I Have a God Simulator

Ghost Realm.

Nong Lei found himself at the junction of two Divine Kingdoms, the area where the Gravel World had merged with the two realms. The local residents now called this place Pillar Mountain.

Legend had it that a pillar holding up the sky had fallen, causing the two great Divine Kingdoms to merge. The land, situated between the gloomy, cloud-shrouded Ghost Realm and the bright and sunny Bamboo Reed Kingdom, remained barren. It was the home of two enormous Divine Beasts.

Guarding these two Divine Beasts was the madman of yesteryear, the Hero who tirelessly crossed battlefields in the name of peace: the Sand Walker, Yan Jiu.

He had guided the Divine Beasts, mended the great splits in the earth, and driven away the incessant downpours. In the end, he returned to Pillar Mountain and resumed a quiet life with the beasts.

Both the Ghosts and the Bamboo People knew the Sand Walker was an outsider from beyond their world.

The Funeral Race and the Lumin would occasionally visit Yan Jiu. In addition to power comparable to an Apostle’s, the Sand Walker possessed a Wisdom that far surpassed that of the locals.

The Funeral Race consulted him on how to plan their tomb clusters and construct roads and public facilities.

The Lumin sought his agricultural techniques and experience to cultivate higher-quality grains and livestock.

The Sand Walker held nothing back, generously imparting all his knowledge.

By now, everyone knew the Sand Walker came from a powerful and secretive people—the Yao Race, who dwelled at the edge of the stars, far beyond the dome of the sky.

Behind the Yao Race stood a God of unimaginable power.

His very presence caused a black sun to fall and made the ferocious Dragon King bow its head in submission.

He was the one who ended the Divine War, the sword-bearer of an era of peace. Countless Heroes and legends were born in His wake... and many Old Gods had become mere artifacts and souvenirs in the museums of the Yao Race.

The Sand Walker was devout and loyal to the Yao God, but he also respected the Gods and Faith of the two Divine Kingdoms.

He would say, "Lord Yao God tolerates both believers and non-believers. This is simply part of the world’s natural order, and it is what allows the civilizations of all peoples to become so rich and diverse."

"It is like the Sun. It does not need to be watched for its light to blanket the earth."

One day on Pillar Mountain, a strange young man appeared at Yan Jiu’s side. He and the Sand Walker spoke with great enthusiasm, as if they were old friends reunited.

Just as onlookers were growing puzzled, the two suddenly began to fight. The newcomer was much like Yan Jiu; both could dissolve into sand, vanishing and reappearing in an instant. They clashed back and forth, a whirlwind of swift, colliding shadows of sand.

In the blink of an eye, Yan Jiu struck the young man down.

He scrambled back to his feet and resumed his enthusiastic chat with Yan Jiu, as if the fight had been nothing more than a greeting.

Apostles from both Divine Kingdoms arrived swiftly.

Apostle Blo came from the Ghost Realm, while the Bamboo Reed Kingdom sent Zhur Nan. Together, they went to meet the visitor.

He introduced himself. "My name is Nong Lei. I’m from the Yao Race, and I am a Sand Walker."

The two Apostles exchanged a look. ’Just as we thought.’

"So, you and Mr. Yan Jiu are from the same people?" Zhur Nan asked.

"I can’t compare to Master Yan Jiu. I’m just an ordinary Martial Cultivator."

The young man’s tone was sincere.

Blo seized the opportunity. "Then, was it Lord Yao God who sent you here?"

"Er... no."

Nong Lei said, "I chose to come."

Blo was confused. "Why?"

Yan Jiu looked just as puzzled.

He was looking for a chance to go back, yet Nong Lei wanted to cross realms just to get here.

"Because in the Yao Race, Martial Cultivators like me... we’re basically obsolete."

A pained expression crossed Nong Lei’s face as he spoke.

Blo and Zhur Nan were utterly unconvinced.

Nong Lei might be weaker than Yan Jiu, but his power was second only to that of an Apostle. Below that tier, he had virtually no rivals.

Compared to this claim, even the story of Yan Jiu’s botched Ascension seemed plausible.

"Martial Cultivators are on the decline?"

Yan Jiu’s expression was strange. "What’s going on? Have the monster hordes become stronger than ever?"

"No, Master Yan Jiu. It’s the Armored Warriors."

A trace of bitterness entered Nong Lei’s voice. "Before you disappeared, the Armored Warriors and Martial Cultivators were rivals on equal footing. They had greater numbers, but we were stronger individually."

"But with the mass development of All-Purpose Stone Mines, the proliferation of Fine Equipment, further upgrades to the Twin Cities Armor, the creation of the Quenching Sword and the Hundred-Bend Shield... and then Lord Philos created the Fire Steam Furnace..."

Yan Jiu’s expression grew heavy.

Though the two Apostles beside him couldn’t understand all the specialized terms, they were starting to realize this new Sand Walker wasn’t just being humble.

"...I can barely win against an ordinary Armored Warrior."

Zhur Nan couldn’t help but ask, "You can’t win?"

"It’s not a simple matter of winning or losing."

Nong Lei corrected him. "The times have changed. In the past, the fists and abilities of a Martial Cultivator held great power. But in this new era, the fastest way to take down an opponent is the Black Rose."

He held up a finger, gesturing toward Zhur Nan. "When the Black Rose blooms, the locked-in target’s heart shatters. In the face of such destructive power, many of the old abilities have become meaningless."

"SNAP. And the Martial Cultivator is dead."

Zhur Nan couldn’t comprehend, his eyes filled with confusion.

