I Have a God Simulator

Philos stood on the mountain ridge, looking out over this landmass that had been reshaped by a God.

What was once a flat grassland had become a basin surrounded by mountains on all four sides. Only the central area retained its forests, fields, and rocky hills, which was also the center where the God created new species.

Behind it was a deep, wide strait, filled with seawater, forming an insurmountable natural barrier for land animals. Further beyond lay the conventional regions of the Eastern Continent.

Every stir of wind and blade of grass in the entire basin was under Philos's watchful eye.

Numerous Skeleton Worms had become his eyes and ears, constantly monitoring every creature here.

He saw two young Shovel Armors wrestling. They went from locking their mandibles to trying to pry each other up, and then, in a fit of frustration, resorted to grappling, fighting fiercely.

This was the combative nature of the Fighting Shovel Armor, a perfectly normal behavior.

A Malachite Butterfly flew over the heads of the dueling young Shovel Armors. It was hard to tell if it was just for fun or to watch the show. The Malachite Butterfly circled above them, flapping its wings.

The two young Shovel Armors suddenly went completely stiff, immediately let go of each other, and scurried off into the tall grass at astonishing speed.

The Malachite Butterfly had released its foul stench.

Not far away, the Malachite Butterfly's close relative, the Green Swallowtail Butterfly, was dancing gracefully among the branches. The illusions created by its Scale Powder sent the squirrels in the tree leaping and scrambling about, captivated with excitement.

Under this tree, an adult Fighting Shovel Armor was resting.

It was just about to chew on the bark and drink the tree sap.

Suddenly, two green tentacles shot out from the grass beneath the tree, grabbed the Fighting Shovel Armor, and gave it an over-the-shoulder throw. The Fighting Shovel Armor, now on its back with its belly exposed, struggled desperately with its limbs, looking utterly pathetic.

Philos rubbed his bony forehead.

Everything else here was normal.

'If there's any problem... it's this grass.'

Philos called it Violent Grass.

At some point, an Extraordinary plant species had appeared in the valley. It looked unremarkable, just a rather dense and pliable patch of grass.

But it was an extremely aggressive creature.

Philos was a little unsure how to report this.

'Once the Lord God turns His gaze to this world, what should I say?'

"Lord God, an unknown Extraordinary Creature has suddenly appeared in the valley. It enjoys beating up the Fighting Shovel Armor..."

'Or should I say...'

"Lord God, your servant has discovered that a new life form has emerged in the valley. It is a type of grass that can curb the expansion of the Fighting Shovel Armor..."

He had spent the last few years carefully observing and researching it.

The emergence of the Violent Grass had a series of causes and contributing factors.

First was the pollination by the Green Swallowtail Butterflies and Malachite Butterflies. As they traveled in and out of the valley, they brought a wide variety of grass seeds from the outside world, causing the valley's vegetation to grow denser and denser, with all sorts of strange plants constantly emerging.

Furthermore, the Shovel Armors themselves were combative. It was difficult for them to break through each other's defenses, but they had a method: they would lock onto an enemy with their mandibles, lift them up, and toss them into the turbulent currents of the strait.

In the water, a Shovel Armor couldn't use Flying. It would be particularly Slow in the turbulent currents and would be preyed upon by marine creatures like the Cannibal Crabs.

Over time, the area of the valley near the sea became a deathmatch zone for the Shovel Armors.

Besides dying in this manner, most deaths were from natural causes. This was especially true for the young Shovel Armors, whose defense and shells were very weak. Venomous snakes and Falcons were their natural predators.

The young of Extraordinary Creatures were a special delicacy for ordinary carnivores. Even though some of these Hunters would die under the powerful mandibles of adult Fighting Shovel Armors, they still constantly tried to poach the young.

Over time, many remains of young Shovel Armors were left on the ground.

These remains were absorbed by the grass, and combined with the modifications from the Papilionidaes' pollination, a series of evolutions led to the birth of the Violent Grass.

In a way, it was like a grass-form of the Fighting Shovel Armor.

In his actual observations, however, Philos discovered that the Violent Grass and the Fighting Shovel Armor were like fire and water.

The Violent Grass was on the side of the plants. If any plant near it was being bullied or its territory was invaded, it would intervene.

They would gather together, clustering into a large grass person to fight against the stout Fighting Shovel Armors, not losing out at all in terms of strength.

Plus, because their bodies were made of grass, they were very flexible, which actually gave them an advantage against the Fighting Shovel Armor.

Of course, the Fighting Shovel Armor wasn't the type to back down easily.

For instance, right now, Philos watched as the Fighting Shovel Armor that had been flipped over ran off, only to return with two of its brethren. It seemed it couldn't stomach the humiliation and wanted to win through sheer numbers.

