I Have a God Simulator

Chapter 12: Chapter 7: Old God’s Apostle

The God Simulator didn’t provide a detailed description of this Pixel World, nor did it give a complete map or various statistics. As a God, the player had to explore it step by step.

When the black bear had attacked the tribe last time, Luh Yao had genuinely thought it was just a wild animal attack. It was only after the Prophet examined the corpse that he identified the attacker’s true identity as a Demon Believer.

In a way, Luh Yao didn’t know much more than these little pixel people.

He just possessed the identity of a "player," something the pixel people couldn’t comprehend, making him somewhat like an external god who had descended upon the Pixel World.

’An external god...’

Luh Yao immediately had a thought.

’If there’s an external god like me, then it’s very likely there are also local gods native to the Pixel World.’

He looked at the [Energy Staff] in his hand and the [Cactus Ball Attendants] hibernating in a small flowerpot nearby. Both of these wondrous treasures had originally belonged to the Forest God. And according to the Divine Hall, the Forest God had already fallen, which was why these items he held had been scattered.

Were gods like the Forest God what were known as the Old Gods?

Unfortunately, no one could answer that question for him.

After a moment’s thought, Luh Yao made his decision.

Make the trade.

Although wheat was precious, the Garlic Tribe, being allied with the Forest Tribe, would have a hard time monopolizing the grain. Rather than risk them getting the wheat for nothing, it was better to make a straightforward trade right now.

Luh Yao clicked [Yes].

A lightbulb lit up over the Prophet’s head.

"My God, your servant knows what to do."

He immediately started a private chat with the Shaman beside him.

The leaders of the two tribes quickly reached an agreement, and smiley faces popped up over the heads of the Forest Tribe’s pixel people.

"The Shaman got the wheat!"

"Yao God has blessed the tribe with food!"

"This is great! We don’t have to fear the winter anymore!"

"The great Yao God! The wise Shaman!"

Next, the people of the Forest Tribe carried a stone sarcophagus out of the forest. They brought it all the way to the outside of the Garlic Tribe’s Divine Hall, and then the people of the Garlic Tribe moved it inside.

A gray sarcophagus icon named [Apostle] immediately appeared in the Divine Hall interface.

Luh Yao clicked on [Apostle].

A character portrait appeared on the screen. In the image, a woman with her eyes covered by a black cloth lay inside a gray coffin.

Her cheeks were covered in fine cracks, and her body looked as if it were sealed in mud and plaster. Her gray, rocky shell was almost one with the stone coffin. If not for the faint outline of a soft, girlish face, she would be indistinguishable from a stone statue.

...

[Apostle]: Near death.

Apostle of the Forest God. Apostles carry out the will and commands of a god, listen to the god’s voice, and are the vessels through which a god descends upon the world.

...

’According to the description, is this Apostle a unit that a Divine Player can directly control?’

However, awakening her would not be easy.

Luh Yao clicked on [Apostle] and received a prompt.

—Reviving and converting her into an Apostle of your Divine Hall requires a large amount of the Power of Faith. Do you wish to spend 500 Faith Value to convert the Apostle?

Based on the Faith cost of Miracles, one lightning strike was 20 Faith, meaning this Apostle was worth 25 lightning strikes. He currently couldn’t support an expenditure of this magnitude at all.

Luh Yao could only set the matter of the Apostle aside for now and continue to focus on the fundamentals of development.

He mused that this near-death Apostle was still a subordinate of the Forest God.

Considering the [Energy Staff] had been dug up from the forest by the Prophet, the [Cactus Ball Attendants] sent by the Forest Tribe had also originated from the Forest God’s Divine Hall, and now a near-death Apostle was unearthed from underground... it seemed this forest and the Forest God were connected in some way.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t communicate directly with the pixel people, and there were no options to ask questions, so he couldn’t find any clues.

Luh Yao turned his attention back to the tribe’s development.

He moved one of the Pig Fish Brothers to the riverside and the other into the forest. One of them was formerly a fisherman and the other a Hunter, so this was a case of playing to their respective strengths.

Soon, the two Heroes provided feedback.

"The places in the river with lots of fish are all in the deep-water areas. We need boats. The tribe needs to build boats to be able to fish."

"Medicinal herbs have been discovered in the forest. There are animal chew marks and bloodstains on them, but they can’t be identified. We need a Pharmacist to identify them."

