When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine is the Trailblaze Continuance mission in the Crown of the Mundane and Divine mission series for Honkai: Star Rail. Check out how to unlock this mission, its walkthrough, and the rewards for completion in this guide!

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-	Mundane Troubles

When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine Information

Required Level and Location Details

Mission Type	Trailblaze Continuance
Location	Herta Space Station, Master Control Zone
Required Level	24
Client	Herta

Part of Crown of the Mundane and Divine

When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine is the first quest within the Crown of the Mundane and Divine Trailblaze Continuance.

Crown of the Mundane and Divine Mission

How to Unlock When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine

Unlock Requirements

How to Unlock	Reach Trailblaze Level 24 or above Complete Silent Galaxy

Complete Silent Galaxy

When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine can be unlocked by reaching Trailblaze Level 24 and completing the Trailblaze Mission, Silent Galaxy!

Silent Galaxy Mission Guide

Read Herta's Text Message

When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine is unlocked once you read and respond to Herta's message about Ruan Mei's arrival at the space station.

When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine Walkthrough

When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine Summary

• Step 1: Meet Herta at the Master Control Zone
• Step 2: Find Ruan Mei at the Supply Zone
• Step 3: Follow Ruan Mei
• Step 4: Ask Researchers for Advice
• Step 5: Check out the Storage Zone
• Step 6: Spray Heart Graffiti in the Area
• Step 7: Bring Molten Cheese Tart to the Toilet
• Step 8: Meet Ruan Mei in Herta's Office
• Step 9: Take the Elevator to the Seclusion Zone
• Step 10: Find the Mysterious Little Robot
• Step 11: Look for the Source of the Noise
• Step 12: Continue Searching for Clues
• Step 13: Investigate the Green Glass Containers
• Step 14: Interact with the Robot in the Chamber
• Step 15: Meet the Stranger at the Third Floor
• Step 16: Defeat the Starcrusher Swarm King
• Step 17: Return to Ruan Mei in the Supply Zone

Meet Herta at the Master Control Zone

After replying to Herta's message, teleport to the Master Control Zone to talk to her. Asta will be there as well. After the conversation, you will get a few more messages from the Herta Surveillance Team group chat.

Find Ruan Mei at the Supply Zone

Teleport to the Supply Zone and head towards the railway platform. A short cutscene will play and you'll finally get to meet Ruan Mei herself.

Follow Ruan Mei

After Ruan Mei makes you eat her dessert, she will ask you to walk with her. Once she stops at the side, she'll tell you that lifeforms from her research have escaped into the space station, and she needs your help in recovering them.

Get Clues in the Master Control Zone

Head back to the Master Control Zone and look for the Ecology Researcher to get information about the current situation. He will tell you to head to the Storage Zone next.

Check out the Storage Zone

Use the Outside the Control Center (First Floor) Space Anchor to teleport to the Storage Zone. You may interact with all the researchers in the marked room to learn more about Ruan Mei, but your main target should be the pair standing by the logo on the wall.

All Create Life Outcomes

Choices	Outcome
Ruan Mei frowns	Trotter
The corner of Ruan Mei's mouth twitches	Five Nut Milk-Flavored Lifeform
Ruan Mei is suppressing her emotions	Coriander Sesame Pasta Lifeform
Ruan Mei is expressionless	Phase Flame

Only the different Ruan Mei expression choices matter when selecting your desrired outcome.

Spray Heart Graffiti in the Area

The two researchers will talk about Molten Cheese Tart. According to them, you can meet it by plastering hearts wherever Ruan Mei has been. You will need to spray the target area with heart-shaped graffiti. Just keep adding more until the screen fades to black.

Bring Molten Cheese Tart to the Toilet

After conversing a bit with Molten Cheese Tart, the Ecology Researcher will send you a message about where to bring the lifeform. You'll have to take it to the toilet nearby and flush it down.

Meet Ruan Mei in Herta's Office

Ruan Mei will message you about a sudden emergency that's come up. Once you meet her at Herta's office, she will ask you to attend a meeting with her.

List of Responses from Herta and Screwllum

Herta Responses:

• Question: Will there be a fifth genius joining?
• Response: Depends on who they are.
• Question: I want to know about member #4, Polka Kakamond.
• Response: Female. Wears a fashionable scarf. I find her rather fascinating.

Screwllum Responses:

• Question: Will there be a fifth genius joining?
• Response: We anticipate the inclusion of a different perspective. I await our esteemed guest and shall offer the highest courtesies --- I'm confident that our discussions will generate illuminating insights.
• Question: I want to know about member #64, Dr. Primitive.
• Response: Dr. Primitive's true identity is not known to me. His previous transgressions against humanity lead some to conclude he may be an inorganic entity. All beings, organic or otherwise, should value peace.
• Question: How long will you be staying on the space station?
• Response: I will stay for a while longer. Lady Asta has recently expressed concerns regarding disturbances on the space station. Conclusion: Extended observation is necessary.

