Guinaifen glanced at the barrage of comments. It wasn't just her—other players had also received the same notification at the same time!
Any news related to Yu Ling was naturally of utmost importance. But what could this "[Important Announcement]" personally delivered by Yu Ling possibly be about? No one knew!
Licking her lips, Guinaifen opened the notification.
It was a text-and-image post. After skimming the summary, she quickly understood.
"This is... a record of Yu Ling's conversation with the Doctor Ratio!"
[Yu Ling: Esteemed Veritas Ratio, do you believe your warp arrangements are reasonable?]
[Veritas Ratio: Knowledge should circulate and be shared—so too should truth. On behalf of myself, I demand that all Trailblazers be given the opportunity to receive an education in knowledge!]
[Yu Ling: I understand your point, Mr. Ratio.]
[Yu Ling: Then, alongside the opening of the "Everything Flows" event warp, all Trailblazers who have unlocked the mailbox function will receive a free limited 5-star character—"Doctor Ratio"—via in-game mail.]
[Yu Ling: What do you think, Mr. Ratio?]
[Veritas Ratio: Satisfactory.]
...
These brief lines of dialogue sent Guinaifen's mind into a storm of shock!
She read it again to confirm she hadn't misunderstood.
Only then did she exclaim in disbelief, "The Doctor Ratio is saying... he's giving himself away? Letting his in-game version be distributed for free? Does he not realize he's a limited 5-star character?!"
The barrage in her livestream had already exploded:
"!!!!"
"Huh?"
"WHAAAAAT?!"
"This isn't a joke, right?!"
"The key point is—Yu Ling actually agreed to the Doctor Ratio's request!"
"Seriously giving him away for free?!"
"I woke up too hard—Yu Ling's handing out limited 5-stars now?"
"I was already ready to pull for him, and now you're telling me he's FREE?!"
"The Doctor Ratio truly lives up to his name—this is next-level generosity!"
At that moment, Guinaifen's game interface suddenly received a new mail notification.
At the same time, every online player's mailbox lit up with the same message.
With trembling hands, Guinaifen opened the mail:
[Subscription Receipt: [Doctor Ratio]]
[Sender: Veritas Ratio]
[[Auto-reply] Hello, I am Veritas Ratio.
Knowledge should circulate and be shared—so too should truth. On behalf of myself, I am providing you with a one-on-one Q&A session. Activate upon claiming.
You may ask me academic questions at any time, and I will do my utmost to answer. However, before posing a question, please maintain the good habit of independent thought. Remember:
Everyone's time is precious—mine as much as yours.]
[Mail Attachment: 5-star Character "Doctor Ratio (The Hunt · Imaginary)"]
Guinaifen was utterly stunned.
She froze on the mailbox screen for several minutes, as if time had stopped.
When she finally snapped out of it, she immediately started recording and screenshotting everything.
For Honkai Star Rail players... this was a historic moment!
Guinaifen even went to wash her hands for good luck!
After preparing herself, she carefully reread the mail. Then—she clicked Claim!
The screen darkened briefly before five golden stars lit up, backed by the emblem of The Hunt.
"Boom!"
The Doctor Ratio's full illustration filled the screen.
"WAAAAAHHHHHH—!!!"
Guinaifen let out a shriek worthy of a startled rodent.
...
The livestream chat went absolutely berserk:
"HE'S REALLY FREE?!"
"HOLY CRAP! GUI'S MAIL JUST GAVE HER A 5-STAR?!"
"WHERE'S MINE?!"
"WHERE'S MINE WHERE'S MINE?!"
"ANXIOUS ANXIOUS ANXIOUS!"
"IT'S HERE ALREADY? THAT FAST? I JUST SAW THE NEWS!"
"MY HEART'S RACING, MY HANDS ARE SHAKING—"
"ABOJ AKOJ AKOJ AKOJ AKOJ ABOJ ABAJAGA ! ! ! !"
---
Doctor Ratio's Office
Aventurine logged into his game and opened his mailbox. There, he too found the [Subscription Receipt: [Doctor Ratio]].
As he claimed it, he began applauding.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
"This time, I'm genuinely impressed, Professor Ratio."
"At this rate, you'll become the limited 5-star with the highest ownership rate in the game."
"Congratulations, Professor Ratio!"
Aventurine smirked in amusement.
Though he was a hardcore whale who chased maxed-out Eidolons for every character, that didn't stop him from enjoying the thrill of getting a limited 5-star for free!
Meanwhile, Ratio poured himself a glass of wine and stepped onto the balcony.
The view was excellent—he could clearly see a corner of the Veritass University's sports field.
Students were gathered there, clutching their phones in excitement, gesturing wildly as they chattered.
To an outsider, it might look like they'd been struck by some sudden madness and were preparing for a ritual.
But without a doubt—for these students, Ratio's decision to give himself away for free had sparked genuine awe and euphoria!
Ratio's gaze shifted to the teaching buildings and dormitories.
Right now, students were leaning out of windows, shouting at the top of their lungs.
Even with his office's soundproofing, the overwhelming roar of their cheers still reached him—and it was only growing louder as more joined in.
The building supervisors stood dumbfounded, utterly confused.
Was today some special holiday? Had the students all collectively lost their minds?
Ratio smiled faintly.
Not because he heard the crowds chanting his name—but because he sensed a possibility.
[To spread knowledge across the universe and cure the disease of ignorance... That was his personal mission.]
And now...
That mission...
Might truly be realized through Honkai: Star Rail!
---
Thanks to Yu Ling's announcement and Guinaifen's livestream, news of the Doctor Ratio's free giveaway spread like wildfire across the cosmos!
At first, many players refused to believe it. But as confirmations poured in, they had no choice but to accept the truth.
The story quickly dominated headlines and trending topics on every major news platform!
Gaming Forums
Yu Ling's post had already climbed to the top of the front page. Player reactions flooded the comments:
"I hereby declare that the Doctor Ratio speaks only truth! (Confirmed!)"
"Before receiving the mail: 'What kind of doctor can't even heal?' After receiving the mail: 'I'd call him Daddy if he asked!'"
"I proclaim the Doctor Ratio as Star Rail's #1 character—no one else even comes close!"
"Professor Ratio's greatness needs no explanation!"
"I declare the Doctor Ratio the new Aeon of Propagation—ascend to godhood, granted permanent PVP immunity!!"
"Even if the Doctor Ratio attacked his own teammates, I'd praise him for buffing Blade!"
"Are you kidding? Even if he healed the enemy, I'd applaud his merciful heart!"
To be continued…