I Have a God Simulator

Sote, the Bos God’s chief Apostle and most trusted right-hand man, had always commanded from the rear.

The title of Emperor was not an honor for him, but more of a responsibility and a heavy burden.

As the Emperor, he had to maintain the confidence and Faith of the entire nation.

With unwavering confidence, the army could be invincible. With steadfast Faith, the Believers could offer an endless supply of the Fire of Faith to the Bos God.

The Empire was filled with confidence about the war. Its incredibly weak enemy was in constant retreat, and ultimate victory was sure to belong to the Empire.

The barbaric and backward Wuzi Kingdom had only one fate: annihilation. And King Wuzi, who ruled that dark nation, would face the judgment of the Bos God.

Everyone believed this without a doubt.

But the appearance of the locust plague filled Sote with a faint sense of unease.

These insects, it turned out, were a mutated Extraordinary Species.

The timing was a bit too coincidental.

Now, on the eve of the Empire’s conquest of the Wuzi People, not only were the farmlands and pastures in the rear under attack, but the supply lines connecting the front and back were also being harassed by another type of strange black insect.

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t heard from the other Apostles in so long, but Sote was worried that things were not going according to plan.

Or perhaps it was his concern over the Empire’s hidden vulnerabilities.

Having ruled the Empire for many years, Sote, the Emperor, knew full well that its iron-fisted, invincible legions relied on the sacrifices and tolerance of the common people back home.

The Empire had more and more soldiers but fewer and fewer Farmers. This had always been a major problem.

Commoners were eager to become battlefield Heroes. Killing enemies and performing meritorious deeds brought swift rewards. War was held in high esteem, so much so that every recruitment drive in the Empire ended up over-enrolled. Many boasted that this was a sign of a flourishing martial culture, proof of the Empire’s prosperity.

Sote had been trying to reverse this situation for many years.

The Empire needed a larger population, more Farmers, more artisans, and more fishermen. The current number of soldiers was already too great for the nation to support.

He cut the legions time and time again, but in the end, the number of soldiers only grew.

These soldiers went by various names: militia, auxiliaries, engineers, reserves, fortification corps... They weren’t on the official legion rosters, but they were soldiers in all but name.

Sote had executed ministers and Generals, one batch after another, over this issue.

But the massive surplus of soldiers persisted.

He never wore a pleasant expression when dealing with bureaucrats.

This problem was like some Undying entity, constantly resurrecting in the bodies of different ministers and Generals. He’d cut one down, and another would take its place. Unless he slaughtered every last one of them, the problem would haunt him relentlessly.

Sote was tired.

He no longer wanted to waste his energy managing secular affairs. This population was a resource for the Bos God, after all, and couldn’t be easily culled.

His fellow Apostle, Yanihu, had once advised him, "Why do you care?"

"They’re just a bunch of mortals with short lives. As long as they can reproduce and offer their Faith, nothing else matters."

"Sote, we are the servants of a God. Mortals are merely livestock. Why bother trying to understand what livestock think? The grain, Gold, mates, and land they fight over are all laughable in our eyes."

"As long as they are alive and remain pious, our mission is complete."

Sote, despite his differing opinion, hadn’t argued back.

Because that was the will of the Bos God.

As the sole sovereign of this world, the Bos God’s directive for the Empire was simple: provide population and Faith. Nothing else mattered...

’An Apostle with fewer personal opinions has fewer troubles.’

Sote broke off his train of thought and spread his hands.

Countless streams of black smoke rose from his body, engulfing all the locusts in the surrounding fields. Soon, the locusts’ bodies stiffened, unable to move.

Sote could deal with any living thing with ease, even Extraordinary Creatures. The smoke he exuded covered a vast area, its toxic fumes easily snuffing out any life caught within.

The swarms of locusts covering the landscape were smoked black, turning into a carpet of stiff corpses.

But Sote’s face showed no sign of joy.

Because a new swarm of locusts had already arrived.

They swooped to the ground and devoured the corpses of their own kind covering the earth, wasting nothing. Then they quickly laid their eggs in the soil and continued to search for more food in the vicinity.

’Disgusting!’

Sote cursed in his heart.

He then released more black smoke, poisoning one wave of locusts after another. The effort took a tremendous toll, leaving him feeling exhausted and his Mana running dangerously low.

Suddenly, an Oracle descended.

A cold, indifferent voice echoed in his ears: "What’s going on with the insects?"

Sote knelt, trembling as he spoke. "My Lord, these insects have evolved into an extraordinary form. I am in the process of clearing them out."

"Why."

Faced with the God’s question, Sote was momentarily at a loss for words.

’There were many reasons.’

’If other wild Extraordinary Creatures had been allowed to exist, it would have been difficult for these insects to reach such a scale. They would have surely been contained and hunted by other Extraordinary Groups.’

