"What? You're being hunted by Durandal? That Durandal who's called the strongest S-rank Valkyrie of the new generation? The one as strong as Auntie?" Kiana exclaimed.
"It's not exactly hunting, more like pursuit. She definitely doesn't want to kill me—probably aims to capture me alive," Chen Luo replied while shuffling the mahjong tiles in his hands.
Chen Luo had come to the bar that evening. After shooting arrows all day, his hands were nearly useless and needed rest. Fortunately, he'd learned a basic spiritual healing technique to care for his hands and arms.
As for why he didn't use firearms? Well, he ran out of ammunition.
"Then aren't you in danger? Hurry to St. Freya Academy! At least from what I've seen today, it seems pretty good here," Kiana said worriedly, while stacking her own mahjong tiles.
"Are S-rank Valkyries really that strong?" Raiden Mei, sitting beside Chen Luo, couldn't help but feel concerned.
"You'll have to ask Theresa about that."
"In terms of combat capability, S-rank Valkyries are beings who can barely resist Herrschers. So yes, every S-rank Valkyrie is extremely powerful—this is undeniable," Theresa said with utmost seriousness.
Of course, the seriousness was completely undermined by the two-layered stool she was standing on to reach the table.
"Herrschers... Then since A'Luo defeated Mei in her Herrscher form, does that mean he's equivalent to an S-rank Valkyrie?" Kiana asked.
After briefly experiencing St. Freya Academy, Raiden Mei had ultimately revealed her identity as a Herrscher, because it was impossible to hide.
If she didn't want to risk harming those around her, she had no choice but to disclose it.
Without the Vision suppressing her constant absorption of Honkai energy, the Herrscher persona might re-emerge before long.
And next time, there would be no Chen Luo to help defeat it.
"Impossible. S-rank Valkyries aren't so easy to defeat. Besides, Mei wasn't a true Herrscher either," Theresa shook her head.
But explaining what an S-rank Valkyrie truly meant to Kiana proved difficult.
"Let me put it this way, Durandal fighting that Emperor class Honkai beast we encountered would be like you fighting ordinary zombies," Chen Luo finally offered a suitable analogy.
"Wow, S-rank Valkyries are that strong? Then A'Luo, aren't you in huge danger?" Kiana gasped again.
"Relax, it's not a big deal. Even if I can't beat her, she won't kill me—she wants to capture me alive. When your opponent isn't trying to kill you, escaping is much easier. For example, hiding in this bar like I'm doing now," Chen Luo said fearlessly.
"That's true. But speaking of which, why did you make us travel normally when you could've brought us here instantly through the bar?" Kiana asked.
"Seriously, Kiana? Have you forgotten it was you who insisted on going to the TV station to find your dad? If not for that, you'd have reached St. Freya Academy much earlier—though then you wouldn't have met Bronya. I guess it's a trade-off," Chen Luo rolled his eyes.
"What? What kind of trade-off is that? If I'd known, I would've left with you right away. After saving Bronya, this girl even stole my chicken drumstick! And going to the TV station was pointless, no trace of Dad at all..." Kiana grumbled.
"Kiana, don't say that about Bronya..." Mei chided.
"Kiana Idiotka was just too slow," Bronya retorted disdainfully, hugging her HOMU plushie.
"You—"
Ding-a-ling!
"A customer's here. Mei, take over for me, I'll go greet them." Chen Luo surrendered his seat to Mei and headed downstairs.
To prevent disturbing first-floor patrons, Chen Luo had set up the mahjong tables on the second floor.
I really need to buy an automatic mahjong table someday.
Manually arranging tiles was too much trouble.
Downstairs, he found Venti and Eula deep in conversation.
These two had been the earliest arrivals since the bar opened today.
Venti came early every day, while Eula had just finished a mission, eliminating some monsters, and stopped by for rest.
As Eula put it: After chasing monsters outdoors, finding a safe, quiet place to rest is a luxury.
This bar perfectly met all her requirements, even providing alcohol.
But the current focus clearly wasn't this pair of alcohol enthusiasts. Instead, it was the newly arrived guest, Miss Mobius.
"Long time no see, Miss Mobius. How's the research on the Jashin flesh going?" Chen Luo greeted.
However, sensing the unusually dangerous aura Mobius emitted, different from before, Chen Luo could tell she'd undergone the Meta-Morph surgery.
Also...
Chen Luo noticed he had two Mobiuses in his friend list.
One was the Elysian Realm's Mobius memory, the other the real Mobius.
Both offered a 50% discount.
And whether due to knowing the still-living Mobius or not, both friend slots remained active.
This left Chen Luo uncertain whether the real Mobius of the current era was alive or dead.
That said, one person occupying two friend slots was hard to accept.
With only 50 friend slots available, having one person take two... Could the slots even be expanded?
"That flesh... Perhaps due to world differences, under my research it behaved like ordinary snake meat. Yet its owner's terrifying regeneration and resurrection abilities were undeniably real..."
Mobius sat at a table, and Chen Luo took the seat opposite her.
"I told you, world differences lead to different laws. Your world lacks Hell, so the Jashin flesh being ineffective is normal," Chen Luo said.
"But you seem to have gained some unique power now? You feel far more dangerous." Chen Luo studied Mobius closely.
Visually, this Mobius looked identical to the previous one. Had she died in between?
"Yes. I underwent Meta-Morph surgery, implanting genes from a miraculous creature. Post-surgery, I gained resurrection abilities. But this bar seems to suppress such powers." Mobius examined her pristine fingers.