Nong Lei forced a smile. "As much as I hate to admit it, in the Fire Steam Era, Armored Warriors are simply much stronger than Martial Cultivators. This is their Era. Martial Cultivators haven’t found a new path forward yet."

"I was lucky enough to fight another Martial Cultivator to a draw, which won me the prize from Yunzhong Temple’s Martial Arts Tournament. That’s how I got the chance for Ascension."

"I came here because I felt like I was being left behind by the times. I was hoping to find opportunities in other worlds to temper myself."

Nong Lei spoke plainly. "Even if I went back, I wouldn’t know what to do. Aside from becoming an Armored Warrior myself, there really isn’t a better path for me."

"Here, at least I can stick to the path of a Martial Cultivator and hold onto a glimmer of hope."

"I never expected to find Master Yan Jiu here! And there are live Calamity Beasts, too! This is great! The Armored Warriors killed all the Calamity Beasts back home... This place really is full of challenges!"

His words left the two Apostles, Blo and Zhur Nan, speechless.

Nong Lei’s answers had been polite and tactful.

But his meaning was clear.

He couldn’t cut it in the Yao Race anymore, so after much difficulty, he’d found an opportunity to ascend and come here. Back in the Yao Race, Nong Lei couldn’t even handle an ordinary Armored Warrior, but here, he was one of the strongest people around.

Afterward, Nong Lei continued his spirited conversation with Yan Jiu, describing all the changes that had taken place in the cities since Yan Jiu’s disappearance: Uda City, now gushing with All-Purpose Stone; the brilliant, multi-hued Crystal City; the dense, vibrant rose gardens; the vast Mining Area blanketed in limestone; and the Fire Steam Furnaces that hummed ceaselessly throughout the cities...

Apostle Blo and Zhur Nan moved to a secluded spot nearby.

Now, a white glow emanated from both their eyes, their expressions utterly changed. The Gods had possessed the bodies of their Apostles.

"Is this not proof enough? This is an opportunity."

Blo said, "I’ve said it before. The Yao God sending one of his Believers to ascend here is a sign that he is observing us. The intentions of a Main God are always profound; They would never waste Their time on the Crawling Area."

"I never denied your theory. I just don’t understand what the Yao God is trying to do."

Zhur Nan continued, "Sending His Believers to train in the Vortex World, then sending them to our Divine Kingdom... I cannot comprehend it."

"Hmph. If it were one of the Gods, it would be a strange move indeed."

Blo went on, "But didn’t Yan Jiu say? The Yao God is not a Main God obsessed with numbers and scale. He seems more concerned with the development of His Divine Kingdom’s civilization and the potential of individuals."

"It seems He is a rather unique sort among the Main Gods."

"It’s an integration experiment."

"Hm?"

Zhur Nan elaborated, "An integration experiment. It’s a method used by Titled Deities. They place Extraordinary Beings into special worlds to let them continue to develop. The different environment and rules give them a chance to evolve new, special abilities."

"The Sand Walkers may be an outdated group to the Yao God, but if they’re placed in other worlds, they might evolve in new ways."

Zhur Nan concluded, "For Him, it’s a way of making use of what would otherwise be wasted."

"I see. A valuable lesson."

Blo sounded a little excited. "Does that mean more Sand Walkers will be sent here? The arrival of this group would be a major boon for us."

"Indeed."

A smile appeared on Zhur Nan’s face as well. "They are not just outstanding Extraordinary Beings; they bring with them the technology and culture of the Yao Race Civilization. They can accelerate the growth of our Divine Kingdoms."

The scraps that fall from the mouth of a great whale are a feast for the smaller fish and shrimp.

Blo then asked, "But I don’t understand, why the Vortex World?"

"It was probably a coincidence."

Zhur Nan speculated, "The real destination was the Vortex World Yunzhong Temple. But because your Ghost Realm accidentally wandered into this Ring Realm Group, that Main God decided to try an experiment. And from the looks of it, He plans to continue."

"That makes sense."

Blo remained impassive.

He would never admit this was all part of His carefully orchestrated plan to curry favor... It now seemed He had not only hitched a ride on a massive ship, but its captain was a behemoth capable of dominating the entire Crawling Area.

A wave of smugness washed over Him.

"What about a strategic alliance?" Zhur Nan proposed.

"Our Divine Kingdoms are already difficult to tell apart. And from what I can see, you have no desire to wage another Divine War. With a Main God controlling the Vortex World, it’s highly likely that more new Extraordinary Beings, like the Sand Walkers and Calamity Beasts, will appear here in the future."

Zhur Nan said, "The benefits from that would be far more stable and secure than those from a Divine War. With a Main God present, this is the safest place to be."

"Great minds think alike," Blo stated. "From this day forward, the Ghost Realm will face all disasters and external threats alongside the Bamboo Reed Kingdom."

Zhur Nan nodded. "An alliance is in our mutual interest."

"But as for whether we can make use of those Sand Walkers, Calamity Beasts, and the fruits of the Yao Race Civilization..."

"To each their own?"

"To each their own."

Both gods smiled confidently.

...

Luh Yao took all of this in.

It was just as Slime Mod had said. When faced with a being on the level of a Main God or a Titled Deity, both the Ghost God and the King of Bamboo Reed showed reverence and submission, proactively cooperating with the actions of High-Tier Deities.

Slime Mod truly understood the Gods.

And so, the Divine Kingdom Adhesive became a re-employment center for the Yao Race.

Niche groups like the Martial Cultivators, who were currently at odds with the mainstream of the era, could be sent here. It was a place where they could maximize their strength and seek out a new path for themselves.

In a future time or Era, they might even have a chance to return to center stage.