’If the Extraordinary Groups that arose from the mortal population weren’t executed, they could have dealt with these insects on their own, preventing their spread.’

’If there were more professions, if agriculture were encouraged, Farmers who were skilled at pest control could have solved this...’

’But alas, all of that was impossible.’

’The Empire is just a giant pasture, providing the Bos God with Faith and population. It has no need for Extraordinary Beings who stand out from the herd. All it requires is that they be docile and obedient, breeding and offering up the Fire of Faith.’

"If any other Apostle had your thoughts, they would have been made into an Altar by now."

The Bos God’s cold voice entered his mind, causing Sote to break out in a cold sweat.

"Because of your loyalty, I am giving you one last warning. I require you only to execute my commands and answer my questions."

"Yes, my Lord."

Sote pressed his head to the ground, showing absolute submission.

"Take care of the insects. I have now found King Wuzi. His Divinity is in a state of Weakness, and I will dispose of him immediately. During this time, there must be no mistakes."

"Yes, my Lord."

It was a long while after the voice in his head fell silent that Sote slowly got to his feet.

’As long as we can swallow the Wuzi Kingdom, all these problems will be solved.’

’The Empire just needs to win. As long as it keeps winning, it doesn’t matter how many problems this War Chariot has.’

Sote resumed his slaughter of the locust swarms. The two sides were now locked in a battle of attrition, pitting his Mana against their numbers.

...

The destructive power of the Bully Locusts exceeded Luh Yao’s estimates.

Meeting almost no resistance, they drove straight into the Bos God Realm. They quickly settled and began to multiply within the world of the Fearless Empire, devouring crops and any food they could find, throwing the Empire’s rear into utter chaos.

From his bird’s-eye view, Luh Yao noticed that the area around Crystal City was completely occupied by locusts. The Imperial Capital was protected by a type of Totem, which prevented the Bully Locusts from crossing over the city Walls.

...

[Flame Totem]

Life Value: 700/700

Damage: 20

Defense: 8

Speed: 8

[Totem]

Select an area for permanent placement. Automatically attacks all non-Believers within range.

...

Six Flame Totems formed an invisible moat, burning approaching locust swarms to charcoal.

After suffering heavy casualties, the Bully Locusts found a way.

They laid their eggs deep underground. After Hatching, some of the young could circumvent the Flame Totems’ attack range by tunneling into the city.

As time went by, scattered Bully Locusts had already tunneled into the city from underground. They were everywhere, scavenging for food. The soldiers of Crystal City also sprang into action, frantically hunting the insects.

But a breach in the defenses had been opened. Without another trick up its sleeve, it would be difficult for Crystal City to stop the swarm’s subterranean invasion.

The sole surviving Apostle, Sote, acting as Emperor of the Empire, was even forced to deal with the locust swarms personally.

Luh Yao couldn’t help but sigh as he watched.

The Bos God Realm was a classic example of unbalanced and insufficient development.

This warmongering military empire had to acquire resources through war just to sustain itself. Aside from the army, other professions and forms of production were severely lacking. The whole thing was forcibly held together by the power of its God and Apostles, utterly incapable of withstanding any real crisis or disaster.

The Bos God had wiped out nearly every Extraordinary Creature in this world, leaving only the domesticable Sand Lizards. What he clearly wanted was absolute obedience.

Watching the Emperor and the swarms locked in a stalemate, Luh Yao found the scene both absurd and surreal.

This chief Apostle was LV40, the strongest of the Bos God’s four subordinates. Yet he was locked in a bitter struggle with the statistically weak Bully Locusts. The insects were now everywhere, continuously devouring all food in this world; their sheer, unending numbers were their greatest weapon.

The Emperor’s opponent wasn’t just the locusts, but the better part of the natural world that served as the swarm’s supply line.

Meanwhile, Isabel sent a reminder from the rear.

"Sir, King Wuzi has launched his attack as you requested. He has successfully baited the Bos God into action."

Luh Yao put down his teacup.

’The main player has finally shown himself.’

He opened the Golden Field and used [Creation Connection] to fully link the Northern New Continent with the world of the Wuzi Kingdom. The Juvenile Dragon directed the Dark Sun and the Dark Sun Corps to the front line, ready to provide support at a moment’s notice.

On the other side, Tyrant Selena had locked onto the Emperor, ready to behead him at any moment.

The Snowman had dug a very long, very deep tunnel. Only after the Bos God’s appearance on the battlefield was confirmed did it sneak into the city. Under the effects of [High-Level Disguise], it made its way to the exterior of the magnificent Palace, ready to practice its traditional craft.

Jimmy raised his arm and bellowed, "For Lord Yao God! Let us punish the warmongering Evil God!"