I Have a God Simulator

Under Huangjue’s leadership, the locust swarm sowed their remaining seeds in the farmland outside Crystal City, hoping for a bountiful harvest. After a period of waiting and watering, something did indeed sprout from the fields.

But what grew was mostly weeds. They covered more than half of the cultivated area, completely choking out any space for the food crops to grow.

The furious Bully Locusts tore through the fields, ripping and biting as they devoured the weeds.

After a series of trials and errors, they finally managed to get tender shoots to sprout from the soil.

The long wait made the locusts impatient. Before the stalks could be harvested, they couldn’t resist eating them.

Huangjue was furious and immediately exiled a large number of the locusts who had led the premature feast.

By the time they planted again with their few remaining seeds, other Bully Locusts swarmed the area. The lack of food drove the swarm to hunt one another; in times of extreme hunger, their own kind became the most desirable meal.

From then on, any chance of peacefully farming was gone.

Although Huangjue could lead a portion of the swarm, starvation could cause the locusts to revert to their purest, most ferocious state.

[Gluttony] drove the Bully Locusts. They slaughtered one another; the losers became food while the victors feasted... Piles of insects writhed and fought everywhere, and the ground was littered with severed limbs and fragments.

Huangjue stood alone on the Wall, watching his kin below, who were completely controlled by their appetites, devour one another.

Because of his Faith in Yao God, he was protected by the Totem.

Any locust that tried to cross the high Wall was scorched by flames that spewed from the Totem, turning into black charcoal in a blaze of crimson pain.

Meanwhile, the swarm inside the city had hatched from eggs underground. They devoured everything edible the city had left—wood, leather, hay, and more. The entire city was left in shambles by the swarm’s feeding; more than half of the buildings had either collapsed or were turning to rubble.

The locusts inside the city wanted out, and the locusts outside wanted in.

They both believed that vast amounts of food existed on the other side.

Witnessing all this, Huangjue felt an inexplicable sorrow.

If there was no food, then their own kind became food. For the locust swarm, this was a matter of course.

Yet, witnessing the scene of his kin devouring each other still pained Huangjue.

’In this moment, everyone is just a pitiful puppet controlled by appetite.’

’Is there any way to change this fate?’

Huangjue sank into deep contemplation.

He prayed to his God, hoping the Creator could offer him guidance.

「Time passed.」

The internal slaughter, both inside and outside the city, did not diminish as their numbers dwindled. Instead, because the survivors were all strong, the Hunting games within the swarm grew even more intense and cruel.

Tens of thousands of Bully Locusts were eaten and digested... The victors who remained, in order to avoid being attacked themselves, began to proactively strike at potential threats.

The slaughter and Hunting continued for a new reason.

Huangjue awoke from his long contemplation.

He had finally thought of a solution.

When he looked down from the Wall, he saw only a few dozen powerful Bully Locusts fighting in a tangled mass.

"Stop fighting!"

"You aren’t hungry."

Huangjue flew down, and his powerful Tier and strength awed the surrounding locusts.

The locusts, slowly regaining their senses, separated from one another.

Huangjue continued, "We need to leave this place, find our God’s other Believers, and go to a new world."

"Our Race has existed for too short a time. There are too many things we cannot comprehend. We don’t understand how to cultivate and plant; we only know how to engage in Devouring and Hunting. We need to learn and change. We need to integrate and communicate."

"Those who are willing, follow me. I will not force those who are not."

A few Bully Locusts chose to follow Huangjue.

Huangjue led 12 strong Bully Locusts on a flight back toward their homeland. They crossed desolate and grim mountain ranges and hills, avoiding swarms of locusts along the way, and arrived at the far reaches of the Wuzi Kingdom.

In the sky, a Black Giant Dragon circled, causing all living creatures to tremble in fear.

The ground, meanwhile, was patrolled by numerous Black Water Mites.

To the Bully Locusts, these high-ranking beings of Divine Favor were natural enemies they could not hope to challenge. They spat out barbed tongues that easily pierced through locusts, snagging them before swallowing them whole.

Any Bully Locust that attempted to get close was eaten by the Black Water Mites.

This was a forbidden zone for the locust swarm.

As their leader, Huangjue mustered his courage and stepped forward. Using a mix of chirps and gestures, he communicated, "We are Believers of Lord Yao God. Could you please let us pass?"

There was no response.

The Black Water Mites continued their mechanical patrols on the ground.

