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The Simulated Universe is a staple inHonkai: Star Rail, being constantly refreshed, updated, and reimagined throughout the game’s versions to accommodate recent gameplay changes and new character introductions. You can expect a new iteration to drop every couple of patches.
And with the big Amphoreus update, it wasn’t much different. Originally introduced during the Penacony update, the Divergent Universe, now named Protean Hero, has received a complete overhaul. Veterans from the Divine Comedy iteration will be at home with this new version, but it has more than enough changes and updates to make it feel like a completely new game mode.
How To Unlock Divergent Universe: Protean Hero
Before tackling the new challenges in this game mode,you must have previously unlocked Divergent Universe. This requires completing the regular Simulated Universe World 3 and the"Farewell, Penacony"Trailblaze Quest.
Once you’re done with those, you get access to theDivergent Universe: Terminal Interfaceat the Radiant Feldspar.
Depending on your quest choices, the Radiant Feldspar might be renamed toTrailblaze’s Stern, The Tatalov, or The Soaring Clock Hand!
Completing the"Light Slips the Gate, Shadow Greets the Throne"Trailblaze Quest is your final requirement, butplayers can use the Finality’s Vision featureif they want to play it as soon as possible.
Once you’re done with all these,head to the Radiant Feldspar and complete the “Divergent Universe: Hymn of Value” quest. After a few dialogue boxes, you’ll be ready to jump into the divergence.
Protean Hero General Rules
Protean Hero is a step upfrom the main Simulated Universe but with key differences. The main goal stays the same: advancing through stages with your selected team while collecting Blessings, Curios, and Cosmic Fragments that make you stronger.
You must go through 13 rooms(18 in higher difficulties) divided into three Planes. Those rooms may contain enemies (Combat, Encounter, and Boss), special events (Occurrence, Adventure, and Wealth), or are fully pacific (Respite, Store, and Escapade).
Each Plane consists of random rooms, butalways has a Boss room at the end. The third Plane penultimate room is always a Respite room.
Features fromthe old Divergent Universe, such asEquations and Weighted Curios, are also present. If you’re familiar with those, you’ll feel right at home, but many have received some balance changes.
All your characters will be at Level 80with temporarily leveled-up Traces, Light Cones, and Relics strong enough to clear a run. However,your own builds will often be stronger. Characters can be exchanged at any time.
Once you complete a run, you’re able to save your current Blessings, Curios, Equations, and other buffs into a Save File.This Save File can be used later in Planar Extraction.
Day And Night System, Explained
Battles in the Divergent Universe:Protean Hero cycles between Day and Night states. Just as Amphoreus has the Dawn and Evernight versions in some areas, the same happens during battles here.
Day and Nightgrants different buffs to active battle participants:
Every battle always starts at whichever period you choose, with the other arriving after a few turns. Think of it like the Memory of Chaos' cycles but with slightly different durations.Golden Blood’s Boonscan add new effects to those periods.
Day and Night start at a 50 percent uptime each, but this can change during the run.Their effects increase according to your current Threshold(difficulty), so you’ll always have stronger boosts to deal with those huge HP pools from endgame.
Golden Blood’s Boons, Explained
The main damage mechanic in Protean Hero is theGolden Blood’s Boons. When entering the game mode, you choose between a Day or a Night-enhancing effect, which will greatly help you throughout the run.
Some effects canadd more Final Damage during Day, or decrease HP consumption during Night, as well as increasing each cycle’s duration.
After going through four rooms,you get an Enhancement for your existing Golden Blood’s Boons. These are the best upgrades available, and it’s safe to plan your run around a good enhancement you find.
A Golden Blood’s Boon can reach up to Enhancement Level 3. Once you find a third Enhancement room,you can choose a new Boon, which can be either a Day or Night Boon.
Look out for Enhancements that make the most sense for your current team/build. Since you can freely change characters,you can also adapt your team to use a powerful upgrade.
All Trait Effects
Another minor addition was Traits. Similar to Path Resonances in Simulated Universe,Traits are activated once you get Blessings with certain Keywords, giving special effects to your team.
There’s one Trait for each Path, and they offer powerful boosts even if that’s not your primary path. Each Blessing from that path increases the Trait effect.
Remembrance
Obsession
Entering in battle or summoning a Memosprite gives you stacks of Obsession. When you take action, you have a chance of gaining an extra stack.Each stack increases your allies' ATK by 1% and HP by 0.5%,and they lose 2 stacks every turn. Maximum 20 stacks.