The three Fighting Shovel Armors charged in menacingly, seeking revenge.

The Violent Grasses all stood up from the soil, revealing the strong roots beneath them. They were densely packed and even more numerous.

The two sides clashed, with blades of grass and bits of shell flying everywhere, and dirt splattering about...

Philos sighed.

'That's the problem.'

Violent Grass wasn't a traditional plant that could only stay rooted in the soil. They could stand up, and even uproot themselves completely to move around for short periods.

So, more and more Violent Grasses gathered together, protecting and cooperating with one another, forming a defensive line of grass people that the Fighting Shovel Armor could not cross.

Compared to the Fighting Shovel Armor, the grass people could intertwine with each other to form a large, strong grass person. As long as there were enough of them, they actually had the advantage in both strength and Body Type.

On the bright side, the appearance of the Violent Grass had made the entire valley more dynamic. The Fighting Shovel Armors, which usually just ate and slept, now had to rouse themselves to compete with the Violent Grass for territory, fighting for control of the grassy plains and forests.

The constant confrontation between the two groups also caused both sides to grow stronger at a rapid pace.

Philos prayed silently in his heart.

'These beetles created by the God are getting beaten up by the Violent Grass all the time. I just hope the Lord God doesn't get angry...'

Suddenly, an Oracle echoed in his mind.

—How are things?

Philos jolted and quickly knelt on the ground. "Lord God, your servant has a new discovery..."

...

Luh Yao held a bowl filled with rice, sweet and sour pork ribs, shredded pork with mushrooms, and green vegetables. He had gone to sleep last night and woken up at noon the next day.

His parents had gone to visit relatives and left lunch for him in a pot.

So he took it out and ate while looking at the simulator.

Shoveling rice into his mouth, Luh Yao looked at the simulator.

The Skeleton Man, Philos, was reporting on his work.

"...Because it absorbed the corpses of the Fighting Shovel Armor, as well as the grass seeds brought by the two types of Papilionidae, a special grass-type Extraordinary Creature was born in the valley."

Upon seeing this, Luh Yao shoveled two more mouthfuls of rice.

'A buy-one-get-one-free deal?'

'Something this good can happen?'

"It's just that the Fighting Shovel Armor is somewhat unable to stand up to this grass."

"Initially, the Fighting Shovel Armor had the upper hand, but the grass creatures can adapt to various environments, and they can stand up from the soil... they can hide for a while and then make a comeback once their numbers are sufficient."

"Because the grass creatures have a fast life cycle, they get stronger with each generation."

Luh Yao's chopsticks paused in his hand.

'The grass... stood up?'

'What kind of Pokémon is this?'

He put down his bowl, moved his mouse, and found the grass creature Philos was talking about.

In appearance, they looked like a rather large clump of grass, with extremely dense, curly leaves. Their color was a bit darker than ordinary grass, reminding Luh Yao of the air plants at a flower market.

...

[Monster Strength Grass LV8]

Life Value: 84/84

Mana Value: 1/1

Damage: 4

Defense: 4

Speed: 3

[Tough]

Life Value is higher than normal, and it can maintain high morale for an extended period.

[Gregarious]

Generates stronger Combat Power when gathered together. The greater the number, the greater the boost.

...

Luh Yao looked down on the valley and soon witnessed a battle between Monster Strength Grass and a Fighting Shovel Armor.

Two Fighting Shovel Armors were trying to uproot their enemy with their mandibles, but they were surrounded on both sides by a group of Monster Strength Grass. The grass monsters waved their curly leaves, and working together, the brothers managed to knock the beetles down.

One Fighting Shovel Armor was flipped over by the Monster Strength Grass, and its vulnerable belly was immediately pummeled by the fists of the grass monsters, its limbs tied up tightly. The other Shovel Armor quickly helped nudge it back onto its feet. Helpless against the Monster Strength Grass, the two Shovel Armors could only leave in dejection.

Luh Yao took a couple of bites of rice with his pork ribs.

'I gave you a chance, but you're useless.'

'You look so intimidating, but who knew you'd get wrecked by Monster Strength Grass.'

Philos quickly added, "Lord God, although the Fighting Shovel Armor is completely countered by the Monster Strength Grass in the valley, on the Eastern Continent, they are still evenly matched against the Blazing Chickens, trading blows back and forth. They're still very strong."

Luh Yao nearly choked on his rice.

'So it's a case of 'I can't beat the Monster Strength Grass, so I'll just beat you instead'?'

'Wait a minute, have the Fighting Shovel Armors finally crossed the strait and entered the outside ecosystem?'