Chapter 17: Chapter 12: Wait a Moment
The stone coffin shattered, and once the dust settled, a young girl wrapped in a black robe was revealed.
Isabel’s eyes were covered with a black cloth. Her seaweed-green hair was tied back, her body had become soft and pliable again, and the cracks on her cheeks had vanished without a trace.
She knelt on one knee in the Divine Hall, her long black robe trailing on the floor.
However, Isabel wasn’t facing the Divine Statue, but Luh Yao in front of the screen.
"O God above, I, Isabel, offer you all my loyalty and Faith."
[Your first Apostle has been born. The Faith of the Garlic Tribe has become more resolute.]
[The appearance of an Apostle allows your Faith to be known by more people in the world.]
[The Blessing is complete. The bow and arrow have been integrated into the world.]
At this moment, Luh Yao’s attention was entirely focused on Isabel’s personal panel.
...
[Apostle Lv15]Forest Sword Isabelle
Attack 20, Defense 20, Knowledge 30, Mana 30, Luck 0, Morale 0
[Abilities]
Wisdom Lv15: Wisdom is the key for an Apostle to hear the Divine Will. The higher the level of Wisdom, the easier it is to improve and comprehend various abilities.
Mourning Prayer Lv5: Pray to the Sea of Mourning to temporarily awaken the slumbering Dead and receive their aid. The type of Dead depends on the ability level and Mana.
Forest Sword Lv1: [Isabel’s Exclusive Ability] Isabel summons a Holy Sword, comprehensively boosting her combat Attributes. The duration and boost depend on the ability level and Mana. After combat, Isabel will create some Forest Elemental Creatures. The number and type depend on the ability level and the strength of the opponent.
...
These stats and abilities left Luh Yao feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Named characters really are on another level.
Isabel’s stats were simply out of place compared to the other members of the Garlic Tribe.
She was like a high-level player from the world map dropping into a Newbie Village. It would be downright cruel if she fought against a regular Hero.
Not only were Isabel’s Six-Dimensional Attributes balanced and outstanding, but her three special abilities were also exceptional.
Wisdom was a very useful basic skill, a prerequisite for improving other abilities, making it something of a skill accelerator.
Mourning Prayer meant that Isabel was a Summoning Undead Mage.
Forest Sword, on the other hand, was Isabel’s specialty—practically a Divine Skill.
This ability to directly create Elemental Creatures after a battle without any other cost, only needing to fuel war with war, could be used to pull together an elite force.
Luh Yao’s heart surged with excitement as he watched, and he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
He also noticed a dialogue box above Isabel’s head. The peculiar thing about it was that it contained no words, just a long ______.
Luh Yao remembered the description of the Divine Hall.
’Wisdom is the key for an Apostle to hear the Divine Will...’
’Apostles carry out the will and commands of a God, can directly hear a God’s voice, and are the vessels for a God’s descent into the world...’
’Could it be...?’
He tried typing.
—Isabel, can you see this?
Isabel remained kneeling on one knee as another dialogue box appeared above her head.
"Lord God, Isabel has heard your decree."
—Why are your eyes covered?
"My eyes have lost their vitality. They sometimes fall out of their sockets, so I keep them covered to avoid frightening others."
Luh Yao thought, ’Just as I expected.’
This was what truly set Apostles apart from the other Elemental Little People.
They could converse with a Divine Player like him across the Dimension Wall.
’In that case...’
Luh Yao’s fingers flew across the keyboard.
—How did the Forest God you followed fall?
"The Fire of Faith vanished, and memories of the Gods were erased."
—What’s the fastest way for you to level up?
"Power of Faith is the fastest way for an Apostle to level up, but it consumes a massive amount of Faith. Usually, Apostles raise their Tier by carrying out their God’s commands, collecting Faith throughout the world, and through exploration, combat, rituals, and comprehension."
Luh Yao gave it a try and found that clicking on the level above Isabel’s head brought up an option. He could burn Faith to have her level up quickly.
But the cost was also extremely high.
Just getting Isabel to LV16 would require 1,500 Faith.
Compared to that price, getting a LV15 Isabel for 500 Faith was an incredible deal.
The feeling of chatting with an Apostle via text was rather strange. It reminded Luh Yao of the first time he chatted with a stranger online as a child, a novel experience filled with a hint of anticipation.
—Isabel, how old are you?
