With the commission completed, Chen Luo finally exhaled in relief.
100 Primogems!
He still didn't understand why the reward was so generous or why the difficulty was pegged at two stars—complete with a bonus art-related skill—but he wasn't about to miss the rewards.
As Yun Lian'er continued reading undisturbed, Chen Luo turned his attention to the rewards.
The 100 Primogems had already been deposited—no surprise there.
Shame there wasn't a multiplier, which made Chen Luo feel a little pity.
Next was the physique enhancement reward, discreetly stored in his inventory for later use.
The talent's thoughtfulness was a double-edged sword: sometimes it catered to his needs flawlessly; other times, it swindled him out of Primogems without remorse.
Finally, there was the art-related skill.
[Art skill draw in progress… Category: Music, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting.]
Chen Luo's enthusiasm waned seeing this. Music, chess, calligraphy, painting? None of these boosted combat power. Refining his character sounded nice, but right now, he needed firepower—not cultural enrichment.
[Ding! Draw complete.]
[Congratulations! Obtained chess skill: [Half-Catty Victory].]
"...???"
What kind of name is that?!
[Half-Catty Victory]:
When engaged in any chess match, the game automatically converts to Gomoku (Five-in-a-Row).
Instantly grants half a catty (≈300g) of extra pieces.
If these pieces are scattered onto the board and five connect in a row, victory is instantly achieved—with no objections permitted.
"...???"
"...???"
What the actual hell?
Where's my chess skill?!
This counts?!
Chen Luo's brain short-circuited.
This was a plot twist even his wildest imagination couldn't have conjured.
What kind of skill-gacha logic is this?! First [Furniture Mastery], now [Half-Catty Victory]. Not a single normal ability in sight.
"Hey, Lian'er… do you play chess?" After hesitating for a while, Chen Luo looked up and asked the girl who was reading a book.
"Chess? What kind? Go, Chinese Chess, Chess, Aeroplane Chess, or Gomoku? I know a little of each."
"Let's play… Go." Chen Luo suggested.
"Sure." Although she was surprised by Chen Luo's abrupt idea, shel did not refuse.
sister Meng retrieved a Go board and pieces from a nearby cabinet.
Yun Lian'er remained seated on the bed, arranging the board between them as Chen Luo took his place opposite her.
Game start.
Chen Luo, playing black, moved first—only to find his hand suddenly weighed down by an entire bowl of extra black stones.
After a stunned pause, he carefully upended the bowl onto the board.
Clatter!
Half a catty of stones wasn't a trivial amount. They nearly buried the grid, piling atop one another in chaotic heaps.
At this point, even ten-in-a-row wouldn't be a challenge.
"You win." Yun Lian'er frowned at the obliterated board, her white stone hovering mid-move.
"I never realized your skills were so… formidable." The girl couldn't help but praise.
"Indeed. Little Luo is quite the prodigy," Sister Meng chimed in.
"…Alright, enough praise." Chen Luo buried his face in his hands.
He had no idea what they were seeing, but from his perspective, this "match" was a glitch in reality.
Absolute nonsense.
This "chess skill" was actually a causality-type ability—but one seemingly restricted to Chess games.
"If you're this skilled, why refuse compliments?" Yun Lian'er tilted her head.
"I think my chess skills are average. Really, don't praise it."
"By the way, I might not come next Saturday. Schedule's getting unpredictable." Chen Luo saw that it was time to leave, so told Lian'er.
"Why? Isn't it summer break?" Lian'er was stunned.
Generally speaking, if it is winter or summer break, when Chen Luo will come is uncertain, but now there are still 8 days before summer vacation.
"Yeah, well… It's my Classmate. The specific reason is not convenient to disclose. Anyway, I should be very busy during this period, so when I will be able to come is unknown." Chen Luo scratched his head awkwardly.
Obviously, he couldn't say, "I run a bar for interdimensional clients and might jaunt off to other worlds for commissions," unless he wanted to be labeled insane.
So, his poor classmate has to take the blame.
"Oh, and she's also surnamed Yun—Yun Xia. Funny coincidence, huh?" After seeing her silence, Chen Luo quickly changed the subject.
Chen Luo had once wondered if the two knew each other, but mentioning Yun Lian'er to Yun Xia she did not react at all.
Still, after two years of weekly reading sessions, his abrupt absence clearly unsettled the girl. Logically, he'd done nothing wrong—yet guilt gnawed at him.
"Yes. Very funny." After a heavy pause, Yun Lian'er smiled—a brittle, joyless thing.
"Don't worry, I'll still visit in the future, but I am really busy recently. Please understand" Seeing her like this, Chen Luo felt even more guilty. As for why he felt guilty, Chen Luo couldn't explain.
"Hey, we've known each other so long—how about a handshake?" He extended his hand.
"…Of course." She was stunned for a moment, then placed her slender fingers in his. After gently shaking her hand, Chen Luo let go.
"Then I'll leave first, bye." Chen Luo waved to Yun Lian'er, stood up and walked out of the ward.
Sister Meng walked to the door, sent Chen Luo out, and walked back to the room with heavy worries.
Not surprisingly, in the room, Lian'er, who originally looked very weak and sickly, was sitting on the bed, now with purple hair.
The long flowing hair moved without wind. Books trembled on shelves, furniture groaned, and phantom tomes materialized behind her like a vengeful library.
"YUN! XIA!"
The girl who originally gave Chen Luo the impression of being very good-tempered was now clenching her fists to suppress her anger, and shouting the name of Chen Luo's classmate with gritted teeth.
"Don't think that just because you have the same S-level talent, you are qualified to snatch things from me. I have always been the one snatching things from you since you were a child. It was the case before, it is the case now, and it will always be the case in the future!" "Pah!" The chessboard and the chess pieces on the girl's bed were instantly crushed into powder by an unknown force.
"Alas." Sister Meng, who was standing at the door, couldn't help but sigh.
What a mess.