I Have a God Simulator

Luh Yao looked down upon the world.

In Yao City, the Fire Steam Furnace directly spurred the creation of two new technologies—dyeing and the Loom—revitalizing the city's previously stagnant economy.

Merchants from all over once again flocked to the ancient Holy City. They formed long lines outside the Divine Hall Council's dyeing workshops and textile mills. The merchants who secured their goods had smiling faces pop up over their heads as they happily led their camels toward new markets.

The merchants still waiting were anxious and impatient, various thought bubbles constantly appearing over their heads as they worried about not getting their goods that day.

The change was most visible on the city streets.

The residents of Yao City were no longer clad in monotonous black, white, and gray. They could finally wear colorful red, yellow, and green clothing, making the entire city feel much more vibrant.

At the docks, moored ships raised flags of various colors to represent their different organizations, making them much easier to identify.

The emergence of the Printing Technique was a pleasant surprise.

Luh Yao checked the backend and discovered that in the previous Era, Yaoshao had already ordered the Divine Hall to attempt mass-producing books. This had been the rudimentary form of the Printing Technique.

Yaoshao had repeatedly emphasized that mass-producing books would play a tremendous role in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge for the entire city, and even for the entire Yao Race.

But by the time she passed away, research and development of the Printing Technique was still stuck at the clay-block stage. Casting the characters was difficult, and the blocks themselves were extremely fragile; it was still a failed endeavor.

Later, as the Era changed and Poisonous Mosquitos and Calamity Beasts ran rampant, the Divine Hall Council was forced to conserve its manpower.

The new Association Leader, Qubiluo'er, had not forgotten this. He carried on Yaoshao's legacy, continuing to invest manpower and resources into the research. The advent of the Fire Steam Furnace allowed the Scholars of the Divine Hall Council to complete the final link for the Printing Technique.

Yao City's Printing Technique used metal molds and Smoke Ink. Its principle was similar to the Fire Steam Loom and steam-powered Forging, using steam to drive a reciprocating motion that printed characters onto paper.

The birth of the Printing Technique turned books into everyday commodities, much like textiles. In the past, hand-copied books were rare and expensive, making it difficult for knowledge to circulate. It was primarily held by Scholars and the wealthy, but now, that monopoly on knowledge was completely shattered.

Classic books like *Tribe's Brief History*, *Tribal Trade Code*, *Yan City's History of Change*, *Pawa's Wondrous Adventure*, and *Ladybug Chronicles*—along with the latest Epic, *Abyssal Sinner*, and the biography *Crystal Empire*—were shipped from the Divine Hall Council's printing houses in Yao City to all corners of the world. Now, anyone could own a copy.

No matter how Eras and ages changed, Yao City remained firmly at the cultural center of the world.

Its brother city to the west, however, was a different story.

The first thing that caught Luh Yao's eye was the Land Boat Route built outside Yan City.

These routes were flanked by simple stone pillars and wooden poles, their surfaces paved with fine gravel. The roads weren't wide, but they were certainly conspicuous. The route stretched east to the southern gate of Yao City and south through the forest to the northern entrance of Saniluo.

Earth Traveling Boats moved along these gravel roads.

They rose from beneath the earth to travel on the surface. One by one, these shuttle- and bar-shaped Earth Traveling Boats navigated the routes. They were much faster than Crystal City's Flower Boats, though only about as fast as a horse. Their true advantage lay in their endurance and stability.

The Western Continent's environment was stable and safe, so the Earth Traveling Boats didn't need to be equipped with Rose Cannon Towers. This not only reduced their weight but also made them more nimble on the specially designed routes.

The Land Boat Routes and Earth Traveling Boats accelerated trade and communication between Yan City and the outside world. The city had now become a major distribution center and transit hub for commodities.

Whether it was earthworms from the northern Dragon Nest, ore from Uda City, glass from Crystal City, goods crafted by the Elves of the Southern Continent, or even specialty products from the countless islands in the vast ocean—all of it could be found in Yan City.

Complementing the Earth Traveling Boats were the Steamships at sea.

A Steamship was simply a galley retrofitted with a Fire Steam Furnace. With a tailwind, it could use its sails; against the wind, it used the furnace to power the paddles on its sides. It was still a far cry from a true steam-powered vessel.

But even so, it allowed humanity to travel the seas much more quickly.

Yan City remained the wealthiest city, a bellwether for economic and Trade activity.

Luh Yao clicked, converting it into a Large Bathhouse and giving it a name.

...

[Yan City Bathhouse]: A large bathhouse in Yan City built using a Fire Steam Furnace. It can accommodate 800 bathers. The interior features separate pools for hot water, warm water, cold water, steam, and salt water.

