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At first, I had 180 warps and a dream.
Fugue for my Boothill? Nah, I don't have Ruan Mei, and Harmony Caelus is my ride-or-die. Swapping him out? Unthinkable. Maybe Sunday? Oh, I love that guy—he’s a vibe. The team possibilities with him? Chef’s kiss. But no. My mind had long been made, and not even the shiniest meta calculations could change that.
It all started the moment I was introduced to Honkai: Star Rail. The game's universe had just opened its doors to the world, but I was late to the party, drowning in schoolwork. My friends were already grinding through relics with their mains, posting DPS screenshots that looked like phone numbers, and arguing over tier lists in group chats. Meanwhile, I could only gaze longingly from afar.
And then came the drop. Jing Yuan, the Arbiter-General. The man, the myth, the embodiment of power naps and lightning storms. His fluffy white hair and that serene, sleepy smile, as if he'd just woken up from the most epic 8-hour nap after obliterating a whole battlefield.
Drip was nothing short of impeccable.
I was transfixed. I didn’t even know his name yet, but I knew: I would dedicate myself to this pixelated sleepy man.
But life had other plans. My schoolwork consumed my days, leaving me helpless to watch from the sidelines as Jing Yuan’s banner came and went. My friends triumphed over their pulls while I stared miserably at my neglected gacha dreams.
I finally joined Star Rail in version 2.2, absurdly late—right at Penacony’s conclusion. All the friends I had mentioned had moved on with life, gone without a trace as they went their separate ways. I’ve always loved enjoying a game with the company of someone but with no one around, I turned towards myself and created my own little fun. Why push through countless hours of stress for a few stars in the Forgotten Hall?
I decided to roll for characters I love and build teams around them.
One of my earliest triumphs was pulling Boothill. Oh, how I loved him. The charisma, the effortless swagger—he immediately earned his place as my go-to. It was easy to fall for his vibe and build teams around him, even when I lost my 50/50 for Ruan Mei. My rookie enthusiasm spiraled into building a Dual DPS Clara comp, thanks to snagging Robin and Aventurine recently along the way (Clara’s currently in the Top 4%!) My roster was shaping up well, and my teams were versatile, but deep down, I felt a strange, unshakable emptiness.
What gnawed at me was a quiet, persistent voice reminding me that my heart was still back on that battlefield, watching Jing Yuan’s every movement.
But Jing Yuan had already come and gone. His rerun banner had graced the game just a few patches before I started, and I knew it could be ages before he'd appear again. As much as I tried to convince myself that my current roster was enough, the reality was clear: no matter how many characters I pulled, no matter how well they fit into my lineup, there would always be one name missing. One character I needed more than any other.
Jing Yuan wasn’t just a five-star to me. He was the five-star—the one who introduced me to this galaxy and inspired me to join the Astral Express. And until I got him, my roster would always feel incomplete.
And then, like a bolt of destiny, a whisper reached my senses.
A leak.
The Arbiter-General, Jing Yuan. Up next patch.
I couldn’t believe it. The warrior who first captivated me with his power, the one who had eluded me for so long, was finally returning. My journey into Star Rail had begun too late to claim him the first time, but this time?
I was ready.
At first, I had my sights set elsewhere. Sunday, the ultimate support for Jing Yuan. I’d been tempted to go all-in for him, knowing how much he could elevate my teams.
But the more I thought about it, the clearer it became: what’s Sunday without Jing Yuan?
He could wait. What mattered now was making sure the Arbiter General himself took his rightful place in my roster.
With my pulls already lined up, I needed 57 more and I could try my luck at his signature Light Cone. Sure, rolling for him meant dreading through 50/50 but I wasn’t afraid. The universe owed me this.
Wait.
Forget 50/50. I’m pulling like I’ve already won.
Jing Yuan, I’ve waited long enough.
Get ready to come home.