Take the Elevator to the Seclusion Zone

After the meeting, Ruan Mei will tell you that there's still another lifeform that needs to be captured. It's located in the Seclusion Zone and you'll need to take the Storage Zone elevator to gain access to the area.

Find the Mysterious Little Robot

At the Seclusion Zone, look for the little robot nearby to get directions. Keep following the quest marker until you find a computer you can investigate.

Look for the Source of the Noise

Upon investigating the computer, there will be a loud noise coming from nearby. Head into the area past the nearby Space Anchor and investigate the green object by the desk chair. It will turn out to be another one of Ruan Mei's creations.

Continue Searching for Clues

With the lifeform accompanying you now, continue following the quest markers to make your way through the area and find more clues to discover. Be sure to watch out for invisible enemies scattered around the corridors!

Investigate the Green Glass Containers

Once you end up in a lab area full of plants, you can leave the lifeform by the green glass containers. A door will open nearby, which you can reach by heading up the stairs located further back.

Interact with the Robot in the Chamber

Enter the chamber that opened up and you'll find another little robot. Interact with it to gain access to the door upstairs, which will lead you to the elevator going back to the third floor.

Meet the Stranger at the Third Floor

Once you're back on the third floor, you'll spot someone in the distance. Approach the person wearing a plaster head and a brief cutscene will play. The stranger will point you in the direction of the creation that you're looking for.

Defeat the Starcrusher Swarm King

Use the indicated elevator to reach the incubator where the lifeform should be. The Starcrusher Swarm King and its summons are all weak to the Physical element, so prepare your team accordingly. Ice and Imaginary characters will also be strong against the boss.

For this fight, you should prioritize breaking the Starcrusher Swarm King's Toughness whenever it enters the Multiply state to deal DMG to all of its summons. AoE attacks will also help take them down much faster.

Starcrusher Swarm King Boss Guide

Return to Ruan Mei in the Supply Zone

After the boss has been defeated, head back to the Supply Zone to find Ruan Mei. She will be standing in the same spot where you first met her. The two of you will have one last conversation before the quest is wrapped up!

Should You Eat or Refuse Ruan Mei's Dessert?

Either Choice Doesn't Matter

Although you are given the option to refuse the dessert that Ruan Mei offers you, you will still end up eating the snack even after declining. This is Ruan Mei's way of ensuring that all her endeavors are kept secret.

When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine Quest Rewards

Snack Life Profile Picture

Completing the mission will reward you with the Snack Life cosmetic item that you can use as a profile picture!

All Profile Pictures

Ruan Mei's Visitor Verification

When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine will also allow you to unlock Ruan Mei as a visitor on the Astral Express.

Other Completion Rewards

Mission Rewards
Trailblaze EXP x1100	Stellar Jade x110	Traveler's Guide x12
Refined Aether x8	Lost Crystal x8	Credit x140000

Honkai: Star Rail Related Guides

Other Crown of the Mundane and Divine Guides

Crown of the Mundane and Divine
1	When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine
2	Mundane Troubles

Crown of the Mundane and Divine

All Missions and Mission Types

List of All Trailblaze Continuance

Jolted Wake From a Winter Dream
	Jolted Wake From a Winter Dream	1	Future Market (Prologue)
2	Future Market (I)	3	Future Market (II)
A Foxian Tale of the Haunted
	A Foxian Tale of the Haunted	1	Sojourners' Ghastly Reverie
2	Fyxestroll Gathering I	3	Twins
4	Fyxestroll Gathering II	5	Percipient
6	Fyxestroll Gathering III	7	Sword Essence
8	Fyxestroll Gathering IV	9	Foxian Dream
Crown of the Mundane and Divine
	Crown of the Mundane and Divine	1	When the Stars of Ingenuity Shine
2	Mundane Troubles
Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue Part I
1	Homecoming Wardance	2	Emissary Mystique
3	From Growls to Grace	4	The Quieting of Quillons
5	By Words of Many	6	March to Mastery: A Star is Born
7	A Startlement of Fur and Feathers	8	Inquisition to Rectitude
9	Rogues on the Run
Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue Part II
1	At Dawn, To War	2	A Web of Pasts Rewoven
3	Alone in Peril	4	The Red Warcry
5	Novice in Zenithal Duel	6	A Swarm of Carnage
7	Sweep by Merlin's Claw	8	Last Stand of a Lone Wolf
9	I Shall Turn the Tide	10	Comrade in Arms
11	Under the Spell	12	Ebb of Past Sins
13	A Fugue From Beyond
Banana Outrage: Battles Without Ninja and Humanity
1	An Andalusian Monkey	2	The 400 Bananas
3	Reservoir Monkeys	4	A Clockwork Banana
5	Dead Banana Society	6	The Men Who Tread on the Monkey's Tail
7	Asdanian Rhapsody	8	Battles Without Ninja and Humanity

All Trailblaze Continuance