diff --git a/Content.Server/EntityEffects/Effects/ArtifactUnlock.cs b/Content.Server/EntityEffects/Effects/ArtifactUnlock.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..21454ff7a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Content.Server/EntityEffects/Effects/ArtifactUnlock.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+using Content.Server.Popups;
+using Content.Server.Xenoarchaeology.Artifact;
+using Content.Shared.EntityEffects;
+using Content.Shared.Popups;
+using Content.Shared.Xenoarchaeology.Artifact.Components;
+using JetBrains.Annotations;
+using Robust.Shared.Prototypes;
+
+namespace Content.Server.EntityEffects.Effects;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Sets an artifact into the unlocking state and marks the artifexium effect as true.
+/// This is a very specific behavior intended for a specific chem.
+/// </summary>
+[UsedImplicitly]
+public sealed partial class ArtifactUnlock : EntityEffect
+{
+    public override void Effect(EntityEffectBaseArgs args)
+    {
+        var entMan = args.EntityManager;
+        var xenoArtifactSys = entMan.System<XenoArtifactSystem>();
+        var popupSys = entMan.System<PopupSystem>();
+
+        if (!entMan.TryGetComponent<XenoArtifactComponent>(args.TargetEntity, out var xenoArtifact))
+            return;
+
+        if (!entMan.TryGetComponent<XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent>(args.TargetEntity, out var unlocking))
+        {
+            xenoArtifactSys.TriggerXenoArtifact((args.TargetEntity, xenoArtifact), null, force: true);
+            unlocking = entMan.EnsureComponent<XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent>(args.TargetEntity);
+        }
+        else if (!unlocking.ArtifexiumApplied)
+        {
+            popupSys.PopupEntity(Loc.GetString("artifact-activation-artifexium"), args.TargetEntity, PopupType.Medium);
+        }
+
+        if (unlocking.ArtifexiumApplied)
+            return;
+
+        xenoArtifactSys.SetArtifexiumApplied((args.TargetEntity, unlocking), true);
+    }
+
+    protected override string ReagentEffectGuidebookText(IPrototypeManager prototype, IEntitySystemManager entSys)
+    {
+        return Loc.GetString("reagent-effect-guidebook-artifact-unlock", ("chance", Probability));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/Components/XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent.cs b/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/Components/XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent.cs
index 13b07f4474..6b2351cc2f 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/Components/XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/Components/XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent.cs
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ public sealed partial class XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent : Component
     [DataField, AutoNetworkedField, AutoPausedField]
     public TimeSpan EndTime;
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Tracks if artifexium has been applied, which changes the unlock behavior slightly.
+    /// </summary>
+    [DataField, AutoNetworkedField]
+    public bool ArtifexiumApplied;
+
     /// <summary>
     /// The sound that plays when an artifact finishes unlocking successfully (with node unlocked).
     /// </summary>
diff --git a/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/SharedXenoArtifactSystem.Unlock.cs b/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/SharedXenoArtifactSystem.Unlock.cs
index 9786e65478..57d6502bfb 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/SharedXenoArtifactSystem.Unlock.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/SharedXenoArtifactSystem.Unlock.cs
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ using System.Linq;
 using Content.Shared.Xenoarchaeology.Artifact.Components;
 using Robust.Shared.Audio;
 using Robust.Shared.Audio.Systems;
+using Robust.Shared.Collections;
+using Robust.Shared.Random;
 
 namespace Content.Shared.Xenoarchaeology.Artifact;
 
@@ -94,14 +96,14 @@ public abstract partial class SharedXenoArtifactSystem
         }
 
         RemComp(ent, unlockingComponent);
-        RiseUnlockingFinished(ent, node);
+        RaiseUnlockingFinished(ent, node);
         artifactComponent.NextUnlockTime = _timing.CurTime + artifactComponent.UnlockStateRefractory;
     }
 
     public void CancelUnlockingState(Entity<XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent, XenoArtifactComponent> ent)
     {
         RemComp(ent, ent.Comp1);
-        RiseUnlockingFinished(ent, null);
+        RaiseUnlockingFinished(ent, null);
     }
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -113,9 +115,10 @@ public abstract partial class SharedXenoArtifactSystem
     )
     {
         node = null;
+        var potentialNodes = new ValueList<Entity<XenoArtifactNodeComponent>>();
 
