The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

The crisp sound of the slap not only left the Lord Ravager, Phantylia, frozen in her six-phased ice barrier but also stunned the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, who had pinned their hopes on her.

Dan Shu had collaborated with the Emanator, using the Stellaron provided by Phantylia to revive the Arbor and attempt to overthrow Xianzhou entirely. But now?

What did she just witness? A supposedly ordinary girl had completely nullified Phantylia's sneak attack and slapped her so hard it echoed—not just here but across the entire universe.

Within seconds, footage of Phantylia, an Emanator of Destruction, being slapped spread across the cosmos. As usual, courtesy dictated that the video was heavily censored—everyone but Phantylia was blurred beyond recognition.

That slap was more than physical—it was reputation-shattering. Even if Phantylia managed to escape, she'd likely avoid showing her face for the next millennium. Worse, the six Xianzhou ships would undoubtedly immortalize this as a propaganda video, playing it for all visitors.

But back to the present. Phantylia was frozen in disbelief. In all her centuries of existence, never had she faced such humiliation. What happened next, however, introduced her to the unrelenting cruelty of players and their allies.

Five seconds can feel fleeting, too short for even a father to save his daughter. But for the group on this battlefield, five seconds were an eternity.

From the moment Phantylia made her move, everyone had been on high alert. It took March 7th less than two seconds to deliver her slap and freeze Phantylia solid in her barrier.

Immediately after, Stelle thrust her spear into Phantylia's chest. The tip of the spear radiated with Preservation's power, shielding all allies while igniting Phantylia's body in searing flames. Fireworks erupted from the point of impact—Stelle had, quite literally, blown up Phantylia's chest.

Before Phantylia could react, Seele emerged from space, her scythe imbued with the Path of the Hunt. The scythe tore into Phantylia's body, leaving deep cuts before Seele seamlessly vanished back into her quantum state.

With Seele's strike landing successfully, Stelle followed up by swinging her bat. The light cone inscribed with the words "Waiting for you" amplified the power of Destruction, delivering a crushing blow that left Phantylia's neck twisted in perfect symmetry with March 7th's previously injured one.

March 7th, noticing this, quipped, "Hey! Did you do that on purpose? My neck's still sore, and now hers is just as crooked?"

Stelle shrugged. "Whoops. Must've gone too hard… accidentally on purpose."

March 7th groaned, "Ugh, where did you even learn to be this much of a troublemaker?"

Stelle pointed casually at Pei Guang, who was watching nearby. "Ah Guang."

March 7th nodded sagely. "Oh, well then. That checks out."

As the two bantered, Welt noticed something was off. His sharp gaze locked onto the energy readings emanating from Phantylia.

"This level of Imaginary energy… this isn't just any ordinary enemy," Welt said gravely. "This is the power of an Emanator."

Welt: "Be careful! That power... it's an Emanator!"

As Welt spoke, Tingyun's physical form dissipated, replaced by a conscious energy entity floating in midair.

"Good! Very good! I am Phantylia, the Emanator of Destruction, Lord Ravager. It's been centuries since anyone dared to—"

Before she could finish her sentence, March 7th extended her hand and delivered another slap. With only one second left on her buff, she reasoned that this energy-based entity might still be vulnerable to her six-phased ice barrier-enhanced attack.

The glowing form didn't appear to be physical, so it was likely harmless to her. Plus, she could have sworn she heard a familiar voice urging her to slap Phantylia again: "Go on! Hit her one more time!"

And so, with no hesitation, she swung her hand. The supposedly fearsome Emanator, Phantylia, was promptly slapped and sent flying.

A Lord Ravager, known for obliterating countless worlds, had just been smacked twice by a young girl. The absurdity of it was such that the planets once destroyed by Phantylia might have been revived just to laugh at the spectacle.

As Phantylia's energy form flew off into the horizon, March 7th looked at her hand and then back at the diminishing glow of the enemy.

