I Have a God Simulator

Luh Yao shifted his perspective to the World-Dimension Space and saw a simple, compass-shaped dashboard appear on the right.

In the center of the dashboard was a green cluster where several names were squeezed together: [Unnamed Fragment World], [Yunzhong Temple], [Ghost Realm], [Bamboo Reed Kingdom], and [Banquet Bird of the Toastmaster].

This green cluster, the axis, represented the Ring Realm Group surrounding the Vortex World.

There was only a single pointer on the dial, pointing northeast.

In other words, the Dragon Residence was along that route.

Ever since he had started piloting the Vortex World, Luh Yao’s biggest frustration had been the lack of a map. He could only wander aimlessly through the Crawling Area, and anything he encountered was purely by chance.

His only gains since setting out had been the capture of two Divine Kingdoms, which allowed him to experiment with various ideas.

Now that he knew the general direction of the Dragon Residence, he had a relatively clear coordinate to set sail for. As long as he traveled in that direction, he would find a Tunnel World connected to the Dragon Residence.

These Tunnel Worlds were either vassals of the Dragon Race in the Crawling Area or belonged to Gods on good terms with them.

Thanks to the Deterrence of the Dragon Race, these Tunnel Worlds were typically safe zones, like little harbors in the Crawling Area that maintained a relatively stable environment.

Luh Yao prepared for two contingencies.

If a Tunnel World was intact and still provided access to the Dragon Residence, it would be logical to have his subordinates, Cancong and the Dark Sun Dragon, pay a visit. There might even be an opportunity to trade.

If the Tunnel World had been destroyed, it was still a Divine Kingdom in its own right—and there was value even in ruins. He could go over and salvage the scraps. Even a Gravel World like the Banquet Bird had plenty of All-Purpose Stones, to say nothing of a former Divine Kingdom.

The development of the Banquet Bird was nearing completion, so it was time to find the next engineering project for King Wuzi’s team.

After weighing the pros and cons, Luh Yao set sail, turning the Vortex World to head directly for the nearest Dragon Residence Passage World.

Worlds moved very slowly in the Crawling Area, so he wouldn’t reach his destination anytime soon.

Luh Yao didn’t want to waste Faith on accelerating, so he let it travel on its own for the time being.

He switched his view back to the Yao Race World to first deal with some problems that had accumulated over the years.

...

For a long time, Luh Yao had focused on his civilization’s external expansion, but that didn’t mean everything was perfect internally. It was just that the domestic foundation was relatively solid, so there were no fundamental issues.

The Yao Race had a persistent, long-term problem.

Its population growth was slow.

The Yao Race population had doubled with each of the two Era Updates. But their initial numbers were so small that the total population was still less than 500,000.

This was a point of major concern for Luh Yao.

’Logically, the Yao Race doesn’t lack food. They have a steady supply of meat, eggs, and milk, and their urban environments are constantly improving. So why isn’t the birth rate going up?’

He used the Wishing Star to read up on the living conditions of the pixel people, questioned his Apostles, and sifted through all sorts of data and descriptions in the world’s back-end. Only then did he begin to understand the underlying reasons.

There were two factors.

The first was environmental.

The Yao Race was currently only in their Second Era. The First Era had been relatively comfortable, but in the Second, toxins grew stronger, extreme weather events became more common, and the number of Extraordinary Creatures was on the rise. All of this led to an increased mortality rate among the Yao Race.

The second was a matter of choice.

The overall development of the Yao Race had changed after the appearance of Magic Potions and Ghost Armor. They no longer followed the standard path of progressing from farming and Livestock herding to urban handicrafts.

At a fork in the road of civilization, the Yao Race had ventured into the realm of Extraordinary Technology. This was a path without precedent, and it led to a series of unforeseen consequences.

First, the number of Extraordinary Beings among the Yao Race increased, leading to more marriages between them and ordinary people. However, it was more difficult for Extraordinary Beings to have children than it was for ordinary people.

Furthermore, the Yao Race had grown accustomed to using Magic Potions for treating illnesses and as general-purpose tools. But Magic Potions had only been around for a short time, and their side effects were difficult to assess, placing a certain physiological strain on the Yao Clan People.

The birth rate, as a result, had dropped.

It was a combination of objective circumstances and subjective choices.

Luh Yao’s solution was twofold: encourage childbirth and bring in immigrants.

The strategy to encourage childbirth had shown good results in several wealthy cities. Yan City and Uda City, in particular, offered large financial incentives, which had the side effect of drawing in many people from other cities.

Overall, it was having some effect.

The immigration initiative involved both internal and external migration.

Internal migration focused on the mountain dwellers, islanders, and indigenous peoples scattered throughout the Yao Race World who, for various reasons, had not settled in the cities of the Yao Race.

External immigrants currently consisted only of recruited laborers from the Ghost Realm and the Bamboo Reed Kingdom. For now, they were housed in Sand City, where they could participate in its construction and gradually integrate as urban residents of the Yao Race.

All of these strategies were having a visibly positive impact, but further population growth would simply take time.

In the simulator, the little pixel people looked like mass-produced NPCs. However, behind those pixelated facades were individual lives from a Low Realm Dimension.

Living beings make their own choices.

What Luh Yao needed to do was provide them with a better environment. This was a divine principle he had always upheld. ’I can’t turn the Pixel World into a factory farm, pursuing only high numbers and good stats.’