         var artifactUnlockingComponent = ent.Comp1;
-        foreach (var nodeIndex in artifactUnlockingComponent.TriggeredNodeIndexes)
+        foreach (var nodeIndex in GetAllNodeIndices((ent, ent)))
         {
             var artifactComponent = ent.Comp2;
             var curNode = GetNode((ent, artifactComponent), nodeIndex);
@@ -125,15 +128,29 @@ public abstract partial class SharedXenoArtifactSystem
             var requiredIndices = GetPredecessorNodes((ent, artifactComponent), nodeIndex);
             requiredIndices.Add(nodeIndex);
 
-            // Make sure the two sets are identical
-            if (requiredIndices.Count != artifactUnlockingComponent.TriggeredNodeIndexes.Count
-                || !artifactUnlockingComponent.TriggeredNodeIndexes.All(requiredIndices.Contains))
+            if (!ent.Comp1.ArtifexiumApplied)
+            {
+                // Make sure the two sets are identical
+                if (requiredIndices.Count != artifactUnlockingComponent.TriggeredNodeIndexes.Count
+                    || !artifactUnlockingComponent.TriggeredNodeIndexes.All(requiredIndices.Contains))
+                    continue;
+
+                node = curNode;
+                return true; // exit early
+            }
+
+            // If we apply artifexium, check that the sets are identical EXCEPT for one extra node.
+            // This node is a "wildcard" and we'll make a pool so we can pick one to actually unlock.
+            if (!artifactUnlockingComponent.TriggeredNodeIndexes.All(requiredIndices.Contains) ||
+                requiredIndices.Count - 1 != artifactUnlockingComponent.TriggeredNodeIndexes.Count)
                 continue;
 
-            node = curNode;
-            return true;
+            potentialNodes.Add(curNode);
         }
 
+        if (potentialNodes.Count != 0)
+            node = RobustRandom.Pick(potentialNodes);
+
         return node != null;
     }
 
@@ -143,7 +160,7 @@ public abstract partial class SharedXenoArtifactSystem
         RaiseLocalEvent(ent.Owner, ref unlockingStartedEvent);
     }
 
-    private void RiseUnlockingFinished(
+    private void RaiseUnlockingFinished(
         Entity<XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent, XenoArtifactComponent> ent,
         Entity<XenoArtifactNodeComponent>? node
     )
diff --git a/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/SharedXenoArtifactSystem.XAT.cs b/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/SharedXenoArtifactSystem.XAT.cs
index 863f56134b..1ef85db27f 100644
--- a/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/SharedXenoArtifactSystem.XAT.cs
+++ b/Content.Shared/Xenoarchaeology/Artifact/SharedXenoArtifactSystem.XAT.cs
@@ -56,15 +56,13 @@ public abstract partial class SharedXenoArtifactSystem
     /// <summary>
     /// Attempts to shift artifact into unlocking state, in which it is going to listen to interactions, that could trigger nodes.
     /// </summary>
-    public void TriggerXenoArtifact(Entity<XenoArtifactComponent> ent, Entity<XenoArtifactNodeComponent> node)
+    public void TriggerXenoArtifact(Entity<XenoArtifactComponent> ent, Entity<XenoArtifactNodeComponent>? node, bool force = false)
     {
         // limits spontaneous chain activations, also prevents spamming every triggering tool to activate nodes
         // without real knowledge about triggers
-        if (_timing.CurTime < ent.Comp.NextUnlockTime)
+        if (!force && _timing.CurTime < ent.Comp.NextUnlockTime)
             return;
 
-        var index = GetIndex(ent, node);
-
         if (!_unlockingQuery.TryGetComponent(ent, out var unlockingComp))
         {
             unlockingComp = EnsureComp<XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent>(ent);
@@ -73,25 +71,34 @@ public abstract partial class SharedXenoArtifactSystem
 
