I Have a God Simulator

Chapter 32: Chapter 27: Ghost Soul Faith is Also Faith

Luh Yao focused his view over Saniluo City.

The infrastructure of this Ghost City was on par with that of a feudal era. The streets were paved with stone slabs, and the various buildings were of mixed wood and stone construction. There were even drainage ditches, flowerbeds, and trees planted along the roadsides.

The residents of Saniluo were all Ghost Souls. They were different from normal pixel people; their bodies were translucent, like enlarged versions of the little gray figures that had previously appeared over the heads of the Barbarian Tribe. The Ghost Soul residents had another characteristic: they had level indicators above their heads.

The vast majority of Ghost Soul residents were between LV 1 and LV 5.

The soldiers, on the other hand, ranged from LV 5 to LV 10. These Ghost Souls wore Chain Armor and bronze helmets, and carried spears. Their appearance was a stark contrast to that of the ordinary citizens; they were true professional soldiers.

The soldiers were led by a Commander named Alex. He was an impressive LV 12, clad in silver Half Armor and wielding a shield and a One-Handed Sword.

All Ghost Souls possessed an ability: [Evasion].

...

[Evasion]

Can evade some damage from attacks. The probability is higher against weaker life forms.

...

Sand Worms also had this ability.

For ordinary people, this ability was completely overwhelming.

The level indicators above the heads of the pixel Ghost Souls signified that they were on a level beyond ordinary people. In other words, every Ghost Soul possessed the strength of a Hero or a monster.

A city of over ten thousand Ghost Souls was a nightmare-level power to the surrounding tribal civilizations.

’But hey, I’ve got an Apostle on my side.’

Luh Yao looked toward Isabel, who was flanked by Mayor Chapman and Commander Alex.

To break through Saniluo City’s entire defense system single-handedly—that was the appeal of Isabel.

Mayor Chapman began to pour out his woes.

"Due to the existence of the Divine Totem, the Fire of Faith of other Gods cannot be ignited here."

"The Totem’s influence also prevents the Ghost Souls of Saniluo from leaving and outside Ghost Souls from entering. Instead, it seems only monsters are able to come here to wreak havoc and kill."

"The Sand Worms from the desert sometimes attack the city, and we struggle to fend them off every time."

"There are also Sea Monsters in the ocean that sometimes attack the port."

"Over the years, the number of Ghost Souls in the city has been steadily decreasing. If this continues, Saniluo City will eventually fall to ruin."

Commander Alex added, "Our soldiers are constantly suffering losses, and now we only have 58. Our defensive capabilities continue to weaken. Although I’ve been training ordinary citizens to become soldiers, the results have been poor."

"..."

Isabel fell silent for a moment. "So, you’re saying the key to the Saniluo Curse is the Divine Totem. As long as the Totem is gone, this city will no longer be restricted in terms of Faith and population."

"You are correct."

Mayor Chapman immediately pleaded, "But mortals cannot destroy a Divine Totem. It is a mark left by a God. Even if you destroy the physical statue, the mark itself will remain."

"Only a God can oppose a God."

"Saniluo has always hoped that a God would come and save our city. We are willing to offer all our Faith, just as we once served the Forest God. We will spread our God’s name and blessings to every land we have traveled."

Isabel looked toward the screen and knelt on one knee.

A dialog box that only Luh Yao could see appeared above her head.

"My Lord, should we accept the Wandering Souls of Saniluo?"

’Can Ghost Souls provide Faith?’

"Yes."

Isabel said, "Anything in this world that possesses sentience or Wisdom also possesses the Power of Faith."

’Well then, what’s there to even think about?’

’I’ll take the whole city!’

Luh Yao shifted his gaze to the main plaza of Saniluo City.

The plaza was the heart of the city, the point where all streets converged. This circular space was flanked by buildings resembling a city hall and a watchtower, and in its center stood a blue sculpture.

Luh Yao took a closer look.

’Well, well, if it isn’t my old friend, the Divine Prayer Totem.’

’I already blasted one with lightning back in the East River Tribe, so I have no qualms about taking down a second one.’

Luh Yao selected Lightning from the [Miracle] menu and unleashed a bolt at the totem.

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky, only to vanish without a trace as it neared the city.

[Due to the protection of the Divine Totem, your Miracle was ineffective.]

The Totem’s defense didn’t surprise Luh Yao. What did surprise him was that after he’d hit it with ten bolts of [Lightning], the Totem had only developed a few cracks and was still standing.

He realized that Totems probably had different Tiers as well.

