The goddess Mikkelsen reacted quite calmly.
"Caring about others? Wanting to protect them, wanting to be with them? I've never done that. Rather than building emotional connections, I've been devouring their flesh and blood."
However, she wasn't stupid enough to miss the mockery in Hayden's words.
"But Mr. Hayden, what makes you think I'm not interested in these kinds of feelings? Is it just because I eat people and drink blood?"
A long, unsettling, stiff atmosphere suddenly filled the study.
"love."
Then the goddess Mikt uttered the word, and from her mouth it sounded like a foreign language, strange and dreamlike.
"I don't understand this thing. It's said to bring great pleasure, but I've never experienced that legendary ecstasy. The only thing I can taste is the desire for blood. But do you think I don't crave that kind of pleasure? Evolution and survival are universal needs, and experiencing more of the unknown and turning it into the known might further accelerate the pace of evolution."
Her voice seemed full of joy, and also seemed to yearn for joy.
"Of course, I've never done this before because I had to consider the costs and couldn't see any benefits. But this time is different. I'm not asking you to actively satisfy my desires, but rather, based on the potential future resource availability and return on investment, I want to choose to love you."
Has anyone been touched?
Hayden is not at all.
To be honest, he thought that was hilarious.
However, upon hearing Mickett's words and recalling this incident, Hayden couldn't help but feel a little strange—back then, when he wanted to create the Clockwork Bride, he simply wanted someone to love him. He never expected that a capitalist god would come to him to discuss this topic today.
Love
This topic is enough to fill a book, and even one book wouldn't be enough; there would have to be another, and it might never be finished. So Hayden didn't intend to get too bogged down in complicated matters with the goddess Mikkelsen. He simply thought about how to make a sarcastic remark without being too harsh, and then tentatively said:
“Miktikahiva, I don’t mean to mock you, but I find your misunderstanding very strange.”
These words startled the goddess Mikite slightly: "What misunderstanding?"
Hayden shrugged: "You said you want to choose love, but what exactly is this 'love'?"
What exactly is love?
There would probably be more than a thousand answers to this question among a thousand people.
So the goddess Mikkelsen frowned: "I have said before that I do not understand love, but the love I know is of two kinds. The first is cooperative and mutually beneficial love, 'What I crave is what you naturally have and do not lack; what you crave is what I naturally have and do not lack, so we complement each other.' The second kind of love is purely altruistic, without preconditions, without considering one's own interests, completely selfless, and only hoping that the other person will be happy and benefit."
"But to be honest, I don't think the second kind of love truly exists. Even the love parents have for their children is conditional, not absolute. How can such feelings arise between two unrelated people?"
She actually put it quite well.
So Hayden nodded and waved to her, explaining, “You believe love is based on cooperation and mutual benefit. You previously said that you don’t need to ask me to do anything because you want to love me and marry me based on the possible future resource ownership and return rate. In other words, this doesn’t even qualify as an equal and mutually beneficial relationship between husband and wife. It’s just that you are optimistic about my development potential and are making an investment from a superior to an inferior.”
……ah?
When Goddess Mikt heard this, she was genuinely stunned for a moment.
"On one hand, you say you don't need me to do anything proactively, and that you only value the future return on investment; on the other hand, you say you want to marry me and establish an equal and mutually beneficial relationship—this is both contradictory and unnecessary. Mutually beneficial? Wouldn't it be enough for us to just sign a few ordinary business cooperation agreements?"
Hayden spouted nonsense with a straight face, then casually pointed to Panya, who was huddled on the sofa in the corner of the room.
"Otherwise, following your line of thinking, I should be marrying this girl. She can't offer me much right now, and my power is actually greater than hers, but she has great potential, right?"
Pania was stunned when she heard this—why was this old man trying to shift the blame onto her?
Goddess Mikter frowned immediately, feeling that Hayden was trying to deceive her. However, she wasn't stupid; she could tell that Hayden was clearly looking for an excuse to refuse. So, although disappointed, she took the opportunity to say, "Then what do you want in return? You've brought me many benefits this time. If we're going to sign a long-term cooperation agreement, I'm willing to give you a lot of concessions."
What does Hayden want?
First and foremost, he needed to gain access to more of the Smoke Mirror Company's medical magic technology. This was something Hayden had always longed for and couldn't possibly forget.
As for the second...
"It's about time I upgraded my life level to the next stage. But I haven't figured out which direction of the gods I should adjust to."
Hayden said, half-jokingly,
"As you know, although every major company has the technology to modify mortals into god-like bodies, each company specializes in different areas. Many people say that Wotan Mystery Company's mechanical modifications are the strongest, as flesh and blood are too weak. But even if I like mecha girls, I don't want to change myself into a mechanical body."
"And your company is undoubtedly the most advanced in the technology of modifying living organisms."
When this topic came up, Goddess Mikt was no longer sleepy: "Oh? What kind of god do you want to ascend to? I recommend a vampire, and I don't intend for you to become a lesser vampire."
