[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining the 3-star weapon "Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers" (Enhanced Tier 1)!]
Chen Luo stared at the ancient tome in his hands, his expression unreadable.
[Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers] (3-star weapon): When switching wielders, increases attack power by 24% for 10 seconds. This effect can only trigger once every 20 seconds. The enhancement can be transferred to others.
Though its inherent power was modest, the combat buff it provided was undeniably potent. It could easily be considered a support-class artifact.
Chen Luo had never expected to obtain something like this.
The problem was, he had no idea how to use it.
He knew nothing about magic. What was he supposed to do with a spellbook? Bash enemies over the head with it? That might actually work.
Thanks to his [Furniture Mastery], Chen Luo immediately understood how to wield the book—after all, books technically fell under the category of household items. But this particular tome contained no actual spells. It was literally just a collection of stories.
At best, he could use it to fling a weak gust of wind at an enemy. That pathetic attack would be even less effective than simply stabbing someone with a sword.
It was like his swordsmanship after learning the Edge of Taixuan. Even though his skill level was still only at Proficiency, he could effortlessly defeat his past self, back when he was just proficient at swordsmanship.
Mastering the use of a spellbook meant nothing if he didn't know a single spell. The irony was almost laughable.
Still, Chen Luo considered himself lucky. At least "Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers" could enhance his attacks. If he had obtained any other magic tome, it would have turned into decoration.
For a brief moment, he considered asking Yun Lian'er to teach him some spells. She was an elemental mage, after all. Surely she knew wind magic?
But he quickly dismissed the thought. After telling her he might be unavailable for a while, showing up out of the blue to ask for magic lessons would be far too shameless. Whether she agreed or not, he would never live it down.
"A'Luo, since when did your bar start serving snacks? You never mentioned it!" Venti swirled his drink lazily, raising an eyebrow.
"That feature was unlocked after the shop served five unique guests."
"Five? Let me think… Me, Theresa, Himeko, Mona… That makes four. Wait, are you counting yourself?"
"Fu Hua! Fu Hua counts too!"
Even though the Herrscher of Sentience had been brought in by Chen Luo, she still qualified as a guest.
"Oh, right. Where is Fu Hua today?"
"She said she was going to forage for food," Chen Luo replied with a shrug.
Venti had already realized this "Fu Hua" wasn't the same one Theresa knew, but he kept that observation to himself.
This Fu Hua didn't seem malicious, and the two clearly shared some kind of deep connection. In any case, why should I meddle in other's business.
Mondstadt's affairs should be handled by Mondstadters. Fu Hua's business was Fu Hua's own.
Besides, Venti didn't even know the other Fu Hua.
Slacking off was his ultimate life goal—and he was already halfway there.
"Foraging? What is she, some kind of wild animal?" Venti snorted.
"She wasn't before, but she is now. After eating some strange thing, she gained the ability to absorb negative emotions to strengthen herself. Now she's rummaging through people's minds."
"Rummaging through—?"
"Yeah, diving into consciousnesses to feed on negativity. That's the gist of it."
Chen Luo didn't mind explaining. Even if Venti repeated this to Theresa, she would subconsciously dismiss the information.
One thing was certain—the Herrscher of Sentience's evolving core would only become more expensive over time.
Chen Luo suspected its price would rise faster than the increasing discount rate.
That fifty percent off deal had truly been the best opportunity he would ever get.
"Hey, can I get some snacks too?" Venti asked.
"No."
"Why not?"
"You didn't submit a commission."
"A'Luo! You'd really betray our friendship like this?"
"Absolutely."
"This is tragic. Knowing snacks exist but being denied because my desires aren't strong enough…"
[Ding! New commission received!]
[I Want Snacks]: …
"Fine. Since it's the first day of snack service, I'll make an exception." Chen Luo relented under Venti's pitiful gaze, and couldn't help but soften his heart.
"Thanks, A'Luo! …Wait. Did you just farm me for commissions again?" Venti's cheer faltered mid-celebration.
"Of course not," Chen Luo said, avoiding eye contact as he turned toward the kitchen.
"…"
Venti suddenly realized that even with Mona around, A'Luo would never stop exploiting him.
Before Mona, Chen Luo had farmed him for commissions. After Mona, Chen Luo was still farming him for commissions. What was the point of Mona then?
Then again, free drinks were free drinks. If Chen Luo wanted to grind commissions, so be it.
Actually…
If he introduced Chen Luo to new customers, maybe the focus would shift away from him.
Venti stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Who in Mondstadt loved drinking and was easy to farm commissions from?
Cavalry Captain Kaeya? No—that schemer would probably exploit the bar for his own plans. Besides, his cunning nature made him terrible for commission farming.
Sister Rosaria? She drank heavily but avoided hassle. Not ideal for commissions. And she still couldn't pronounce his name correctly. No free rides for her.
Who else…?
Venti, who was in deep thought, suddenly had a bright idea and thought of a very good candidate.
A heavy drinker, immensely powerful, and—most importantly—brimming with commission-worthy desires.
I, Venti, am a genius.
If someone else took the heat, he could finally drink in peace!
[Ding! Commission complete.]
Chen Luo placed a plate of peanuts and edamame in front of Venti—the ultimate drinking snacks—and collected his reward.
If Venti developed a taste for these, it would become another steady income source.
[Ding! Upon upgrading to Bar Level 2, special guests may appear.]
[Ding! A special guest is arriving soon. Prepare to receive them.]
"Special guest?"
"And when did we even reach Level 2? Just because we added snacks, it's a level two bar?"
Chen Luo fixed his gaze on the bar's entrance looking serious.
Special guests had to mean special rewards.
At the very least, they better provide a decent amount of Primogems—otherwise, how could they be called special guests?