Eating it all for a stat boost: this was something that others would probably dismiss as a joke if Ruan Mei mentioned it.
But Pei Guang had already proven his ability, and Ruan Mei didn't want to miss out on this opportunity… so, she decided to go all in!
What Dingdang Cake made for her was a barbecue set meal.
In the center of the plate was a massive meat chop that had been cut in half.
How big was it? Well, it was about the size of three stacked Cat Cakes. Just this one piece of meat was enough to fill up four or five people.
But that wasn't all. Aside from the meat, there were also some refined carbohydrates.
For example, three enormous meat buns, each bigger than a fist; large skewers of meat, each one big enough to fill someone up by itself; a whole pitcher of drink, and a small plate of sliced roast meat.
Every plate of meat also had some vegetables to garnish. With the quantity of food here, most people would never be able to finish it.
But was Ruan Mei "most people"? Of course not!
She boosted her digestion speed and metabolism, finishing everything without leaving a single bite. But even so, her stomach was visibly swollen, almost like she was pregnant.
"I ate too much…"
Right now, Ruan Mei felt a little nauseous. Though the cat food was delicious, she couldn't handle eating so much in one sitting.
However, as soon as she finished and even began to feel a bit of nausea, her expression froze completely. She could feel the changes in her body.
While most people would only sense that they had become stronger, Ruan Mei could precisely measure it as a percentage.
"Cell activity increased by 15%, metabolism's speed up by 30%? And…?"
In game terms, this meant an increase in strength, speed, HP recovery, intelligence, stamina, and other max stats, along with an improved recovery rate. The exact boosts varied by attribute, but overall, the improvement was significant.
The biggest gain was in her brainpower: she felt like this was a true miracle.
Yes, she felt her IQ had increased by about 20%, and at this moment, countless thoughts flooded her mind. Places where she had once been stuck now felt strangely clear, as if the fog had been lifted.
She was both shocked and delighted. She was shocked that such a miraculous effect could come from simple ingredients, and delighted that her choice had been the right one.
She opened her mouth to express her thanks to Pei Guang, but when she saw Pei Guang and Stelle, she fell silent again.
It was hard enough for someone like her to eat everything, so for Pei Guang and Stelle, who had average stats, it was all the more difficult.
At this moment, Pei Guang was already staring blankly, trembling hands shoving the last bun into his mouth.
Stelle was in even worse shape.
As a "genius" who had passed out twice during competitive eating contests, she was now filled with a combination of destructive and preservation power. She used the strength of both Paths to force food into her mouth.
But just the power of her fate alone couldn't help her finish the meal, so at that moment, her Stellaron erupted!
Back in the office of the station, Herta was still conducting research with Screwllum. While working, she noticed that her space station had a Stellaron.
"Huh? When did my space station get a Stellaron? What's that guy doing on my turf this time?"
Screwllum: "I speculate the Trailblazer is conducting some kind of experiment on this space station. I'm quite curious about his experiments."
Herta: "If you're curious, just go and check it out. I'm also curious if he's up to something here."
Out of curiosity, Herta and Screwllum arrived at the confinement chamber, where the Stellaron was erupting.
Herta couldn't help but laugh at the scene.
Not far away, Pei Guang had passed out in his seat, while Stelle's hands were still stuffing food into her mouth, but the forces of both preservation and destruction, combined with the power of her Stellaron, were helping her digest.
On the other side, Ruan Mei stood with her large stomach, leaning against her waist.
Seeing this, Herta couldn't help but comment, "How did your stomach get so big?"
Ruan Mei: "I ate…"
Herta: "Ate? Is there something that makes you eat without control like this?"
Ruan Mei pointed toward the nearby Cat Cakes holding knives: "The food they made boosts 'attributes.' It's about a 20% to 30% increase, and the stats are very specific. The exact duration is unknown, but according to him, it should last for about an hour."
Since the Cat Cakes still weren't very skilled in making cat food, they could only make the dishes but hadn't reached the peak of culinary mastery.
Some of the Cat Cakes didn't have the best skills, so the attribute boosts fluctuated a bit, but overall, there was still a 20% increase. The numbers were consistent and precise.
Herta: "Huh? Attribute boosts?"
Ruan Mei nodded: "You might not believe it, but these dishes improve memory, thinking, and observational abilities. I can't break down the exact numbers, but…"
Simply put, her IQ also increased, though the exact value was hard to quantify.
For people at their level, intelligence wasn't something that could just be improved at will. Even Screwllum, as an organic lifeform, knew that there were limits to this kind of thing.
Herta was stunned, and Screwllum seemed intrigued: "Oh? Eating it gives a boost?"
Ruan Mei nodded again: "That's what he said, but I'm not sure if there's a limit."
Herta: "Ask him yourself! Hey, wake up!"
Herta stretched out her hand and woke up the unconscious Pei Guang.
When he woke, he felt incredibly full, and his body instinctively wanted to sleep and recover. But Herta pulled at his clothes and yelled, "Wake up! About the food you ate, can Screwllum and I eat it too? Will we get any effect?"
Pei Guang: "Probably not? According to the characteristics, you need to eat it on-site and eat it all for it to work. If I remember correctly, your puppets don't have eating or drinking functions, do they?
If you really want to, you can try it and help me collect some experimental data. But I can't eat anymore, I'm too stuffed. If you're interested, go ahead and eat it. I need to find somewhere to rest, or I'll throw up…"
The portion size of the Cat Food was simply too much: Pei Guang was able to finish it only because he was a player, but even players have a satiety limit in the game.
Right now, Pei Guang's situation was that he was on the verge of exploding.
But after resting for a bit, he managed to digest some of it, and with the meal being so delicious, the buffs it provided became even more tempting. The total boost was about 20% to all attributes, and it was a multiplicative bonus.
If the Cat Cakes became more skilled and started making top-tier dishes, these numbers could increase.
With such delicious food and powerful buffs, Pei Guang felt that he had to increase his food intake; otherwise, eating once and resting for three days would be impossible to handle.
But that was something for later. Right now, Pei Guang just wanted to find a quiet corner to digest his food.
Herta: "What a pity. I'll have to wait until I come back to try it. Hey! Screwllum, do you want to give it a try?"
Screwllum: "Me? Is that possible?"
Pei Guang, still nearby: "Should be fine, right? Unlike a puppet, you have eating functions, don't you?"
Screwllum confidently replied: "Yes, I can obtain the energy I need through normal eating."
Compared to the monotonous energy acquisition, Screwllum preferred this method of gaining energy through normal life processes. It gave him a special feeling.
Pei Guang: "Then it should be fine. Besides, a mechanical life is still a life, and as long as you can eat, it's all good! But you should look into it yourself. I'm taking Stelle with me. I can't handle any more, I'm too stuffed.
Oh! By the way, Screwllum! Since you're mechanical, if it works for you, could you help me test it more? Our bodies can barely handle even one meal, and we can't get useful data. As for the specifics, you can test however you want. Just tell me what you find later."
Screwllum: "No problem, happy to help~"
Screwllum was more than happy to accept Pei Guang's request. He was very interested in simulating Pei Guang's performance in the universe. If possible, he even wanted to invite Pei Guang to his Screw Star to discuss the meaning of life together.
Watching Stelle, who had already powered down, Pei Guang picked her up and left the space station.