Wait a Moment

The stone coffin shattered, and as the dust settled, a girl wrapped in a black robe emerged.

Isabel's eyes were covered with black cloth, her seaweed-like green hair tied behind her head. Her body had become soft again, and the cracks on her cheeks had vanished without a trace.

She knelt on one knee in the temple, her long black robe trailing on the ground.

Yet Isabel faced not the divine statue, but Lu Yao before the screen.

"O Divine One above, Isabel offers you all her loyalty and faith."

[Your first Apostle has been born. The Garlic Tribe's faith has grown more steadfast.]

[The appearance of an Apostle allows your faith to be known to a wider world.]

[The Blessing is complete. The Bow and Arrow have merged into the world.]

At this moment, Lu Yao's full attention was on Isabel's personal panel.

[Apostle Lv15] Forest Sword

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 Deity's will. The higher the level of Wisdom, the easier it is to improve and comprehend various abilities.

Lingering Prayer Lv5: Pray to the Sea of Lingering Souls, temporarily awakening sleeping dead to gain their aid. The type of dead depends on ability level and mana.

Forest Sword Lv1: [Isabel's Exclusive Ability] Isabel summons a Holy Sword, fully amplifying combat attributes. Duration and amplification depend on ability level and mana. After battle, Isabel creates some Forest Elemental Creatures. Quantity and type depend on ability level and the strength of the combat target.

Seeing this data and these abilities, Lu Yao felt refreshed.

A named character really was different.

Isabel's stats were completely out of step with everyone else in the Garlic Tribe.

It was like a high-level player from the main map arriving at a newbie village. If she fought an ordinary Hero, it would be nothing short of brutal.

Not only were Isabel's six attributes balanced and outstanding, but her three special abilities were also excellent.

Wisdom was a very useful basic skill, a prerequisite for improving various abilities—essentially an ability accelerator.

Lingering Prayer meant Isabel was a summon-type necromancer.

Forest Sword was Isabel's signature move, practically a divine skill.

This ability to directly create elemental creatures after battle, with no other costs, meant she could build an elite force simply by sustaining war through war.

Lu Yao's heart raced with excitement, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He also noticed that Isabel had a Dialogue Box above her head. What was peculiar about this box was that it contained no words, only a long, long ______.

Lu Yao remembered the temple's description.

Wisdom is the key for an Apostle to hear the Deity's will...

An Apostle carries out the Deity's will and commands, can directly hear the Deity's voice, and is a vessel for the Deity's descent into the world...

Could it be.

He tried typing.

--Isabel, can you see this?

Isabel remained kneeling on one knee, and another dialogue box appeared above her head.

"Great Divine One, Isabel has heard your decree."

--Why are your eyes covered?

"My eyes have lost their vitality and sometimes fall out of their sockets, so I bind them to avoid startling others."

Lu Yao thought to himself, just as he suspected.

This was what truly set an Apostle apart from other elemental little people.

They could speak across the dimensional wall with a Divine One like himself.

In that case.

Lu Yao clattered away at the keyboard.

--The Forest God you followed—how did he fall?

"The Flame of Faith vanished, and the memories of the gods were erased."

--What's the fastest way for you to level up?

"The Power of Faith is the fastest way for an Apostle to improve, but it consumes a massive amount of faith. Usually, Apostles level up by carrying out the Divine One's commands, gathering faith in the world, and advancing through exploration, battle, rituals, and enlightenment."

Lu Yao tried clicking on the level above Isabel's head, and an option popped up. He could burn faith to rapidly raise her level.

But the cost was extremely high.

Just raising Isabel to Lv16 would require 1500 points of faith.

Compared to that price, getting Isabel at LV15 for 500 points of faith is an absolute steal.

There was something oddly fascinating about chatting with an Apostle through text, reminding Lu Yao of the first time he talked to a stranger online as a kid—novelty mixed with a hint of anticipation.

--Isabel, how old are you?

"God, I cannot recall my exact age."

