The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

While Pei Guang ranted, the rest of the group cautiously approached with tense expressions.

March 7th: "Uh, Ah Guang… This is the skill you were so excited about?"

Pei Guang frowned. "It's not the skill—it's how I used it. And before anyone asks—don't get curious and try eating these guys. They might smell good and taste great, but they lower your stats."

Everyone fell silent. They trusted Pei Guang completely, which made his warning even more unsettling.

As one of Pei Guang's closest allies, Stelle eyed him suspiciously. "Ah Guang… How do you know they taste good?"

Pei Guang: "It's in the notes, okay?! Skills and items come with descriptions—and so does this one!"

Hearing this, everyone exhaled in relief. Eating a Voidranger—even one that smelled like gourmet barbecue—was a mental barrier none of them were ready to cross.

Still, Pei Guang wasn't done.

He looked around at their nervous faces, then smirked. "You guys are worrying too much. These things tank your stats and make you dumber the more you eat. Honestly, even I wouldn't mess with this stuff. But…"

The group froze. They knew what that "but" meant.

Pei Guang's gaze shifted toward Jing Yuan, who was already wearing a polite, uneasy smile.

Jing Yuan: "Go ahead, Pei Guang. Enlighten us."

Pei Guang leaned back slightly, looking at Jing Yuan with a mischievous grin. "So after this incident, the Xianzhou Alliance is pretty much set to go to war with the Antimatter Legion, huh? Fighting a two-front war can't be easy… How about this? Find a planet infested with Antimatter Legion forces, and I'll roast them all for you. Then you can take their cooked remains and ship them off to areas controlled by the Denizens of Abundance—let them eat themselves into insanity."

Pei Guang continued enthusiastically, "Think about it. Eating this stuff hits Mind, Intelligence, and HP. Sure, each dish only works once, but the effects stack infinitely. Oh, and speaking of targets—the Legion's got Destruction's Emanators, right? What if we set a small goal—catch one of those Emanators, turn it into a production line, and mass-produce these dishes? Once we've got an army of idiots with 1 HP, we can swoop in and clean house."

Jing Yuan: "…"

Pei Guang crossed his arms confidently. "It's efficient. And I'm not doing this for free—just let me handle the materials from the Abominations we wipe out. Trust me, when it comes to crafting gear, I'm a pro."

Jing Yuan: "…"

At that moment, he finally understood what Fu Xuan had meant earlier. He glanced at her, but she just gave him a helpless look—as if to say, See? I told you so.

Realizing Pei Guang was waiting for an answer, Jing Yuan forced a polite smile and took a deep breath. "Once this crisis is over, I'll need to discuss this matter with the other generals before giving you a proper reply."

Jing Yuan couldn't deny that Pei Guang's plan was diabolically efficient. He was already devising ways to exploit his new skill to mass-produce debuff-inflicting "meals." Worse still, Pei Guang treated the Antimatter Legion and Abominations like nothing more than piles of raw materials to be harvested and processed into better resources.

And the scariest part? He was already aiming for a Lord Ravager as his next big target. If it were anyone else, Jing Yuan might've dismissed it as arrogance. But with Pei Guang? He genuinely believed this lunatic might pull it off.

Pei Guang shrugged at Jing Yuan's non-committal answer. "Shame. Oh well, talk to the other generals after this is done. We'll discuss the production line then. Just remember—we don't eat this stuff. Only the enemies do."

Jing Yuan cleared his throat. "Ahem. We'll revisit that later. For now, our priority is defeating Phantylia. With the path cleared, we need to unlock the Ambrosial Arbor. Dan Heng, I'll need your power for this step—and you're the only one who can do it."

He turned to Dan Heng, explaining the situation in detail.

Meanwhile, Pei Guang tuned out the conversation, focusing instead on more practical matters. "Wait, so this part of the story only needs Dan Heng? We're just sitting around until the cutscene's over?"

Jing Yuan nodded. "You can rest for now."

"Sweet. Let me know when the action's back on."

With some free time, Pei Guang decided to test his cooking skills. He grabbed the pot and combined it with his Savory Truefire to experiment with crafting buffs and enhancements.

