To push your Operators past the level 40 threshold in Arknights: Endfield, you’ll need to track down Red Bolete. This rare fungus only becomes available once you venture into the more hazardous regions beyond the starting zones. If you’re ready to strengthen your squad and break through that mid-game level cap, understanding exactly where these mushrooms spawn — and how to supplement your supply through base cultivation — is essential for keeping your progression on track.
Master your progression: For more strategies on character growth and end-game systems, visit our [Arknights: Endfield guides hub], where you’ll find everything from elite team compositions to gear optimization.
Unlocking Access to Red Bolete
Before you can collect Red Bolete in the wild, two gates need to be cleared. First, reach Authority Level 25. Second, advance far enough in the main story to unlock the “Down the Hill” mission, which takes you out of Originium Science Park and into Origin Lodespring — the first region where Red Bolete grows naturally.
Origin Lodespring sits northeast of Originium Science Park, past an area called Cliffside Trail. Even if you physically wander near the area earlier, the zone stays locked until the story mission opens it. Following the main quest and hitting level 25 is the only path forward.
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All Red Bolete Locations (4 Total)
There are 4 Red Bolete Growth Spots in total across Valley IV — 3 in Origin Lodespring and 1 in Power Plateau. Red Bolete does not appear in Wuling (that region has Ruby Bolete instead). On your map, look for the dome-with-bunny-ears icon that marks rare gathering sites.
Origin Lodespring (3 spots)
- Logistics Area — One growth spot found just south of the Logistics Area
- Blightcliff Observation Post — One growth spot on the eastern end of the Blightcliff Observation Post
- Mountain Passage route — One growth spot down a path southwest of the Mountain Passage. Note: reaching this one requires explosives to clear a blocked passage in the general area
Power Plateau (1 spot)
- Old Dorms — One growth spot in the northern section of the Old Dorms area in Power Plateau
All four spots reset at the daily server reset. Each yields one Red Bolete per visit at base Exploration Level, with the maximum amount per spot scaling up as your Exploration Level increases. Once you’ve collected Red Bolete at least once, you can track all spawn points on your map by opening your inventory, selecting the item, and choosing “Rare Gathering Sites” from the tracking menu.
For additional material farming tips, our guide on how to level up and promote characters covers the full upgrade path from early game through endgame.
Growing Your Own Supply at the Dijiang
With only 4 wild spawn points resetting daily, cultivating your own Red Bolete becomes important once you’re promoting multiple Operators. Here’s how it works:
Once you collect Red Bolete in the field, you can extract Red Bolete Mycelia from it and plant them in the Growth Chamber aboard the OMV Dijiang. This lets you produce Red Bolete passively between farming runs.
There is one important caveat: the Red Bolete cultivation formula only unlocks at Growth Chamber Level 2 (Cabin Lv. 2), not at the base level. Pink Bolete cultivation is available from Level 1, but Red Bolete requires the upgraded tier. So your priority chain is: complete the “Dijiang Upgrade and Maintenance I” quest (unlocks at Authority Level 24) → upgrade the Control Nexus to Level 2 → upgrade your Growth Chamber Cabin to Level 2 → Red Bolete cultivation becomes available.
If you need help with base expansion prerequisites, our guide on expanding Core AIC area and increasing power output walk through those systems.
What Red Bolete Actually Does
Red Bolete serves one specific purpose: promoting your level 40 Operators to break through to level 60. This is the game’s second major promotion tier (E2 / Promotion II). Before this, you used Pink Bolete to promote Operators from level 20 to 40 (E1 / Promotion I). The full Bolete progression chain is: Pink → Red → Ruby, each tied to a different promotion tier and region.
Reaching Promotion II unlocks several meaningful upgrades for your Operators:
- The level cap increases from 40 to 60, giving you room to significantly strengthen your characters
- Access to Outfitting II opens up, letting Operators equip purple-rarity gear instead of being capped at lower-tier equipment
- Skill rank limits increase from 3 to 6, allowing further ability enhancement with materials like Chrysodendra
The promotion costs 5 Red Bolete, 25 Protodisks, and 6,500 T-Creds per Operator. Plan your stock accordingly if you’re promoting multiple characters — with only 4 daily wild spawns plus Growth Chamber output, building a buffer before mass-promoting is wise.
For insight into building specific characters after promotion, take a look at our guides for Last Rite builds and Laevatain builds. Understanding character stats and elemental reactions becomes even more important once you start pushing into higher promotion tiers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Authority Level do I need to farm Red Bolete?
You need to reach Authority Level 25 and complete the main quest “Down the Hill” to unlock Origin Lodespring, where the majority of Red Bolete spawns are found. The Power Plateau spawn (Old Dorms) becomes accessible as you progress further through Valley IV.
How many Red Bolete spawn points are there, and where exactly?
There are 4 Red Bolete Growth Spots in total — all within Valley IV. Three are in Origin Lodespring: one south of the Logistics Area, one on the eastern end of Blightcliff Observation Post, and one southwest of the Mountain Passage (explosives required). The fourth is in Power Plateau, at the northern section of the Old Dorms. Red Bolete does not appear in Wuling — that region has Ruby Bolete instead.
Can I grow Red Bolete at my base instead of farming it in the wild?
Yes, but with an important caveat: Red Bolete cultivation from Mycelia only unlocks at Growth Chamber Level 2 (Cabin Lv. 2), not the base level. Pink Bolete cultivation is available from Level 1, so don’t be confused if the Red Bolete formula isn’t showing up early. You’ll need to upgrade your Control Nexus to Level 2 first via the “Dijiang Upgrade and Maintenance I” quest (unlocks at Authority Level 24).
How much Red Bolete do I need for a single character promotion?
Promoting an Operator from level 40 to 60 (E2 / Promotion II) requires 5 Red Bolete, 25 Protodisks, and 6,500 T-Creds. With only 4 wild spawn points resetting daily, expect to spend several days farming before you can promote multiple Operators, unless your Growth Chamber is actively producing Mycelia.
What’s the difference between Pink Bolete, Red Bolete, and Ruby Bolete?
Each Bolete type corresponds to a different promotion tier and region. Pink Bolete (found in The Hub, Valley Pass, and Originium Science Park) promotes Operators from level 20 to 40 (E1). Red Bolete (found in Origin Lodespring and Power Plateau) promotes Operators from level 40 to 60 (E2). Ruby Bolete (found in Jingyu Valley, Wuling) is used for the next promotion tier beyond level 60. They cannot be substituted for one another.
Does Exploration Level affect how many Red Bolete I get per spawn?
Yes. The maximum amount of Red Bolete you can collect from each growth spot increases as your Exploration Level rises. At the base level you get one per spot, but higher Exploration Levels allow each spot to yield more per visit. Raising your Exploration Level in Origin Lodespring and Power Plateau is worthwhile if Red Bolete is a consistent bottleneck for you.
