I Have a God Simulator

A month had passed since his return to the Divine Kingdom, but scenes from his three days in Sand City kept replaying in Binn Du’s mind.

He sat on a rocky hill on Pillar Mountain.

From this spot, he could see the two Calamity Beasts in the distance.

The Fire Wild Ox, which brought drought with it, was chewing on dry grass, its surroundings arid and barren. The Jungle Giant Lizard, capable of stirring up wind and rain, lay in a mire, with puddles and mud spreading out from it in all directions.

The Sand Walkers, Yan Jiu and Nong Lei, were feeding the Calamity Beasts with bamboo shoots and fish.

On Pillar Mountain, such a scene was common.

The various races from the two Divine Kingdoms would gather nearby to watch the Sand Walkers spar. Although Yan Jiu always beat Nong Lei so badly he couldn’t fight back, Nong Lei’s spirit was undaunted, and he came back to fight again and again.

Just watching him struggle desperately against a stronger opponent, even when he couldn’t win, was enough to inspire anyone.

But after visiting Sand City, watching the two Sand Walkers fight gave Binn Du a different perspective.

’Why do the Yao Race’s Extraordinary Beings constantly challenge their limits, never resting?’

’Because their race is full of talented people. If you pause for even a moment, you’ll be left behind by the times.’

’Every strong person is accustomed to living with pressure.’

’In the Ghost Realm, however, such a way of life is unimaginable.’

’Ghouls spend most of their time sleeping underground. They aren’t very bright and are lazy by nature. Only when whipped or when their survival is threatened do they fight with desperate ferocity.’

’Against the Extraordinary Beings of the Yao Race, Ghouls stand almost no chance of winning.’

Binn Du recalled a scene he had witnessed outside Sand City.

He had personally watched an Extraordinary Being fight a Cloud Monk.

Both were enveloped in a cloud of mist. This was the Cloud Monk’s dueling ability, which trapped them in a one-on-one deathmatch where only the victor could leave alive.

Soon after, the mist dissipated. The Extraordinary Being, covered in blood, could barely stand as the lingering white fog rapidly merged into his body.

But he was too heavily wounded. He only managed to raise one hand before collapsing and breathing his last.

Binn Du had seen it clearly.

The Yao man’s injured arm was raised, his fist clenched, declaring his victory and glory. Even knowing his life was about to end, the Extraordinary Being still had a smile on his face, as if he didn’t care at all.

A chill ran down Binn Du’s spine as he watched.

The Yao Race possessed such a terrifying drive and sharp spirit. They were truly worthy of a civilization created by a powerful God.

The Ghosts were another one of Binn Du’s sore points.

In Sand City, the Ghosts made full use of their individual strengths.

Ghost Scholars passed on the knowledge they possessed to other groups through lectures and debates, and they preserved and circulated it through books.

Another group of Ghosts wore Ghost Armor. Relying on this refined armor, they could move and touch various objects just as they did when they were alive, participating in research and production in all fields, no different from the living.

But in the Ghost Realm...

The Ghosts used Black Tombstones as their homes, forming small groups. Other than requiring the Ghosts to master the use of Nether Fire, the two Lord Apostles had no other demands for them.

Nor could they demand more.

Ghosts themselves had great difficulty using physical tools. They couldn’t participate in digging or construction, nor could they fish, log, or engage in refining.

Apostle Blo had made many attempts to make better use of this large population, but unfortunately, all of them had ended in failure.

In the Ghost Realm, the Ghosts were like a tribe of feral Wild People. They played with slugs, tinkered with mud and wood, collected bones, loved to argue and tell death jokes, and slept in when they had nothing to do... That was the current situation.

This stark contrast made Binn Du feel a wave of powerlessness.

It wasn’t that the Ghosts of the Ghost Realm were being deliberately lazy; it was that, at their current stage, it was simply impossible. Both the two Apostles and the Ghosts themselves had already tried their best.

This was what pained Binn Du the most.

The same race, yet in the Ghost Realm and in Sand City, they displayed completely different abilities and mindsets.

The gap between them was so wide it was hard to look at.

As Binn Du was lost in gloomy thought, someone called out to him from the side.

"Binn Du, my apologies. There was a sudden pest outbreak in a bamboo forest. We went to help, which delayed us a bit."