This Totem was much tougher than the one in the East River Tribe.

Luh Yao glanced at the upper right corner.

Population: 401 Faith: 522

’Still got some Faith ammo.’

’Isabel is watching, the Ghost Souls of Saniluo City are watching... my image as a God is on the line here. On a grander scale, this is about my future authority and the stability of the Ghost Souls’ Faith.’

’Since things have come to this, I’ve got to take it down in one fell swoop.’

Luh Yao started spam-clicking [Lightning].

It was only then that he noticed a number appearing after the word Lightning.

’So I can select the quantity—or rather, the intensity—of the [Lightning] all at once.’

Luh Yao maxed it out.

[Lightning] x25!

He locked the selection area over the Totem and clicked his mouse.

A cluster of flickering blue arcs lit up the sky of the Pixel World. The light converged into a massive pillar of lightning that came crashing down on the Divine Prayer Totem!

It went smoothly this time. The Totem was instantly vaporized into ash, and a large, scorched patch of ground was left where the sculpture had been.

As the Totem was shattered, all the residents of Saniluo City began to cheer.

"The Curse is gone!"

"Long live Yao God!"

"We have a new God!"

"Saniluo is free!"

"Praise Yao God! The great Yao God!"

...

A smiley face symbol appeared above Mayor Chapman’s head.

He said to Isabel, "On behalf of all the citizens of Saniluo, I offer my sincere thanks for our God’s mercy and tolerance. From this day forward, we in Saniluo will place our Faith in Yao God, offering him our Faith and our loyalty."

Commander Alex also knelt on one knee. "Loyalty to Yao God!"

The soldiers behind him followed his example, kneeling to pledge their allegiance.

"Loyalty to Yao God!"

"Loyalty to Yao God!"

Luh Yao, meanwhile, had his eyes glued to the upper right corner of the game interface.

The Faith value remained motionless, stuck at 22.

He muttered to himself.

’No way. Did I get scammed?’

Just as he was growing anxious, the Faith Value suddenly skyrocketed!

His Faith jumped from 22 to 10,754!

Luh Yao couldn’t help but pump his fist in triumph.

’We did it!’

’Now *this* is the fast-paced gameplay of God Simulator. Find a massive population group, regardless of whether they’re even human, and as long as they have Faith, bring them into the fold. This is what you call expanding your target demographic and external demand.’

After recovering slightly from the euphoria of getting rich overnight, Luh Yao noticed that the population count next to Faith had also skyrocketed.

Population: 11,133 Faith: 10,754

’So Ghost Souls really do have Faith, and they even count toward the Believer population.’

Luh Yao moved his mouse over the population counter.

For the first time, a detailed breakdown appeared beneath it.

Ghost Souls made up the vast majority of the population, with the living now a small minority.

However, this brought up the next problem.

’How should I handle Saniluo?’

Mayor Chapman made a request to Isabel. "Lord Apostle, the residents of Saniluo are all Ghost Souls. Ordinary people cannot see us. Ghost Souls can only be seen by other Ghost Souls or other special, extraordinary beings."

"Normal city development may no longer be suitable for Saniluo."

"But being Ghost Souls has its advantages."

"We don’t need food or rest, and we have long lives. The more Ghost Souls there are in Saniluo, the stronger we all become... It even allows for the birth of High Tier Ghost Soul individuals."

"Accidents often happen at sea, so there are many Wandering Souls. We wish to bring them to Saniluo. This would not only recruit more Believers for the Lord God, but also further expand the city."

Luh Yao wholeheartedly approved of and praised this proposal.

’This mayor, Chapman, is pretty sharp.’

’In the Pixel World, population is the primary force of production!’

Luh Yao conveyed his own suggestions through Isabel.

—I suggest searching in the desert; there should be plenty of Ghost Souls there. Also, heading north along the desert, there are Wandering Souls around the Garlic Tribe and in the forest.

Seeing his proposal affirmed, a smiley face symbol appeared over Mayor Chapman’s head. "Excellent, excellent. We will send soldiers to retrieve these Ghost Souls shortly."

A plan for the future development of the Ghost City Saniluo began to form in Luh Yao’s mind.

’As the saying goes: old people, old methods; new people, new methods.’

’The dead from the Garlic Tribe and the surrounding tribes will have their Ghost Souls enter Saniluo, where they can continue to contribute their part, offer up Faith, and build the world in another way after death.’

’The strength of the Ghost Souls is also directly related to their numbers. It’s a win-win.’

’Perfect.’