beta
Ok so the manhwa doesn't really explain it, but MC is not really "helpless" (even if he sometimes puts himself down saying he's not all that) it's just that the circumstances he's been put on made him to be surrounded by people way over his rank, like, even mentally he has a really strong will.
In his inner thoughts he also wishes he was stronger, but for that iirc he needed to have started to cultivate since a younger age and had to have the right master and tools (him being a disciple of that old man was a touch of "fortune", and even then he didn't rly want to be a disciple the old man forced him), MC just wants to avoid unnecessary drama an trouble but as you can see destiny likes to put him on situations.