I Have a God Simulator

Only after the painter left did Jody turn to her husband.

"Will he really be okay?"

"Who knows?"

Pawa poured himself a mug of ale. "At least Tie Sai is taking action. If he just sat there and did nothing, there’d be no hope at all."

"Whether he makes a total mess of it or finds happiness, he’ll be the one to bear the consequences."

"He’s actually wanted to do this for a long time. We just helped him face his true self. If someone isn’t willing, nothing an outsider says will make a difference."

Pawa took a sip of ale. "The *Heroic Chapter* has been handed over to the Divine Hall Council in Yao City, right?"

"Yes. The first batch of books will be copied by next month at the latest."

"Then I can rest easy."

Jody’s face showed a hint of hesitation. "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"Of course. Is this something to joke about?"

Pawa took a deep breath and stood up. "Let’s do it."

Jody walked to the window and drew the curtains.

She turned and walked slowly to Pawa. "It’s not too late to regret it."

Pawa held Jody’s face in his hands and kissed her. "No, I don’t regret it. The story of my life belongs to you."

Then, his face stiffened.

Pawa slowly fell backward.

Pawa, the famous traveler and storyteller, passed away at the age of 66. His heart stopped beating in his Saniluo home.

...

「Three days later.」

Fabiani, having received the obituary, rushed to the fountain on a Sand Worm.

Outside Pawa’s house, many people had gathered to commemorate the great storyteller. They placed bouquets at the corner of the Wall and spoke in hushed tones, mourning Pawa’s death.

Fabiani knocked on the door.

The Oak Wood door opened slowly, revealing Jody’s somewhat haggard face. She was wearing a black dress with a Holy Flower pinned to her chest, and her eyes were red.

"My lady, my condolences."

Fabiani’s voice was hoarse. "I’m too late."

"Please, come in."

Jody glanced behind him. "And this is?"

"This is my apprentice, Uluu."

Uluu was short and wore a long robe that nearly enveloped his entire body, leaving him shrouded in shadow.

Fabiani said, "He’s one of the Wuzi People. He can just wait outside."

He made a gesture to Uluu.

Uluu nodded and returned to wait by the Sand Worm.

After they went inside, Jody dabbed the corner of her eye with a handkerchief. "Would you like some water, honey, or wine?"

"Just water, please."

Fabiani was visibly distraught.

He had always thought himself prepared for death, but the sudden loss of his dearest friend was something Fabiani found hard to accept. His mind had been a complete blank the entire journey.

Pawa had shown him so much kindness, yet he had never been able to repay it.

This filled Fabiani with a deep sense of loss, and his body felt incredibly heavy.

He saw a painting on the wall, preserved in resin. It was a portrait of Pawa and Jody. The artist’s brushwork was exquisite, faithfully and precisely capturing the couple’s features and all their subtle expressions.

The Pawa in the painting was smiling, unaware that death would come knocking so soon.

Suddenly, Fabiani realized something was wrong.

’This is Saniluo.’

’If Pawa died, his Ghost should still be here.’

He looked at Jody. "My lady, has Pawa’s Ghost appeared?"

"No, it hasn’t."

A flicker of sorrow crossed Jody’s face. She pressed her lips together. "No one knows where his Wandering Soul has gone."

’No wonder she’s so heartbroken.’

Fabiani sighed. "Perhaps he was just too tired in life. Pawa needs his rest. Please don’t worry. He loved you very much. He’ll surely return to your side."

Every time he’d eaten with Pawa, Fabiani could sense his friend’s anxiety.

Pawa was always writing and revising his manuscripts, but his progress grew slower and slower. As his fame grew, it became nearly impossible for Pawa to find a quiet place in the city.

His exhaustion and stress were plain to see.

Pawa once said that his greatest frustration was that people’s expectations of him were too high. In the eyes of many, he wasn’t just a storyteller, but an observer of the world who held countless secrets.

He could never surpass his original *Pawa’s Wondrous Adventure*, and he sighed endlessly over it, often saying there was no point in living like this.

Once you’ve had fried Black Water Mites, it’s hard to go back to enjoying fried stink bugs.

"He’s not coming back."

Jody shook her head.

Suddenly, a stranger in full armor walked out from an inner room. The man wore brass-colored Ghost Armor, a Long Sword hung at his waist, and he walked with a steady, imposing gait.

Fabiani was stunned at first.

’Pawa just died, and Jody has already found a new partner?’

’Isn’t that a bit...’

A moment later, he realized something was wrong.

A bold idea popped into his head.

"Could it be... Pawa?"

