So I finally pulled Zhezhi in Wuthering Waves 1.2 after burning through my savings like a pyro character in a dry forest, and holy moly - this Glacio Rectifier is worth every Shell Credit! She's basically the Swiss Army knife of support characters: off-field damage? Check. Glacio damage buffs? You betcha. Concerto efficiency? Oh baby! I've been running her with my frost team, and let me tell you, watching enemies shatter while she casually sips tea off-screen is peak gaming satisfaction. But Kuro Games wasn't about to make maxing this ice queen easy - the material grind is real, folks. Like, 'I-need-coffee-IV-drip' real. 
The Ascension Treadmill from Hell
Listen up, fellow Resonators - if you think getting Zhezhi was RNG hell, wait till you see her ascension requirements. It's like the devs looked at my social life and said "Let's obliterate this completely." That freaking Lampylumen Myriad boss south of Tiger's Maw? I've fought that glittery disco-ball monstrosity so many times I see soundwave patterns in my sleep. And don't get me started on Howler Cores - farming Dreadmanes across Huanglong has become my part-time job. Pro tip: hunt them at night when they cluster like drunk college kids. Here's the soul-crushing breakdown:
| Ascension Rank | Level Cap | Shell Credits | Lanternberries | Howler Cores | Boss Drops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | 5,000 | N/A | LF x4 | N/A |
| 2 | 50 | 10,000 | 4 | MF x4 | Sound Keeping x3 |
| 3 | 60 | 15,000 | 8 | MF x8 | Sound Keeping x6 |
| 4 | 70 | 20,000 | 12 | HF x4 | Sound Keeping x9 |
| 5 | 80 | 40,000 | 16 | HF x8 | Sound Keeping x12 |
| 6 | 90 | 80,000 | 20 | FF x4 | Sound Keeping x16 |
Lanternberry Crisis: A Cautionary Tale
Who knew glowing berries would cause so much pain? Finding Lanternberries makes Where's Waldo look like child's play. I've combed every inch of Tiger's Maw like a detective at a crime scene - max 29 berries per run if you get lucky with spawns. After my third berry-hunting marathon left me with carpal tunnel, I caved and visited Shifang Pharmacy in Jinzhou. 3,000 Shell Credits PER BERRY? That's straight-up daylight robbery! My wallet cried harder than when gacha pulls go wrong. Here's the insane cumulative toll:
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Level 50: 4 berries (easy peasy)
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Level 60: 12 berries (starting to sweat)
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Level 70: 24 berries (existential crisis begins)
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Level 80: 40 berries (questioning life choices)
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Level 90: 60 berries (full mental breakdown)
Forte Ascension: Where Sanity Goes to Die
Just when I thought the torture was over... BAM! Forte materials enter the chat. Getting Helix from Misty Forest's Forgery challenge north of Forbidden Forest? That's 40 Waveplates per run, baby! And Monument Bells from the Bell-Borne Geochelone weekly boss? That shelled nightmare costs 60 Waveplates per attempt - talk about highway robbery.
The real kicker? More Howler Cores! At this point, I could write a PhD thesis on Tacet Discord behavior patterns. My hit list:
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Dreadmanes (glorified ice puppies)
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Hoartoises (annoyingly tanky)
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Dwarf Cassowary (why so fast?!)
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Roseshrooms (deceptively deadly)
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Spearbacks (nature's porcupines)
My farming route has become muscle memory - wake up, coffee, murder fluffballs for cores, repeat. It's Groundhog Day with more glaciators.
The Light at End of the Tunnel (Probably a Boss Arena)
After weeks of grinding, my Zhezhi's finally sitting pretty at level 90 with maxed Forte. Was it worth it? Absolutely - seeing her shred enemies while buffing my team feels like cheating. But man, I've got notes for Kuro Games in 2025:
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Add Lanternberry traders in every region (I'll pay double!)
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Reduce Waveplate costs (40 per run? That's bonkers!)
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Let us pet the Dreadmanes before slaughtering them
Future wishlist? A Zhezhi beach skin where her ice attacks make margaritas. Come on devs, make it happen! Until then... back to farming. GG no re.