Abandoned Auger Mines are optional, compact dungeons spread across Kairos. Unlike Order bunkers, these caves are overrun by native creatures and culminate in a single boss fight. They’re designed for quick runs: a few combat rooms, an antechamber with supplies, and a boss that can be farmed for high‑quality loot.

Unlock requirement and “Clave‑Locked” walls

You can’t enter these mines until you finish the main mission Shadow of the Mountain. If you discover one early, you’ll see a red sigil on a wall with a “?? ?” prompt and a “Clave‑Locked” notice to “find your clave and earn your name.” Completing Shadow of the Mountain removes this gate and lets you walk through the mine’s false wall.

How to spot and complete an Auger Mine

  • Look for a shimmering, fake wall. Up close, the surface glows; step straight through to enter.
  • Progression is linear: fight through tunnels and caverns to the boss arena. The mine is only marked complete after you defeat the boss.
  • Your first clear of any mine grants 40 SDU tokens, which you can spend on storage upgrades such as ammo or backpack capacity.
  • Bosses are farmable. After unlocking the mine, you can re‑run the final encounter to chase specific drops.

All Abandoned Auger Mine locations

There are seven Abandoned Auger Mines across Kairos. Use fast travel to nearby Safehouses and Silos to cut down on backtracking.

Mine Region Boss (known)
Timid Kyle’s Neglected Opening Coastal Bonescape —
The Claim Dissected Plateau The Backhive
The Pigeonhole Grindstone of the Worthy —
Trinket Crevass Ruined Sumplands Rocken Roller
Whistler’s Maw Cuspid Climb —
Bittervein Stoneblood Forest Bramblesong
The Toil of Spoiling Vis Carcadia District Axemaul
Note: Some community guides reference “Embossed Fault” in Grindstone of the Worthy; in‑game names and regional labels can differ between maps and UI elements.

Boss rewards and farming

Each mine ends with a unique boss that can drop valuable gear, including legendaries. Several bosses are widely reported to be tied to signature items, and they can be re‑challenged for targeted farming. Expect the boss’ enemy family to match the creatures you fought on the way in.

On your first clear, you receive 40 SDU tokens. Clearing all seven mines contributes to the Dig, Delve, Discover challenge.

Quick route: Timid Kyle’s Neglected Opening

From the Abandoned Post Safehouse in Coastal Bonescape, head northeast. Look for a cave facing a small lake. Inside, you’ll see a massive hole in the center—don’t drop in. The mine entrance is a glowing wall along the right‑hand side of the cave.

  • Finish Shadow of the Mountain before making a sweep; it saves return trips to early‑found mines.
  • Unlock nearby Safehouses and Silos first. This shrinks the run to each cave and makes boss farming more practical.
  • Bring spare ammo and cash for repeat attempts; mines are short, but bosses can be punishing depending on level and modifiers.

If you’re working through the seven in one loop, start in The Fadefields side of the map (Coastal Bonescape and Dissected Plateau) and move clockwise through Grindstone of the Worthy, Ruined Sumplands, Cuspid Climb, Stoneblood Forest, and into Carcadia. This route clusters fast travel points and keeps enemy level bands consistent.

Once Shadow of the Mountain is behind you, treat every suspicious, glowing wall as a potential Auger Mine. They’re compact, repeatable, and pay out both SDU tokens on first clear and a steady stream of boss loot thereafter.