An encounter that made me curious about Islam, assalamu alaikum

Assalamu alaikum. For context: I was raised Christian and always believed in God, but in my teens I started exploring different faiths to figure out what felt true for me. For a while I leaned toward Buddhist teachings, though I still felt there was some kind of God. What actually sparked my curiosity: I follow a YouTuber who plays a game I like - he’s Muslim - and I’ve always noticed how kind and genuine he seems and how important faith is to him. From his videos I picked up small things, like how he greets family and close friends with “Assalamualaikum” (sorry if I’ve spelled it wrong). One day I was on a site similar to Omegle (you hop on with mic and camera and get paired with random people) and I met a man who was Muslim. When I realized, I greeted him with “Assalamualaikum,” and he happily replied “Wa Alaikum Assalam” and asked if I was Muslim. I told him gently that I wasn’t and that I didn’t know much about Islam. He then asked if I’d say a prayer with him, and I agreed - why not, right? He had me repeat a few Arabic phrases (I don’t remember them now since I don’t speak Arabic). At the end of the prayer he said, “There you are Muslim now.” I was surprised and a bit unsure how to respond other than, “well, thank you, sir.” There was more to the chat, but that part stuck with me. That moment has been on my mind for over a year and I want to clear up some questions. First, can anyone guess what prayer he had me say? I’m curious but I don’t remember the words. Second, is that how it works? I get that he was sharing the message of Allah, but it felt odd to hear “you are Muslim now” after repeating a few phrases. I’m not upset - it actually felt welcoming - but I can’t imagine doing the same with a Christian prayer and then saying, “you are Christian now.” Thanks for reading. Over time I’ve grown a lot of respect for Islam and for the people I’ve met who practice it - most have been genuinely wonderful. Much love, and I’m looking forward to what you might share to help me understand.