             if (_net.IsServer)
                 _popup.PopupEntity(Loc.GetString("artifact-unlock-state-begin"), ent);
+            Dirty(ent);
         }
-        else
+        else if (node != null)
         {
+            var index = GetIndex(ent, node.Value);
+
             var predecessorNodeIndices = GetPredecessorNodes((ent, ent), index);
             var successorNodeIndices = GetSuccessorNodes((ent, ent), index);
-            if(unlockingComp.TriggeredNodeIndexes.Count == 0
-               || unlockingComp.TriggeredNodeIndexes.All(
-                   x => predecessorNodeIndices.Contains(x) || successorNodeIndices.Contains(x)
+            if (unlockingComp.TriggeredNodeIndexes.Count == 0
+                || unlockingComp.TriggeredNodeIndexes.All(
+                    x => predecessorNodeIndices.Contains(x) || successorNodeIndices.Contains(x)
                 )
                )
                 // we add time on each new trigger, if it is not going to fail us
                 unlockingComp.EndTime += ent.Comp.UnlockStateIncrementPerNode;
         }
 
-        if (unlockingComp.TriggeredNodeIndexes.Add(index))
+        if (node != null && unlockingComp.TriggeredNodeIndexes.Add(GetIndex(ent, node.Value)))
         {
             Dirty(ent, unlockingComp);
         }
     }
+
+    public void SetArtifexiumApplied(Entity<XenoArtifactUnlockingComponent> ent, bool val)
+    {
+        ent.Comp.ArtifexiumApplied = val;
+        Dirty(ent);
+    }
 }
 
 /// <summary>
diff --git a/Resources/Locale/en-US/guidebook/chemistry/effects.ftl b/Resources/Locale/en-US/guidebook/chemistry/effects.ftl
index 098403c84c..2a40d00f72 100644
--- a/Resources/Locale/en-US/guidebook/chemistry/effects.ftl
+++ b/Resources/Locale/en-US/guidebook/chemistry/effects.ftl
@@ -357,6 +357,12 @@ reagent-effect-guidebook-add-to-solution-reaction =
         *[other] cause
     } chemicals applied to an object to be added to its internal solution container
 
+reagent-effect-guidebook-artifact-unlock =
+    { $chance ->
+        [1] Helps
+        *[other] help
+        } unlock an alien artifact.
+
 reagent-effect-guidebook-plant-attribute =
     { $chance ->
         [1] Adjusts
diff --git a/Resources/Locale/en-US/xenoarchaeology/artifact-component.ftl b/Resources/Locale/en-US/xenoarchaeology/artifact-component.ftl
index b083d33f35..50fa136928 100644
--- a/Resources/Locale/en-US/xenoarchaeology/artifact-component.ftl
+++ b/Resources/Locale/en-US/xenoarchaeology/artifact-component.ftl
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ artifact-unlock-state-end-failure = It slows down before uneventfully stopping.
 
 ### Activation
 artifact-activation-fail = Nothing happens...
+artifact-activation-artifexium = The liquid seeps into the pores of the artifact...
 
 ### Misc.
 artifact-examine-trigger-desc = [color=gray][italic]Am I on your mind?[/italic][/color]
diff --git a/Resources/Prototypes/Entities/Objects/Specific/Xenoarchaeology/xenoartifacts.yml b/Resources/Prototypes/Entities/Objects/Specific/Xenoarchaeology/xenoartifacts.yml
index 74a78cee59..6fa30b7265 100644
--- a/Resources/Prototypes/Entities/Objects/Specific/Xenoarchaeology/xenoartifacts.yml
+++ b/Resources/Prototypes/Entities/Objects/Specific/Xenoarchaeology/xenoartifacts.yml
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@
   # These components are needed for certain triggers to work.
   - type: RadiationReceiver
   - type: Reactive
+    groups:
+      Flammable: [Touch]
+      Extinguish: [Touch]
+      Acidic: [Touch]
 
 - type: entity
   id: ActionArtifactActivate
diff --git a/Resources/Prototypes/Reagents/chemicals.yml b/Resources/Prototypes/Reagents/chemicals.yml
index be5473fb8c..85f518bf5e 100644
--- a/Resources/Prototypes/Reagents/chemicals.yml
+++ b/Resources/Prototypes/Reagents/chemicals.yml
@@ -72,6 +72,14 @@
         damage:
           types:
             Caustic: 2
+  reactiveEffects:
+    Acidic:
+      methods: [ Touch ]
+      effects:
+      - !type:ArtifactUnlock
+        conditions:
+        - !type:ReagentThreshold
+          min: 5
 
 - type: reagent
   id: Benzene