Gallagher took the coffee and the dragon saliva, tasted them both carefully, and decided to pair them with an extremely thick "Sweet Dream Syrup."
The method was simple: first, mix the coffee with the syrup, then pour in the dragon saliva. After that, he added the eyeballs from a Something Unto Death unit to give the drink a hint of "death," and finally placed a stand-up ornament of the Robin on top.
A drink that looked simple on the surface, yet carried a bartender's unique understanding of flavor and texture, was thus completed.
"Here! Give it a try. Since you're investigating Robin's death, let's call it 'Death of the Robin.' A toast to the dead."
Gallagher handed the drink to Pei Guang, who immediately checked the consumable's attributes.
Perhaps because it contained coffee, or maybe because it was simply an ordinary beverage, Pei Guang didn't detect any special properties from it.
Still, since it was made already, he decided to try it anyway.
The first sip carried no taste, but as the liquid flowed down, he experienced a fusion of sweetness and bitterness.
The sweetness felt like kissing a young girl: irresistible, making him want to take a few more sips.
The bitterness, however, was like the hollow, empty sensation of death: and yet, beneath that bitterness of death, there was still something that could only be described as life.
It began light and ended rich, a complex taste that lingered long after.
But aside from the wonderful flavor, once Pei Guang finished the entire glass, a system notification appeared, and he felt a change within his body.
[Congratulations, player has obtained Buff: Death Resistance, Life Regeneration, Mental Power Boost. Duration: 24 hours.]
[Death Resistance: You will resist any death or erasure of existence not caused by external damage.]
Pei Guang looked at the now-empty glass, then at the new buff icon floating on his status bar.
After a moment of silence, he turned toward Firefly.
"Cutiefly~ come here for a sec."
"Me?"
Still feeling sulky from her earlier failed sneak attack, Firefly's mood instantly lifted when she heard Pei Guang call her, and she happily ran over.
As Firefly approached, Pei Guang's gaze softened—gentle like flowing water.
And then, in a tone so tender it was almost possessive, he spoke:"Mr. Gallagher! Could I trouble you to make a few more of these drinks?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Gallagher felt an alarm go off in his head.
Even the arrival of Xipe Cake had only made him sigh at the universe's absurdity, the fact that the Aeon of Harmony could manifest as a "Harmony Dog Cake," that a formless Emanator could take on a physical body… such cosmic nonsense was one thing.
But Pei Guang's tone and expression now, this softness, that look in his eyes, what Gallagher felt wasn't warmth, but something far purer… a kind of possession.
A possessiveness so instinctive and absolute that it felt as if he belonged to Pei Guang.
Just moments ago, they'd been chatting pleasantly, even sharing a few laughs—and now, Gallagher sensed that if he took one wrong step, he'd sink into a swamp he'd never escape from.
And he wasn't wrong: because the instant Pei Guang saw the "Death Resistance" buff, Firefly was the first person who came to mind.
At the same time, the sheer strength of the effect made him feel a little sick.
"Resist any death not caused by external damage?"
Meaning, even if an enemy inflicted a debuff that would normally kill him—it wouldn't work?
This wasn't invincibility, but Pei Guang was sure that if a "scripted death" or "plot kill" ever came up later, this thing could absolutely overturn it.
An NPC capable of crafting a consumable this powerful: Pei Guang truly wanted to capture Gallagher, shove him into a one-square-meter room, and make him do this every day.
Still, he hesitated. He wasn't entirely sure if that approach would work: and if it ruined the man's mood or affection level too much, even though he could force him to work, the results wouldn't be the same.
After all, in many games, when an NPC crafted something willingly or with high affection, it often triggered better stats or hidden bonuses.
Quantity mattered, yes: but quality often mattered more.
Just as Pei Guang and Gallagher fell into an awkward silence, a familiar ticking sound broke the quiet.
"Tick-tock! Eh? My dear friend? Fancy seeing you here!"
With the ticking sound, Clockie Boy suddenly appeared beside Pei Guang, his eyes wide with surprise. Then, beaming, he eagerly began to explain:
"My dear friend! I didn't expect you to come to the best bar in Dreamville and find the best bartender in town! Let me tell you a secret—but don't tell anyone else! This bartender has a very peculiar temper. He only makes five drinks per day! If you try to force him to work, he gets mad—and then his drinks won't taste good anymore~
But trust me, he's absolutely the best bartender in all of Penacony! The drinks he makes—mm! No one can surpass them!"
Clockie Boy walked up beside Gallagher, suddenly holding a bottle of Soulglad, taking a deep swig before leaning in close to Pei Guang's ear to whisper loudly:
"But here's another secret! After learning that you're going to save Dreamville, the best bartender decided to make an exception: he'll personally craft five special drinks for you every day! So hurry and bring your favorite ingredients to him, let the best bartender make you the tastiest drinks ever~"
Clockie Boy narrated all this with the energy of a cutscene character explaining a plot trigger: describing something that didn't exist at all.
When he finished, he spun around, gave a graceful tip of his hat to Pei Guang and Gallagher, and—poof!—vanished.
As he disappeared, Gallagher noticed that Pei Guang's expression had changed.
The earlier softness, that possessive gentleness, had faded, replaced by a trace of regret, a hint of humanity, and a little less warmth.
Damn it.
Gallagher realized he'd actually been saved by Clockie Boy.