I Have a God Simulator

Next came the routine investigation of the dead and the after-action review.

Isabel found the Apostle before it sank into the Sea of Mourning. After communicating with it, she relayed the conversation to Luh Yao, sentence by sentence.

"My lord, this Xiao God is one of the Apprentice Deities. He only appeared in this Era, and He's been collecting Faith to enter the Divine Hall of the Gods as quickly as possible."

"He has three Miracles. The first is [Miniaturization], which shrinks a target to one-hundredth of its size. While it doesn't affect other Attributes, it makes movement take an extremely long time for the target. This Miracle consumes a lot of Fire of Faith, and after each use, He needs to rest for a bit before casting it again."

"The second is [Fog Spirit], which allows Him to create a Fog Spirit. There's no limit on this one, but a Fog Spirit only lasts for a certain period before disappearing."

"The third is [Hurricane], which grants control over the power of wind."

Luh Yao listened.

'So he really isn't a Subordinate God of the Whistleblower,' he thought.

'As a new Divine Player, this Xiao God is quite strong.'

Isabel continued, "Papalukas crafted a special Divine Kingdom in the clouds. Its [Cloud Riding and Mist Driving] ability allowed it to maintain a small island of mist."

"The Xiao God Divine Statue is hidden in the clouds, floating at the edge of the Northern New Continent."

"Papalukas is a Cloud Giant. In the past, it was punished by the Rose Kingdom for providing insufficient Rainfall and was sealed in an ancient bottle. Xiao God found and released it, converted it into an Apostle, and had it maintain the mist island."

"Papalukas gathered humans from various small islands, then Xiao God would display His Miracles and Divine Kingdom, gradually converting them into Believers..."

Unlike the other Gods Luh Yao had dealt with, Xiao God never considered getting close to his Believers.

His strategy was to remain aloof, always staying within the safety of the clouds. He had Papalukas bring a select group of people to his Divine Kingdom in the clouds and would then perform Miracles, an act designed to create Deterrence and awe.

The advantage of this approach was its secrecy and simplicity.

As a result, Xiao God's Believers were quite scattered. Only the Prophet and Hero led a dedicated group of followers, and even they remained hidden in the snowy mountains year-round.

Xiao God launched the attack on the Ice Giant Monsters with the goal of controlling the Giant Monster Elder. He wanted to subjugate the entire group of Giant Monsters and then use them to seize control of the Northern New Continent.

After biding his time and accumulating power, Xiao God was preparing to move in from the world's edge and advance onto the mainland.

But in his very first battle, he ran into Luh Yao, who just so happened to be passing by to watch the grand opening of the Dragon Nest. You could only say his luck was pretty bad.

There was one thing Luh Yao was curious about. 'How did Xiao God accumulate so much Faith?'

'Did he just... save it up bit by bit every day?'

"My lord, Papalukas says that Xiao God relied on the Holy Scripture to obtain more Faith."

The so-called Holy Scripture was a ritual that Xiao God had created.

Papalukas would periodically bring some of the believers to the Divine Kingdom in the clouds to worship the God's Divine Statue. During these times, Xiao God would use His Miracles.

The most common method was to use a Hurricane to sweep a person away, then summon a Fog Spirit to take their place. An Apostle would then tell the little people that this believer, due to their pious Faith, had been honorably promoted to an Attendant of the Divine Kingdom.

Alternatively, He would have Papalukas use [Cloud Riding and Mist Driving] to manipulate the clouds and mist, creating all sorts of magnificent and wondrous spectacles that immersed the Believers, making it hard for them to distinguish fantasy from reality.

For the little people of the Pixel World, such a personal experience was nothing short of breathtaking.

As a result, the Holy Scripture often induced fanatical worship among the Believers, allowing Xiao God to repeatedly harvest Faith from the same group of people.

But this didn't last long.

The Believers soon grew accustomed to their God's mighty power, and it became difficult to induce fanaticism.

After hitting a bottleneck, Xiao God's Faith growth completely stagnated. It was only then that he launched his campaign of external conquest, starting with the Ice Giant Monsters on the nearest continent.

"...Xiao God wanted to formally expand outward to increase his population and Faith. He wanted to settle all his Believers together on this continent."

Luh Yao understood.

'Xiao God wanted to come ashore.'

'The Holy Scripture was his forced version of a Sunset Festival. He was too eager to squeeze Faith out of every single person, prematurely exhausting the Believers' potential.'

Luh Yao much preferred the festivals that the little people created on their own.

His own Sunset Festival was now continuously providing him with Faith. It wasn't much—only a few dozen to a few hundred points at a time—but it was a steady trickle that was gradually increasing as the population grew.

