I am a god-slayer, not your hero.

Subordinate gods are not disobedient gods; they do not have a strong sense of self and are merely beings that depend on other gods.

If it were a non-compliant god, their strong sense of self would bring with it a strong sense of pride, and they probably wouldn't have fled so easily when things turned bad, but would have chosen to continue fighting with Mingxian.

That's not necessarily true.

Some cunning gods may choose to retreat, but they will soon attack again, without the god-slayer needing to search for them.

With this thought in mind, Mingxian walked downstairs lightly and slowly.

The breeze at the street corner seemed to carry a hint of anticipation, leading him to the ramen shop downstairs.

Rikka stood at the doorway, her shadow elongated under the dim streetlights, appearing exceptionally slender and lonely.

She cautiously looked around, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity about the unknown and a hint of barely perceptible trepidation.

Perhaps, to outsiders, a girl going to a ramen shop alone seems a little out of place.

"Rikka, what would you like to eat? It's on me." Naruhiro's voice sounded from behind her, like the first ray of sunshine on a summer morning, gently dispelling the gloom in her heart.

Upon hearing this, Rikka followed Naruzuru into the building and said repeatedly, "How can we let Naruzuru-kun spend money?"

Her tone carried a hint of shyness and unease, like a fawn that had suddenly wandered into unfamiliar territory.

"You're welcome." Mingxian's smile was as warm as the early spring sunshine, shining into Rikka's heart. "The song you uploaded last time was a huge success, and the platform gave you a bonus. Rikka deserves credit too; the audience raved about your guitar playing!"

"look!"

Mingxian picked up her phone, opened the video she had posted earlier, and scrolled through the comments below for Rikka.

"This is what you deserve."

Hearing this, Rikka's defenses finally crumbled, and she nodded gently, accepting this generosity from her friend.

The two sat side by side at the table, on which sat two bowls of steaming ramen. The rising steam blurred their faces, but could not conceal the tacit understanding that arose from their mutual comprehension.

They started chatting casually.

Sometimes her laughter was as clear and crisp as silver bells.

Sometimes it whispers softly, like a gentle drizzle.

The street scene outside the window flowed slowly amidst the interplay of light and shadow, while time seemed to stand still inside, leaving only their world.

"So, we still haven't found any band members."

"Hmm, it seems everyone has a companion."

"Why don't you take on the role of lead singer?" Mingxian casually offered a nonsensical suggestion: "The band is lacking in everything, but it definitely doesn't lack guitarists, so it's more promising for you to be a guitarist and lead singer. Isn't your favorite broken pipa guitarist and lead singer?"

Rikka, a dedicated supporter, earnestly corrected, "It's Poppin'Party."

Naruto casually pushed the ramen bowl in front of Rikka before taking his own portion, picking up chopsticks, and then, as if remembering something, said, "I happen to be alone too. If you have time, you could come work for me and play guitar. I have a ton of wonderful music in my head~"

Rikka's glasses were fogged up by the steam from the ramen, making it difficult to see her expression.

"Ah."

She gave a soft "hmm".

[Target character: Asahi Rikka]

[Strategy completion rate reached 100%]

[Reward: Professional-level guitar skills]

Please keep up the good work, host.

So, how exactly do you calculate the progress of your strategy?

Mingxian took a sip of ramen soup, somewhat speechless.

Not Agito: Chapter Thirty-Six - Your Hiring Fee is Settled

Mingxian sat quietly in front of the typewriter, his fingertips lightly touching the keyboard.

Each strike seemed to create a subtle echo in the air.

Typewriters have a unique typing method, which slowly weaves together Chinese characters in a blend of mechanics and culture.

As the keyboard moves, each Chinese character seems to come alive, some light and graceful, like willow branches brushing the water's surface; others strong and powerful, like an ancient pine tree standing proudly atop a mountain.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the ticking of the typewriter and the occasional sound of wind chimes from outside the window weaving together into a melodious tune.

In this parallel world of god-slayers, the course of history diverges.

China did not miss out on the development of semiconductors and eventually produced a supercomputer that could coordinate the production and distribution of the entire country, known as "Luotu-1".

