As I journey deeper into the world of Esperia in 2025, I've come to realize that true power isn't just about leveling up; it's about assembling the right team. While I've collected a respectable roster of heroes from the common factions, my eyes have always been drawn to the legends whispered about in guild chats—the Celestial beings who shine with the light of distant stars and the Hypogean entities that whisper secrets from the abyss. These aren't just powerful units; they are the keystones for any player serious about mastering the late-game content. My journey to understand and acquire them has been a saga of patience, strategy, and a bit of luck, and I'm here to share that saga.

From my experience, the game's six factions work like a complex ecosystem, but Celestial and Hypogean heroes are the apex predators. Their most defining trait is their faction flexibility. Unlike a Wilder hero who is locked to its own kind for synergy bonuses, a Celestial or Hypogean hero can be slotted into any team composition and still count towards activating those crucial factional advantages. It's as if they possess a universal diplomatic passport in a world of strict borders. This alone makes them incredibly versatile for tackling different battlefronts and enemy team setups.

But the real game-changer, the feature that makes veteran players' eyes gleam, is their passive Legacy of the Ancients. For every single Celestial or Hypogean hero you deploy in your formation, your entire party receives a permanent, stacking 1% boost to both ATK and HP. This might sound modest at first, but in the razor-thin margins of end-game PvE and PvP, these percentages are the difference between victory and defeat. A team with two of these rare heroes gains a 2% boost, which is like finding a hidden wellspring of power in a parched desert—a small, consistent trickle that ultimately quenches your thirst for dominance.

🚀 The Gatekeeper: The Stargaze Station

Here's the catch, the monumental hurdle every aspirant must face: you cannot summon these cosmic and abyssal warriors from the standard recruitment banners. They reside in their own exclusive realm, the Stargaze Station. Unlocking this portal is the first great trial. The game demands proof of your dedication: you must have performed a total of 400 recruitment pulls across the All-Hero and Epic Recruitment banners. Every single pull counts toward this goal. Reaching this milestone felt less like an achievement and more like a rite of passage, proving my commitment to the world of Esperia.

Once the Stargaze Station shimmers into existence on your summoning screen, the next challenge begins. It requires a special, hard-to-come-by currency: Stellar Crystals. These aren't gems you can buy impulsively. Their acquisition is a slow, strategic grind. Currently, the only reliable sources are:

• The Guild Store: Earned through consistent guild activity and contributions.

• The Recruitment Store: A trickle income from recycling duplicate heroes from your standard pulls.

Gathering these crystals is a test of patience, turning the pursuit into a long-term campaign rather than a quick gamble.

✨ The Odds and the Guarantee

Summoning at the Stargaze Station is a high-stakes endeavor. The base chance to pull a Celestial or Hypogean hero on any single attempt is a slim ~3.25%. For context, pulling a standard Epic hero from the regular banner feels like catching a familiar fish in a well-stocked pond. Pulling from the Stargaze Station, however, is like casting a line into the cosmic void, hoping to hook a constellation.

However, the system offers a beacon of hope: a pity timer. Every 40th pull on the Stargaze Station is guaranteed to grant you one of these coveted heroes. This mechanic is your safety net, ensuring that your perseverance will eventually be rewarded, even if luck is not on your side. Planning my crystal expenditure around this 40-pull guarantee became a core part of my resource management strategy.

⚔️ Why They Are Worth the Grind

Let me break down why investing months into this pursuit is justified, beyond the raw stats. I've compiled a comparison to visualize their impact:

Aspect	Standard Epic Hero	Celestial/Hypogean Hero
Faction Synergy	Only benefits own/advantaged factions	Counts as any faction for bonus
Team Buff	Usually self or targeted buffs	1% ATK & HP for entire team (per hero)
Availability	All standard banners	Stargaze Station exclusive
Acquisition Pace	Relatively common	Slow, long-term goal

Their value is multifaceted:

1. Team Composition Freedom: Stuck trying to activate a 4-faction bonus but missing one type? Slot in a Celestial hero. They are the ultimate puzzle piece, fitting anywhere. They are to team-building what a master key is to a mansion full of locked doors.

2. Scalable Power: The 1% stat boost per hero stacks. Deploying two gives a 2% boost, three gives 3%, and so on. In the highest echelons of the Dream Realm or the Arena of Trials, this scalable bonus is invaluable.

3. Status & Progression: Let's be honest, having a team adorned with these luminous and shadowy figures is a badge of honor. It signals to other players that you've mastered the game's long-term progression systems.

My journey to summon my first Hypogean hero was a marathon. After unlocking the Stargaze Station, I meticulously saved every Stellar Crystal for weeks, resisting the temptation to spend them elsewhere. When I finally amassed enough for a 10-pull, the anticipation was palpable. The summons flashed, and there it was—a hero whose very presence seemed to dim the light around it, a worthy addition to my ranks. The moment solidified a truth: in AFK Journey, the most powerful assets are not given; they are earned through unwavering dedication. The path to the stars and the depths is long, but for those willing to walk it, the power to reshape battles awaits. They are the silent conductors of your army's symphony, elevating every note played by their allies.