Vampires are out of the question. Hayden only intends to ask this top-tier Grim Reaper for something else.
"I want immortality."
He stopped smiling and said in a serious tone.
————————————————————————————
After that, Hayden spent more than ten minutes discussing the contract terms with the goddess Mikter. He first briefly discussed the basics, and then made an excuse to take Panya away.
Pania didn't want to be alone in a room with the goddess Mikter in the first place, and besides, she had already finished talking with the goddess Mikter, so she immediately used Hayden's excuse to run away with him.
However, less than five minutes after leaving the villa, she snuggled up to Hayden and asked excitedly, "Uncle, Uncle, are you really a lolicon?"
"You're a sixteen-year-old girl, stop calling yourself a loli and stop trying to get close to men." Hayden casually pushed her away. "And what's wrong with your brain? I was just giving you an example."
If Panya really didn't want to be pushed away, she now possessed more than ten times the strength of a standard battle god, and Hayden couldn't push her away at all. It wouldn't even be difficult for him to push her away. However, Panya still pretended to be pushed away while continuing to ask curiously, "Of course I know that you're just using me as an example to change the subject, but why? Is it because you hate the dirty mutual exploitation in the relationships between couples in high society?"
Hayden shook his head: "It's not dirty for husbands and wives to use each other. That kind of family is also a kind of affection, neither sacred nor vulgar. What kind of love in the world is purely altruistic, without any preconditions, without considering one's own interests, completely selfless, and only hoping that the other person is happy and benefits? I respect my parents very much, but even my maternal love is only close to that level, I don't love them to that level."
Even so, Hayden couldn't help but think of Angela at home as he spoke.
"There can be no love between slaves and slave owners, no love between nobles and servants, just as there can be no love between capitalists and laborers. Even in a mutually beneficial relationship, love between husband and wife can only be obtained from an equal relationship. Do you think it's possible for me to be equal to Miktikashiva if I were to marry her now?"
"Besides, you can tell from the way she talks that the monster doesn't understand love at all. She keeps saying she wants love, but what she really wants is a rare slave, thinking that this will satisfy her greed forever. I must have been crazy to become her slave."
Hayden said it very simply.
Panya listened in a daze.
She was still quite young and didn't fully understand the relationship between family, private ownership, and capitalist society. Hayden didn't intend to explain it to her in detail. These things were better understood through reading and learning.
But Panya's curiosity remained undiminished, and she continued to press, "Then why did you use me as an example, uncle? Besides, to be honest, you and the Peacock King's daughter aren't truly equals, are you?"
"Karen and I were equals, but not in a romantic relationship. But at least she knew how to love, although it was a different kind of love based on her own morality, sense of justice, and compassion, which led her to dedicate her life to benefiting the people."
Hayden, having said this, gently patted Panya's white head.
"the same as you."
Now it was the little girl's turn to blush. Not because she was touched, but because she was praised.
"I'm not as good as you say!"
Even so, Hayden still saw Panya's lion tail sticking up.
So he didn't intend to finish saying what he had left to say.
Karen's love for the common people was a universal compassion and pity for the suffering, as well as righteous indignation against the inaction of the capitalist ruling class. It was a resolute, fiery passion to change society.
As for Pania, according to Hayden, she is actually a different type.
"You've practically become a god now, achieving your ideals. Living in a mansion and eating steak, lobster, and scallops is no problem for you. What are your plans after that?"
Hayden tentatively asked, "Do you still want to be an idol?"
Now that things have come to this, Pania is no longer an idol, or no longer so focused on being an idol. Instead, she has allocated her main focus to managing capital and cultivating idols under the company, which may actually earn her more money.
But Panya shook her head: "So many fans watch my live streams, like my shows, and relax after a hard day's get off work by watching me sing and chat. How could I possibly make money and then run away?"
These words finally made Hayden laugh: "You should know that they just treat virtual idols as public electronic pets, and even if you run away, they'll just promote other idols, right?"
"...Uncle, you're being really cruel."
Pania shook her hair in annoyance.
"But at least those fans are watching me now, so I need to watch them too, and care about them. So I need to work hard to prepare for my daily live streams, practice singing and record videos, and do my best to treat the illnesses of those suffering fans. I'm a god now, and although I can multitask, I should still focus my main energy on my fans (believers). How can I abandon them?"
Hayden, on the contrary, laughed even more heartily.
This is certainly a kind of love. It's a very ordinary, yet warm and gentle kind of love.
Love doesn't necessarily have to be something extraordinary or metaphysical.
Hayden once read in a book that the opposite of happiness is not sadness, but boredom.
Similarly, hate is not the true opposite of love. Even hate is a way of showing respect for someone's existence. If you care about someone so much that you'd rather they were dead than alive, it also means you are thinking about them.
However, in this era, capitalists are like gods. They soar high in the sky, needing no reason to look down at the struggling ants on the ground.
But these ants, in reality, are just like us—human beings. These ants are intelligent beings, far more significant than pigs and dogs. Nevertheless, no mortal has the right to look directly at the gods, nor the right to be seen by them.