The typewriter being typed by fingertips at this moment uses the same typing method as that computer.

The clicking of typing echoed as Mingxian finished writing the report on the "Ugly Woman of the Underworld" incident.

"...Is the wind god still missing?"

Mingxian stopped what she was doing, feeling a slight headache.

In theory, disobedient gods, due to their strong sense of self, possess extremely high dignity and would not allow themselves to escape from the face of a god-killer, but subordinate gods do not have this concern.

If they find they can't win, they will choose to run away.

Shinatohiko is the most troublesome type, as he can not only fly but also reach incredible speeds.

Once you enter the realm of "Godspeed," you will break free from the constraints of the laws of the universe. Unless you also possess Godspeed, or the other party is coming towards you, it will be impossible to catch them.

"Why don't I have the power of super speed?"

I vented my frustrations a little.

Ding dong!

The doorbell rang, and a pretty girl walked in. Hayasaka Ai was wearing the black uniform of Shuchiin High School, with a sports jacket over it, a schoolbag slung over her shoulders, and her hair was styled in a short style. The hair tie that she used to wear in a side ponytail, full of memories, was now a bracelet.

"It's been a while, Mingxian-kun."

"It is you."

Mingxian sat back down halfway up her head.

Hayasaka Ai said speechlessly, "I feel like your attitude is a little annoying."

Mingxian said, "I thought some supernatural event was coming my way again, but it turned out to be a false alarm."

"If you enjoy exorcising demons and dealing with supernatural events, why don't you join a specialized organization?" Hayasaka Ai placed her schoolbag on the small sofa, took off her coat, and tidied her hair.

Mingxian didn't even look up; he was still typing.

"I have no interest in supernatural events. I'm just keeping myself occupied, otherwise I'm afraid I'll rust."

"You seem to hardly ever go out." Hayasaka Ai nodded, confirming, "Are you a homebody?"

Mingxian said calmly, "I just don't think socializing is a necessity in life. Being alone like this is quite nice."

Hayasaka Ai thought about it and agreed that it made sense.

In Japan, without any social interaction, no cliques, or friends, you're practically a shut-in, a socially anxious person, a sinner!

However, there are also many people who dislike socializing and prefer to be alone.

"Enjoy solitude."

Hayasaka Ai took out a coat, the very one that Naruzuru had draped over Kaguya earlier.

"Kaguya asked me to return this to you."

Mingxian's eyes lit up, and he happily took back the coat. Looking at the pattern on it, he was delighted; he really liked the coat.

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Hayasaka Ai was a little confused by him. After a moment's mental preparation, she said, "There's something I want to apologize to you for."

"what?"

"Kaguya asked me, 'Was the warrior with the golden horns who appeared that night you?'"

Mingxian looked at her.

Hayasaka Ai quickly explained, "Of course I didn't say it was you, but Kaguya seems to have gotten the answer and thinks it is you."

Mingxian, on the other hand, didn't seem to care.

It's not like the tragic loneliness of cyborgs from the Showa era.

If you know, you know.

He didn't seem to care.

"It's nothing, I don't care about such a small thing." Mingxian waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care at all.

Hayasaka Ai breathed a sigh of relief.

It's fine if you don't care.

Having finally escaped the Shinomiya family, he had no intention of provoking Naruhira.

"There's one more small thing," Hayasaka Ai said slowly, seemingly a little embarrassed.

Mingxian said directly, "You don't need to act, just say it directly."

"Ok."

Hayasaka Ai's girlish shyness vanished instantly, and she said expressionlessly, "I cannot pay your fee for the time being. The previous 40 million yen was all my savings."

"Now he has resigned from the Shinomiya family."

"While I'm not exactly penniless, I certainly can't afford to pay your commission."

"so……"

She paused for a moment, a hint of anticipation flickering in her eyes.

"Could I owe you this for now?"

Mingxian: "..."

Although I already knew this person was broke, it was still a bit unexpected that he said it so bluntly.

I thought Hayasaka Ai would just run away abroad.

She was somewhat involved in the death of the eldest son of the Shinomiya family, and she had resigned from her job. No matter how you look at it, she would be attacked by someone with ulterior motives in the Shinomiya family.