I Have a God Simulator

「In a high-end restaurant in Saniluo.」

Pawa sat in a secluded spot, holding a quill, and wrote neatly on a piece of paper.

"My dearest Jody, is everything all right over at Elf Lake? With your intelligence and abilities, I’m sure there are no problems, but I worry you might be getting frustrated with those Black Water Mites.

Those monsters are highly aggressive, and they eat anything. Lady Selena and the others have released information about them, so everyone knows a bit about them now.

Don’t worry. Hunting Corps from Saniluo are already heading south one after another. They include large numbers of Cannibal Crab Warriors, swarms of Mad Flame Birds that can fly across the sea, flocks of White Mountain Sparrows, and the Fishman Corps.

The Fish People are well-equipped this time, carrying the new Magic Potion, [Sleeping Potion], refined from Anesthetic Juice. It allows their arrows to put those monsters to sleep.

They’ve also bought special iron cages and bronze muzzles from the Dwarf Fortress, which can lock the Black Water Mites’ sharp mouths shut and prevent them from spitting out their dangerous hooked tongues..."

Pawa dipped his quill into the ink bottle and continued writing.

"Here in Saniluo, thanks to the development efforts of the King of White Bones, Lord Philos, and the Dwarves, the Black Water Mite has become a strategic resource.

They are treasures from head to toe. Their spiky feet make for the highest-grade arrowheads and nails, capable of piercing most metals and holding incredibly firm. Their long tongues are excellent elastic tools. I’ve heard from the artisans that they’re far superior to ox tendon. They can not only power giant hammer handles and stone mills but also absorb strong impacts, keeping large machinery flexible and agile...

Furthermore, while the Black Water Mites are covered in hard, black shells, the meat underneath is exceptionally delicious, comparable to the finest prawns. Because the shell is thick and hard, frying it in oil makes it especially tasty. This was a recipe first developed by the Gourmet, Mr. Nong Chan, and I found it quite unforgettable after trying it.

I hear Mr. Nong Chan has gone south because the Black Water Mites on the Western Continent have all been captured... If you happen to meet him, please help him out if you can.

Oh, right. I’ve made a small set of things: a quill and Smoke Ink. The quill is made from the feathers of a Strutting Bird, and the Smoke Ink is made from soot, carbon black, glue, and tree sap. It writes very clearly and the writing lasts for a long time. However, I’m still improving them. They have many problems—the color isn’t uniform, the success rate for mixing it is low, and it’s difficult to mass-produce."

Just then, a Fishman Attendant from the restaurant brought over a ceramic plate.

"Mr. Pawa, here are the grilled oysters you ordered."

"Thank you."

The Fishman said in a low voice, "Mr. Pawa, I’m a fan of your books. May I ask when the next installment of *Pawa’s Wondrous Adventure* will be released?"

"I remember you said the next one was coming soon five years ago, and you said the same thing three years ago..."

Pawa said vaguely, "Soon, soon."

’Can I really be blamed for the delay?’

’I had written the passionate and exciting *Dragon Nest Chapter*, but then the Dragon Nest turned into a giant ranch and farmers’ market. The place that was supposed to represent the pinnacle of adventure became the pinnacle of mundane life.’

’Ice Giant Monsters were packing earthworms into boxes and feeding livestock with various grains on the ranch. They suddenly lost all their intimidating presence...’

This forced him to scrap the first draft, and Pawa fell into a funk for quite some time.

He finally managed to pull himself together and started writing the first draft of the *Heroic Chapter* instead.

It included the Heroes of this Era, whose stories were passed from person to person: Tonghai, who destroyed the slave system; Yan Jiu, who challenged the limits of human cultivation; the High Furnace Strange People Adventure Group; Fabiani, who unearthed earthworms and put the Old Gods on display in a museum; Lie Yu, who recently brewed the extraordinary [High Furnace Honey Wine]; the Yaoshao Prophet and Qubiluo’er, who developed the Magic Potions [Anesthetic Juice] and [Sleeping Potion]; and the genius Prophet Shi Bao, who opened the [Ghost Tower]...

New Heroes kept emerging, causing Pawa’s manuscript to grow longer and longer.

But then, while gathering material with the Dwarves in the Eastern Continent’s Divine Valley, Pawa saw the holy and magnificent White Rose, as well as the nearby Canopy City and its bustling squirrels.