"Uh… did I mess up?" she asked.

To her, it seemed obvious that Pei Guang probably had a plan to deal with Phantylia during her villain monologue. But now, with her impulsive slap, she'd essentially let her escape.

Pei Guang, visibly relieved, walked over. "Relax, you didn't mess up. Turns out I was right—Tingyun wasn't just Tingyun. She had an identity. And an Emanator at that? It was one of my many guesses. But even if you hadn't slapped her away, we likely wouldn't have been able to keep her here. We're not ready yet, and without an Emanator from Xianzhou to counter her, we're outmatched. But Phantylia? Oh, I'll remember her."

As Pei Guang analyzed the situation, he glanced at March 7th, her head still tilted awkwardly to one side.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he asked.

"Super painful," March 7th admitted. "But moving it makes it hurt even more!"

From her trash can fortress, Bailu peeked out. "This calls for me! Come here."

March 7th obediently approached the tiny healer, who reached out and gently placed her hand on March 7th's neck. Instantly, the pain disappeared, and March 7th could move her head freely again.

Still rattled, March 7th muttered, "That's it. I'm never pulling off a high-difficulty move like that again. But hey, Ah Guang, do you think my move earlier scared her?"

Pei Guang chuckled. "That 45° turn? It was pure horror movie material. Forget Phantylia—just watching it from over here almost gave me a heart attack."

March 7th took a deep breath. "Huh. In that case, I should practice it more. If it scared you, imagine how many more people I could terrify!"

Pei Guang raised an eyebrow. "Why don't we practice it together? Next time someone's chasing us, we both pull off the turn simultaneously. Guaranteed to send anyone running in fear."

Stelle chimed in, "I'm in!"

Pei Guang sighed. "No, you're not. Anyway, back to that energy blob. She introduced herself as Phantylia, right?"

Welt adjusted his glasses, feeling a rare moment of usefulness. "Phantylia is—"

Before he could finish, Pei Guang cut him off. "An Emanator of Destruction, otherwise known as Lord Ravager? Not a big deal. Judging by how she presented herself, she likely doesn't have a true physical form yet and relies on possessing or creating bodies to fight."

March 7th, still visibly concerned, asked, "What about the real Tingyun? Do you think she's...?"

Pei Guang shrugged. "No idea! But if she's still alive, great. If not, we'll just rip off Phantylia's head and offer it as tribute."

Though this encounter had ended without major incidents, Pei Guang wasn't the type to let a grudge slide. Anyone who dared harm his teammates would face retribution. His system reflected this mindset, automatically marking the Path of Destruction, its Aeon, followers, and subordinates as hostile forces.

For the first time, a recognition feature was activated in his system. From now on, Pei Guang and his teammates could visually identify any unmasked enemies. Hostile entities would now have assistive health bars above their heads.

Previously, the Antimatter Legion was merely a background danger—an aggressive faction populating certain maps. But now, they had become full-blown adversaries in the eyes of the players.

Pei Guang knew one thing: when red health bars appeared on the map, those enemies would eventually meet their end!

Meanwhile, Phantylia remained unaware of what she had done: she had provoked a player. And when a player becomes focused on an enemy—whether weak or strong—it signals the start of a relentless campaign. The consequences of alerting a player were no joke, as it often led to the complete eradication of their foes.

Stelle, somewhat concerned, asked, "Are we sure about this? Didn't you say she's one of the 'background bosses'?"

Pei Guang nodded confidently. "Absolutely. If she resorted to a sneak attack, it's a sign of her current weakness. That doesn't mean she doesn't have some tricks up her sleeve, but for now, we're safe. Since she was slapped out of here, we'll track her down later. By nightfall, we'll find her and take her out—because I don't carry grudges overnight."

The team exchanged glances, unsure how to respond to that peculiar logic. Did "no overnight grudges" really just mean "kill them before the day ends"?

NOTE: Tomorrow, there will be just one chapter released!