"Seriously? I just opened this bar, and I'm already losing money before making any? Five Primogems? Why don't you just rob me?" Even though Chen Luo knew this "system" was his own talent, he couldn't help but get angry at it.
He'd always felt this thing was more like a black-hearted gacha system than an innate ability—but no, it really was his talent.
If it were just a system, he could've cursed it out for being shameless, lacking a newbie bonus, and scamming its users! But since it was his own talent, all he could do was seethe silently.
[Would you like to acquire Mixology Mastery, along with 10 sets of bartending equipment and ingredients?]
Just as Chen Luo was fuming, another line of text popped up.
"Huh?" His eyebrow twitched.
This… actually sounded useful.
"Wait, is this going to cost me too?" Better ask first.
[5 Primogems + 1,000 CNY]
"...Fck."* Though he still wanted to swear, this was at least less outrageous than that five-Primogem-per-bottle scam earlier.
But still—
"Why the hell does a talent need cash?!" Chen Luo couldn't comprehend it. He really couldn't. And he definitely wasn't happy about losing the 1,000 CNY he'd just gotten.
His talent, as usual, stayed silent—playing dead.
"Fine, fine, take it. Here." Sighing at the unresponsive interface, Chen Luo relented.
He was reluctant to part with the cash—after all, feeding an extra mouth would increase expenses.
But thankfully, Chen Luo had always been good at stashing emergency funds, and with the Herrscher of Sentience out "upholding justice," money shouldn't be an issue for now.
Besides, if things got tight, he could always beg his parents for extra allowance under the guise of buying figurines.
Where's the figurine?
"Oops, it broke."
Though strapped for cash, he'd never stoop to trading Primogems for money.
The moment he agreed, the 1,000 CNY and his last 5 Primogems vanished from his inventory.
Damn, I really am a pauper now.
Maybe I could sell that Barrett sniper rifle…
That thing's gotta be quite valuable, right?
But that being said, Chen Luo really can't do the business of selling arms.
[Bartending equipment has been placed under the counter.]
Following the prompt, Chen Luo hopped onto the bar and vaulted over. Since the counter was empty, there was nothing to knock over.
Peeking underneath, he found a full set of bartending tools.
Though he wasn't sure if they'd always been there and his talent was just scamming him, or if they'd been purchased on the spot.
[10 ingredient sets have been added to the shop interface. Mix and match as needed.]
After hearing the prompt of the talent panel, Chen Luo open the bar's shop menu and saw rows of liquors and mixers now listed—usable as ingredients or sold as-is.
The "10 sets" meant that no matter how many components went into a drink, one sale = one set consumed.
At least this was cheaper than that five-Primogem swindle.
Although the wine worth 5 original stones must be awesome, this does not cost as much.
Plus, he knew nothing about bartending. How was he supposed to run a bar without that skill?
Though he hadn't yet seen the bar's benefits, he could guess.
This was an interdimensional bar. If otherworldly patrons could visit, then otherworldly commissions might follow.
"Wait—what about the bartending skills? That's the main prize here!" Not seeing his expected reward, Chen Luo glared at the interface.
[If you treat the Midnight Bar as your home, then bartending tools naturally count as household items. Thus, you will gain Bartending Mastery.]
"...That's it?" Chen Luo stared blankly for five seconds.
The talent interface continued playing dead.
"You motherfucker, four Primogems for one sentence?! What do you even need Primogems for?! Get out here so I can punch you! " His rage meter was peaking.
Yep. Four Primogems for that "tip." The remaining one Primogem had bought the ingredients.
After agonizingly convincing himself not to be mad at his own talent, Chen Luo cooled down.
Though scammed, he'd stumbled upon a revolutionary realization.
The Midnight Bar was an extension of his talent—his shop, his home. And if it was his home, then everything inside counted as household items—including bartending tools.
The moment this logic clicked, Chen Luo suddenly felt as if he could completely control these utensils and mix all kinds of wine after touching those bartending utensils.
"This is broken. I thought [Furniture Mastery] was just for cooking, but it's basically conceptual manipulation. " Chen Luo was stunned to find that he could really achieve the effect after using this logic.
Obviously, when he didn't think about it this way, Chen Luo didn't even know how to fiddle with these bartending utensils, and didn't even know what the scientific names of those props were. He only knew that the things were cups, all kinds of cups.
But now after sorting out the logic, he suddenly mastered it.
This was the true power of [Household Items Mastery]!
And if so…
Could he extend this further?
If he declared himself a martial arts family, would weapons count as household items? Then swords, spears, staff and clubs in martial arts families are also household items, right.
Doesn't that mean that I can also be proficient in using swords, spear, staff and clubs? For example, doesn't Theresa have a cross called Judas? There should be families that put crosses in their homes, right? Doesn't that count as a household item?
Would Theresa's Judah Cross qualify? Some families display crosses at home, right?
Chen Luo vaguely remembered that Raiden Shougun and Raiden Ei were two different people. In this case, can the puppet Raiden Shogun be used as a life-size pillow? A life-size pillow is a household item, right?
Incredible, incredible.
This furniture mastery seems to be really incredible.