Arkz: "Brother, fishing?"
Fishing Enthusiasts: "Shh—keep it down, don't startle my fish."
Arkz had come to make friends, not to cause trouble, so he naturally lowered his voice and waited quietly nearby for the Fishing Enthusiast to finish his cast.
This Fishing Enthusiast brother stood by the Wine Lake, rod in hand, patiently waiting for the moment a fish would bite.
"It's here."
The Fishing Enthusiast brother let out a soft sound, his waist and horse uniting, veins bulging on his arm as he finally yanked the rod back.
Looking closely, it was a false alarm!
It turned out the hook had merely gotten tangled in the water grass at the bottom.
Despite this awkward moment, the Fishing Enthusiast brother remained as steady as Mount Tai, calmly casting his line out again before turning to look at Arkz.
Fishing Enthusiasts: "My apologies, young brother. The situation was urgent just now, and I couldn't greet you properly. Please forgive me."
"I am Nantuck, the head of the Mondstadt Fishing Association. What should I call you, young brother?"
Arkz cupped his hands in a respectful salute and replied: "I am Arkz, residing in Springvale. Seeing your heroic posture just now, I couldn't help but wish to become acquainted."
"I am also very interested in fishing. How does one join the Fishing Association?"
Nantuck waved his hand and explained: "Brother Lu Ming, I am actually a Mondstadt local. I just enjoy reading Liyue's Wuxia novels, which is why I unintentionally use Liyue's dialect sometimes. You don't need to imitate me."
"The Fishing Association is just a club formed by people who enjoy fishing. There are no strict requirements or rules. Instead, master anglers can bring the fish they catch to the association to sell. The rarer the catch, the more valuable the treasures you can exchange for."
"Since I feel an instant connection with you today, Brother Lu Ming, I'll take care of the procedures for joining the Fishing Association for you."
Arkz was delighted internally. Saving that much trouble was great, and he remembered that the Fishing Association offered quite a few items for exchange. There was a weapon shaped like a trident that seemed quite valuable, and he happened to enjoy fishing too.
Although Arkz had never actually fished before crossing over, he was extremely skilled at fishing games.
Arkz: "Thank you, brother. I'm still a novice, though. Do you happen to know where in Mondstadt there are shops that sell fishing gear?"
Nantuck thumped his chest forcefully: "Since you called me 'Brother' today, that title won't be for nothing!"
"Wait here for a moment, young brother. Keep an eye on my rod for me, I'll be right back."
Saying that, Nantuck darted away in a flash, and no matter how Arkz called out, he couldn't stop him.
Helplessly, Arkz began excitedly rubbing his hands together, starting to examine Nantuck's rod, which looked incredibly luxurious and fully equipped.
A moment later, Nantuck rushed back holding a box of fishing tackle.
He arrived just in time to see Arkz catch a huge carp with his beloved rod. Seeing the lively, thrashing figure of the big carp shimmering golden under the moonlight, Nantuck immediately dropped the tackle he was holding and roared:
"Brother Lu Ming, let me handle him!"
...
Nantuck, holding the large carp, pointed with a trembling finger at the bucket overflowing with fish. Looking at Arkz, who wore a shy and bashful smile, he couldn't help but ask:
"This, this, this—did you catch all of this?"
Arkz replied modestly: "It's all thanks to your excellent rod, brother. Without such a good rod, I couldn't have caught so many fish."
Pfft!
Arkz's words of modesty felt like a fatal blow to Nantuck.
Nantuck muttered to himself: "We were using the same tackle, and I fished all night without a single bite. You filled my bucket in just a short while."
"Protection period, yes! It must be the novice protection period."
Arkz looked at the muttering Nantuck and curiously leaned closer, asking: "Brother, what are you saying? Your voice was too quiet, I couldn't hear you."
Nantuck: "Nothing!!!"
Looking at Arkz, Nantuck shoved the fishing gear he had brought earlier into Arkz's arms. "This is the rod I used before. It's more than enough for a beginner."
As he spoke, Nantuck began pushing Arkz toward the exit.
"Brother Lu Ming, it's getting late. Springvale is so far away; traveling at night isn't safe. You should head back first."
Arkz: "Brother, I feel like my luck is really good tonight. How about I cast a couple more lines here before I go?"
Nantuck: "It's too late; staying up late harms the body. This kind of activity that's detrimental to physical and mental health should be borne by me alone."
Finally, he managed to persuade Arkz. Watching Arkz depart, Nantuck wiped the sweat from his forehead and decided to fish all night long.
The reason he chased Arkz away was that Nantuck was worried that if not a single fish bit all night in this spot, he, as a senior, would lose face in front of a complete novice. Wouldn't that be too embarrassing?
He, Nantuck, was one of the heads of the Mondstadt Fishing Association...!
In Teyvat, nourished by Elemental Power, not only have the intelligence of small animals increased significantly, but the fish in the water have also become much smarter. Even for a fishing master like Nantuck who has dedicated many years to fishing, he still often reels in empty lines.
Conversely, the phenomenon of fish lining up to bite Arkz was somewhat abnormal.
Having obtained a fishing rod without spending a single Mora, Arkz touched the massive sum of fifty thousand Mora on his person and felt completely satisfied.
The thought that he could still receive another twenty thousand Mora from the Knights of Favonius made Arkz even happier.
Under the moonlight, Arkz carefully examined the fishing rod Nantuck had given him, as excited as a child who had just received a new toy.
Using the system's appraisal ability to check it, he found that the rod was indeed excellent. The box also included Bait gifted by Brother Nantuck, spare hooks, and spare fishing line.
Arkz couldn't help but exclaim: "Brother Nantuck really put thought into this. Calling you 'Brother' was definitely not in vain."
System Appraisal Attribute:
[Nantuck's Gifted Training Rod: Slightly increases the chance of a bite before your Fishing Level reaches Level 5.]
Although the boost disappeared after Level 5, it was indeed very suitable for beginners. As expected of something from Brother Nantuck, it even came with a special effect compared to rods sold on the market, and it was acquired for free.
Indeed, free things are the best.
When he first discovered the system's appraisal ability, Arkz was like a child with a new toy, testing everything. He even specifically went to the antique market, intending to use his appraisal ability to find hidden gems, just like protagonists in urban novels.
The result was that items with special abilities turned out to be completely random. Some items imbued with Elemental Power had no special effects, while some toys held by children possessed very good special effects.
For example, Arkz accidentally discovered that a rubber band worn on a child's wrist had the special effect of immunity to all diseases.
However, realizing that in Genshin Impact, hardly anyone ever gets sick, and considering how the child seemed to cherish that ordinary-looking rubber band, Arkz could only regretfully pass up that treasure.
Arkz guessed that the more emotion condensed onto an item, the higher the probability of a special effect appearing.
On the continent of Teyvat, Primogems, formed from the condensation of human dreams and the radiance of hope, were overlooked by everyone. Yet, in the game's setting, they were the primordial crystals transcending the world. With such a high-level concept, the status of Primogems was clearly extraordinary.
Perhaps on the continent of Teyvat, where Elemental Power reigns supreme, the power of emotions, overlooked by people, actually hid immense potential.