Nihility
Murmur
Murmur charges whenever enemies are affected by DoT. When enemies enter the battle, they are affected by Murmur, which is considered Wind Shear damage.Murmur deals damage equal to your allies' ATK,up to 4,000%, depending on charges.
The Hunt
Critical Boost
After using an ability, your allies can get 1 stack of Critical Boost.Each stack increases Crit Rate by 6% and Crit DMG by 12%, up to 8 stacks. The next ally to attack inherits them, but they vanish once you’re attacked.
Destruction
Blazer
30% of your HP recovered/lost or Shield damage reduction becomes Blazar Charges. You lose 60% of your charge every turn.When your allies attack, they deal extra damage equal to 40% of your total Blazar, but this damage cannot defeat an enemy.
Elation
Aftertaste
Follow-Up attacks inflict Aftertaste damage, equal to 50% of the target’s ATK. This damage has a random type, and is considered follow-up Atk DMG.
Propagation
Soul Chrysalis/Butterfly Soul
Soul Crysalis is charged by 60% at the start of the battle and charges more 8% per Skill Point used. Once it reaches 100%,the next 8 Basic Attacks or Skills will deal 50% extra True damage.
Erudition
Brain in a Vat
Using Ultimates charges your Brain in a Vat. Once Brain in a Vat is 100%,your Ultimate will be immediately charged after using it.
Harmony
Harmonize
Increases your Weakness Break Efficiency. Breaking enemies inflict Harmonize on them, whichincreases Break DMG received by them and deals Quantum Break DMG.
Strategy Guides And Build Planning
Youcan pick a Strategy Guide for your Protean Hero runs. These include a suggested team, alongside many recommended Equations that synergize with it. Recommended Blessings and Equations will be highlighted whenever you get to them.
Guidesare made by other players, and you’re able to make your own through the official website.
You can pick a Guide as soon as the run starts, butyou can change to others at any time by selecting the Guide icon in the top left corner.
Using a Guide is not mandatory, butit is helpful to learn about the mode. You can also find new ways to play with your compositions, so give it a try.
Returning Features
Many elements added during different iterations of the Simulated Universe/Divergent Universe are back for Protean Hero, but with a small twist. Below is a list of them and what has changed from previous versions.
Equations And Weighted Curios
Equations and Weighted Curios work as usual, but many were added.Some were either reworked or removed from the gameentirely to fit the game mode better.
Notably, as the Remembrance Blessings have been greatly reworked,its Equations are almost entirely new. The same can be said about the Harmony Equations, which now replace Abundance and Preservation.
Inspiration Circuit
Divergent Universe upgrades are universal, soany upgrade made during Divine Comedy is maintained. Additionally, you now have Titan Odes, which unlock even more bonuses during Day and Night cycles.
Ordinary Extrapolation and Cyclical Extrapolation
These two modesalso work as in other Divergent Universe iterations:
You shouldclear Cyclical Extrapolation every weekto get its rewards and complete your weekly Nameless Honor missions.
Excessive Conversion
Higher difficulties will feature Excessive Conversion stages,where the fight only lasts for two cycles.But you only get more enemy waves instead of bosses. Fragments obtained also depend on how many enemies you defeat after the second wave.
Protean Hero Rewards
Aside from numerousStellar Jades,you can get tons ofMaterials, Experience Books, Credits, and many other rewardsfrom Protean Hero. You get plenty of these from the various categories in this game mode.
Description
Herta’s Store
The same as in regular Simulated Universe. You can getLight Cones, Star Rail Passes, icons, and Probability Museumexhibition items.
Gallery Of Possibilities
EveryBlessing, Equation, Golden Blood’s Boon, Curios, and Occurances you find are marked here. Finding certain amounts of them gives you Stellar Jades.
Stable Computing Array
One-time achievementsrelated to the Protean Hero Divergent Universe. Play in multiple difficulties with different Equations to get its rewards.
Synchronicity Level
Synchronicity Points are awarded in each run, regardless of success. Each Level gives you a different reward. Notable items includeWishful Resin, Self-Modeling Resin, and Stellar Jades.
Weekly Reset
you may complete the weekly Cyclical Extrapolation (or any other mode)to get your weekly Simulated Universe rewards.
Planar Extraction
Planar Extraction is also available in the Protean Hero version of the Divergent Universe. This modelets you farm for Planar Ornaments easilyusing your Save Files from completing regular runs.
You’ll only have to face the related boss without going through its Simulated Universe world andcan repeat it as long as you have Trailblaze Power. This is the easiest way to get the 2-piece sets for your characters.