The resources were there, but he lacked the specialized talent to identify and use them.

Luh Yao knew he couldn’t rush these things, so he relaxed and watched from the sidelines.

He found two rock-hard frozen ears of corn in his fridge and boiled them for dinner.

Chewing on the warm, soft, and sticky corn, Luh Yao watched the little people of the tribe scurry about. It reminded him of the simple joy of watching ants on the ground as a child, and he found a unique pleasure in it.

Before long, snow began to fall in the Pixel World. Winter had arrived.

Except for the two Heroes, the Pig Fish Brothers, all the pixel people of the Garlic Tribe who were outside returned to their homes to stay warm. During the short daylight hours, they gathered branches for firewood and cleared the snow around the Divine Hall and farmland.

Fortunately, the wheat had been planted very early, and the bountiful harvest provided the tribe with plenty of food. Faced with the harsh winter, the little pixel people were not afraid at all.

"We have wheat, we have enough food, and our homes are warm."

"Wheat, the power of wheat!"

"The winter looks like it will be long. Thankfully, with the wheat and garlic blessed by our God, no one should starve to death this winter."

The pixel people in the tribe all had happy emojis above their heads.

At this time, the Forest Tribe suddenly came to visit.

Unlike their past trade visits, this time the esteemed Shaman personally led the delegation. The Prophet welcomed them and lit a bonfire between the snowdrifts to warm themselves with their visiting allies.

An anxious emoji appeared above the Shaman’s head.

"Friends of the Garlic Tribe, we have encountered a difficulty we cannot solve. We implore your help."

"Twenty of the Forest Tribe’s Hunters, who are also the best hunters in our tribe, went deep into the forest for one last hunt to prepare for winter. A great slide of snow from the mountains buried them in the northern forest, and we cannot find them."

"Only the mighty power of a God can save them."

"We ask the omnipotent Yao God in the Divine Hall to have mercy on these Hunters who were seeking food and grant them protection. If you can help these kinsmen survive, we will build a Divine Hall in our tribe to make Sacrificial Offerings to Yao God and give you our loyalty."

An exclamation mark popped up above the Prophet’s head.

He said, "Since you wish to pray for the God’s protection, then go and worship Yao God at the Divine Hall. Only the most pious and sincere requests can receive a God’s mercy and Blessing."

So the Shaman led his people to the Divine Hall and began to worship around it.

Luh Yao thought it over.

’According to the Shaman, if I can find these people, I can establish a Divine Hall in the Forest Tribe as well. This is like being able to grant Blessings to two tribes at once. Wouldn’t that mean I can get Sacrificial Offerings from both tribes?’

But how could he save these Hunters trapped in the deep snow?

Luh Yao thought of the [Scorching Sun] Miracle.

Unleashing this Miracle, which cost 25 Faith, should be able to melt the snow.

He selected [Scorching Sun], targeted the northernmost, interactable area of the forest on the game interface, expanded the area of effect as much as possible, and then clicked the mouse.

A brilliant golden light appeared over the northern forest. The thick white snow quickly dissipated, revealing many little people collapsed on the ground, shivering.

An exclamation mark popped up above the head of the kneeling Shaman.

"Great God, the Forest Tribe is sincerely grateful for Your mercy! We firmly believe in Your mighty power! We will immediately build a Divine Hall to worship You!"

The Shaman then dispatched a group of his people, who quickly advanced toward the part of the northern forest where the snow had melted. Soon, they found the missing Hunters.

As the Shaman had promised, the Forest Tribe also built a Divine Hall. This one was made of wood, modeled after the white Divine Hall.

To Luh Yao’s slight disappointment, the Divine Hall interface didn’t change. His plan to double his Blessings and Sacrificial Offerings had not come to fruition.

But there was a reward.

[Your Miracle has changed the Forest Tribe’s attitude to Worship.]

[Because they worship the same God, the Forest Tribe is merging with the Garlic Tribe.]

Luh Yao’s spirits lifted.

If he could merge with the Forest Tribe’s one hundred-plus people, it would be a huge upgrade.

’That’s over a hundred Faith Value!’

The population increase would also expand the radiant boundary of the Divine Hall, provide more manpower, and trigger more random events.

This immediate expenditure of Faith was an exchange for long-term, sustainable returns.

’A win!’