What is more terrifying than hatred?
It's the indifference that makes the upper class completely blind to the suffering of the lower class.
Today, Hayden has cultivated a young and naive goddess who, though innocent, can see the eyes of those who suffer. When these people write their stories and post comments, she sheds tears for them. At the same time, these people can see that she is crying for them, and that she will do her best to reach out and help these suffering people, to heal their wounds.
Can this change the whole world? Probably not.
But at this moment, at least those suffering people saw themselves in her eyes, saw her doing everything she could to help them. In the eyes of [Magical Girl Pazuzu], they were no longer ants, but human beings. Their lives and suffering were not in vain, because someone truly cared about them.
In this indifferent capitalist society, this is love.
Many people who don't receive love in this indifferent society will find comfort in "Magical Girl Pazuzu".
In this incident, Hayden gained quite a lot for himself. He stole and swindled a significant amount of technology from the Mitra Corporation and the Smoke Mirror Company, and he even managed to resurrect Alastor. The goddess Mikt now quite likes him, has discussed many business deals with him, given him considerable benefits, and is even offering to help Hayden adapt to a god-like body.
But for Hayden, this little goddess Pania is his greatest achievement in this incident!
————————————————————————————
Believe that your life is not in vain.
Believe me, believe that your sacrifice was not in vain.
Because He has seen your suffering.
188: The Magician
"I'm back!"
In the end, Panya still insisted on going home with Hayden.
Hayden immediately retorted, "This isn't your house."
Unfortunately, Pania is like a tame cat; she's incredibly shameless towards her friends. After sneaking into Hayden's house, she kicked off her shoes and ran to the kitchen: "Sister Angela, is there anything to eat?"
Her main purpose was actually to come to Hayden's house for a free meal.
"Let me make it clear beforehand, I don't have time to be your producer anymore."
Although Hayden let her run wild, he also reminded her of something very cruel.
"I won't let Angela cook for you every day from now on."
Pania, however, stood tall and proud, hands on her hips, and declared, "Then I'll come here every day to freeload!"
This little girl has now become a god. No one in the world is completely free, but Pania has at least gained freedom to a large extent. Although she still looks like a little white-haired girl, this mortal body is no longer her true form. The golden lion's fur and eagle's wings are the true form of [Magical Girl Goddess Pazuzu]. Moreover, that true form is almost unrestricted by time and space.
Because the true God can simultaneously handle different events happening in different places. They are capable of multi-threaded thinking and calculation, and with the help of networks, apostles, incarnations, and divine representations, they can effectively appear in different locations. Their only limitations are the power of their own thoughts and the amount of resources they can utilize.
Of course, this requires learning. Pania, who only became a [Heavenly] level god yesterday, still needs more practice, but her talent is excellent. At least she can easily manage to come to the Hayden family's house for meals while also not neglecting her work.
In contrast, Hayden doubted he could ever acquire such an ability in his lifetime. Angela had once said that Hayden's prophetic talent was similar to Panya's, yet different; his current doubt likely referred to this very aspect. It was the talent to become a god. And Hayden always felt he lacked this talent.
Anyone with money can become a god. It's a price list. Hayden had even almost finalized a deal with the goddess Mikt.
However, he figured he probably couldn't become a true god. This wasn't a matter of resources, but rather a matter of aptitude.
The paths to power possessed by modern gods are nothing more than two.
Firstly, the path most capitalists follow is one of expanding "themselves." If a person can afford six horses, their strength is naturally theirs, as if they had twenty-four legs. Capitalist gods can act as the core, unifying all their assets, controlling and amplifying these resources and powers. Their resources are an extension of their existence.
Secondly, there are a very few special cases like the Peacock King. Although the Peacock King is also a god of capital, he is not outward-looking, but rather inward-looking. As a god of war, he does not need to expand his "self" outward, but cultivates his own supernatural powers inward, without relying on external things.
However, this level of power ultimately falls short of that of a true God of Capital. While supernatural abilities allow you to remain aloof from the world, and other Gods of Capital are hesitant to offend you for fear of the high cost of managing you, you still cannot change the world. This is because the Peacock King's multi-faceted operational capabilities, his ability to consolidate power, and his capacity to strengthen his subordinates are significantly inferior to other Gods of Capital. Such supernatural powers are sufficient for self-preservation, but not for influencing the outside world.
Besides, Hayden didn't have any talent for martial arts. He was a wizard, not a martial artist!
In other words, Hayden couldn't succeed on either of those paths, nor did he intend to. He would probably have to devise a groundbreaking development path that differed from existing technologies.
This is absolutely terrifying. The difficulty is equivalent to carving a path of light through a dark wilderness.
So, although Panya dragged Hayden home for dinner, he was completely distracted. Angela's cream of mushroom soup that day was the best he had ever tasted, but Hayden just picked up a spoon and ate it half-heartedly.
Pania, on the other hand, looked happy and ate her baked rice with gusto.