The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

While Tingyun harbored her own malicious intentions, Pei Guang wasn't much better off in terms of trust. From the moment Tingyun's dancing failed to activate any buffs, to her uncharacteristically fearless behavior in entering the fog, he was certain something was off.

What he couldn't determine was whether she had been compromised from the very beginning or if she had been swapped or possessed at some point along the way. Was the Tingyun they first met already problematic, or had someone else taken over her body later?

But that wasn't the primary concern. The main issue was that she had refused both of his invitations to join their team. 

Pei Guang wasn't one to overestimate his own appeal, but he knew that his traits as a player, the Trailblazer's buffs, and the importance placed on him by figures like Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan would make any intelligent person think twice before rejecting him.

Refusing his invitations was one thing, but the fact that her singing and dancing couldn't trigger buffs, coupled with Fu Xuan's explicit warning about the fog's danger to Vidyadhara and Foxian alike, yet Tingyun still ventured into it unscathed? Suspicious.

From his gaming experience and observations, Pei Guang was certain something was seriously wrong with her. He just didn't know whether the issue was a swap or possession.

While Tingyun was plotting to kill Pei Guang, he was simultaneously strategizing how to deal with her!

Unlike Tingyun, who was acting solo, Pei Guang had allies. And one ally, in particular, Stelle, was practically itching to make a move on Tingyun.

As both Tingyun and Pei Guang harbored secret plans to eliminate the other, the sounds of battle ahead came to a halt.

Within the fog, Pei Guang and Dan Heng observed the lifeless bodies of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus lying on the ground. The two exchanged knowing smiles. They had fought their way to the first alchemical furnace, but since it hadn't yet been deactivated, the remaining guards hadn't been alerted.

Dan Heng prepared to return to the group, but Pei Guang wasn't in a rush. He took out a bone knife and began dissecting the nearby abundant creatures.

Watching Pei Guang work, Dan Heng pondered aloud, "So this is how you made the equipment I'm wearing?"

Pei Guang nodded. "Exactly. Harvesting materials from defeated enemies to craft gear is a classic method. Why, are you interested in learning?"

Dan Heng nodded as well. "Let me help out."

Pei Guang grinned. "Sure thing! Let me show you. You know, these creatures mutated by the Abundance are a goldmine. Their hides, bones, and other parts can all be used to craft equipment that provides life recovery effects. I'm genuinely excited to see what materials we'll get from future abominations of Abundance."

Hearing this, Dan Heng felt a twinge of concern and hesitated before asking, "Does this apply to all creatures of the Abundance?"

Pei Guang nodded again. "So far, yes. But it seems like beings transformed from sapient creatures don't yield usable materials. Maybe my ability has some kind of safeguard preventing me from doing anything too extreme. But honestly, that's a good thing. In a completely unrestricted game, I'm not sure how far I'd go—having some limits is probably for the best."

Dan Heng quietly processed this, realizing that the limits Pei Guang referred to weren't imposed by his abilities but were boundaries he set for himself. Without saying much, Dan Heng simply mirrored Pei Guang's movements, becoming more adept with each passing moment.

In just a few moments, he successfully dismantled a creature, while Pei Guang stored the harvested materials in his inventory.

"Shall we continue?" Dan Heng asked.

Pei Guang glanced back, thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "Hold off on moving forward. Let's wait for Stelle and the others to catch up. My initial plan was to clear out everyone first before shutting down the furnace, but it's become obvious that we've got a mole in our team. If this mole exposes us during the infiltration, we'll end up surrounded and in serious trouble. You know how I am—if there are too many enemies, I can't handle them all."

Adjusting his strategy to the current reality, Pei Guang opted to abandon his original idea of stealthily eliminating everyone before openly deactivating the furnace. With the suspicion of a traitor in their ranks, proceeding with the original plan risked disaster if the mole turned on them mid-mission.

Instead, he decided to stick to a more conventional and safer approach. While traditional and less flashy, it ensured better protection for the team. As a player, Pei Guang did enjoy taking risks for fun, but he would never recklessly endanger his teammates.