The speaker was a short Lumin with a cattail reed tucked into his hair and the small body of a child. It was Lu Shan.

"I just got here myself. It’s no problem."

Binn Du waved his hand. "Important matters come first."

Strangely enough.

Before going to Sand City, Binn Du had viewed the two envoys from the Bamboo Reed Kingdom as rivals, remaining wary and vigilant. But after everything in Sand City shattered his existing perceptions, Binn Du chose to cooperate with Lu Shan.

Although they had only been formally cooperating for three days, Lu Shan had demonstrated an extraordinary wisdom and sharpness that made Binn Du feel inferior in many respects.

Lu Shan had a gentle personality and was not averse to making friends or sharing knowledge.

Binn Du returned the favor. The two were open and honest with each other, and in just a few days, they had forged a strange friendship.

This friendship was built on a foundation of mutual respect for each other’s abilities and a partnership of shared interests. Beyond that, it was also rooted in their mutual admiration.

Before leaving Sand City, the two had agreed to meet on Pillar Mountain in a month to exchange what they had learned since.

"The situation in the Ghost Realm is hard to explain in a few words."

Binn Du looked in the direction of his Divine Kingdom. "I told Lord Apostle Blo in detail about what I saw and heard in Sand City..."

After Blo listened with patience, he just said, "You’ve worked hard. Keep what happened in Sand City a secret for as long as possible."

And that was it.

The entire Divine Kingdom remained calm, as if nothing had changed. The Ghouls still slept lazily, and the Ghosts continued to pass their boring afterlives in their own ways.

Binn Ji asked him worriedly, "Brother Du, why hasn’t the Divine Kingdom reacted at all? Shouldn’t we be immediately imitating the construction and tools from Sand City?"

"Whether for the Ghosts or the Ghouls, we could learn a thing or two from the Yao Race... The way things are now, it’s like they’re pretending they didn’t see or hear anything. How can this be?"

But Binn Du understood the reason.

’It wasn’t that they didn’t want to. It was that they couldn’t.’

’The Ghost Realm was composed of the Funeral Race, Ghouls, and Ghosts. This civilizational structure was vastly different from Sand City’s.’

’Sand City possessed all sorts of extraordinary races, including Forest Elemental Creatures like Little Elves, Pine Slipper Rats, and Tree People. There were also the Wuzi Race and Sand Worms who lived among the sand and stone, as well as a considerable number of Ghosts.’

’Without Ghost Lighthouses, without Ghost Armor, without a complete and mature civilizational foundation, imitating the Yao Race was impossible.’

’It was like lacking the core materials; no matter how skilled the Funeral Race’s craftsmen were, they couldn’t create Black Tombstones.’

’The Ghost Realm could only adopt a calm and restrained attitude, accept the enormous gap that existed, and first lay a solid foundation, starting by identifying the intelligent members of each race.’

’Without thorough observation and understanding, one might mistakenly think the Ghost Realm had given up the chase.’

"...That’s the situation."

Binn Du explained truthfully.

After witnessing the advanced culture and wondrous creations the Yao Race displayed in Sand City, his way of thinking had undergone a massive shift.

’The world outside is wonderful; the world outside is full of frustrations.’

’To have any hope of catching up to and reaching a place like Sand City, they had to abandon their old black-and-white thinking, look toward more distant goals, and face themselves with their feet planted firmly on the ground.’

’Otherwise, what was the point of focusing only on what was right in front of them? Even if they could suppress the Bamboo Reed Kingdom, what would be the point?’

’If the Yao God didn’t nod his approval, the outcome of the Divine War would be utterly meaningless.’

Binn Du also candidly told Blo about his relationship with Lu Shan, and his Apostle superior actually expressed approval.

"In the long run, the Ghost Realm and the Bamboo Reed Kingdom will cooperate again, and that day shouldn’t be too far off. You can go ahead and try things without worry."

Lu Shan’s face was a mask of astonishment as he listened to Binn Du’s description.

Because in the Bamboo Reed Kingdom, the situation was the complete opposite.

After learning the details about Sand City, Apostle Zhur Nan had immediately launched a series of mobilizations. He called for expanding the scale of the bamboo forests, further improving the quality of bamboo shoots, vigorously promoting the development of bamboo materials, finding and cultivating wild species, and developing livestock husbandry. All Bamboo People and Lumin were required to take action.

