Just as Keqing set off—
"Achoo!"
At a fishing spot outside Liyue Harbor, Bai Ge—holding a fishing rod—let out a loud sneeze.
"That little Keqing… she has to complain about me at this exact time every day. Isn't that annoying or what?!"
Rubbing his nose uncomfortably, Bai Ge glanced at the fish that had scattered because of his sneeze, a trace of helplessness flashing in his eyes.
He reeled in the line and baited the hook again.
As for Keqing?
He really didn't care.
Three-something—time for afternoon tea first!
You've already become a civil servant, so why work yourself to death?
Slack when you should slack. Get off work when it's time to get off work!
Anyway, things like "Master Keqing" or "Keqing's crooked swordplay"—all those affectionate nicknames from his past life were completely useless against him.
When Keqing was just a two-dimensional anime girl, Bai Ge, as an LSP, naturally liked her.
But when this 996 overtime maniac actually becomes your boss, isn't keeping your distance the normal reaction?
Someone who makes you work overtime every day and you still like her—what's that called?
That's called an M!
Bai Ge liked teasing Ms, but he wasn't an M himself.
He much preferred being the opposite.
"Forget it, forget it. Let's see what today's system sign-in gives me."
Seeing that the fishing rod wouldn't get a bite anytime soon, Bai Ge opened the system sign-in panel in his mind.
Yes—Bai Ge was a transmigrator.
In his previous life, he was a wage slave who worked himself to death from overtime. Who would've thought he'd transmigrate into Teyvat, become a boy nearly identical to his former self, and awaken a Nine-to-Five Sign-In System?
As the name implied, the system required him to clock in at nine in the morning and clock out at five in the afternoon. Completing this cycle granted him one sign-in opportunity.
Sign-ins were divided into daily, weekly, monthly, half-yearly, and yearly tiers—the higher the tier, the better the rewards.
That said, Bai Ge could only obtain items that existed within the world of Teyvat. No flashy, out-of-world nonsense.
Even so, he was more than satisfied.
Today marked the third month since Bai Ge's transmigration—and since activating the Nine-to-Five System.
"System, sign in," Bai Ge said silently.
[Ding! Monthly sign-in successful. Acquired Pyro Elemental Burst Skill — Dawn!]
A slight swelling sensation pulsed at his temples. In an instant, it felt as though he had practiced it thousands of times—the techniques and usage of the elemental burst Dawn flooded into his mind.
"Oh! Diluc's ultimate! Looks like I really have some fate with Old Master Lu."
Feeling the skill settle in, a smile spread across Bai Ge's face.
Although, in the game back in his previous life, Diluc had long since degraded into "Lu Guoba."
In reality, however—as Mondstadt's Dark Side of Dawn—Diluc's strength was still worthy of respect.
Bai Ge's daily sign-ins usually gave small boosts to elemental power, physique, mental strength, agility, and the like.
Weekly sign-ins rewarded things like spear techniques, sword techniques, elemental understanding or control, and various talents.
The weekly rewards weren't fixed either—once, Bai Ge had even lucked out and obtained an elemental skill.
As for the previous two monthly sign-ins, one had been a weapon, the other an artifact. He hadn't expected this one to give him a full-fledged elemental burst!
Such a powerful skill was an enormous boost to his current strength.
"Wonderful. Truly wonderful."
Thinking of his past self—exploited, worked to death, and still broke—
Then looking at his present life, where he could steadily grow stronger just by working nine to five—
Bai Ge's mood lifted considerably.
But—
Elsewhere, Keqing, who had come looking for Bai Ge, ran into trouble.
"Damn it—why did a whole group of Electro Slimes spawn here?!"
Gripping her beloved sword Lion's Roar, Keqing stared at the cluster of purple and yellow Electro Slimes before her, her slender arms trembling slightly.
Beads of sweat glued her soft hair to her forehead, making her uncomfortable—but she had no time to care about that now.
Normally, as a renowned member of the Liyue Qixing, Keqing shouldn't have been held back by a bunch of slimes.
But as the saying goes—Sword light like mine, slay all evil!
Immune. Immune. Immune…
Usually, she could deal with Electro Slimes using pure swordsmanship.
But after Thunder Stiletto–ing her way nonstop from Liyue Harbor—
Coupled with chronic sleep deprivation and overwork—
Her elemental power and stamina were now both at rock bottom.
"I'll have to think of a way to break through."
After a moment of thought, Keqing made her decision.
As one of the Liyue Qixing, even if she was surrounded by slimes, this wasn't about to turn into some 3D animation plot. She could still leave if she wanted.
"But seriously… where exactly is Bai Ge fishing?"
"He's just a normal person, yet he runs so far out, not even staying within Millelith patrol zones. Is he asking to die?"
As she thought this, a hint of irritation flashed through Keqing's pink-violet eyes.
A dignified member of the Liyue Qixing, reduced to being bullied by a pack of slimes—
And as the root cause of all this, Bai Ge was promptly added to Keqing's Book of Grudges.
Still, revenge could wait.
Right now, she had to find Bai Ge and take him away first—before this ordinary civilian got caught up in these suddenly appearing slimes.
While maneuvering around the Electro Slimes, Keqing scanned her surroundings for a breakthrough point—
And at that moment, a familiar figure holding a fishing rod entered her field of view!