For the people of Yan City, the bathhouse is a place to negotiate business, resolve conflicts, and relax while entertaining guests.

In a city with a Yan City Bathhouse, residents' stress is slightly reduced, the success rate of transactions is slightly increased, and the city's appeal to outsiders is increased.

...

The birth of this wonder brought smiles to the faces of Yan City's people. They surrounded the bathhouse, holding white Holy Flowers and shouting Yao God's name.

"Yao God likes our bathhouse!"

"We have the best bathhouse in the world! Everyone needs to bathe—this is Yan City!"

"The God approves of bathing!"

"There's more to life than making money—there's also soaking in a hot bath!"

Luh Yao clicked on the bathhouse.

It was located in the southern part of Yan City, near the city gate. It was a large, square building with a scale comparable to the old Beast Fighting Arena.

The largest area inside was a public bath, surrounded by many small, private stalls.

Most people soaked and chatted in the public bath, while those conducting business used private pools. Thus, bathhouse culture gradually became a unique local custom in Yan City.

Led by the Twin Cities, the urban centers buzzed with new vitality, driven by new technologies. But for the individual, this new era felt more like an unfamiliar party with a mandatory invitation.

「The Fire Steam Era had arrived.」

The fastest to accept and adapt to this new environment were the Scholars, artisans, and merchants.

The birth of the Fire Steam Furnace had the most direct impact on their respective fields. Many immediately perceived the opportunity, developed various uses for the furnace, and seized the initiative.

The device had an extremely wide range of applications, including Refining, Forging, toolmaking, textiles, and shipbuilding, covering most manual manufacturing industries.

Of course, some people could not accept it.

Some Scholars called it a "dangerous copper monster," believing the Fire Steam Furnace itself was extremely risky. They argued that if they were used in large numbers, simultaneous explosions could engulf an entire city in fire and steam.

They pleaded for a ban on the civilian use of Fire Steam Furnaces.

Old-school artisans, however, insisted that items forged by a Fire Steam Furnace were rigid and uniform. They claimed that only a skilled artisan's hand could imbue an object with a unique texture and quality.

Among the merchants, some also spread tales of the Fire Steam Furnace's dangers, calling for the protection of artisan traditions.

But this was all a facade.

What this group of merchants really meant was that such a "dangerous" device that "threatened artisans' jobs" ought to have a high price tag to match its status.

'The price of the Fire Steam Furnace must go up! And it would be best if sales were restricted and centralized!'

Their ultimate goal, of course, was to increase their profit margins.

But the group most impacted by all this was not them. It was the Martial Cultivators—or rather, any Cultivator who walked the path of challenging their personal limits.

The Fire Steam Furnace accelerated nearly every manual industry. This, combined with the steady flow of All-Purpose Stones from Crystal City, caused the amount of Fine Equipment to skyrocket. Prices plummeted, and such equipment became far more widespread.

The ranks of Armored Warriors swelled. Patrolling Armored Warriors were everywhere in every city, and even Extraordinary Beings were subject to the strict constraints of Order within city walls.

The backend data from the Golden Field showed that the Yan City Martial Cultivation Association was in a sorry state. The number of registered Martial Cultivators was in constant decline, meaning many had abandoned the profession and its path. The council's funding had also been cut repeatedly.

It was against this backdrop that a member of the Yao Race, clad in tattered Ghost Armor, arrived outside the association.

"I want to apply to become a Martial Cultivator."

Luh Yao took a look.

It was the Ghost Warrior, Nong Lei.

'He's not outside Crystal City killing locusts anymore? He ran all the way here to become a Martial Cultivator?'

Upon inspection, Luh Yao discovered that Nong Lei had actually reached LV 22. He was practically the Ten-Mile Slope Sword God of Crystal City.

"Is anyone here? I want to apply to become a Martial Cultivator."

Nong Lei called out again.

The association's gate was shut tight. Only a single watchdog lay by the entrance.

A passing Hunter told him, "The association's receptionist has a bad case of diarrhea, so he's at the Sanatorium today. You should come back another day."

The man added, "A lot of Martial Cultivators have already quit the association to become Armored Warriors. There's no future and no money in being a Martial Cultivator these days... Why are you so set on joining? You look like you're already wearing armor yourself."

Nong Lei replied, "Ever since I was a child, I've looked up to Mr. Yan Jiu. I've always wanted to become a Martial Cultivator."

"Yan Jiu was incredible, it's true, but he's been gone for many years. Times have changed. This isn't the era of Martial Cultivators anymore."

Seeing that he couldn't be persuaded, the passerby shook his head and left.

Nong Lei continued to wait outside the gate.