I Have a God Simulator

Isabel used the [Identity Card] to contact Song Shiyi in the usual way.

The two arranged to meet again in the parking alley.

Half an hour later, Song Shiyi appeared at the entrance to the alley, rushing over with a travel bag on her back.

Seeing Isabel under the streetlight, she jogged all the way over.

"Miss Mary."

Song Shiyi’s face was beaming. "It’s so great that you could come."

Today she was wearing a short, gray padded jacket over a pair of high-waisted, denim-blue jeans and low-cut boots, which made her figure look especially slender and tall.

"Can we head over now and talk on the way?" Song Shiyi asked.

"Explain the situation first."

Isabel said, following Luh Yao’s remote instructions.

"Okay."

The other woman nodded. "About a month ago, the Committee observed dimensional interference phenomena in certain areas of the city, and it had already reached a stage where it could form images."

"Only some players can see the images, but it also means the Abnormal Interference is intensifying. The Committee has been monitoring it closely, constantly running tests and tracking it..."

Back in his rented room, Luh Yao glanced back at his own bed.

’The Black Mud Monster and that dried-up riverbed... looks like those were images from the dimensional interference.’

In the alley, Song Shiyi continued, "Two weeks ago, the Committee officially confirmed the existence of several ’cross-zones’ in the city."

"In other words, overlapping areas formed by the intersection of World Dimensions."

A worried look appeared on her face. "It’s been confirmed that 17 citizens entered the cross-zones for various reasons, and eight of them are still trapped and out of contact. For the past two weeks, the Committee has been searching for these missing people in the various cross-zones."

"However, due to a shortage of personnel, and because the inside of the cross-zones is constantly changing, time is running out. If we can’t get those citizens out soon, they’ll never be able to leave."

"According to safety regulations and relevant procedures, operations require at least two people, which is why I thought of you, Miss Mary. We’re extremely short-staffed right now, and there are very few capable people we can contact... Of course, we will provide appropriate compensation. And don’t worry, this cross-zone is very safe. No combat is required."

"How much?"

"Huh?"

"The compensation," Isabel said coldly.

"Um... a volunteer stipend of 3,000 RMB. I know it’s not much, but establishing the budget and setting the amount requires a complicated process. It has to go through review and approval by higher-ups, and the Committee’s current compensation management policy is still based on a standard from ’03..."

"I want cash."

Song Shiyi was stunned for a moment. "Really? You agree?"

"Yes."

Isabel said, "The fee is a matter of principle. How much is a separate issue."

"That’s great!"

Song Shiyi couldn’t help but grab Isabel’s hand.

"Then let’s head out now. The sooner we find them, the safer they’ll be."

Song Shiyi quickened her pace and led the way.

Her goal was clear. She walked without stopping, continuing to explain things to Isabel as they went.

"Miss Mary, this cross-zone comes from ’Wasteland No. 7.’ That’s the name the Committee gave that world. It was the seventh High Realm Dimension the Committee discovered, and ’Wasteland’ describes its Traits."

"It’s a world mostly composed of ruins. The local civilization died out so long ago that our knowledge about it is quite limited."

"You might be thinking that the Committee has probably messed up again... wondering why dimensional interference and overlaps are happening on Earth, which is supposed to be a stable High Realm Dimension safe zone. In theory, that shouldn’t happen."

Song Shiyi answered her own question. "The reason is that Wasteland No. 7 is a world of a higher World Dimension than Earth. It’s now in the process of a complete collapse. The Low Realm Dimensions connected to it are peeling away, and it’s starting to separate into multiple layers... In essence, it’s a High Realm Dimension devolving into a Low Realm Dimension."

"It’s like a crumpled ball of paper. Once the external force holding it together is gone, it starts to come apart. The still-intact parts float up and merge with the Low Realm Dimension, peeling off into individual Fragment Worlds, while the rest sinks."

"The main part that floated up is what caused the dimensional interference with our Earth, which is ’above’ it, leading to a temporary, localized overlap."

"The worlds in the High Realm Dimension are almost always relatively static in relation to each other. The only time they move violently is when they are self-destructing and collapsing."

Luh Yao silently processed the new information.

He asked through Isabel’s mouth, "What kind of monsters are in the cross-zone?"

Song Shiyi waved her hand dismissively. "There’s no combat in Wasteland No. 7."

This made Luh Yao a bit suspicious.

He had seen with his own eyes how the Black Mud Monster moved through the pile of rocks.

"The only danger in the Wasteland No. 7 cross-zone is getting lost."

Song Shiyi slowed her pace, her expression turning serious.

"The cross-zone contains images and signals left behind by a past civilization. These fragmented pieces of information fold, cross, and recombine within the chaotic time and space, gradually giving rise to a special kind of being: the ’Wish Spirit.’"

"The only thing these guys can do is chatter endlessly in your ear. They are products of Chaos and disorder, and what they say is often nonsensical and difficult to discern as true or false."

"A Wish Spirit looks like a large, glowing lump of black clay and has no direct ability to cause harm."

Song Shiyi paused. "But you absolutely must not believe the ’Wish Spirit.’"

"If you believe a Wish Spirit and are tricked by its various Enchantments into staying behind, once the cross-zone disappears, you’ll be trapped here forever."

Isabel asked in return, "The Wish Spirit just talks in your ear? Does it have any other abilities?"

"No."

Song Shiyi shook her head. "If you don’t believe them, they’re completely useless. You just have to watch the time and not stay too long."

"Once you start believing them, it’s easy to get lost. That’s why we have to go in pairs, to look out for and remind each other, which also reduces the risk."

She suddenly stopped walking.

A sparrow was fluttering under a streetlight up ahead.

It flew over lightly and landed on Song Shiyi’s left shoulder, tilting its head to look at Isabel.

"The nearest cross-zone is right there."

Song Shiyi raised her hand and pointed ahead.

Through Isabel’s eyes, Luh Yao recognized this place. It was where he had raced around at night on his white horse.

Ahead was the highway, and next to it was a long access road. After nightfall, the surrounding streets were nearly empty, and even the chirping of insects was sparse.

Song Shiyi seemed to have some kind of positioning ability. She walked onto the adjacent access road, took ten steps forward, then turned left, took another five steps, and stopped again.

She walked up to a fiber optic distribution box and gestured to Isabel. "It’s right here. I’ll go in first."

After speaking, Song Shiyi walked straight into the distribution box and vanished inside it.

Isabel followed.

...

Luh Yao’s vision went completely white.

’This is bad,’ he thought.

’Maybe the eyeball can’t transmit information across a cross-zone.’

But after a few seconds, his vision slowly returned to normal.

Isabel was face-to-face with a soft, pitch-black Black Mud Monster—or rather, a Wish Spirit.

Its body slowly contracted into a humanoid form, with a height and Body Type similar to Isabel’s, but it had no human facial features. Its face was completely smooth.

The Wish Spirit said enthusiastically to Isabel, "Beautiful lady, welcome. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Baroye, and I would be delighted to be your guide."

It spoke a peculiar language.

Even though it was composed entirely of strange, awkward-sounding syllables, Luh Yao could somehow understand it perfectly.

"Do you desire wealth, knowledge, or power? Or perhaps even greater beauty? An endless life? Or countless lovers?"

"Baroye can grant all of these for you."

"After all, we are Wish Spirits, made specially to grant wishes. Fulfilling everyone’s desires is our greatest mission and responsibility..."

Baroye rubbed its hands together.

"Beautiful lady, Baroye can tell at a glance that you are a person of noble and lofty status..."

SMACK!

Isabel’s punch blew its head apart.