Selling la fishies.

It was early in the morning, the sky barely lit as the sun crawled above the horizon.

The streets and alleyways were mostly empty, with only a few early risers passing by. The morning market was starting to stir, shopkeepers and workers setting up their stalls to sell their goods. Among those awake were the adventurers, already geared up and making their way toward Katherine to grab a commission and secure their income. Always good to have funds. who doesn't like money? Especially when alcohol exists. the life nectar for most you ask.

Among those awake was me, heading out of the city gates toward the lake to collect my bountiful AFK hunt (hopefully). Even if sleep for me has become somewhat irrelevant. no matter how much or how little I sleep, I still feel tired. Waking up early and getting out of bed is the bane of my existence.

After a long night, the success of my haul came down to luck. The number of fish caught depended on a bunch of factors. how enticing the bait was, how many fish were even nearby, and whatever other nonsense affects fishing.

Luckily, Mondstadt isn't a fishing-focused nation. Most people hunt boars or other wild animals since there's plenty of land to explore. That leaves the fish population in the water relatively high since there's not much competition to fight over them.

which is good for me, cause that means more money.

While walking, I thought about my fishing experience yesterday. Turns out it's way harder than it looks, but I got the hang of it after an hour. Still, it's so fucking annoying. every. Single. Time! A fish just runs the fuck away from the line for no fucking reason at all.

It's like it could fucking sense me.

[Foreshadowing is a literary device where future events are hinted at throu-]

"don't care." anyway. what was I talking about?

right yeah, fish.

at least it only took an hour to get a fish. Yeah, yeah, roast me. An entire hour for one fish. But at that point, I was so happy I just took the fish and went home because I proved the system right and all that.

Anyway, I was close now.

Stepping onto the dewy grass, I walked along Springvale Lake's bank, retracing my steps from yesterday. The slight dampness seeping into my shoes probably came from the lakeside fog during the night.

A few minutes of walking later, I arrived at the location of the net.

partially submerged in the lake with the weighted edges resting along the bank. The water rippled faintly as the breeze stirred the surface.

My eyes narrowed as I took hold of the rope and gave it a small tug. Heavy. That was a good sign.

Bracing my feet against the soft ground, I pulled hard, easily dragging the net toward the shore. As the dripping mesh emerged from the water, I spotted the glint of scales beneath the knots.

after fully pulling them out, I could see what I had caught. plenty of fish, both large and small. but mostly it was common ones like glaze medaka, red-belly medaka, black back perch, plus a few bitty bitterlings.

After fully pulling them out, I could see what I had caught. Plenty of fish, both large and small, but mostly common ones like glaze medaka, red-belly medaka, black-back perch, and a few bitty bitterlings.

They were still alive, flopping weakly in the net, but a pop-up from the system quickly dismissed any lingering sympathy.

[Defeated a relatively weak enemy ×19. You have obtained 57 EXP.]

…They were no longer a threat.

Because, you know, a fish is such a terrifying opponent. But this was incredible for me — now I could consistently gain EXP just by setting up a net and doing absolutely nothing. Passive levelling at its finest.

I had hoped that maybe I could game the system, maybe create an infinite EXP loop by catching the same fish and releasing them over and over. But noooo… the system had to ruin my fun. what bitch.

[Stop trying to cheat your way out of work. You gotta earn your EXP, not birth-farm fish. Those poor little fish… what an evil person.]

Yeah yeah, balancing and what not. shuuuuut uuuuup.

[:0, rude. 🖕]

But honestly, this was great. It was a steady source of income and EXP. If I wanted to, I could probably just laze around for the next few days, only bothering to collect my net in the mornings. 

but even that will get boring after a while. But another day of fishing sounds good for now.

But first, time to sell my haul.

---

"Oh, right. I almost forgot," I muttered to myself as I arrived at the bridge connecting Mondstadt to the mainland.

I flicked my wrist, and the light purple screen from before appeared in front of me — the character screen. After a quick glance, I noted that nothing had changed except my EXP count, which now stood at 147. Without much thought, I dumped the points into my level.

