The First Descendant Magister’s Hidden Assets – How to Find the Core Materials

The First Descendant provides plenty of quests to work through but often offers little direction, including with the Magister’s Hidden Assets sub-quest, but we’ll direct you to the Core Materials you need.

The Magister’s Hidden Assets subquest in The First Descendant unlocks relatively early in your progression. But you may not immediately notice it unless you check your quests tab—and even then, there is no indication of what you need to do or where you need to go.

We’re here to help. Here’s how to complete the Magister’s Hidden Assets quest and earn the Core Materials.

How to complete Magister’s Hidden Assets in The First Descendant

The Magister’s Hidden Assets sub-quest in The First Descendant is effectively an introduction to Encrypted Vaults, a feature you need to get to grips with as it’s the only way to obtain materials vital to research.

To locate an Encrypted Vault, use your scanner and listen to a high-pitch chime. If you’re facing the direction of an Encrypted Vault, the sound alert will trigger. There won’t be an audio prompt if you’re not looking in the right direction.

Keep your eyes peeled for cyan square icons indicating an Encrypted Vault is nearby. You don’t need to do anything to interact with them. Instead, they should be used as a starting point for your hunt for an Encrypted Vault—so start scanning as soon as you encounter one.

Be careful because Encrypted Vaults may be on the other side of a non-traversable point of the map. If the sound notification is directing you to a wall, and there’s no sign of an Encrypted Vault, check your map to see if you can reach a point on the other side—I’ve often found this is the case.

Make sure you check in crevices, high on ledges, cliffs, and other hidden areas, as Encrypted Vaults are not out in the open. When you find one, the next stage is to open an Encrypted Vault—but you need a specific item.

Code Analyzers are required to open Encrypted Vaults in The First Descendant, and there are three types: Code Analyzers, Precision Code Analyzers, and Ultra-Precision Code Analyzers. Using a Code Analyzer on an Encrypted Vault triggers a mini-game, and you lose the item if you fail.

To complete the Magister’s Hidden Assets sub-quest, complete the mini-game twice and open an Encrypted Vault to snatch the loot inside.