Besides the population issue, there was another major headache.

The Brass Furnace Dragon.

As the Yao Race Civilization attempted to advance its Extraordinary Technology, it certainly needed a greater variety of high-quality materials.

Luh Yao made a list of potential materials, and on it were several candidates for a Blessing: rubber trees, pagoda trees, and coconut trees.

Rubber trees could produce latex, which became natural rubber after being dried and coagulated.

Pagoda wood was of excellent quality and could be used to build ships, railway ties, and vehicles. Its seeds could be pressed for oil, and the tree also secreted resin.

The coconut was a high-quality fruit, its flesh edible, and its fibers could be made into durable goods like brushes and carpets.

Luh Yao personally leaned toward the rubber tree.

’Rubber is a fundamental industrial material; the Brass Furnace Dragon will be able to use it one way or another.’

’Still, when it comes to needs, it’s best to ask the ones involved.’

"Lord God, every Blessing you bestow is a great gift..."

Apostle Philles chose his words carefully. "That material you mentioned—the one that’s waterproof, fire-resistant, and elastic... the Yao Race actually already has something like it."

Luh Yao was baffled. ’You guys managed to create something like that?’

"It’s Black Mud."

The Skeleton Man explained, "Black Mud has excellent waterproofing properties. It can be shaped and bonded with just a little heat, and it retains some flexibility after solidifying, making it reliable and durable. This is all based on the years of experience of the Wuzi People."

"When White Castle first designed the Brass Furnace Dragon, they considered partially encasing it with Black Mud, and even constructing soft conduits for the Artificial Dragon Blood to flow through."

"However, there was one problem they couldn’t solve back then: how to make the Black Mud fireproof."

Speaking on a technical matter, Philles went into detail. "Then, six months ago, an Engineer in Yan City named Tie Yang finally found a solution."

"He found that by mixing and reacting Black Mud with borax, it forms a glossy, fireproof layer that’s also very resistant to wear and tear. This major improvement transformed Black Mud into a versatile, High Level material, useful not only for the Brass Furnace Dragon, but also in other engineering and casting applications..."

Luh Yao was a bit stunned.

’This Tie Yang is a real powerhouse. How come the simulator never notified me about him?’

"...Tie Yang is now a Life-Long Scholar at White Castle, where he is continuing his research on High Level materials. Remarkable Scholars like him are constantly emerging. The spirit of invention and creation among the Yao Race has never been stronger," Philles said happily.

Luh Yao found Tie Yang in White Castle.

Engineer Tie Yang was already 72 years old. Only the back-end system showed his detailed history. Tie Yang had started as a Blacksmith’s apprentice. At the age of 37, he completed all his courses and graduated from the School of Engineering, only then becoming an Engineer.

His Personal History was almost entirely blank, suggesting his life was considered unremarkable and not worth recording—except for the single entry about his modification of Black Mud.

In his 72nd year, Tie Yang’s lifetime of hard work finally paid off when he discovered how to utilize borax.

The borax-improved Black Mud became a superior substitute for natural rubber. It was a renewable material, proven through years of use by the Wuzi People. White Castle was now constantly urging Prophet Black Forger to mass-produce Black Mud.

Luh Yao spent a point on Tie Yang to raise him to LV 10, which would hopefully extend his lifespan a little.

"Thank you, Yao God... Thank you... Thank you for your grace." The old Engineer, filled with awe and reverence, knelt on the ground and repeatedly expressed his gratitude for the God’s blessing.

Luh Yao sighed.

’The internal competition among the Yao Race is so fierce now,’ he thought. ’Inventing borax-treated Black Mud isn’t even enough to stand out from the pack and trigger the transformation into a Hero or a Prophet.’

’Apparently, there are other inventors of a similar caliber who have also made comparable contributions.’

Luh Yao suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.

’Here I am, a God, and I can’t even find a good use for a Blessing.’

’Oh, forget it. I’ll just give them coconuts to eat.’

He picked up a green coconut from his desk.

Suddenly, Luh Yao had another thought. A Blessing would be a nice bonus for the Yao Race World, but for Sand City, it could be a crucial lifeline. Yunzhong Temple needed more resources and support.

So Luh Yao put the coconut down and looked at the potted cactus on his desk.

"Xiaohuo, peel this coconut for me."

"Yes, Lord God."

The Cactus Ball stood up from its pot, hoisted the coconut onto its shoulder, and ran toward the kitchen.

Luh Yao found a pair of chopsticks and used them to pick another cactus out of the pot. This one had been part of Xiaohuo’s camouflage; he had intentionally bought several cacti and grouped them together with Xiaohuo.

The cactus was sent as a Blessing to the Divine Hall in Sand City.

Before long, two cacti sprouted outside the Divine Hall.

The God’s first Blessing to descend upon Sand City sent its residents, young and old, into a state of wild excitement.

"The God’s grace!"

"The God has blessed Sand City!"

"This is a gift of life from Yao God! We must protect it!"

"Cacti! We must plant many, many cacti."

"Everyone, let’s get to work!"

Mayor Slime Mod’s avatar began leading the people in planting the cacti.

Luh Yao stroked his chin.

’Still not enough.’

’In an extreme environment like Yunzhong Temple, an ordinary cactus might not survive. I need to make them stronger.’

Luh Yao opened the Golden Field interface and activated the [Tree of Creation].