One exit, many chests
A stage gives you a wide area, one teleporter, and chests spread across it. The stage ends only when you step on the teleporter.
That single exit turns the stage into a route problem. You want the loot without losing the clock.
Read the layout first
Land and look around before you commit. Find the teleporter, note the chests near it, and spot the ones far off the path.
That quick read tells you which chests are cheap to grab and which cost a long detour.
Loot on the way
Open chests that sit near your route. Grab the ones clustered together, because the walk is short and the payoff is the same.
Leave a lone chest across the map unless your build is behind and needs the power.
Activate, then loot
Once you are ready, hit the teleporter and start the hold-out event. Monsters funnel toward the zone, and its boss joins the fight.
You can open nearby chests during the charge. Use the waiting time to convert gold into items instead of standing idle.
The loop and the final door
Clear a set number of stages and the teleporter can lead to the final area instead of the next stage. That choice decides whether you loop for more items or go for the win.
Loop when your build is still growing. Go for the boss when the clock has caught up to your power.
Continue with boss strategies or revisit time versus loot.