The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

Pei Guang's food stall wasn't just a way for him to rake in a ton of mostly useless money—it was also a new frontier in his journey as a Trailblazer.

It might sound unbelievable, but Pei Guang selling snacks in Aurum Alley perfectly embodied the path of trailblazing: establishing connections in new worlds, experiencing local customs, introducing the Xianzhou to foods and cooking techniques they'd never seen before, and even offering them the unique experience of battling against the Echo of War, Phantylia.

Totally in line with the trailblazing spirit, right?

Over the next half a day, Pei Guang, the ever-dedicated player, fully immersed himself in his traditional business simulation rituals.

Satisfying customers' taste buds, boosting his stall's reputation, attracting more patrons to Aurum Alley—he even started setting up tables and chairs as the crowd grew, turning his humble stall into a bustling food court.

All of this was classic player behavior in simulation games: starting from scratch, even with just a few dishes, and transforming a debt-ridden stall into a gold mine.

And being a player comes with its own quirks. While most people focus on maximizing profits, Pei Guang's priorities were a bit more complex. Sure, he wanted to make money, but he also insisted on using the best ingredients to create dishes that truly satisfied his customers.

Meanwhile, Stelle had been coordinating with Mingxi, the diligent secretary, to reach out to more merchants and promote the Aurum Alley port. Through word of mouth, she helped spread the fame of Pei Guang's food stall far and wide.

As she wrapped up her tasks, Stelle returned to the stall. Watching Pei Guang fully immersed in his trailblazing endeavors, she couldn't help but reflect. While she had enjoyed her own activities—networking and managing goods—there was something inherently solitary about them. Seeing Pei Guang's bustling business, surrounded by happy customers, she realized that as a Trailblazer, she couldn't afford to stay idle.

She wanted to follow the same path, to embody the spirit of trailblazing in her own way. Because she was…the Galactic Baseballer!

Of course, that was just part of it. The real reason was simple: running a food stall looked fun. With her previous activities done, she wanted to join in on the excitement. After all, anything Pei Guang could do, she believed she could do too.

So, she called out to Pei Guang, who was busy frying chicken:

"Ah Guang! I've decided—I'm not just going to help revitalize Aurum Alley. I'm opening my own food stall, and I'm going to compete with you!"

Pei Guang paused mid-fry, his expression growing serious.

"Stelle! I always thought of you as my comrade, but I never expected you'd become my rival. Hmph, if it's a competition you want, I won't hold back. I've decided—I'll bring out my secret weapon: Mystery Flavor Fried Chicken!"

Stelle smirked. "Hah! I've done my research. Xianzhou has plenty of delicious food, but you know what's missing? Galactic Fried Rice. I'm going to sell that!"

Pei Guang shot back, "Pfft, what's next? Galactic Dumplings? No matter. Your so-called Galactic Fried Rice is no match for my Mystery Flavor Fried Chicken. Let's do this! A fair showdown between players—and let's add some real fun to this business simulation!"

Because as every true player knows, no matter how advanced your gear or setup, the ultimate high-spec experience isn't about the tools you use.

It's about having friends to play with.

Running his food stall solo had been fun, and customer feedback was great, but Pei Guang couldn't deny a lingering sense of emptiness. It was like… playing Overcooked in single-player mode.

Sure, you can play alone—but no player would ever turn down the chance to team up with friends, especially when the chaos of working together is half the fun.

Pei Guang thought back to when he used to play Overcooked with his online friends. He'd even joked, "Wouldn't it be cool to experience a real-life version someday?" Now that he was living that dream, he kind of wanted to go back in time and kick his past self in the ass.

Stelle chimed in with a grin. "Alright! I'm in! I'm setting up my own stall. But hey, Ah Guang… I'm bringing in reinforcements. You're not mad, right? I'm asking March to be my teammate. That's cool with you, isn't it?"

Pei Guang snorted. "Not at all! If you're bringing backup, I'll do the same. So what if the cute, pretty, energetic, and ridiculously charming March is on your team? Whatever!"

Stelle squinted at him. "Hmm… why do I feel like there's something off about how you said that?"