Seeing Pei Guang get to work, Stelle, March 7th, and Bailu eagerly gathered around him to join in. But just as they were settling down, a cheerful Cloud Knight wandered over, cigarette in hand.

"Hey, lucky day! Brother, mind sparing a light?"

Pei Guang reached for a lighter, but the Cloud Knight waved him off. "Nah, not that one. Can I try your fire? That one looks intense."

Pei Guang grinned and snapped his fingers, summoning the Savory Truefire to light the cigarette. "Careful, this fire's got layers. Three flavors. Use it however you like, but don't aim it at your friends, yeah?"

The Cloud Knight took a long drag and let out a satisfied sigh. "Man, this hits. Thanks, brother—promise I won't use it on friendlies."

Pei Guang smirked. "No problem. Just toss me some Affinity Points in return."

The Cloud Knight gave him an exaggerated thumbs-up. "Maxed out, buddy. From today on, you're my one and only faith!"

Pei Guang laughed. "Then just don't die before the final boss."

The Cloud Knight waved as he walked off, still enjoying the unusual fire.

For Pei Guang, it was just another day—another favor done, another relationship strengthened. Whether it was Herta Space Station, Belobog, or now Xianzhou, Pei Guang had made it a habit to help anyone who asked. As long as he got something in return—be it loot, buffs, or just higher Affinity Points—he was more than happy to assist.

And as for concerns about the fire's side effects? The system clearly stated it didn't harm allies, so what was there to worry about?

While Jing Yuan was busy discussing with Dan Heng about unlocking the Ambrosial Arbor, the rest of the group went about their own tasks—some experimenting with the pot, some relaxing in the breeze, and others simply playing games.

Despite the looming battle with Phantylia, the Undying, there was no sense of tension among them.

After all, with Pei Guang around, nothing ever seemed like a real problem. For the team that trusted him completely, Pei Guang's presence was its own kind of safety net.

Besides, they had their ace in the hole—every member still had at least one teleport charge ready to use. Worst case scenario? They could just teleport out, wait for the Xianzhou to blow up a little, and then come back to loot the remains with tears in their eyes.

Meanwhile, as the group made their final preparations, something... unexpected was happening in another corner of the universe.

In a distant star system ruled by an Antimatter Legion Emanator aligned with Phantylia, a lit cigarette casually fell onto one of the planets.

The tiny ember ignited an uncontrollable blaze. Flames engulfed the entire star system, burning intensely for ten minutes straight.

Shortly after, nearby Abominations of Abundance received an order from their Abundance Emanators—this system now contained food blessed by the Aeon of Abundance.

What's more concerning? Multiple, rival factions of Abominations of Abundance all received the same command.

What happened next to the scorched Antimatter Legion forces—or to the factions lured in by the supposed "blessing"—was anyone's guess.

And Pei Guang? He was still busy grilling Abundant Ebon Deer venison like nothing had happened.

Holding up a freshly cooked skewer, Pei Guang gave his review:

"This roast is sweet but has just the right kick of spice. Plus, it boosts Focus, restores Stamina, and works as the perfect battle snack. 10 out of 10—would eat again."

Bailu, nibbling on one of the skewers, enthusiastically agreed. "Make more of this! It's really good!"

Not every batch turned out delicious, though. Some pieces had… questionable flavors. But thanks to Pei Guang's system appraisals, he could easily sort the hits from the misses and separate what was safe to eat from what wasn't.

In fact, experiments with the Savory Truefire revealed that its cooking properties could add random effects to consumables. Some enhanced flavor, while others boosted stats or even abilities temporarily.

The group hadn't yet figured out how to create permanent buffs, but Pei Guang was confident it was only a matter of time—perhaps even inside the boss room itself.

After this successful round of testing, everyone's faith in Pei Guang's earlier claim—that Phantylia might actually be edible—only grew stronger.

Maybe they wouldn't be able to eat her themselves, but what if she could be served to her own minions, just like the Antimatter Legion? If the effects were anything like the debuff-inflicting dishes, it could turn their enemies into weakened, mindless husks ready for easy cleanup.

And with that thought in mind, Pei Guang threw another skewer on the fire and grinned.