Dan Heng furrowed his brow in thought before speaking. "The mole… You mean her?"

Pei Guang nodded. "Yes. But right now, it's tricky. I can't just outright kill her."

Dan Heng raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Pei Guang explained, "Usually, in cases like this, the mole has a more complex backstory. Sometimes they're set up as a tragic figure, coerced or blackmailed. Killing them outright wouldn't feel right, especially since I'm aiming for a relatively 'perfect' narrative and don't want to trigger any unforeseen consequences. Then there's the chance she's a complete infiltrator or even the final boss. If she's just a spy, fine, we deal with her. But if she's the final boss, it's better to wait for her to make the first move. If she attacks while we're leading the charge…"

Dan Heng silently nodded, processing the implications. Due to his growing trust in Pei Guang, he had earned two teleportation charges. He knew exactly when he might need to use one of them and mentally prepared for that eventuality.

Pei Guang didn't elaborate further, but Dan Heng recalled what he had mentioned earlier—that the enemy this time could very well be an Emanator. If it turned out to be true, they lacked the strength to handle such a foe. In that case, they would have to rely on Jing Yuan to arrive and confront the Emanator.

Pei Guang noticed that while Dan Heng was fully prepared to create an escape opportunity for everyone, his true intention was clear: he wanted to defeat the Emanator-level enemy and claim all the rewards.

Dan Heng, meanwhile, was curious. If they managed to take down an Emanator-level foe, what kind of reward would it yield? The last time in Belobog, Pei Guang gained recognition from the Path of Preservation, unlocking greater power. What would happen this time?

While Pei Guang and Dan Heng discussed, Stelle, March 7th, and the others arrived at the furnace. March 7th quickly asked, "Are you guys okay? Whoa, look at all these enemies! Completely wiped out!"

Pei Guang shrugged. "Dan Heng did most of the heavy lifting. As for me? I just toyed with them; I wouldn't call it a proper takedown."

March 7th shivered at his casual tone. "Geez, Ah Guang, you always have a way of saying things that send chills down my spine. But hey, no big deal since it's the enemies. So, this is the furnace we're supposed to shut down? The one spewing smoke that turns Xianzhou people into mara-struck soldiers?"

Stelle, standing by the furnace's smoke vent, suddenly took a deep breath of the smoke, holding it in before exhaling dramatically.

The smoke, proud of its corruptive abilities, eagerly attempted to invade her body, expecting to turn her into a mara-struck soldier despite her being mortal. However, it was met with something far more terrifying—a Stellaron. The Stellaron decisively rejected the smoke's intrusion with overwhelming force.

Stelle turned to Pei Guang, perfectly fine, and grinned. "Ah Guang, look! I'm breathing smoke now—woo-oooh~"

She exhaled the smoke in playful shapes—circles, squares, and even intricate designs.

Pei Guang sighed. "Enough messing around. Let me shut this thing down already."

Shutting the furnace was surprisingly simple—just a touch was needed to sense the user's intent and deactivate it. The machine stopped rumbling, and the flow of smoke ceased immediately.

However, as the furnace sank into inactivity, Stelle impulsively reached out and reactivated it. Smoke began pouring out again.

Pei Guang, unimpressed, turned it off once more. Stelle, grinning mischievously, turned it back on.

The two locked eyes, an inexplicable sense of competition rising between them, and began a game of furnace toggling—Pei Guang shutting it down and Stelle turning it back on.

March 7th rolled her eyes. "You two are doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Welt sighed. "This isn't the time for games. Let's move quickly. This smoke affects Bailu too."

From her hiding spot in the trash can, Bailu reassured them, "Don't worry, Ah Guang's trash can is amazing. I don't feel the smoke at all in here."

Stelle, reluctantly, let the furnace remain off this time. "Uncle Yang is right. We'll finish this first, and then Ah Guang and I can settle this later."

Pei Guang smirked. "Fine. After we take down the boss, we'll settle who's the real dominant player!"

March 7th sighed. "I get the meaning behind that phrase, but I can't help pointing out—you're a guy and a girl!"