"Fu Hua, do you need to eat?" Chen Luo asked after Yun Xia left, after a moment of silence.
"Seriously? Who doesn't need to eat?" The Herrscher of Sentience rolled her eyes at Chen Luo.
"..."
"Huh? Don't tell me - your house looks this luxurious but you're worried about food money?" Hearing Chen Luo's thoughts, the Herrscher of Sentience was shocked.
"You don't understand. My parents strictly budget all my funds to prevent me from overspending, keeping my expenses at a normal level. But with you here, we might be eating dirt this month. Wait no, next month. I still have some savings left for this month." Chen Luo said helplessly.
Because Chen Luo had been helping others since starting high school, his parents tightly controlled his spending before leaving, afraid someone might take advantage of his kindness to scam him. That's why Chen Luo had to give up gacha games after entering high school.
"Sounds pitiful, but don't worry. Money? No big deal."
"Oh? You have money?"
"Nope, I'm broke."
"What are you planning? Don't do anything reckless - robbery is illegal." Chen Luo suddenly realized something.
"Ahem, what robbery? It's called upholding justice! Tonight after my injuries heal a bit, I'll take you to uphold justice and rob the rich to help the poor!"
"Wait, I have to go too?"
"What? You'd feel okay not going? This is all for your living expenses!"
"No... fine, I'll go. Remember to call me when you want dinner. I'll go clean my bedding first." Chen Luo suddenly thought of something.
Does upholding justice give Primogems?
Of course, the most important thing now isn't justice or dinner, but claiming his rewards!
"Go ahead." After Chen Luo left, the Herrscher of Sentience grabbed the remote and started watching TV.
Back in his room, Chen Luo stripped off the dirty pillowcase and sheets while checking his inventory.
There were three items:
A note saying "600 Primogems"
A small orb
A card with a question mark
The first was straightforward - with a thought, it was used, and Chen Luo's account now had 600 more Primogems, reaching the 1600 milestone for a 10-pull.
But no rush, there was still the second item.
That orb seemed to enhance Chen Luo's physical abilities. He got one for each commission completed, with the enhancement varying based on commission importance, difficulty and duration.
Best to use it now.
As Chen Luo mentally activated it, a warm current flowed from his dantian throughout his body.
If stealing candy from the loli gave a small flame, this was a big... flame.
Not as much as expected.
Thinking about it, this mission wasn't that hard.
But... moving the nightstand felt much lighter, and his body felt more agile.
At least he could run faster now, which satisfied Chen Luo.
"Next is that random mastery card." Chen Luo's eyes sparkled looking at the last item.
This must be the "any weapon mastery" from the rewards.
What would it be? What would it be?
Maybe a sword?
Chen Luo recalled the Herrscher of Sentience's bizarre multiple swords.
He still didn't know where those feathers came from or how they turned into swords.
"I can do a 10-pull soon, so let's try a single pull first to test my luck." Chen Luo decided to use the weapon card.
As he mentally activated it, the palm-sized card suddenly expanded into a spinning wheel:
Firearms mastery, swordsmanship, boxing, bladesmanship, explosives, finger techniques, tank driving, starship piloting...
"These all look amazing!" Chen Luo drooled at the dazzling array of mastery skills.
But if he got starship piloting, would he get a starship too?
Where would he get a sword for swordsmanship? Would a kitchen knife work?
And firearms are illegal, right?
As Chen Luo pondered this, the wheel stopped at one position, making all his worries irrelevant.
[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining (Furniture Mastery)]
"FUCK!!!"
I'll fucking master your entire family!
What the hell is a stupid furniture mastery good for?
You want me to pick up a refrigerator and fight people with it?
...
A flash of a blade - the green onion Chen Luo tossed into the air was instantly sliced into segments, neatly caught by the frying pan in his right hand.
Well, Chen Luo had misunderstood this furniture mastery - it was basically cooking mastery, wasn't it?
"Wow, A'Luo, your knife skills are amazing! You've mastered this little kitchen knife so well," The Herrscher of Sentience marveled, watching Chen Luo cook.
"Thanks, but I can only use kitchen knives," Chen Luo said flatly.
[Furniture Mastery]: You can perfectly control and utilize all household items. Inside a furniture store, you are invincible!
Thinking about it, this wasn't completely useless.
Though why cooking utensils were included as furniture was unclear.
Chen Luo felt this [Furniture Mastery] should really be called [Household Items Mastery].
Anyway...
At least his cooking was amazing now.
Hmm, maybe he could carry more furniture in his inventory.
Chen Luo's gaze fell on the boning knife at the kitchen edge.
That thing probably counted as a household item too.
Then he looked at the frying pan in his hand.
Frying pan mastery? Red Wolf?[1]
Ten Thousand Pans Return to One?[2]
At dinner, Chen Luo unsurprisingly earned praise from the Herrscher of Sentience, surprising even himself.
His previously barely-edible cooking skills could now make such delicious dishes.
"But where should I put that newly acquired shop attachment?" Chen Luo pondered while eating.
He never expected his 10-pull would actually win him a shop.
Its purpose... seems to be expanding his business scope to clients beyond this world.
But why did it have to be a Midnight Bar?
Where would he get alcohol?
Would canned beer work?
TL Note:
[1]: A reference to a Chinese cartoon where a woof in a red dress uses frying pans to hit her husband.
[2]: It parodies the famous wuxia phrase "万法归宗" (Ten Thousand Techniques Return to One), which describes a supreme martial arts principle where all techniques ultimately unite under one grand mastery.