace of Echoes at a time. If one drops, make sure to use it before continuing to farm for another.

Once you have acquired a Trace of Echoes, head to Temis and interact with the Sightless Eye to enter Echoing Hatred.

Step 2: Understand the Shrine Requirements

The secret portal skin is tied to a hidden shrine sequence that must be completed during an Echoing Hatred run.

This is where many players may accidentally fail the challenge.

Unlike normal gameplay where players activate every shrine they encounter, this secret requires activating specific shrines during specific Echoing Hatred tier ranges.

It's important to note that these tiers are not related to your Torment difficulty setting. Instead, they refer to the Echoing Hatred progression tier displayed beneath the minimap while participating in the activity.

Activating the wrong shrine at the wrong time can potentially ruin the sequence and force you to start over with another Trace of Echoes.

Step 3: Complete the Secret Shrine Sequence

The shrine order must be completed exactly as follows:

Tier 1-9: Protection Shrine

During the early stages of the run, locate and activate a Protection Shrine while your Echoing Hatred tier is between 1 and 9.

This begins the hidden sequence.

Tier 10-14: Artillery Shrine

As you continue progressing, wait until you reach Tier 10 through Tier 14.

During this window, locate and activate an Artillery Shrine.

Avoid activating random shrines during this phase. Only the Artillery Shrine counts toward the sequence.

Tier 15-19: Lethal Shrine

The third step occurs between Tier 15 and Tier 19.

During this section, you must activate a Lethal Shrine.

This continues the hidden progression and brings you one step closer to unlocking the secret reward.

Tier 20-24: Channeling Shrine

The final shrine must be activated between Tier 20 and Tier 24.

During this tier range, find and activate a Channeling Shrine.

If all previous steps were completed correctly, the hidden sequence will now be fully active.

For convenience, here's the complete order:

Tier 1-9: Protection Shrine

Tier 10-14: Artillery Shrine

Tier 15-19: Lethal Shrine

Tier 20-24: Channeling Shrine

Many players recommend learning potential shrine spawn locations before attempting the challenge. Having a route planned can significantly increase your chances of success.

Step 4: Hunt Down Flotsam

Completing the shrine sequence is only part of the secret.

After activating all four shrines correctly, a special goblin named Flotsam will appear somewhere within the Echoing Hatred run.

This goblin is the final key to unlocking the hidden achievement and portal skin.

Once Flotsam spawns, your priority should immediately shift to locating and defeating him. Don't continue progressing deeper into the activity while ignoring the goblin.

If the run ends before Flotsam is killed, you may miss the reward and need to repeat the entire process.

Upon defeating Flotsam successfully, players will unlock:

The hidden achievement "Only The Mad Run Free"

The Howling Mouth of Madness town portal skin

This marks the completion of the primary secret reward.

Step 5: Unlock the Crab with a Knife Pet

Players looking for an additional cosmetic reward can continue the challenge even further.

The Crab with a Knife pet is tied to the same secret sequence but requires significantly greater progression.

After successfully activating all four shrines, continue advancing through Echoing Hatred and survive until reaching Tier 60.

Unlike the portal skin, which can be earned shortly after completing the shrine sequence and defeating Flotsam, reaching Tier 60 requires a powerful character capable of handling increasingly difficult enemies and encounters.

Successfully reaching Tier 60 after completing the shrine sequence will unlock the Crab with a Knife pet.

This makes Echoing Hatred one of the most rewarding hidden activities currently available in Diablo 4.

Tips for Success

Because Trace of Echoes can be difficult to obtain, it's important to maximize every attempt.

Bring a Strong Build

Reaching Tier 24 for the portal skin is manageable for many endgame builds, but Tier 60 presents a much greater challenge.

Make sure your character has:

High survivability

Strong single-target damage

Reliable area-of-effect clearing

Mobility skills for positioning and survival

The stronger your build, the easier it will be to focus on the shrine sequence rather than simply staying alive.

Avoid Incorrect Shrine Activations

One of the biggest risks is accidentally activating the wrong shrine during the wrong tier range.

Take your time and verify both the shrine type and your current Echoing Hatred tier before interacting.

A single mistake may invalidate the entire sequence.

Coordinate Carefully in Groups

If you're attempting the challenge with friends, communication becomes extremely important.

A common recommendation is to assign shrine interactions to a single player—preferably the person who opened the Echoing Hatred run.

This prevents accidental clicks from group members that could disrupt the sequence and waste the run.

Final Thoughts

The Howling Mouth of Madness portal skin is one of Diablo 4's most interesting hidden cosmetics because it rewards exploration and discovery rather than simple grinding buy Diablo 4 Gold. Combined with the hidden "Only The Mad Run Free" achievement and the Crab with a Knife pet, Echoing Hatred now offers some of the most unique collectible rewards in the game.

To summarize the process:

1. Obtain a Trace of Echoes.

2. Enter Echoing Hatred through the Sightless Eye.

3. Activate Protection, Artillery, Lethal, and Channeling Shrines in the correct tier windows.

4. Locate and defeat Flotsam.

5. Unlock the Howling Mouth of Madness portal skin and hidden achievement.

6. Continue to Tier 60 to earn the Crab with a Knife pet.

For completionists, cosmetic collectors, and Diablo 4 veterans looking for something new to chase, this secret challenge offers an exciting objective that goes beyond traditional loot farming. Good luck on your Echoing Hatred runs, and may your next Trace of Echoes lead you to one of the game's coolest hidden rewards.