I Have a God Simulator

Luh Yao raised the Wishing Star.

The new era’s impact on every individual could be seen through the genuine feedback gathered by this Artifact.

A blue sun hung in the sky, and on the ground, the pixelated figures seized the opportunity to make their wishes.

Inside the Wishing Star, Isabel sorted the wishes and vows into categories.

Luh Yao clicked to view them.

There were two largest wish-stars. They were evenly matched in both size and brilliance, representing the most ancient impulses of all living beings: survival and procreation.

However, with the advance of civilization, these two great desires had spawned many offshoots.

For example, survival included health, safety, food, and shelter, while procreation encompassed things like love, marriage, and childbirth.

Besides these two universal stars, there were two smaller, slightly dimmer secondary stars.

The first represented wishes for opportunity.

Many people, including a number of Extraordinary Beings, were praying for more chances.

"This year I’m heading north by sea. I hope I can find a higher-paying job in the Dragon Nest, or maybe in Uda City or Crystal City."

"Oh, Lord God, the fields have been flooded several times these past two years. I hope the crops have a good harvest this year. Let me find some high-yield wheat seeds so we can have a bumper crop next year."

"There are too many Scholars in Yao City. I graduated from the Divinity School this year and have no way of getting into the Divine Hall Council. I can only go to Yan City next door and try my luck. I hope the School of Engineering there still needs Scholars. Please, please, Wishing Star, grant me a little good luck."

"The Steamship is about to set sail. I hope I can find some new goods on this trip east and turn my business around. Otherwise, my debts... I’ll just have to run and hide in the Southern Elf Village."

...

Through their wishes, Luh Yao learned that in the cities led by the Twin Cities, competition in every industry had become extremely fierce. Scholars, craftsmen, and merchants alike were all caught in a rat race.

The emergence of advanced devices, led by the Fire Steam Furnace, further accelerated this process.

The strong grew stronger, and the weak grew weaker.

Many people began leaving the Twin Cities for the New Twin Cities in the north (namely Crystal City and Uda City). By comparison, the population there was still small, and there were significant labor shortages in various industries.

This was especially true for Uda City. After the Wuzi Race took control of the All-Purpose Stone Mine, they instantly became synonymous with wealth.

The entire city was changing at a dizzying pace.

Uda City, which once resembled a chain of mountains, now had high walls erected and was paved with a network of wide, crisscrossing streets. Every geodome was meticulously redesigned by architects and Engineers, transformed into majestic castles that resembled mountain peaks.

This ingenious renovation of the geodomes both preserved the ancient traditions of the Wuzi Race and showcased the magnificent, splendid spirit of the new era.

Such was the allure of spending without regard for cost.

Uda City was a premier mining city and the mineral processing center of the entire world. The first people who migrated to Uda City had almost all made a fortune.

Continuing further north, one would reach Crystal City.

Unlike the dust-filled air of Uda City, Crystal City was a large, comprehensive metropolis more suitable for living.

The city was shaded by green trees, the Ghost Academy fostered a strong academic atmosphere, and the old capital of the Old Empire was revitalized under the watch of the White God.

Eighty percent of all glass products on the market came from Crystal City. Even though the profit margin on glass had dropped significantly, it remained a well-developed local industry. The city used a large amount of stained glass for its windows and doors, which shimmered with a myriad of colors in the sunlight.

And one could not forget Crystal City’s iconic roses.

It was the first city to plant roses on a massive scale.

The Gentle Green Rose not only beautified and protected the city but also extended its safe zone to the outlying plantations and farmlands. The warning White Roses could immediately detect locust swarms or other dangers... The roses made the city beautiful and vibrant.

Because of its colorful glass and various roses, Crystal City was also known as the "City of Brilliance."

The development speed of the Northern Twin Cities had exceeded Luh Yao’s expectations.

The two Subordinate Gods had genuinely transformed the once-backward state of their regions.

Luh Yao looked at the other star.

This one was named Confusion.

The arrival of the Fire Steam Era had left many people feeling lost.

The revolutionary Fire Steam Furnace was gradually replacing skilled workers of the past, and manual laborers, in particular, felt a sense of displacement.

They earned their living through physical strength, but with the Fire Steam Furnace, a significant portion of heavy labor—like hauling goods at the docks, quarrying stone, and felling timber—could now potentially be done by levers and shafts. They didn’t know what the future held for them.