[EXP: 147 → EXP: 47]

With that singular action, the operation finished, and the 1 flickered twice before shifting into a 2.

Name: Shiro

Level: 2 (0/200)

Race: Human?

Title: Fragment of Creation

Achievements: [Expand]Talents: Weaponry Genius | Rapid Assimilation

Skills: Adaptive Sword Technique - LvL 1 (0/1000) | Trigger Proficiency - LvL 1 (0/1000)

Specialty: [5th Descender] [Mana Capacity]

EXP: 47

A slow warmth spread through my body before fading, leaving behind a noticeable increase in my mana capacity. The energy seemed to seep into every part of me, strengthening my body ever so slightly.

Not a major improvement, but enough that I could probably win an arm-wrestling match against my past self without straining too hard.

It felt like a brief soak in a hot bath — short, but satisfying. Shame it ended so quickly. I wonder if Mondstadt has any hot springs… probably not.

Finished with sorting out my EXP, I walked into the city, looking for a place to sell my catch.

It didn't take long to find a decent spot. Since it was early, I managed to snag a prime spot near the front entrance. Business went smoothly — fresh fish always sells fast. With only 19 fish, it was easy to sell out quickly. Mondstadt's population might be large, but 19 fish is practically nothing compared to demand.

On average, each fish sold for around 1,500 Mora. Some were worth less, closer to 1,000, while a few more valuable ones went for around 2,000. In total, I made 19,300 Mora, almost enough to cover the cost of both the net and fishing rod. Which means from now on, every catch would be pure profit.

With that in mind, I had a clear plan for the future. Thanks to the free relief shelter, I didn't have to worry about housing or rent. That meant I could put aside half of my earnings each day for emergency funds. Once I saved enough, I'd be able to buy a not-shitty weapon that wouldn't snap like a twig on use.

But with the fishing net set up and nothing to manually fish for, I had time to kill. I could start adventuring, buuuuut at the moment. my strength is... well... not adequate for anything that isn't a hydro slime or a couple of hilichurls.

but. I still needed a way to either get money or EXP...

hmmm... no... hmmm... maybe?... yes. yes! That could work. hunting!

I've always wanted to learn how to use a bow. With a bow, I could easily pick off any enemy that isn't ridiculously stronger than me. and it would probably be as fun as learning how to shoot for the first time... But who would be willing to teach me?

... [I'm gonna say it right now... a guy who can teach you is about to walk around that corner in Three... two... o-]

As if on cue, a slightly burly man walked around the corner. He carried a hunting bow on his back and had two furry, animal-like ears poking from the top of his head. A brown beard and moustache framed his face.

My gaze followed him as he passed by, and after a second of digging through my memory, I remembered why he looked familiar. he was the father of that furry little bartender kid. what was his name again... darff? daff?

Right, Draff.

[Close enough. now, I sure hope somebody picks up that phone. because I, FUCKING CALLED IT!]

At this point, I was straight-up ignoring the system's words.

If I could get him to train me, either by showing me how to shoot a bow or just letting me follow him like an intern, it could give me a solid foundation — and maybe be a way to farm some EXP too.

But that's only if I could convince him. Offering money might work, but that felt kinda lame.

Pondering, I placed a hand to my chin, still watching him as he walked further away. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I almost didn't notice how far he'd already gotten.

Screw it. Can't knock it till you try it.

"Wait! Sir! Hold on a sec!" I called out, quickly speed-walking after him.

The furry-eared guy halted mid-step and turned around to see who had called him.

"Just now, I noticed that you were watching me the whole time I was nearby. Is there something you need?"

His gaze was sharp but not unkind, sizing me up like he was trying to figure out if I was worth his time. His animal ears twitched slightly.

I quickly put on a polite smile. "I was wondering if you could take me as an apprentice and teach me how to use a bow and hunt?"

A/N Hmm, do you want action? do you find this entertaining? should I just breeze through this? 

also, I am loving the system and i am going to be shoving it down every conversation. just to torment the mc.