Borderlands 4: A Traitor Within walkthrough

Borderlands 4 is packed with treachery, chaos, and hidden agendas. During the mission 'A Council Divide,' you learn that supplies are being sabotaged from within the Electi council. Once the quest is done, you will unlock the next quest in the Electi faction storyline, 'A Traitor Within.' The quest begins as a straightforward supply run but soon spirals into a chaotic confrontation with the Order.

In this guide, we will break down how to unlock the A Traitor Within quest in Borderlands 4 and give you a step-by-step walkthrough, including how you can solve Willem’s Node puzzle.

Borderlands 4: How to unlock A Traitor Within

After completing A Council Divided, speak to Levaine to get the quest (Image via Gearbox Software)

A Traitor Within is part of a series of quests for the Electi faction in Borderlands 4. To unlock this quest, you will need to complete three other quests for the faction.

Faction: Electi
Quest giver: Levaine
Prerequisite: Enter the Electi Part 1 > Enter the Electi Part 2 > The Council Divided

Levaine will assign this quest once you speak to her after completing The Council Divided.

A Traitor Within walkthrough

Step 1: Collect 4x Thresher Eggs

Eliminate the Threshers in the western side of the Ruined Sumplands and collect the eggs (Image via Gearbox Software)

Head to the western side of the Ruined Sumplands to the designated marker.
Eliminate the Threshers in the area.
Pick up their eggs (4x).

Tip: Don’t get swarmed by the Threshers; it is recommended to use AoE damage weapons against them.

Step 2: Acquire 3x Pangolin Spit

Eliminate the Pangolins to collect their spit (Image via Gearbox Software)

Pangolins will spawn in the same location once you have collected the eggs.
Eliminate the Pangolins.
Collect the Pangolin Spits.

Gathering the last ingredient triggers an ambush by Order troops.

Also read - Borderlands 4: How to get Darkbeast legendary SMG

Step 3: Eliminate Order troops

Prepare to fight the Order Troops as soon as you are done with acquiring the ingredients (Image via Gearbox Software)

As soon as you are done gathering the ingredients, an Order dropship will show up, revealing that you have been betrayed by one of the Electi leaders.

Defeat the Order troops to proceed.
Agility and AoE damage are recommended for the fight.

Step 4: Deliver the supplies

Drop off the ingredients at Moxxi's Bar to progress in the quest (Image via Gearbox Software)

Once you have eliminated the Order troops, go to Moxxi’s Bar in the Ruined Sumplands.
Complete the delivery by leaving the ingredients on the counter near the vending machines.

Also read - Borderlands 4 Timid Kyle's Neglected Opening (Augur Mine): Location, how to unlock, and boss drops

Step 5: Go to the Boneyard, slay the Rippers, and collect the ECHO log

Quisling’s Cave is packed with powerful hostile Rippers (Image via Gearbox Software)

Go to the southwest region of the Tonnage Peel region, towards Quisling’s Cave.

Prepare for a fight; a large group of Rippers is present in this area.

Pick up the ECHO log 'Bitter Plotter' from the elite enemy drops (Image via Gearbox Software)

Eliminate all the Rippers present in the Boneyard.
Pick up the ECHO log (Bitter Plotter) from the enemy drops.

The ECHO log reveals more information about the traitor’s plot.

Step 6: Enter Quisling’s cave

Travel deeper inside Quisling’s Cave to locate the information about the mole (Image via Gearbox Software)

Travel deeper inside Quisling’s Cave.
Eliminate the hostile Kratch near the entrance.
Keep following the blue drone markers through the cavern.

You will need to use grapple points to reach higher spots and cross gaps. Wait for the drone to move into the right position before jumping.

Also read - Borderlands 4: How to get Ohm I Got Legendary SMG

Step 7: Confront the Order ambush

Once you are in the location, you will encounter a lot of Order troops and a Brute Electi (Image via Gearbox Software)

Follow the linear path until you locate the chamber with the black/yellow caution stripes; drop down.

Here, the traitor will reveal himself, and you will be ambushed by mobs of Order troops, starting one of the toughest mob encounters in Borderlands 4. Enemies will include Order troops and a Brute Electi (has heavy armor and high damage output).

Tip: If you are underleveled, there will be a red skull icon beside the enemies; lower the difficulty or level up and return later.

Step 8: Search the cockpit

Use the Grapple drone to get up to the higher level (Image via Gearbox Software)

Once you have defeated every hostile in the area, use the grapple drone located at the far north side of the room to reach the cockpit area. Levaine will be waiting for you there.

Use the lever on the central console to activate the holographic puzzle (Image via Gearbox Software)

Find and interact with the green-lit console at the right side of the room.
Pull the central console lever to activate Willem’s holographic interface.

Also read - Borderlands 4: How to get Wombo Combo legendary AR

Step 9: Solve Willem’s node puzzle

To solve this unique puzzle, you will need to do some precision shooting and positioning:

Line up the prisms and shoot when the crosshair turns red (Image via Gearbox Software)

Node 1: Aim your weapon at the single red prism when it overlaps with the blue prisms right behind it. Fire immediately when the crosshair turns red.

Go to the corner near Levaine to align the next triangles (Image via Gearbox Software)

Node 2: Go where Levaine is standing (northwest corner). Align the triangles and shoot once they are overlapped.

You can align this set of triangles from the area where Levaine is standing (Image via Gearbox Software)

Node 3: You will need to repeat the alignment shot from a different angle in the same area.

For the last set of triangles, you will need to climb up the crates beside the central console (Image via Gearbox Software)

Node 4: You will find some crates in the southern corner of the room. Climb on them to get a higher position; line up the shot and shoot the prism.

Tips and tricks:

Use precision weapons like assault rifles and pistols.
Avoid using SMGs, shotguns, or explosive weapons.

Step 10: Hand the drive over to Levaine

Once you have solved the puzzle, you can pull out the drive and hand it over to Levaine (Image via Gearbox Software)

Once you have dealt with the puzzle:

Get the micro-drive from the console.
Give it to Levaine, and the mission will end.

Also read - Borderlands 4: Her Own Funeral walkthrough

Borderlands 4: A Traitor Within rewards

Finishing this faction story mission will give you the following rewards:

Experience / XP (scales with your level)
Cash
Eridium
Weapon: Shotgun (varies between blue and purple rarity)
Cosmetic: ECHO 4 paintjob - Middle name ‘Danger’

Once the quest is done, you will unlock ‘The Mole’s Gambit,’ which is the next quest of the Electi faction storyline in Borderlands 4.

Read more articles on Borderlands 4 here:

About the author

Jagaran is an MMO and ARPG writer at Sportskeeda. His involvement in the gaming industry also includes working as a concept artist and as a narrative designer.
At age of nine, Halo: Combat Evolved kicked off his love for the medium. He looks back fondly on the times he visited cyber cafes, watching the older boys playing the game and shouting, "Master Chief!"
If given a chance to inhabit a game world, he would eagerly jump into the breathtaking world of Halo.
He admires Ben "CohhCarnage" Cassell for his engaging dialogue and gameplay as well as his critical thinking regardless of how much he loves the game, which encouraged him to spend countless hours in games and technically analyze them.
In his free time, he enjoys writing books, cooking, sketching, and the occasional game of football.

Know More

Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul