By the time Luo Qing sailed the skiff back to Liyue Harbor, it was already morning.
Having stayed up all night, his eyelids were heavy with exhaustion. He returned to the top floor of the Northland Bank, instructed Natalia to arrange for a replacement skiff for Theresa, then collapsed into bed and slept.
When he woke up again, the sun had already set, and the full moon was rising over the ocean.
Luo Qing rubbed his eyes, scanning the room. Natalia was sitting nearby, cradling a report in her hands. She glanced between the report and him.
"Lord Luo Qing, you're finally awake!" Natalia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
"Don't make it sound like I almost died," Luo Qing said, rubbing his temples. The nap had restored his energy. He noticed the documents in Natalia's hands and asked, "Did the replacement skiff make it to Theresa?"
"Yes, Lord Luo Qing. We also sent some supplies along with it, as you instructed," Natalia confirmed.
"Good… What are you reading?" he asked, eyeing the papers she held.
"It's a report from the research institute. They brought it over this afternoon, but we didn't want to wake you since you were sleeping so soundly."
Natalia stood up and handed him the report, her voice soft. "Would you like something to eat, Lord Luo Qing?"
"No need." Luo Qing shook his head and began leafing through the report.
It was a detailed proposal on improvements to the Sigils of Permission, requesting that he visit the institute to discuss his field test results so they could proceed to the next phase of revisions and mass production.
"These guys are being so subtle about rushing me," he muttered, tossing the report aside. Then he turned to look at Natalia, who blinked back at him, confused.
They stared at each other for a moment until Luo Qing finally said, "Natalia, do you want to see your superior's muscular form as I change clothes?"
"Is... is that something I can even look at...?" Natalia asked shyly.
"Nope. So, how about you step outside for a minute?"
"..."
[Frustration Value from Natalia +1]
"Hmph! I wouldn't want to see Lord Luo Qing's bare chest anyway!" she huffed, blushing furiously as she stormed out of the room.
Luo Qing got up, changed clothes, and noted that the balcony outside wasn't exactly a lucky spot for draws, so he decided to search for a new location to try his luck later.
"Natalia, you can stop peeking through the door crack. Come in," he called.
"Cough... Lord Luo Qing, I..."
Natalia pushed open the door, her face flushed with embarrassment at being caught red-handed.
"You three go to the research institute," Luo Qing instructed, "and tell them the trial results were positive. I'll stop by later."
"Yes, Lord Luo Qing," Natalia nodded but then hesitated. "Where are you going, my lord?"
"Me? Oh, I'm off to do something... exciting~"
"..."
Outside Liyue Harbor - Atop Mount Tianheng
When it comes to the mystical art of gacha, good fortune depends on the right feng shui.
Luo Qing's previous draws—once in Snezhnaya and once on the bank's balcony—had yielded only purples. Clearly, the locations were unlucky; it had nothing to do with his own luck.
But the peak of Mount Tianheng? This spot was perfect. Sky above, earth below, nestled by water—the feng shui here had to be several levels higher.
And if there were a couple of beautiful companions by his side... Well, that would be even better.
Luo Qing took a deep breath and gazed at the moon rising over the ocean.
With such a stunning scene, there was no doubt: Tonight, there would be gold.
He focused his mind and pressed the button for a ten-pull.
A purple meteor streaked across the system interface. No gold.
Since he didn't hit the jackpot, Luo Qing didn't bother watching the animation and skipped straight to the results:
[You have received: ]
Geo Vision (Purple) x1
Skill Book - Core of the Earth (Purple) x1
Physical Enhancement Card x2 (Blue)
Affection Boost Card x1 (Blue)
Weapon Enhancement Card x3 (Blue)
Supreme Healing Pill x2 (Blue)
"Hmm?" Luo Qing frowned, examining the rewards.
The last time he'd gotten a Lithic Spear, but now a Geo Vision and something called "Core of the Earth"? Was the system trying to push him to become a Liyue spy?
Curious, he selected the "Core of the Earth" to check the details.
[Core of the Earth: A Geo skill. Upon learning, the user can summon a stone pillar at a designated location by consuming Geo energy.]
[Note: Requires possession of a Geo Vision.]
"So they are a set!" Luo Qing muttered, wondering if this "multiverse random draw" system had some behind-the-scenes manipulation.
But it wasn't something he could change, and two purples were better than nothing.
He took a breath, cleared his mind, and pressed the ten-pull button again.
This time, another shooting star streaked across the sky. But unlike the usual white-to-purple transformation, this one paused for a moment before bursting into brilliant gold!
This was it—a legendary gold!
[You have received: ]
Word Spirit - Time Zero (Gold) x1
Skill - Susano'o (One-time Use) (Purple) x1
Physical Enhancement Card x2 (Blue)
Affection Boost Card x2 (Blue)
Weapon Enhancement Card x2 (Blue)
Supreme Healing Pill x2 (Blue)
"Ah, this..." Luo Qing was momentarily speechless. Two ten-pulls, yielding a gold and three purples—he had truly struck gold!
So, it really had been a feng shui problem!
Looking over his new items, Luo Qing's heart raced with excitement, silently declaring the peak of Mount Tianheng as his new sacred drawing spot.
[Spirit Speech - Time Zero: Temporarily enhances the user's perception of time, slowing the flow within a designated field while boosting the user's physical capabilities accordingly.]
[Note: Base multiplier is x10, increasing with the user's physical attributes. Current multiplier: x25]
[Effect can vary based on the target's mental fortitude.]
Luo Qing was already familiar with Time Zero—a legendary ability from the "Dragon Raja" series, belonging to the principal of Kassel Academy, Hilbert Ron Anjou. It amplified his perception of time, allowing for extraordinary reactions.
When Angers expanded its field to encompass an entire amusement park ride, he achieved a fiftyfold multiplier. In other words, a single minute in real time stretched to fifty minutes within the field.
If Luo Qing activated Time Zero, he could observe every flutter of a dragonfly's wings in excruciating detail.
Whether in combat or stealth missions, it was an invaluable skill.
Then there was the purple skill...
[Susano'o (One-time Use): Grants the user a single use of Susano'o (Teyvat Edition) for up to 10 minutes.]
No explanation was necessary; Luo Qing suspected it was classified as purple only because it was a one-time use.
Suddenly, Luo Qing noticed the gacha's featured pool had shifted.
With Time Zero acquired, it was no longer available. In its place was a new feature:
[Current Featured Item: Skill - Susano'o]
No mention of it being a one-time use, meaning it was now a permanent skill.
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T/N: MORE GACHA PLEASEEE (i actually lost tens of thousands to gacha...please subscribe to my patreon it's only $7....) GACHAAAAA