The Ghost inside the Ghost Armor spoke in a muffled voice, "You have the wrong person, my friend. Before you stands Matthews, a Ghost from the mountains, a warrior who fell in battle a hundred years ago."

Fabiani couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "You bastard! You staged your own death! You tricked everyone!"

There was nothing better than finding out his friend was still alive.

Matthews emphasized, "My friend, as I said, my name is Matthews. Your friend Pawa is dead. His body is buried in the backyard."

Fabiani froze and looked at Jody.

Jody nodded, wiping her tears with her handkerchief. "I kil... buried him myself. He’s very thoroughly dead."

Fabiani was silent for a moment, a helpless look on his face. "To think you’d go so far as to kill yourself just to escape the pressure of the name ’Pawa’ and start over... I doubt anyone would have expected this."

"My friend, I must solemnly declare to you again, I am Matthews."

The figure emphasized once more.

"Then why are you in Pawa’s house?"

"Because I am a fan of Mr. Pawa’s books, and I came here to pay my respects. I have decided to carry on Mr. Pawa’s legacy and continue writing everyone’s stories."

"I will chronicle the brutal war between the Fifth Fearless Empire and the Wuzi Kingdom. The tentative title is *The Crystal Empire*. Please continue to support me in the future, just as you supported Mr. Pawa."

"Isn’t that just a load of nonsense?"

"I am not lying."

"Stop messing around, Pawa."

"Sir, please watch your words. I am the field correspondent, Matthews."

Fabiani didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He could only nod. "Alright, a pleasure to meet you, Matthews."

Jody blinked and gently mouthed a few words.

—*Just go along with him.*

Fabiani relaxed and rubbed his stomach. "I’m a bit hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

"There are honey wheat cakes and some cold beef. It’s not much, but please help yourself." With a flick of her finger, Jody sent plates flying through the air, instantly setting the table with food.

Fabiani devoured the food.

After he had eaten his fill, he said, "We recently excavated the ruins of the Rose Kingdom on a southern cape. We found a batch of rose seeds, and it’s all thanks to Uluu."

"The Wuzi People truly are natural subterranean navigators. Their Earth Traveling Boats are marvelous. They look like stone pillars, but they’re incredibly agile underground, almost as if they were alive."

"Uluu is also the first Geologist."

"He taught us how the earth moves, how it’s structured internally, what its external features are... The variety of rocks is far greater than we ever imagined..."

"That black, combustible rock is called coal. It can be found on some mountains, and Burrower Monsters and Sand Worms can find some, but it’s a huge effort. Uluu has a way to accurately locate coal deposits!"

"On top of that, Uluu can also find Fire Wells! Flames that continuously erupt from the ground and can burn for hundreds of years. They have them in the Wuzi Kingdom!"

"With Fire Wells and a large supply of coal, Refining and forging would become incredibly easy. The cost of making all sorts of Artifacts and equipment would drop. More people would be able to afford cheaper metal tools, and even Fine Equipment."

Hearing about such wonders, Matthews couldn’t keep up his act any longer. He jumped to his feet and said urgently, "Really? Quick, call Uluu in!"

"Alright. The Wuzi People can’t speak, but their hearing is sharp. They can see their surroundings through their bodies, though in a different way than we do. Theoretically, their entire bodies are like eyes."

"They have their own script and are accustomed to recording History through carving. They just never developed a spoken language because they never needed one. But Uluu can already understand the Yao Language, so it’s quite convenient."

The young Wuzi man was invited in, looking nervously at the three people inside.

Before coming, he had heard his teacher, Fabiani, speak of them.

Mr. Pawa was a highly respected celebrity who told stories for everyone and spread them far and wide. Lady Jody was Mr. Pawa’s wife, an elegant and powerful Extraordinary Being, and he must treat her with respect and propriety.

Uluu nervously bowed to the armored Samurai and the elegant lady inside.

He gestured with his hands, expressing: *It is an honor to be here. I apologize for the intrusion.*

Fabiani translated for them.

Lady Jody smiled and offered him a small seed, its surface enveloped in a faint green light.

Fabiani said, "This is a welcoming gift from Lady Jody. It’s a seed from a Symbiosis tree. If you plant it, it will grow into a whole forest and attract Elves. If you manage to grow a forest, it will be a fortune. The Elves will be willing to buy or lease it from you."

Uluu carefully took the seed and tucked it into his own body.

It was both a life and a treasure.

He expressed his solemn gratitude in the traditional Wuzi manner, forcefully knocking his head against the wall three times.

The whole house shook with the THUDS.