"Perfectly normal. Bars thrive on harmony, naturally, they don't allow fighting. So you didn't use the flesh of that little Jashin?" Chen Luo asked.
"No, I used it. In my view, this little Jashin should be a higher-dimensional being. Though it seems absurd, its inexplicable regenerative properties defy conventional research. Coincidentally, the genes extracted from its flesh showed extremely high compatibility with the Honkai beast genes I fused with, so I implanted them together," Mobius said with a smile.
"You implanted something without fully understanding it? Weren't you worried about the consequences?" Chen Luo was genuinely surprised.
He knew Mobius was reckless, but not this reckless.
"You... are you concerned about me?" Mobius leaned forward on the table, staring intently at Chen Luo.
"Uh..." Chen Luo was momentarily speechless.
Was this the damn favorability effect at work?
Amplifying even the slightest concern into something far more noticeable in the other's perception.
"Dr. Mobius, what brings you here this time? Surely not just for drinks? Alcohol isn't good for your health, and your tolerance is poor. I wouldn't recommend it."
"I'm not here to drink. I came to restock." Mobius chuckled lightly.
"And since when did you become as naggy as Klein?"
"It's not nagging. Speaking of Klein though... Doctor, doesn't resurrection always come at a cost?"
"There is a cost, yes. Just a slight regression in physical age and the need to replenish Honkai energy. You know what that is, right? A unique energy in our world. Roughly..."
For some reason, after the Meta-Morph surgery, Mobius found Chen Luo even more agreeable, enough to share minor secrets unprompted.
[Friend of Non-Humans]
Whether the old Mobius qualified as "non-human" was debatable, but the current one certainly did.
In fact, all thirteen Flame-Chasers were non-human.
"Then I suggest you carry a Honkai energy crystal or something similar. That way, you won't have to drain precious Honkai beast specimens during resurrection. Wouldn't losing those be a huge waste?"
Chen Luo couldn't outright explain that she might kill Klein since she needed honkai energy to resurrect.
So he could only hint at the issue indirectly.
"That's... a fair point. Thanks for the concern."
"Don't mention it. Just remember it yourself." Chen Luo shook his head.
He didn't dare alter major future events yet, fearing catastrophic repercussions. But small nudges like this were harmless.
Klein wasn't a Flame-Chaser. Even if she avoided death by Mobius' hands, her lifespan was limited anyway... probably.
"What would you like to drink? Aside from alcohol, I have plenty of options."
"Hmm... if possible, could I have a sample of your blood?" Mobius licked her lips, eyes locked onto Chen Luo.
"Other bodily fluids would also suffice."
"???" Chen Luo instinctively hugged himself tighter.
What the hell is this woman planning?
"Relax, I won't harm you. Besides, no one can harm you in this bar, right? I'm just... genuinely curious about you."
"Why?"
"Why? A person capable of connecting different worlds is absolutely worth studying. And my intuition tells me you harbor even greater secrets."
Mobius suddenly stood, bracing her hands on the table as she leaned uncomfortably close.
The bar's wooden tables were narrow and rustic, leaving barely any space between them now.
"Sorry, I sell skills, not my body." Chen Luo refused flatly.
Lying on Mobius' operating table? Who knows what horrors await.
"Don't reject so hastily. If I'm not mistaken, this bar does charge a price, just an unconventional one. Like human desires, obsessions, joy, or emotions."
"No one runs a business at a total loss. Since you don't accept otherworldly currency, you must collect unique payments. Last time, I noticed how you sometimes smiled brighter than the patrons when fulfilling requests—how you subtly encouraged consumption, especially with that... bard." Her gaze flicked to Venti, drinking with Eula.
"Plus, the request board outside confirms some of my theories."
"So... is my current joy, my desire, or whatever emotion intense enough for you?" Mobius' burning stare returned to Chen Luo.
For some reason, seeing him again ignited an odd craving in her.
His blood. His tissue samples… even his entire being.
Mobius' snake-like intuition screamed that Chen Luo was a treasure trove of secrets, the perfect lab rat.
[Ding! New commission received!]
[Mobius' Laboratory]: Mobius desperately wants you on her operating table and perform various actions on you..
Reward: 1200 Primogems + Mobius' Special Reward
Difficulty: 4-Stars
"Mobius has truly mastered the art of commissions," Chen Luo internally groaned.
Among all patrons, only Mobius and Venti fully grasped his system.
Venti only understood after being fleeced day and night, that he had practically become acquaintances with his thoughts. If he didn't understand what Chen Luo wanted, his thousands of years of life would have been wasted.
Mobius? She pieced it together through sheer intellect and observation.
Of course, not that Chen Luo hid it anyway.
Why bother?
If patrons knew the "payment" method, would they stop visiting?
Take Venti, for example. He knew exactly what Chen Luo wanted yet came daily. For him, it was practically free booze.
By now, Venti had even learned tricks to trigger commissions more easily.
After being fleeced so much, he can now choose a more comfortable way to be fleeced.
But this only benefited Chen Luo. More commissions meant more Primogems.
Even if someone exploited the system to issue harmful commissions...
He could just decline.
While Venti frequently triggered commissions, Mobius one-upped him by instantly spawning a 4-star one.
"Tsk. Venti, can't you aim higher? At least a 3-star commission!"
Chen Luo shot a disappointed look at the drunken bard across the room.
Venti's reputation took yet another hit.