"Failed again?"
On a clearing at the peak of Mt. Aocang, a handsome youth in a white robe sighed softly, the failed seal in his hand dissipating into nothingness.
Su Ming shook his head helplessly. "Still nothing? Is my talent really that bad? But Master clearly said I was gifted."
"Sigh, if only I had a Vision. It's a shame that a traveler like me doesn't get that kind of treatment."
Su Ming stood up and walked to the edge of the Pool of Aocang. Looking at the reflection of his face in the water, he fell into deep thought.
It had been three years since he was sent flying thirty meters by a drunk driver running a red light in a dump truck, only to wake up in this world. It was also his third year since being taken in by a passing "Lady Crane" while he was wandering the mountains of Liyue, nearly starving to death.
That kind-hearted crane was, of course, that woman the one obsessed with inventions... Cloud Retainer.
Whether it was because of his good looks or because he truly was gifted, Cloud Retainer had immediately asked Su Ming if he was willing to cultivate under her tutelage. She told him that if he refused, she would escort him to Liyue Harbor so he wouldn't die in the wilderness.
Having just crossed over without so much as a starter system, Su Ming naturally agreed on the spot and took her as his master. After all, having an adeptus as a teacher meant that even the scraps of knowledge she threw his way would be enough for him to survive in this world.
His cultivation had started smoothly enough. Even without a Vision, he could use the methods taught by Cloud Retainer to sense the free-floating elemental energy in the air. He memorized the designs and methods for drawing various talismans and sigils.
He could form various hand seals with ease. Even the Art of Mechanics came naturally to him, likely thanks to his background in a technologically advanced world and a life spent consuming sci-fi concepts. Occasionally, he even provided Cloud Retainer with fresh ideas for her new inventions.
But while he was a genius in theory, he was a total failure in practice. Every time he tried to apply his knowledge, he would fail because he simply could not channel the elemental energy.
Even Cloud Retainer was baffled. The methods she taught Su Ming were upgraded versions of the techniques used by the exorcist clans among the mortals of Liyue. Though they weren't true Adeptus Arts, they were supposed to allow an ordinary person without a Vision to borrow a certain amount of elemental power.
Yet, despite his high comprehension and talent, Su Ming couldn't use it.
Seeing no other option, she eventually shifted her focus to teaching him self-defense martial arts, spear techniques, and archery. She promised that since she had accepted him as a disciple, she would never give up on him just because he couldn't practice talisman arts, then went into seclusion to find a solution.
Su Ming hadn't given up either. He tried every day, but his efforts always ended in failure.
"Sigh, if all else fails, should I just multiclass into a warrior? Or go full technology? Maybe I should talk to Master about building a Gundam one of these days."
Countless failures had brought Su Ming to the brink of giving up. It wasn't that he couldn't sense elemental energy; rather, it felt as though some mysterious force was actively blocking him from using it.
Just as he was feeling utterly discouraged, a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
[Ding! Host found... Binding...]
[God-Level Fishing System bound. Starter Gift Pack has been sent to your inventory. Please check the announcement for specific functions.]
A wall of text appeared before Su Ming's eyes, detailing the system's usage and features.
"Holy crap! My luck finally turned after all these years!?"
Su Ming almost jumped for joy. With a system, who needed a Vision? If a Vision was a high-end peripheral, then a system was a literal cheat code.
He quickly scanned the text. It was concise and easy to understand. As a veteran reader of web novels, he had guessed most of the functions just from the name.
Simply put, Su Ming could obtain various rewards through the act of fishing ranging from items, weapons, and techniques to abilities and bloodlines.
[Fishing at any time or place has a probability of granting rewards of any level.]
[Furthermore, if the Host participates in the world's original storyline and causes it to deviate, the Host will receive a permanent Luck attribute increase.]
[The higher the Host's Luck, the higher the probability of obtaining rewards and rare prizes.]
[When Luck is high enough, mysterious effects may occur.]
[Additionally, there are numerous special fishing spots across Teyvat. Fishing at these locations will significantly increase the reward probability.]
After reading the introduction, everything became clear. Although the system seemed designed for a leisurely retirement encouraging him to sit by a pond all day the stated drop rates told a different story.
Without Luck increases or special spots, the base probability was worse than losing a 50/50 on a gacha banner. If he just fished normally, he'd be lucky to get a single reward in a whole day. The system clearly wanted him to be an agent of chaos and mess with the plot.
"Well, now that I know how to use it, let's see what kind of cheats this starter pack has for me."
Su Ming took a deep breath and opened the starter gift pack.
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