Manual laborers usually worked in silence, contributing their strength to numerous industries as the silent majority. Only through the Wishing Star could their voices be heard.

Luh Yao understood their worries and hesitation.

When something new appears, the unknown instinctively makes people afraid. A natural conservatism comes to dominate one’s perspective.

’But no matter what new tools are born, they will always need people to operate them. Tools are assistants, not masters.’

Luh Yao issued an order to his Apostles: have the cities, led by the Twin Cities, conduct related public awareness campaigns. They needed to tell everyone that the Fire Steam Furnace was not a competitor, but a helper. They must encourage people to learn new things so that the majority could participate in the progress of the Fire Steam Era and unleash the power of the great working masses.

Only by gathering the Wisdom of more people could more creative inventions be sparked.

This round of information gathering from the Wishing Star made Luh Yao realize a problem.

As the times continued to change, those who were once powerful could suddenly fall, while those who once lagged behind could become the new leaders. This was the law of natural cycles.

Crystal City and Uda City, once a ruin and a backwater respectively, had now become the darlings of the new era.

’How to minimize the number of people left behind—that is the great test.’

Luh Yao’s current experience told him to use subsidies, making an investment in the future.

To make up for the shortfalls.

Crystal City and Uda City were successful examples.

Now, he turned his attention to the Martial Cultivators.

The Martial Cultivators, who had once given humanity confidence and Inspiration, were now being ignored in the Fire Steam Era, their influence gradually fading. To simply let the Martial Cultivators of the Extreme Style decline would not only be a pity but also a waste of talent.

After much thought, Luh Yao had an idea.

’Under the pressure from the currently dominant Armored Warriors, the Martial Cultivators seem to have no place to apply their skills. So, why not just give them a place where they can display their talents?’

Luh Yao summoned Isabel and Slime Mod and revealed his entire plan.

After listening, Slime Mod declared, "I am in utter awe of your wisdom, Lord God. I can only think of one word for this plan: brilliant. There could be no better solution."

Luh Yao issued him a warning.

Flattery was acceptable, but he needed to exercise restraint.

"That our Lord God is so pragmatic is truly a blessing for all Believers. I am ashamed of my earlier outburst."

This level of moderation was better.

Luh Yao found it acceptable.

Isabel, on the other hand, asked, "My Lord, the Martial Arts Tournament you’re organizing will be held at Yunzhong Temple with only Martial Cultivators participating. Could we perhaps invite other Extraordinary Beings to join as well?"

Luh Yao thought for a moment and decided to be more conservative for the first tournament to see how it went. They could gradually open it up later and increase the range of participants.

Slime Mod also said, "Lord God, in my humble opinion, an event of this magnitude needs to be promoted in every city to encourage the Martial Cultivators. The rewards should also be heavily publicized afterward for better results."

Luh Yao agreed.

He planned to hold a Martial Arts Tournament at Yunzhong Temple once every five years, tentatively limited to Martial Cultivators. All Martial Cultivators at LV20 or higher would be invited to compete, forbidden from using weapons and equipment, to contend using only their pure physical abilities.

The final victor would not only receive a Blessing of power from a God but also the chance to become a "Sand Walker."

This was just the beginning.

Later, Luh Yao also planned to connect the Sand Walkers with the Ghost Realm, providing a complete path for advancement and further training.

However, this next step involved other Divine Kingdoms, so he had to be extra cautious.

Luh Yao repeatedly asked for Slime Mod’s opinion.

This fellow had once served as a Master for a Titled Deity and understood the ecosystem of the Gods very well.

’What he says is right isn’t necessarily correct, but if he says there’s a problem, it’s most likely a pertinent observation.’

Slime Mod said, "Lord God, you actually don’t need to worry about this."

"The ecosystem of the Crawling Area is such that the Gods all fend for themselves. But in regions with Titled Deities, there is Order. They are the center of that Order."

"The Gods’ attitude toward Titled Deities is one of awe and admiration, because to the Gods, nothing is more important than the continuation of their Divine Kingdom."

"The mere appearance of your Believers would be enough to intimidate those two Gods."

"In the eyes of a Titled Deity, other Gods are more like trees and stones drifting through the Crawling Area. Only those with value are worthy of being taken away by a Titled Deity. Typically, they either possess immediate Combat Power, special abilities, or have impressive growth potential."

"Otherwise, they are just talking trees, to be cut down for timber when needed."

"It’s just that Titled Deities will consider whether the cost of felling most trees is worth the gain. That’s all."