Listen, I am a simple Trailblazer. I see a free 4-Star Light Cone, I abandon all dignity and sprint. So when the Silver Wolf event Starhunt Game handed me Before the Tutorial Mission Starts, I did what any self-respecting Nihility enjoyer would do: I cleared the whole thing, then pretended it was for science. 😅
Before the Tutorial Mission Starts is a 4-Star Light Cone for the Nihility Path. It is not flashy. It does not summon a giant robot. What it does do is pump your Effect Hit Rate so high that enemies start wondering why their resistances ghosted them. If you run Pela, Silver Wolf, Guinaifen, Sampo, or any debuff gremlin, this cone is basically a warm hug from a chaotic hacker. No cap.
Now, in 2026, the Starhunt Game event is old enough to order a bubble tea. If it is not currently in your Travel Log, you may need to wait for a rerun or check whatever permanent event archive HoYoverse has cooked up. But if the event is live, here is the exact route I took.
How To Get Before The Tutorial Mission Starts
- Open your Travel Log. The Starhunt Game event should be sitting there like it owns the place. Choose Go and start the main mission, Punklorde Mentality.
- This drops you with Arlan in the Base Zone of the Herta Space Station. After a few cutscenes introduce you to Screwllum and Leonard, inspect the graffiti on the wall behind Leonard. A battle starts. Five enemies. They are about as threatening as a wet paper bag.
- Next, track Silver Wolf's movements. The map labels them for you. Inspect a few more graffiti marks in the Base Zone, chat with Leonard again, then inspect the Rating Pistol. After that, move on to the Curio Collection Room.
- Inside the Curio Collection Room, inspect one more graffiti mark. Then head back to the main control room. Approach Leonard and you will trigger another battle, this time with four enemies.
- When the fight is done, return to the Starhunt Game event page and choose Story Mode. Activate all the graffiti marks you have found so far. Only five remain for the next missions.
- Now go to Herta's Office in the Herta Space Station. Approach Screwllum to enter the Simulated Universe. You get Silver Wolf as a trial character, and you can pick three other characters from your own team.
- Inside, it is Simulated Universe business as usual: follow the paths, defeat random enemy groups, and try not to get distracted by the weird buffs. Instead of choosing between Combat and Occurrence Domains, follow Silver Wolf on the paths she takes. Keep following her to the labeled locations and defeat the final boss.
- When you leave the Simulated Universe, check Story Mode again and add the three graffiti pieces you found. Then talk to Herta, Screwllum, and finally Leonard. The last graffiti is directly behind Leonard in Herta's Office. After he sends you a message, the mission is complete. Check Story Mode one more time, add the last two graffiti pieces, and boom: you are granted Before the Tutorial Mission Starts.
How To Superimpose Before The Tutorial Mission Starts
Like any other Light Cone in Honkai: Star Rail, you can level it up and Superimpose it. You can do this with multiple copies or with the correct Superimposing materials. For Before the Tutorial Mission Starts, the material is Lil' Twisty Bubble Gum. You can get it from the event store on the main event page.
Each Lil' Twisty Bubble Gum costs 300 Always Smiling. Always Smiling is the event currency you earn by completing challenges in Arcade mode. That mode asks you to find three new graffiti pieces per area, and each piece gives 50 Always Smiling. The event store rubs its hands together and offers plenty of other items too, including Tracks of Destiny, Traveler's Guide, Void Cast Iron, and more.
Here is the quick version:
| Thing | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lil' Twisty Bubble Gum | Event store | 300 Always Smiling each |
| Always Smiling | Arcade mode | 50 per new graffiti |
| Other goodies | Event store | Tracks of Destiny, Traveler's Guide, Void Cast Iron, etc. |
Do not spend all your Always Smiling on shiny side items before you buy the Bubble Gum. I learned that the hard way. My Pela still brings it up at dinner. Cool cool cool.
So there you go. Is Before the Tutorial Mission Starts the strongest Light Cone in 2026? No. But for a free Nihility cone that makes debuffs stick like cheap glitter, it is absolutely worth the scavenger hunt. It turns any Effect Hit Rate enjoyer into a menace, and it costs you nothing but time, patience, and a mild addiction to graffiti. Now if you will excuse me, I have a Pela to apologize to and a Silver Wolf to thank. 🐺✨