She Smiled (Continued)

Ah... this is terrible. I can feel a completely selfish flame of ambition burning within me.

[Companion Kujou Sara defeats Hilichurl King*1, obtaining 5 Gacha Coins]

[Companion Raiden Ei kills a large number of Honkai zombie, obtaining 1 gacha coin]

Happy, fully automatic idle farming.

After sending Mobius and Natasha, who had been insisting on staying, back home, Liu Bai sat in front of the Gacha Machine, flipping through books while listening to the system's announcements, feeling very happy.

Without their own burdens, this group seems to have improved their kill efficiency considerably.

Now... I hope God will bless me with Kafka in my tenth consecutive pull.

"..."

Oh, no.

Guaranteed progress +10

Liu Bai silently threw the materials containing the destiny chart into his mouth and ate them.

Oh well, it's normal not to get any good drops from this kind of pool.

[Abundance: 12]

You can choose one of the following three items as a reward.

[Oath Imprint: Restores 10% of health and stamina after each attack on a weakness]

[Resurrection: After healing others, you unconditionally gain 20% of the healing effect.]

[Limpid Glazed Body: When the user is free from injuries and negative status effects, they are less likely to fall into abnormal statuses and take 50% less damage.]

After thinking for a moment, Liu Bai directly chose the Limpid Glazed Body, as the more room for error, the better.

"Sir, you're here."

"Is there something you need, Acheron?"

Liu Bai looked at the aloof female swordsman at the door.

He's always the one looking for Acheron; it's rare for Acheron to come looking for him.

"You mentioned something related to... laughter before, didn't you?"

"Um?"

Liu Bai tilted his head.

"Ah... I did say that this morning, it was just something I said casually, Acheron, you don't need to take it too seriously."

"No, you make a very good point."

Acheron shook her head. She had gone too far down the path of nothingness, to the point that... while she wasn't completely detached from normal human life, she did feel out of place with others.

"So I want to relearn about relationships... or rather, relax."

"So that's why you've been fishing all day." Bai roughly understood why the Pajama Fisherman Acheron had appeared so frequently lately.

Is she trying to rekindle their relationship through entertainment?

To be honest, Acheron Quan's values are those of a normal person. He seems more aloof than emotionally abnormal.

"... Please excuse my poor performance."

Acheron nodded slightly.

"I think this is a good thing, being able to take the initiative to ask others for help."

Liu Bai got up from the chair and stretched.

"... I will still ask for directions." Acheron retorted, seemingly because of Liu Bai's statement.

However, it has been a long time since we've seen someone ask for help from others because of their own problems.

Before this, she had always been a loner—even when she occasionally traveled with others, it wasn't really a journey together.

"Then, shall we go?"

"Um."

Acheron had already changed into his usual clothes and didn't bring a knife, clearly ready to go out.

"Speaking of which, Acheron, is there anything you like?"

"Things... that I like?"

At home, there are still only Liu Bai and Huang Quan—Nata Sansha. "We need to send Mebius back to S and continue to attend Ling's class."

Dream

Acheron fell into deep thought regarding Liu Bai's question.

For her, this question... was somewhat pointed.

It should have been a very simple question, but it made Acheron rest his chin on his hand and fall into deep thought.

"Is there anything you like?"

"My preferences?" Bai also fell into deep thought—of course, not the confused deep thought that Acheron had.

"There are too many to list. Playing video games, eating delicious food, watching pretty girls... It would be difficult for me to pick just a few as representative hobbies."

If Liu Bai were asked to list his hobbies, he would definitely write things like playing soccer or basketball—even though he never does them.

However, Acheron clearly did not want this perfunctory answer—although from another perspective, Liu Bai's ambiguous answer was also perfunctory.

Liu Bai himself also realized the problem. "Well, for example, Acheron, everyone likes the food you cook, and Acheron, you are also a very beautiful and likable woman... Hmm, it does sound a bit strange, doesn't it?"

"No, I think I can understand... You're an 'ordinary person'."

Acheron was not disappointed by this problem.