Pei Guang waved her off. "Just your imagination! Now that you've declared yourself my rival, hurry up and set up your stall. I doubt I'll lose to a newbie like you. I've got tons of experience!"

Stelle smirked. "Yeah, but I have March helping me."

Pei Guang puffed out his chest. "Doesn't scare me one bit!"

Watching them bicker back and forth, March 7th couldn't help but smile. Friendly rivalries were always fun, but this kind of light-hearted, almost childish competition was even better.

Sure, it might seem immature to little kids—but for "big kids" like them, it was the perfect kind of contest.

March 7th put her hands on her hips and joined in. "Hmph! Ah Guang, you'd better prepare to lose. Stelle and I are totally going to beat you! Oh wait, hold on—Stelle, do you even know how to cook like he does?"

Without missing a beat, Stelle pulled out some ingredients. "Please. We've been traveling with Ah Guang long enough—of course I know how to cook like him. Isn't that just common sense?"

Bailu, munching on some snacks, chimed in with a deadpan, "Uh… pretty sure that's not common sense."

But before Bailu could finish her thought, something unexpected happened.

Stelle seemed to have an epiphany—not to mimic Pei Guang's style, but to create her own unique cooking technique. Drawing on the same trailblazing power, she grabbed a bowl of rice and some random ingredients. Then, without any conventional cooking tools, she started mixing them on the chopping board.

Her eyes glazed over, distant and unfocused, while the ingredients swirled together as if they were in the middle of a cartoon brawl. Smoke puffed out dramatically, and within the chaotic cloud, shapes emerged—spoons, forks, chopsticks, and even the food itself dancing around like characters in a gag manga.

A few seconds later, the smoke cleared to reveal a steaming bowl of Galactic Fried Rice cradled in Stelle's hands.

Mingxi just stood there, utterly speechless.

At this point, she'd gotten used to the fact that Trailblazers operated on a different wavelength from normal people. Whatever—if the food was edible, tasty, and non-toxic, that's all that mattered, right?

"…" 

Mingxi was just too stunned to form words.

Bailu gently patted her on the shoulder. "Don't overthink it. The universe is full of strange stuff. Making food out of thin air? Totally normal."

Honestly, it wasn't just Mingxi who was stunned—even March 7th was left speechless for a moment. But being March, she recovered quickly. 

After all, she'd seen it all with Pei Guang—walls smashed to bits with a single punch, treasures found in trash cans… compared to that, whipping up food from thin air?

Yep. Totally normal.

Acceptance was one thing, but March 7th couldn't resist a bit of snark. "Well, looks like that's a handy skill. Guess we'll never have to worry about going hungry on our adventures again."

Stelle proudly put her hands on her hips. "Of course! Ah Guang, want to give it a try? This is a dish that's all the rage across the universe."

Pei Guang raised an eyebrow. "Then why doesn't Xianzhou have it?"

Stelle shot back, "Just because it's popular in the universe doesn't mean every planet has it. Come on, give it a taste!"

Pei Guang shrugged. "Alright, let me try it."

The Galactic Fried Rice had a golden hue, with an aroma that was rich and mouthwatering. Just by its appearance, you'd never guess it had been made from scratch—literally—with Stelle's bare hands.

After taking a bite, Pei Guang smirked, giving Stelle a sarcastic thumbs-up. "Tastes great, no doubt. But it'll never beat my perfect fried chicken or my secret-recipe 'mystery flavor' chicken. Better brace yourself for defeat."

Stelle crossed her arms, refusing to back down. "Your chicken's greasy. There's no way it's tastier than my fried rice! Besides, if you've got mystery chicken, I can whip up other dishes too!"

Pei Guang grinned. "Then let's see who comes out on top."

Neither was willing to concede, and their playful bickering only made the area livelier.

Originally, people had just gathered after hearing rumors that the Trailblazers had set up a food stall in Aurum Alley with some surprisingly good eats. But now? Seeing two Trailblazers actually competing in a culinary showdown? That was the kind of drama no self-respecting bystander could resist. The crowd grew larger, fueled by curiosity and excitement.