Huangjue had the Bully Locusts rest where they were, as a show of their piety and good will.

The days passed, one by one.

Hunger began to torment the locusts.

Huangjue constantly encouraged them. "Brothers, we must control our desire for Gluttony."

"Otherwise, the stronger we become, the more we will indulge in hunting each other. We will never be able to break out of this vicious cycle, not until our entire Race is extinct."

"We must do this."

"This will prove that we have the ability to change the current state of the Bully Locust Race!"

"We possess unparalleled Endurance. We can do it! We can fight against our past and our instincts!"

"If you really can’t bear it, then sleep, brothers."

"You won’t feel hungry while you’re asleep. I will stay by your side and wait for hope to arrive."

The Bully Locusts were incredibly agitated, eyeing one another covetously.

In the end, seven locusts left. The remaining five managed to suppress their instincts and their impulse to kill. They closed their eyes, curled up their bodies, and, one by one, fell into a deep sleep, choosing to try.

Huangjue buried his companions one by one in the earth, standing guard over them to ensure their safety.

Although his Tier was higher, he too was tormented by hunger, growing progressively weaker. His vision gradually blurred, and his mind became muddled.

Still, Huangjue persisted.

On the walls of Crystal City, his prolonged contemplation had led him to a realization.

’If Yao God thought the Bully Locust Race was superfluous, then with His omnipotent power, He could have easily wiped the Race from existence.’

’Although the God had limited the swarm’s area of activity, He had not sentenced the Race to death.’

’Perhaps this was a test given to the Bully Locust Race by the God.’

’If they could break free from their ignorant savagery, learn to control their beast-like instincts, and ignite the Fire of Faith, they would have a chance to receive guidance.’

’If not, they would remain Fallen in this Hell of Hunting until they devolved into beasts that only knew how to eat. They would become one with this ruined land, eventually turning into nothing but the dregs of a bygone era.’

It was precisely by relying on the perception of his Faith that Huangjue had come to the border of this old world. He could clearly feel that beyond the defensive line formed by the Black Water Mites, the new world was filled with the warm Fire of Faith.

Even the terrifyingly powerful Black Dragon in the sky carried the aura of Lord Yao God.

’Of course, this could all just be a figment of my imagination, a lie I’ve conceived to chase a nonexistent hope.’

’Lord God might not care at all; perhaps He no longer even pays attention to this barren world.’

But Huangjue had no regrets or hesitation.

Just as he had never believed that the locust Race’s attempt to grow food was a mistake. It was simply that the timing was wrong; the chaotic old world had not given them the time or environment to farm.

’There can be no change without bold attempts. Hope doesn’t just appear out of thin air.’

’The opportunity to enter the new world is right here, on the border of this forbidden zone.’

Just as his consciousness was blurring, a vast power suddenly surged into him, filling his weakened body with strength.

He realized it at once.

’It’s the God!’

Huangjue excitedly prostrated himself on the ground. "Great Creator, omnipotent God, Your humble servant and Believer, with piety and reverence, offers You his sincere thanks..."

...

In front of his computer screen, Luh Yao opened Huangjue’s personal panel.

His title had changed to Prophet, and he now had his own History. One particular entry caught Luh Yao’s attention.

...

At age 1, comprehended [Wisdom] by devouring the corpse of the Apostle Sote.

...

’No wonder.’

When Selena killed Sote, the Emperor of the Empire, Huangjue had been there. This whole series of changes had only started after he ate the Apostle’s corpse.

The courage and perseverance Huangjue displayed made Luh Yao temporarily abandon his plan to delete this Race. He decided to give him a chance, which also meant giving the entire Bully Locust Race a chance.

Luh Yao had been keeping a close eye on this locust leader.

Logic told him that this was a bit of a waste of time.

The two abilities, [Gluttony] and [Rapid Reproduction], would only turn the Bully Locusts into ecological destroyers, making them public enemies loathed by most humans and Extraordinary Beings.

Emotionally, however, he hoped Huangjue could find a different answer.

At the same time, this was also a test of the Yao Race World’s capacity for tolerance and integration—a test to see if the current Yao Race Civilization could absorb and reform a species with such great destructive power.

Unlike the Black Water Mites, the Bully Locusts already had a figure of Enlightenment like Huangjue. Once they began to think for themselves, their subsequent evolution would be difficult to predict accurately.

Luh Yao continued to watch.