Excited, Pawa started a new project called the *Marvels Chapter*, in which he would record all the strange and wondrous lifeforms and objects he had seen and heard about.

But he had barely written a few lines when the White Rose disappeared.

In its place was a low-key Apostle with a melancholic expression, Lord Pinkman. The White Rose had become his Attendant. They began planting roses in the Divine Valley and even refused to be interviewed.

Pawa felt helpless.

He could only temporarily set aside the *Marvels Chapter* and return to Saniluo to organize the *Heroic Chapter*.

"That’s great!" the Fishman Attendant said, though his face was full of doubt.

Pawa could only pretend not to notice.

At that moment, a travel-worn traveler with a pack on his back walked in from outside.

He took off his hat, revealing a somewhat reddish-brown face and a chin covered in stubble.

"The carriage broke down on the way. Just my luck today."

Without another word, the newcomer grabbed the grilled oysters and began devouring them with his hands.

Pawa, however, didn’t mind at all. He just smiled and said, "Fabiani, you’re not getting any younger. Can you still handle being out in the sun and rain all day?"

The Archaeologist across from him grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth. "My life certainly isn’t as comfortable as yours. I don’t have a wife as rich as a kingdom; I still have to rely on the Yan City council’s subsidy."

"But I have trained some apprentices over the last few years, so there are finally a few more Archaeologists. Compared to the past, people are much more passionate about History now... though many of them are just hoping to dig up old treasures."

"My apprentices and I just finished restoring the Divine Statue of the Pine Slipper God and placing it in the Old Gods Exhibition Hall. That was incredibly difficult... Thankfully, the Pine Slipper Mouse Prophet helped us, or we wouldn’t have known where to even begin."

"Tell me about you. I’ve been doing all the talking. How’s the manuscript coming along?"

Pawa threw up his hands. "Can we not talk about work?"

"If not work, then what?"

"We can talk about this."

Pawa pointed ahead.

The Fishman Attendant carefully approached with a platter, lifted the lid, and revealed a steaming feast inside. On the plate was a crab-like creature, battered and fried to a golden brown, though it only had four legs.

"Here is the Fried Black Water Strider you ordered. It’s also the last one we have for today. Please enjoy it with the dipping sauce and sea salt on the side."

Fabiani’s eyes went wide. He said with a hint of envy, "It must be nice to be rich. I hear this stuff is ridiculously expensive, the price keeps going up, and you have to pay a deposit in advance..."

"Let’s eat before it gets cold. It won’t taste as good."

Pawa used a knife to cut open the large, crispy-fried monster, revealing the tender, white, and springy meat inside.

"We thank the Yao God for his Blessing."

Both of them prayed softly, then began to tear off pieces with their hands and eat them with the sauce.

Fabiani said while chewing the meat, "Actually, I recently found a very deep limestone cave in the mountains. Deep underground, there’s an ancient tribe of Burrower Monsters. They are said to be descendants of the Rose Kingdom... they still retain some of their writing and customs. That’s what I’ve been working on lately."

"If that’s true, it’s huge news." Pawa’s interest was piqued. "Do you need any help?"

"You should come with me to see it someday."

...

Having eaten and drunk their fill, Fabiani took his leave.

It was a strange thing. He and Pawa had first met while gathering material for their work, but they had kept in close contact ever since and gradually became the best of friends. Both shared a voracious curiosity and a passionate dedication to their respective hobbies.

Often, when Fabiani was short on money, he would ask Pawa for help. The latter never hesitated, always giving generously.

Fabiani couldn’t help but think.

’On that afternoon that decided my future, the Yao God gave me freedom and choice, allowing my narrow vision and thoughts to truly open up for the first time, to rediscover what I wanted to do.’

’This must be the mercy and tolerance that belongs to a God.’

He felt his clothes.

The package inside was still warm. He had wrapped some of the Fried Black Water Strider in wax paper to take back for his apprentices to try.

An Archaeologist’s life was a poor one, and fieldwork was especially hard. Relying on subsidies, they could never afford such luxurious food.

’With this, I hope the kids can be a little happier today.’

Fabiani couldn’t help but smile, and he quickened his pace toward the inn.