"Most of the people I've met... are a bit obsessive, which is probably why they've gone too far down the path of destiny. Their obsession is the driving force that keeps them going. They are all talented people, but you are different from them. You are not obsessive... Perhaps that is why you did not embark on the path of destiny."

"... Is this a compliment?"

Liu Bai sensed from Acheron's tone that he meant, "This person is about to graduate, yet he's still doing nothing and not looking for a job."

But the problem is, he's not an alien at all.

He didn't even understand his own background.

"Hmm, that's a compliment, but thinking about it this way..."

Liu Bai is also "desireless"... He seems to have many desires, but there is no desire that he cannot give up.

They are not ashamed to talk about money and sex, but they do not cross the line. They have a sense of justice, but they do not coerce others.

Treat all desires equally...

"Peach."

"A miraculous cure?"

"?"

Acheron tilted his head.

"I want to eat peaches... What do you mean by 'miraculous cure'?"

"I just have intermittent bouts of madness, don't worry about it." Bai gave Acheron an irrefutable reason. "Want to eat peaches? No problem. By the way, Acheron, why did you choose to accept this guard job?"

"...I guess I just had nothing to do." Acheron pondered for a moment. "Travel requires supplies, and money is also meaningful to me. The reward you gave me was quite generous, and I had nothing to do."

"What if... well... it's fake?"

"Your payment has been credited to your account... You are the first employer I've ever met to pay in advance."

"..."

What Liu Bai really wanted to ask was, were these thoughts and Remembrance fake?

After all, the system... well, it's a bit like a "chattering little gay guy" when you're being picky about it.

But we still need to consider it.

"Moreover, I have already received a reward that is more valuable than money."

Acheron looked at Liu Bai's expression and spoke.

Was I scammed by Liu Bai?

Even if that's the case, it doesn't matter.

Moreover, Acheron vaguely sensed that Liu Bai was implying something else, which might not be a scam or anything like that. But in any case, Acheron was actually quite content with his current life.

"... Although I may not be good at listening to other people's troubles, if you have anything to say, please feel free to tell me, and I will pray that IX will take them away."

"You're clearly the one who draws your sword towards nothingness, aren't you?"

Although that's what they said, Acheron's advice did work on Liu Bai.

That's true. Since I can't do too much, I should just be myself and let others feel my sincerity.

"It feels like we've switched roles. Aren't I the one listening to your troubles?"

"Perhaps this is what communication between ordinary people is like? Even in my hometown, it's all about mutual understanding—"

"... Hey, you laughed."

"?"

Acheron tilted his head in confusion, but Liu Bai immediately reached out and pressed his head down from both sides to hold it in place.

"Don't move! Maintain... Ah, that's it."

Just a moment ago, Liu Bai saw Acheron's lips curl up.

But as soon as Liu Bai finished speaking, the precious smile on Acheron's face disappeared.

Damn it... I shouldn't have said that.

"It's like stirring up a hornet's nest"—although this phrase might not be entirely accurate.

So, which is rarer, a smiling Acheron or a smile in Acheron?

"... Did I just laugh?" Acheron was clearly unaware of this.

"I laughed... I feel like I let the Piggies slip away."

Liu Bai was somewhat disappointed.

"Next time, you should be quicker and take the picture directly... So, Acheron, can you imagine what you were thinking when you laughed just now?"

"... It's just a very ordinary state of mind, I guess."

Acheron had no idea she was laughing, but after Liu Bai said that, she was a little unsure.

"You don't need to feel sorry." Acheron pushed away Liu Bai's hands that were holding his head in place. "Since you've seen it once... then maybe, no, there will definitely be a second time. It's very easy for me to talk to you."

[Acheron's Favorability: 4044]

"... Let's just leave it at that." Bai sighed. "Where were we?"

"My hometown..."

"No, not that—we were talking about wanting peaches, weren't we? Let's go, let's go."

Liu Bai pushed open the door and went out.

"By the way, Acheron, what do you think of the other family members?"

"They're all good people." Acheron's interest waned when it came to the others.

"A large-scale mass distribution of membership cards."

Although Acheron's "good guy card" seems to have some value?

"However, I think... Miss Katsura, Miss Firefly, and I are probably three completely different types of people."

"How so?"