"Lord God, I cannot recall my exact age."
—Were you an ordinary person before becoming an Apostle?
"I have no memory of it."
—What do you think of the Garlic Tribe?
"A rather primitive tribe. It is sparsely populated, its civilization is unenlightened, and it is extremely backward."
—Can you come to my world?
"Others cannot, but an Apostle can."
"This requires you to place me in the Divine Hall as a Sacrificial Offering. I will then arrive in your Divine Realm. If you then use me as a Blessing, I will return to the Divine Hall."
"However, I beg you not to do this. Every Blessing and Sacrificial Offering is extremely important. In the wars of Faith between Gods, every opportunity to increase Faith is precious. The more intensely your Fire of Faith burns, the greater your chance of controlling the entire world..."
"Huh? Hey, hey, what are you doing?"
"W-wait, wait a moment..."
The flustered Isabel was dragged by Luh Yao’s mouse cursor and dropped directly into the Sacrificial Offering slot.
—Do you wish to accept [Forest Sword Isabelle]?
—[Yes] [No]
Luh Yao clicked yes.
Then, his vision blurred for a moment.
A slender girl wrapped in a black robe was kneeling on his computer desk. Her eyes were covered by a black cloth, her pale little face was tense with nervousness, and her body, seated in a W-sit, was trembling slightly.
"God, you... what do you want me to do..."
Isabel’s voice was very quiet. Her accent was a little strange, but she was speaking pure Mandarin. He wondered if this was a special Apostle skill.
Luh Yao found it amusing.
The cold and solemn Isabel from the Divine Hall had changed completely upon arriving in the real world. She looked like a helpless and pitiful young girl who had been trafficked to a Foreign Land.
"Listen to me, Isabel."
Luh Yao said with a serious expression, "I called you here for serious business."
"It’s just that in this world—what is the Divine Realm in your eyes—a Demon is on the loose. He has already performed three demonic rituals nearby. I brought you here to find a trace of him, and to protect me."
When Isabel heard this was the reason, a look of understanding dawned on her face, and she calmed down.
She knelt demurely on the computer desk, her head slightly bowed, and said, "I will follow your command. Isabel will find the Demon and protect you, Lord God."
Luh Yao asked, "By the way, can you still use your abilities here?"
"Yes. Abilities nurtured by the Fire of Faith can transcend World Dimensions."
"That’s good. You can come down now."
"Yes."
Isabel hopped lightly off the desk.
She was about 160 centimeters tall, with delicate, fair skin like porcelain. She had a slightly upturned nose and rosy lips, and from her figure, she looked like a girl of seventeen or eighteen.
However, the girl was wearing a black robe that covered her body and a black cloth over her eyes. This look was far too conspicuous.
"You should change your clothes first. Otherwise, the Demon will probably find you before you find him."
"Yes."
"By the way, can you still see with your eyes covered?"
"Lord God, the Power of Faith acts as my eyes. It is clearer and more accurate than the naked eye."
Luh Yao let Isabel pick something from his wardrobe.
She chose a white shirt, a pair of jeans, and a pair of slippers to replace her long, wide, old black robe.
Luh Yao waited outside until she had finished changing before coming back in.
Looking at the girl’s current appearance, Luh Yao nodded. "This looks much more normal. But it’s still missing something."
He opened his closet and rummaged around for a bit, pulling out a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap.
"Here, can you use these instead of the blindfold?"
"Yes."
Isabel turned around, took off the cloth covering her eyes, and put on the sunglasses.
"There we go."
Luh Yao nodded with satisfaction. The baggy, casual outfit, combined with Isabel’s green hair, dark sunglasses, and baseball cap, gave her a bit of a street-style vibe.
Although the development of the tribe in the game was important, his own safety in the real world was the top priority. Isabel’s primary mission was to ensure his personal safety.
Luh Yao had gained a general understanding of the simulator. The wars between Gods were brutal, the Old Gods were fallen Gods—these were all things that had happened in the Pixel World.
Once the Demon player found him, his opponent would surely place him under house arrest and control him, turning him into a tool for farming Faith.
The fact that ordinary people were frequently being used for various demonic rituals showed that some players no longer cared about basic principles like modern laws. They were capable of anything.
The Cactus Ball, Xiaohuo, was decent at cleaning but had no combat ability whatsoever.
With Isabel guarding him, Luh Yao would be much safer.