The entire Bamboo Reed Kingdom was enveloped in a tense and solemn atmosphere.

Many Lumin whispered among themselves, wondering if another war was coming or if some kind of natural disaster was imminent. Everyone’s nerves were stretched taut.

Lu Shan knew this was the heavy pressure brought on by Sand City.

As a Lumin skilled in construction and creation, Lu Shan’s understanding of Sand City far surpassed that of his companion, Zhur Hu.

The urban order displayed by Sand City, hidden within its seemingly ordinary streets and houses, held astonishing creativity and inventions.

Take the Earth Traveling Boat, for example.

This vehicle, which could travel unobstructed above and below ground, would be a strategic asset for any Divine Kingdom.

It not only expanded every individual’s range of movement but also increased the city’s sphere of influence, and its significance for transportation and trade was extraordinary.

According to the Ghosts, this type of vehicle was considered outdated among the Yao Race.

In the major cities of the Yao Race World, the current trend was the Fire Steam Carriage. This iron-wheeled carriage, powered by a Copper Furnace Heart, was not only faster and more stable but could also traverse complex terrain.

Lu Shan could only be envious.

Then there were the buildings.

The houses in Sand City were built almost entirely of stone, with uniformly flat roofs and narrow windows. These designs could withstand the desert’s storms and yellow sands, reducing the impact of fierce winds and the accumulation of dust.

The flat roofs could be used for drying grain and clothes, and they dissipated heat quickly, keeping things cool.

The roofs and windows of the houses seemed ordinary, but they were the result of a wealth of construction experience. Such easily overlooked inventions were everywhere.

Lu Shan had consulted the Ghost Scholar, Bocha, and learned that, sure enough, the Yao Race had a dedicated School of Engineering and Engineers. This group was committed to constructing all kinds of houses and improving fortifications to cope with various harsh climates and extreme disasters.

What impressed Lu Shan the most, however, was the Desert Rose of Sand City.

The Desert Roses, arranged evenly outside the city, had surfaces that shimmered with a metallic luster. Their brownish-yellow flowers, though clearly plants, possessed a hardness comparable to solid rock.

These tall, shining roses also served as Sand City’s outer wall and guards.

They could fire spikes to punish misbehaving citizens and intruders, and their lethality was no less than that of the Black Tombstones.

Lu Shan couldn’t help but think, ’If the Yao Race were to continuously expand these roses, they could easily create a world-spanning network of Rose Watchtowers, leaving no foothold for any enemy.’

’It was both a building and a plant, both a magnificent flower and a sharp blade.’

At first, Lu Shan had thought this life-form was a creation of a God.

But according to the gardener, Shaker, the rose was cultivated by an Apostle named Pinkman—and there were several other varieties like the Desert Rose.

It was only natural that the Bamboo Reed Kingdom felt pressure and fear.

...

After Lu Shan and Binn Du shared what they had each seen, they couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

The same realization had led to completely different reactions and turmoil in their two Divine Kingdoms.

This was also a reflection of the differences in their Gods’ styles.

Before they parted, Lu Shan asked a question. "Do you think our Divine Kingdoms can catch up to the Yao Race?"

Binn Du hesitated for a moment. "...Very, very difficult."

He said, "But there should still be hope of catching up to Sand City. Since the Yao Race invited us over, they aren’t afraid of us learning from them. Sand City is just a new city the Yao Race built in the Vortex World... If we could see a major city in the Yao Race World, we would probably see an even greater gap."

Lu Shan said, "I think that even if our generation can’t catch up, as long as we persevere in chasing and improving, the gap will shrink."

Seeing the other’s fighting spirit, Binn Du didn’t want to be outdone. "Of course. We have a lot of room to grow. It’s much harder for the Yao Race to accelerate their progress than it is for us."

The two of them looked straight ahead.

On the not-so-distant Pingding Mountain, the young Nong Lei was once again sent flying by one of Yan Jiu’s punches. He wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand and struggled back to his feet.

Lu Shan said softly, "I believe that one day, we will also build our own Sand City. I just don’t know if you and I will live to see that day."

"We will."

Binn Du emphasized with certainty, "We definitely will."