God Simulator

Chapter 3:The prophet

Luke's gaze drifts down and notices something previously unseen. In the [Sacrifice] slot, there's a new item. Hovering over it, he sees it's a red creature, curled up, appearing to be a newborn of some sort. [Garlic Tribe Baby: An offering to the deity.] Luke's face twitches. Human sacrifice... it's a grim practice that aligns with ancient human customs. In "God Simulator," Luke can't directly communicate with the Garlic Tribe or predict the pixel people's actions. He hovers over [Sacrifice], contemplating whether to accept it. A line of text appears: "Do you accept the [Garlic Tribe Baby] offered by your followers?" [Yes] [No] Luke decisively clicks No. The idea of mysterious infants appearing in his apartment is absurd and could lead to unwanted legal trouble, not to mention the practical issues of an ever-increasing number of babies. He's a deity in this game, not a local childcare provider.

As Luke rejects the sacrifice, every member of the Garlic Tribe shows an exclamation mark overhead. "The deity is displeased, the deity doesn't want the infant!" "I told you not to use babies; it should be adults who can farm and pick fruits for the deity!" "No, no, it should be game, the best game, the deity would surely love a wild boar!" "I think it's fish! Fish are the best, slippery and won't hurt anyone, the deity would surely love it!" The pixel people's dialogues pop up, leaving Luke with a bittersweet smile. If they offered game or fish, he could enjoy a midnight snack, though he rarely cooks, he's competent with basic dishes. Most of the Garlic Tribe, except for five, rush off to the nearby forest, river, and mountains, searching the map for suitable offerings.

Luke notices one pixel person stands out from the rest. It's one of the original seven, bare-chested and barefoot. He stands outside the temple, looking up at the sky, a question mark above his head. Luke hovers the cursor over it, and a thought bubble filled with text appears, seemingly the inner thoughts of the figure.

"What exactly does the deity want for a sacrifice? He doesn't need infants. Perhaps he doesn't even need manpower. He blessed us with miraculous garlic, the deity's world must not lack food." "The forest tribe desecrated the temple and immediately suffered the deity's wrath. The deity must possess unimaginable power. What we need means nothing to him. Only those things beyond our understanding and use might be accepted by the deity."

The question mark turns into a light bulb, as if the figure has an epiphany. He dashes into the dense forest. Luke watches, impressed by the pixel person's intelligence, far surpassing his peers, as if he's gained enlightenment. Soon, the enlightened figure returns from the forest, carrying an object into the temple. Luke opens the temple interface.

A new icon appears in the [Sacrifice] slot, resembling a short staff fashioned from a polished branch, its design simple and unadorned. [Vitality Staff]: Increases faith by 1 per hour, vitality 12/12 hours (recharges at 1/hour). A relic crafted by the Forest Deity, capable of absorbing the overflowing life force of nature. The bearer can draw vigorous energy upon touch. Lost after the Forest Deity's fall. "Do you accept the [Vitality Staff] offered by your followers?" Luke clicks [Yes].

The icon in the [Sacrifice] slot vanishes, and a short staff the length of a forearm appears on the black keyboard of his computer desk. Luke's palms sweat slightly. He had suspected that [Blessings] could be transferred from the pixel world to the real world through the temple, and by the same logic, [Sacrifices] could make the reverse journey. But seeing it materialize before his eyes still takes his breath away. He carefully picks up the staff.

It's not heavy, similar in weight to normal wood. The staff's surface is covered in tree patterns, but it feels smooth and fine, as if coated in a layer of transparent varnish. The top of the staff has two short branches, resembling a broken clothes rack, but with tiny buds, indicating lingering vitality. Holding the [Vitality Staff], Luke feels an immediate surge of energy, his backache and fatigue vanishing, as if he's returned to his energetic teenage years, able to stay up all night gaming and wake up feeling refreshed.

Magic items from the pixel world work in reality! Luke stares at the staff. A line of text appears on the [Vitality Staff]: Vitality 12/12 hours, in use. Essentially, as long as he holds the staff, he theoretically wouldn't need to sleep, ensuring he's wide awake for work or school the next day.

Luke's excitement is palpable. Long gaming nights are now a luxury, and at twenty-three, he's keenly aware of his body's changes. A few hours less sleep than usual, and he'd spend the next day yawning and struggling to stay awake, immune to the effects of coffee or energy drinks. With the [Vitality Staff], he can return to the peak of his energetic life! He swings the staff excitedly for a while before calming down.

The real point isn't the staff's effect... it's that [Sacrifices] can indeed be brought out from the pixel world. No doubt there are other magic items like the [Vitality Staff] within the game. If he can continuously bring them out through the temple... then this game is a treasure trove. Luke feels refreshed and clear-headed. With the temple's ability to break through dimensional barriers, it won't be long before he can leave behind his grueling life as an overworked employee, reaching new heights, becoming an ideal gamer unshackled by the constraints of daily life.

Reinvigorated, Luke returns his focus to the game. By now, the pixel people of the Garlic Tribe are all back, their faces marked with smiley icons above their heads. They exclaim, "The deity likes the offering, that's wonderful!" "So, the deity enjoys these types of offerings. I will surely find even better ones!" "I still think the wild boar is the best, the deity would definitely prefer a wild boar over a mere branch!" "Nonsense, fish is the best!" "Wild boar!" "Fish!" Luke notes that the ones arguing for wild boar and fish are from the forest tribe, now part of the Garlic Tribe, donning their leather vests. Given their background in foraging and hunting, their preference for game as gifts makes sense.

Luke's gaze shifts between the pixel people, looking for the one who brought the [Vitality Staff]. They all look identical, with no names or distinguishing features, making it hard to tell them apart. Finally, he finds the one he's looking for inside the temple. There stands a bare-chested, barefoot pixel person, still with a question mark above his head—the tribe's sole thinker.

A new message pops up on the screen. "A follower has developed wisdom. Would you like to transform him into a prophet?" [Yes] [No] Luke ponders the choice before him