--Were you an ordinary person before becoming an Apostle?

"I have no memories."

--What do you think of the Garlic Tribe?

"A rather primitive tribe, sparse in population, uncivilized, and very backward."

--Can you come to my world?

"Others cannot, but an Apostle can."

"This requires you to place me as an offering in the Temple, and I will come to your Divine Realm. If you bestow me as a Blessing, I will return to the Temple."

"But I beg you not to do this. Because every Blessing and offering is crucial, and in the wars of faith between Gods, every chance to increase faith is precious. The more blazing your Flame of Faith, the greater your chance to control the entire world..."

"Huh? Hey, hey, what are you doing?"

"Wait, wait a moment, wait..."

A flustered Isabel was dragged by Lu Yao with his mouse and dropped straight into the Offering Slot.

--Do you wish to accept [Forest Sword]?

--[Yes] [No]

Lu Yao clicked Yes.

Then his vision blurred.

On the computer desk sat a slender girl wrapped in a black robe, kneeling. Her eyes were covered with a black cloth, her pale little face tense with nervousness, her body trembling slightly in a duck-sitting posture.

"God, what, what do you want me to do..."

Isabel's voice was very soft. Her accent was a bit odd, but she spoke pure Chinese—whether this counted as a special skill of Apostles, Lu Yao didn't know.

Lu Yao found it amusing.

Isabel, who seemed cold and solemn in the Temple, had completely changed the moment she entered the real world, like a girl trafficked to a foreign land, helpless and pitiful.

"Listen to me, Isabel."

Lu Yao said seriously, "I called you here for something important."

"It's just that in this world—what you call the Divine Realm—a demon is lurking. He's already performed three Demonic Rituals nearby. I brought you here to track him down and protect my safety."

Hearing that this was the matter, Isabel immediately showed an expression of understanding and calmed down.

She knelt gracefully on the computer desk, her head slightly lowered, and said, "As you command. Isabel will surely find the demon and protect your safety, God."

Lu Yao asked, "By the way, can you still use your abilities here?"

"Yes. The power born from the Flame of Faith can transcend dimensional boundaries."

"Good. Come down first."

"Yes."

Isabel lightly jumped off the desk.

She was about 1.6 meters tall, with delicate, fair skin like porcelain. Her nose was slightly upturned, her lips rosy, and her figure looked like that of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl.

But the girl was wrapped in a black robe covering her body, with a black cloth over her eyes—this image was far too conspicuous.

"Change your clothes first. Otherwise, the demon will find you before you find him."

"Yes."

"By the way, can you still see with your eyes covered?"

"God, the Power of Faith serves as my eyes, clearer and more accurate than physical sight."

Lu Yao let Isabel pick from his clothes.

She chose a white shirt, a pair of jeans, and a pair of slippers, replacing the long, wide, old black robe.

Lu Yao waited outside for her to finish changing before coming back in.

Looking at the girl's current appearance, Lu Yao nodded. "This looks much more normal. But something's still missing."

He opened the wardrobe and rummaged around, pulling out a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap.

"Here, use these instead of the eye cloth. Okay?"

"Yes."

Isabel turned around, took off the cloth covering her eyes, and put on the sunglasses.

"Done."

Lu Yao nodded in satisfaction. This loose casual outfit, paired with Isabel's green hair, black sunglasses, and baseball cap, had quite a street-style vibe.

Although tribal development in the game is important, personal safety in the real world comes first. Isabelle's top priority is ensuring her own physical security.

Lu Yao now has a general understanding of the simulator. The wars between gods were brutal, and the Old God is a fallen deity—these are events that occurred in the Pixel World.

If a demon player ever found him, they would definitely place him under house arrest and control, turning him into a tool for squeezing out faith.

Frequently hanging ordinary people up for various Demonic Rituals shows that some players no longer care about basic modern laws and are capable of anything.

The cactus Little Fire is fine for cleaning up, but has absolutely no combat ability.

With Isabelle standing guard by his side, Lu Yao will be much safer.