1: Ten thousand dollars and god-like skills? Sorry, I just want to summon crows!

Late at night, the rental apartment was brightly lit.

Jiang Ming's eyes were bloodshot as he monotonously edited videos in front of his computer screen.

In the corner of the screen, a chat window persistently flashed a red dot.

It was the client.

"Xiao Jiang, this video is due tomorrow morning. Can you speed it up a bit?"

"Make the transition at the beginning a bit flashier. Yes, yes, I want that kind of colorful black."

"Magnify the LOGO at the end, magnify it again! Fill the entire screen!"

Jiang Ming expressionlessly closed the dialogue box and continued dragging materials on the timeline.

He graduated from a mediocre university, and dozens of resumes he sent out all sank like stones into the sea, with no news.

Under the heavy pressure of reality, he could only barely make a living by taking on odd jobs online, relying on the editing skills he taught himself during university.

Meager income, tight finances, bleak future.

This was his life, one that he could see the end of at a glance.

"Buzz..."

The computer fan roared under the strain, and Jiang Ming finally finished rendering the last shot.

He clicked send, dragging the file to the client's avatar.

Almost the instant the file transfer completed, a strong sense of exhaustion swept over him.

The accumulated overdraft from long-term late nights and continuous mental stress reached a critical point at this moment.

Jiang Ming felt a violent dizziness, and the world before his eyes began to spin.

In a daze, he seemed to see the dense code on the computer screen suddenly come alive.

They twisted, deformed, and finally transformed into countless indescribable black symbols, breaking free from the screen's restraints and surging towards him like a flood.

Is this... a sudden death?

Jiang Ming instinctively reached out to support his dizzy forehead, but felt his consciousness being forcibly drawn out of his body by an irresistible, invisible force.

His vision instantly soared, piercing through the ceiling, seeing the entire building, seeing the night view of the city.

No, that's not right.

The next second, his vision plummeted rapidly, passing through his own head.

He "saw" it.

Deep within his brain, in that chaotic ocean of consciousness, an incredibly complex emblem, composed of pure light, was being illuminated stroke by stroke.

The moment the emblem formed, a cold, absolutely neutral, information stream devoid of any human emotion, directly poured into his mind.

fate selection system

Binding successful...

Detecting host's first activation...

Newbie benefits are being distributed...

The impact of this information flow instantly invigorated Jiang Ming.

A hallucination?

A hallucination caused by overwork?

He pinched his thigh hard.

"Hiss!"

The sharp pain clearly transmitted, the stinging sensation at his nerve endings was so real, it could not be simulated by a hallucination.

All of this was real.

Just as Jiang Ming confirmed reality due to the pain, a slightly lively voice, completely different from the cold information stream just now, directly sounded in his mind.

"Ding dong! The newbie gift package has arrived, please check it, dear host!"

The voice even had a playful echo.

Immediately after, three cards emitting a soft glow slowly appeared in Jiang Ming's "vision."

Each option was perfectly clear.

"Please make your choice within one minute. The countdown starts now. If no choice is made after the time limit, it will be randomly assigned, dear!"

The system's voice sounded again, with an undeniable cheerfulness.

Jiang Ming forced himself to calm down.

He was a person who knew how to leverage information asymmetry and human weaknesses. Although he was currently on the passive side, the more critical the situation, the more he needed to stay calm.

He gazed at the three options that appeared in his mind and began to quickly analyze them.

The first option's card depicted a pile of shiny banknotes.

A. An unexpected fortune of one hundred thousand yuan

Following this was a small line of explanation: This sum of money will be transferred to the host's designated bank account through completely legal channels in the form of "lottery winnings" within the next three days, with no need to worry about the source.

One hundred thousand.

Jiang Ming's heart uncontrollably skipped a beat.

This money was like a godsend to him.

He could immediately pay off his outstanding Huabei and credit card debts, pay a year's rent in advance, and even have a large sum left over, allowing him to temporarily escape his current predicament of living paycheck to paycheck and properly plan for the future.

This was the most direct and effective solution to his difficulties.

Jiang Ming suppressed his inner excitement and shifted his consciousness to the second option.

This card depicted an abstract figure rapidly editing, with countless light and shadow lines flowing from their fingertips.

B. Master-level Video Editing Technique

The explanation was equally concise: After choosing, the host will immediately master a complete set of industry-leading video editing, post-production effects, and professional color grading abilities, sufficient to handle any commercial project.

Jiang Ming's breath hitched.

If option A was to solve an urgent problem, then option B was to solve it once and for all.

He was very clear about his current skill level: half-baked, relying entirely on late nights and piling up materials.

If he possessed master-level skills, he could totally apply to top advertising companies or MCN agencies in first-tier cities, and a tenfold increase in salary would not be an issue.

He would no longer have to cater to these odd clients who constantly micromanaged, and no longer have to stay up until dawn for a few hundred yuan per job.

This was the best way to improve his work situation and elevate his social status.

The first two options were both very practical, so practical that it made it difficult for Jiang Ming to choose.

One was cash in a time of need, the other was a divine skill that taught one how to fish.

No matter which he chose, his life would immediately ascend to a new level, completely bidding farewell to his current hopeless days.

His consciousness slowly moved to the last option.

When he saw the image and text on the third card, Jiang Ming froze.

The image on this card was extremely simple, depicting only a pitch-black raven against a dark red sky.

C. Raven Summoning Technique (Beginner)

The explanation from the information stream followed: Allows the host to summon all ravens within the specified area (currently within a 1-kilometer radius) and issue simple commands to them, including but not limited to [Circle], [Descend], [Gather].

Raven... Summoning Technique?

Jiang Ming's heart began to beat uncontrollably faster, thumping heavily in his chest, once, then again.

What is this thing?

The first two options, no matter how tempting, were essentially still within the framework of "reality." They were tools to optimize one's life, shortcuts for an ordinary person to live a better life.

But this third option was completely different.

Its style suddenly changed.

It completely exceeded all of Jiang Ming's twenty-two years of understanding.

Summoning ravens?

What's the use of that?

To scare the barking dog downstairs? Or to help him steal his neighbor's cured meat?

This option was useless for solving any of his current dilemmas.

It couldn't bring a single cent of income, nor could it improve any of his survival skills.

It was a purely, utterly "uncost-effective" option.

But... this was a summoning technique, damn it!

It was magic! It was supernatural! It was something that only existed in novels and movies!

Deep within Jiang Ming, the soul of a "fun-seeker" that had been smoothed out by the mundane daily life, was completely ignited at this moment.

In his mind, the playful system voice sounded again, with a sense of urgency.

"Remaining time: 30 seconds."

"29."

"28."

The cold digital countdown hammered at Jiang Ming's heart.

One hundred thousand yuan... master-level technique... summoning ravens... the three options spun wildly in his mind.

Jiang Ming slowly exhaled, no longer hesitating.

"I choose C!"