High-Grade Material in Shadow Labyrinth is a rare and powerful upgrade item required to unlock critical enhancements beyond the standard upgrade tiers. You’ll first encounter its requirement when attempting to push your ESP sword or stamina (ESP bar) beyond level 3 at a Miku Sol save point. Unlike common materials earned from enemy drops or aura-based upgrades, High-Grade Material is either awarded after boss encounters or found as hidden red crystal collectibles in specific zones. This guide explains where to find it, how it works, and why it’s crucial to your progression.
What is High-Grade Material?
High-Grade Material is a rare upgrade item described in-game as:
“A very high grade material that can be used to push past certain limits of your physical abilities.”
Unlocking the fourth tier of upgrades for the ESP sword and stamina (ESP bar) requires High-Grade Material, which becomes available through the Enhance menu at Miku Sol save points. While early upgrades only cost Ora, this rare item becomes essential once higher-level enhancements come into play.
You won’t use High-Grade Material like aura for minor stat upgrades or like resources gained from devouring enemies for perks. Instead, you’ll need it specifically for breakthrough upgrades—every fourth enhancement for your ESP Sword and Stamina requires one.
See also: Sparking Stones Shadow Labyrinth: Rewards & Locations Guide
How to Use High-Grade Material
- Visit a Miku Sol save point.
- Enter the Enhance menu.
- You’ll see sword and ESP upgrades gated at level 4 unless you have High-Grade Material.
- Once acquired, use it to unlock powerful enhancements not available through standard aura spending.
These materials are not used for basic stat increases—they act more like breakthrough catalysts, allowing you to breach upper upgrade limits.
The in-game upgrade system also features “mo soul” devices that are known to support data storage and physical enhancement. These, along with “valuable notches” and “perks,” suggest that character progression is modular—so High-Grade Material may also unlock new enhancement slots or advanced functions within the Gaia form.
How to Get High-Grade Material
There are 2 primary methods of obtaining High-Grade Material in Shadow Labyrinth:
1. Defeat Bosses
Some boss encounters reward High-Grade Material directly upon victory.
- The Pod Queen is one such boss. After defeating her in a difficult combat sequence, the game rewards you with this material.
- You’ll know you’re close to a boss when your character comments on entering a hostile zone. Bosses are high-stakes fights requiring careful use of your ESP sword, stun abilities, and phase-shift forms (like the Gaia or mini Pac-Man form).
- After victory, the High-Grade Material appears automatically as a reward.
Think of these as milestone bosses—if a fight feels more cinematic or grueling, there’s a good chance a rare drop like this is on the other side.
2. Explore and Find Red Crystal Collectibles
Beyond boss fights, High-Grade Material can be found as hidden red crystal collectibles in late-game regions. These are similar in appearance to other key collectibles like HP Capacitors or HP Tank Charges, but their true identity isn’t revealed until collected.
High-Grade Material appears as a bright red diamond-shaped crystal on the map, similar to HP Tank or Capacitor pickups. Unlike regular loot, it does not drop from enemies and must be manually picked up.
Tip: Any time you see a tucked-away red crystal, it might be High-Grade Material. Explore every nook and vertical ledge thoroughly.
All Confirmed High-Grade Material Locations
These are the first confirmed spots where you can find High-Grade Material through exploration:
Location 1: Door to the Abyss
- Region: Forbidden Lands
- Where: After entering the Door to the Abyss (west of Bosconian Village), navigate through the long corridor.
- Abilities Required: ACTIV Shot (Grapple) and Midair Dodge
- Route:
- Head west through the long section.
- After a brief cutscene with Puck referencing Sheyenne GAIA, continue into the next screen.
- Explore the lower path until you reach a checkpoint.
- From there, double back east via the upper path, then drop down to a ledge with the collectible.
- Reward: High-Grade Material (in the form of a red crystal)
Watch out: This area is filled with deadly foes—don’t rush the route.
Location 2: Crystalline Palace
- Region: Forbidden Lands
- Where: Just west of the Door to the Abyss.
- Route:
- Make your way to the northern edge of the map.
- Enter the third chamber from the northwest corner.
- You’ll see a multi-tiered waterfall section.
- Climb to the top level, then traverse through the correct path in the water stream to reach the collectible.
- Reward: High-Grade Material
This area is deceptively large and maze-like, so check all ledges and flowing water paths carefully.
Most High-Grade Materials tend to appear after entering the Forbidden Lands. While there may be one or two in earlier zones, they’re usually inaccessible until you unlock advanced traversal upgrades.
Search late-game zones like the Labyrinth of the Giant Tree or the Forbidden Grounds—these areas likely hold additional High-Grade Materials, though exact locations remain unconfirmed. Keep progressing and exploring to uncover every hidden opportunity.
Additional Tips for Finding High-Grade Material
- Explore every region thoroughly—High-Grade Materials don’t drop randomly. You need to find and manually pick them up from specific hidden locations.
- Use traversal abilities to reach hidden collectibles. Skills like the Grapple Shot and Midair Dodge open paths to red crystals that were previously inaccessible, so revisit earlier areas after unlocking them
- The Door of the Abyss is a confirmed location for High-Grade Material. Other zones, such as the Labyrinth of the Giant Tree or the Forbidden Grounds, may also contain more—though access may depend on progression or unlocked paths.
- Defeat major bosses and search hidden zones to obtain High-Grade Materials. Regular enemies never drop them, so focus your efforts on major encounters and carefully concealed areas.
- These materials are exceptionally rare. Only a handful are available throughout the game, and each one plays a crucial role in unlocking late-stage enhancements to your ESP sword and stamina.
See also: Labyrinth of the Demon King Guide: Combat & Secrets Explained
Why High-Grade Material Matters
This item is more than a stat booster. It likely contributes to:
- Unlocking new transformation abilities
- Enhancing your maximum power caps
- Accessing advanced perk trees or exclusive passive upgrades
Think of it as a master key—unlocking upgrades that standard aura alone can’t reach.
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High-Grade Material is Shadow Labyrinth’s way of rewarding mastery. Whether through intense boss fights or deep exploration, finding this material marks a significant step in your progression. Keep a sharp eye out for red crystals, dive into every region of the Forbidden Lands, and make sure your combat skills are sharp for bosses like the Pod Queen. Play Now!