In short, Xiao God had tried to pivot from his get-rich-quick scheme, and he had failed.

Luh Yao was very interested in the Cloud Giant.

In the High Furnace World, Cloud Giants performed Cloud Formation and Rainfall; they were a type of Natural Spirit. For Xiao God to use one for combat was a tremendous waste.

'Cloud Giants are excellent helpers for farming!'

Luh Yao extended an invitation to the Cloud Giant, but he was politely refused.

Isabel relayed the message tactfully. "Papalukas says that it is very grateful for your acknowledgment and appreciation, but it is truly weary of battle. To become an Apostle and not participate in combat would be a derelict and shameful act."

"With Xiao God's fall, it no longer wishes to fight."

Luh Yao immediately recalled that Cloud Giants have a [War Aversion] Trait.

'No wonder that Cloud Giant in the High Furnace World panicked the moment it saw the Blood Knights and Dwarves getting serious. It refused to fight and even initiated peace talks.'

Luh Yao made a different offer, inviting Papalukas to take up residence in the Ghost City Saniluo.

There was no need for combat over there.

Saniluo was a city where Ghost Souls gathered. Most of its inhabitants had experienced various hardships and battles in life, so now the city served as a sort of retirement home for Extraordinary Life. A gentle-natured former Apostle like Papalukas would be a perfect fit there.

This time, Papalukas agreed.

Isabel escorted its Wandering Soul to the Ghost City.

The Cloud Giant officially entered Saniluo and was warmly welcomed by Mayor Chapman.

Here, Papalukas became a meteorologist, a colleague of the ground-level weatherman, Shahan. From time to time, it would bring Rainfall to the farmlands and forests outside the city.

Having finished wrapping up the aftermath of the Divine War, Luh Yao let out a long sigh of relief.

The variety among Divine Players was vast, and Luh Yao found himself particularly enlightened by the many ways they failed.

The Snowman had also acquired a piece of loot from Xiao God, which Luh Yao hadn't had a chance to look at yet.

Luh Yao opened his Artifact Bar and scrolled down the long list to the very last item.

...

[Martyr's Seal LV2]: Faith +1/hour.

Place the seal on a Believer. After a period of time, that Believer will become a [Martyr] and complete their martyrdom.

...

Seeing this Artifact, Luh Yao understood everything.

'No wonder Xiao God's Faith grew so quickly in the beginning.'

'He was using his population as fuel. Whenever he was short on Faith, he would just stamp his Believers with the seal, turning them into Martyrs to self-sacrifice.'

'Most Gods who enter this Fragment World just see it as a stepping stone. They earn their first pot of gold, save up enough Faith, then perform their Ascension into the Divine Hall of the Gods to reach a higher ceiling.'

'So far, I'm the only one who sees this place as my own domain, managing it with a steady, long-term approach.'

'That's why Xiao God wanted to create Martyrs to drain every last drop of Faith, whereas I want to get rid of the Martyr title altogether.'

Hemira's self-sacrifice was still fresh in his mind.

'The little people are mostly hardworking in life, busily contributing to construction and labor. In death, they deserve to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Saniluo is the place of leisure I prepared for them.'

Speaking of which, he hadn't checked in on Saniluo in a while.

Luh Yao shifted his perspective to above the Ghost City.

What he saw made his head spin with questions.

Inside Saniluo City, in addition to the native Ghost Souls, other Extraordinary Creatures were now swaggering about, window-shopping and taking strolls.

Just in a single glance, Luh Yao saw Sand Worms, Dwarves, Corrupters, Burrower Monsters, even former enemies like the Cannibal Crabs, and Little Elves from the far south... They milled about in small groups, seemingly accustomed to life in the city.

'What in the world is going on in Saniluo?'

Luh Yao noticed Mayor Chapman standing beside a few Cannibal Crabs.

The mayor was making a pitch: "Saniluo City has a long and storied History. It is blessed by the protection and favor of Lord Yao God, with beautiful scenery and a pleasant, relaxed, and comfortable lifestyle. We have always welcomed friends from all walks of life to settle here. However, due to the city's modest size, housing has been in short supply."

"Through the tireless efforts of our citizens, the city has now expanded. The construction of the outer city is officially complete, and we wholeheartedly welcome all of you to come and settle down. As long as you purchase a residence, you will be granted the status of a Saniluo City resident!"

Luh Yao was left speechless.

'Great mayors think alike, I suppose.'

Saniluo had also joined the race for population, trying to fill its housing stock.

Unlike Yan City, it was competing for various Extraordinary Creatures, cornering a vast, untapped market with absolutely no competitors.

Luh Yao found himself looking forward to Saniluo's future.