The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

Meanwhile, Tingyun, who was trailing behind the group and quietly plotting, froze as she sensed the overwhelming purity of the trash can's Preservation force.

"Was it Bailu drawing the Aeon of Preservation's attention by aligning with its path?" she speculated.

However, her guess was quickly proven wrong. Bailu burst out of the trash can, wide-eyed and panicking. "Ah Guang! This is bad! The trash can's alive!"

"What are you talking about?" Pei Guang quickly set the trash can down, watching Bailu scramble out. The sight was so baffling that even Silver Wolf peeked her head out from her neighboring trash can, her curiosity piqued.

Tingyun, March 7th, and Welt all stared, their expressions shifting between disbelief and resignation. How could this possibly be happening?

March 7th pointed to the trash can and asked, "Ah Guang, what's going on? Did the trash can… gain sentience?"

Stelle added, "I can feel it too. There's an undeniable power of Preservation coming from that trash can."

Seele chimed in, unable to hold back her usual sass. "So let me get this straight. Bronya and Gepard combined don't even measure up to this trash can? That's what we're saying?"

Dan Heng shook his head solemnly. "Uncle Yang, your thoughts? Ever since I started following Ah Guang's lead, I've realized my knowledge can't explain any of this."

Welt adjusted his glasses, taking a deep breath. "Even I can't begin to rationalize this. Let's leave it to Ah Guang to explain."

Pei Guang looked at the system with a serious expression and said, "You're asking me? I don't know either. The description says the trash can's dignity' attracted the attention of the Preservation Aeon, Qlipoth, and that this is now a five-star trash can."

Stelle asked, "Invincible Ah Guang, have you seen something like this before?"

Pei Guang thought back. "I've encountered similar things, but they're rare. In some RPG games, if you use what looks like trash-tier or broken equipment to complete specific tasks or processes, you unlock certain advanced conditions. Could it be that this trash can triggered some kind of progression condition here?"

Pei Guang stared at the trash can, his expression complicated. Until now, it had just been a regular prop without any indicators. But now, not only did it have annotations, but it also displayed several new attributes:

Power of Preservation: An indestructible trash can. Anyone inside the can is completely immune to all forms of harm. However, anyone inside the can cannot interact with the outside world, including launching attacks. To interact with someone inside, the trash can's lid must be opened physically—by hand, foot, or another method.

Dignity of the trash Can: Nobody knows why the Preservation Aeon recognized the dignity of this trash can. Any lifeform perceives it as the ultimate, ideal version of what a "trash can" should be. During battle, if any enemy attempts to violate the trash can's dignity, a certain percentage of damage is reflected based on the severity of the affront.

Qlipoth's Gaze: Why would Qlipoth, the Amber King, pay attention to a trash can? Could it be for construction debris? Using this trash can as building material significantly increases the overall structural integrity of a building.

Pei Guang carefully studied the three attributes, his mind racing. It was undeniable that the trash can had evolved into a legendary gold-tier item, equipped with premium abilities.

Yet, these abilities felt... oddly niche.

The first attribute appeared invincible, but if an enemy physically opened the lid, it would be rendered ineffective. A theoretical exception might be if it could contain energy-based beings, as they couldn't interact with the physical world. However, Pei Guang hadn't encountered energy beings in this world yet, so it was untested.

The second attribute was potentially useful but situational. Damage reflection based on the "affront to dignity" sounded impressive, but if enemies simply avoided attacking the trash can, it would be moot. The specifics of what constituted a "perfect trash can" were also unclear and needed testing.

The third attribute? Practically useless for him in this world. He wasn't a sandbox player, a strategy gamer, or a builder. He was a RPG player. What was he supposed to do with construction bonuses?!

Still, despite the apparent limitations, Pei Guang had a hunch that it could prove unexpectedly useful someday. 

Drawing from his gaming experience, he knew that many players couldn't resist messing with random trash cans, and maybe—just maybe—some unlucky enemy would meet their end because of it. For now, it was a luxury gadget, the kind of high-end collectible that's more entertaining than outright powerful.

This was a freeform world, not a game, so its use could stretch beyond predefined mechanics. Pei Guang's thoughts raced, wondering how best to leverage this upgraded trash can. What if hitting an enemy with the trash can triggered the dignity effect? Could it count as the enemy "attacking" the trash can?

March 7th watched his pensive expression and asked, "So, what do you think? Has the can become strong enough to take down an Emanator? Could we just toss this can at an Aeon and win?"

Pei Guang looked at her and shot back, "Wow, turning boss-level antagonists into disposable background characters, huh? That's bold. This thing has limitations. If we want to bounce damage back at an Emanator, I'd probably need Emanator-level power myself. Right now, though? Based on this world's mechanics, they are still pretty overpowered."

March 7th curiously asked, "Oh? That strong? So, Ah Guang, do you have any ideas for toppling those Lord Ravagers?"

Pei Guang paused, deep in thought. "Lord Ravagers? The Emanators of Destruction, huh. I've read the background lore; they're pretty powerful. But if I had to rate them, they lack efficiency. Sure, cross-game comparisons are unfair, but if we're talking about my personal record, destroying an entire galactic system within a century isn't hard. 

And I'm not talking about something small like the Jarilo-VI system; I mean massive nebulae like the Milky Way or Andromeda, teeming with countless star systems. Slow runs might take a few hundred years, quick ones just a few decades. Though, to be honest, I usually play at a leisurely pace and haven't tested my fastest time."

Of course, this was a bold exaggeration: Pei Guang's "leisurely pace" typically involved meticulous planning—if not, the galaxy he intended to destroy might collapse the entire universe first.

March 7th blinked, while Stelle tilted her head, curious. "Seriously? Ah Guang, how many star systems have you destroyed?"

Pei Guang chuckled. "Do you keep track of how many times you blink in a day?"

His casual tone left everyone stunned, though Tingyun was skeptical. She analyzed his words and demeanor. Somehow, his calm delivery made it seem like he wasn't bluffing, which only deepened her unease. As an Emanator herself, representing Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, she couldn't help but feel conflicted.

Pei Guang continued reminiscing. "When it comes to cleansing star systems, the methods are a bit limited. And honestly, that Destruction Aeon? Way too reckless! No consideration for eco-friendly measures or efficient recycling. Reducing people to Antimatter Legion pawns has a kind of dystopian uniformity to it, but my critique is this: it's inefficient."

The final word, "inefficient," sent a shiver through the group. March 7th picked up a nearby trash can defensively. "Hey, hey, hey, not everything needs to be efficient, you know!"

Pei Guang smirked. "Well, I disagree. Even though I've been called a war criminal in certain strategy games, in most games, I'm actually a savior. Funny thing is, sometimes when I play GTA, I even stop at red lights and follow traffic laws."

Silver Wolf poked her head out of her trash can to join the conversation. "Pei Guang, are you sure you're not secretly a criminal warlord from some other universe? But honestly, I totally get where you're coming from."

Silver Wolf had played enough games to resonate deeply with Pei Guang's mindset. She also had insider knowledge that confirmed Pei Guang's "catastrophe" label wasn't just for show. If anything, she fully believed him.

Pei Guang retorted, "Hey, I've never lost, so don't call me a war criminal."

Silver Wolf laughed. "Fair enough. You've got a point."