Wait

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

Isabelle'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 across her cheeks had vanished without a trace.

She knelt on one knee in the Temple, her long black robe trailing across the floor.

Yet Isabelle was not facing the Divine Statue, but Lu Yao before the screen.

"Above all Gods, Isabelle offers you all her loyalty and faith."

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

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

[Blessing completely fulfilled. Bow and Arrow has merged into the world.]

Lu Yao's attention was entirely on Isabelle's personal panel.

...

[Apostle Lv. 15] Forest Sword Isabel

Attack 20 Defense 20 Knowledge 30 Mana 30 luck 0 Morale 0

[Abilities]

Wisdom Lv. 15: 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 Lv. 5: Pray to the Sea of Lingering Souls to temporarily awaken the sleeping dead and receive their aid. The type of Undead depends on the ability level and Mana.

Sword of the Forest Level 1: [Isabelle's exclusive ability] Isabelle summons the Holy Sword, greatly enhancing all combat attributes. The duration and enhancement depend on the ability level and Mana. After battle, Isabelle creates some Forest Elemental Creatures. Their quantity and types depend on the ability level and the strength of the opponent.

...

The stats and abilities left Lu Yao feeling utterly refreshed.

Named characters really were different.

Isabelle's stats were practically incompatible with everyone else in the Garlic Tribe.

She was like a high-level player from the main map arriving in the Novice Village. If she fought an ordinary Hero, it would simply be cruel.

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

Wisdom was an extremely useful foundational skill. It was a prerequisite for improving every ability, essentially an ability accelerator.

Lingering Prayer meant that Isabelle was a summoning-type Undead Mage.

Sword of the Forest was Isabelle's signature move, practically a divine skill.

This ability could directly create Elemental Creatures after battle without any other consumption. As long as she kept fighting to sustain the fighting, she could build an elite army.

Lu Yao's heart swelled as he watched, and he could not help laughing aloud.

He also noticed a Dialogue Box above Isabelle's head. The strange thing was that there was not a single word inside, only a 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 a God's will and commands. She can directly hear a God's voice and serves as the vessel through which a God descends into the world...

Could it be...

He tried typing.

--Isabelle, can you see this?

Isabelle remained on one knee as another Dialogue Box appeared above her head.

"Lord God, Isabelle has heard your divine command."

--Why are your eyes covered?

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

Just as I thought.

This was what truly set Apostles apart from other pixel people.

They could converse across the dimensional wall with God players like himself.

Which meant...

Lu Yao began clattering away at the keyboard.

--How did the Forest God you followed fall?

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

--What is the fastest way for you to level up?

"The Power of Faith is the fastest way for an Apostle to improve, but it requires an enormous amount of faith. Usually, Apostles carry out a God's commands, gathering faith throughout the world and advancing through exploration, battle, rituals, and comprehension."

Lu Yao gave it a try and discovered that clicking Isabelle's level would bring up an option. By burning faith, he could rapidly raise her level.

But the cost was extremely high.

Just raising Isabelle to Level 16 required 1,500 points of faith.

Compared to that price, getting Lv. 15 Isabelle for 500 points of faith was an incredible bargain.

Typing and chatting with an Apostle felt strangely wonderful. It reminded Lu Yao of the first time he had chatted with an unfamiliar online friend as a child, full of novelty and anticipation.

--Isabelle, how old are you this year?

"Lord God, I cannot remember my exact age."

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

"No memory."

--What do you think of the Garlic Tribe?

"A relatively primitive tribe with a small population, an undeveloped civilization, and extreme backwardness."

--Can you come to my world?

"Others cannot, but Apostles can."

"You need to place me in the Temple as a Sacrificial Offering, and then I will come to the Divine Realm where you are. If you grant me as a Blessing, I will return to the Temple."

"However, I ask that you do not 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 fiercely your Flame of Faith burns, the greater your chance of taking control of the entire world..."

"Eh? Huh? What are you doing?"

"W-wait, wait a moment..."

The flustered Isabelle was dragged directly by Lu Yao's mouse and tossed into the Offering Slot.

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

--[Yes] [No]

Lu Yao clicked yes.

Then his vision blurred.

A slender girl wrapped in a black robe was sitting on her knees atop the computer desk. Her eyes were covered with black cloth, and her pale little face was taut with nervousness. Her legs, folded beneath her in a duck-sitting posture, trembled faintly.

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

Isabelle's voice was soft. Her accent was slightly strange, yet she spoke flawless Chinese. Lu Yao had no idea whether that was another special ability of Apostles.

Lu Yao found it amusing.

Isabelle had seemed cold and solemn in the Temple, but the moment she entered the real world, she changed completely. Like a young girl trafficked to a foreign land, she looked helpless and pitiful.

"Listen to me, Isabelle."

Lu Yao put on a serious expression. "I brought you here for an important reason."

"In this world, which is the Divine Realm in your eyes, there is a Demon on the loose. He has already conducted three Demonic Rituals nearby. I brought you here to find his trail and protect my safety at the same time."

Once Isabelle understood what was going on, she immediately showed a look of realization and calmed down.

She sat properly on her knees atop the computer desk, lowered her head slightly, and said, "I will obey your command. Isabelle will definitely find the Demon and protect your safety, Lord God."

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

"Yes. Abilities nurtured by the Flame of Faith can transcend dimensional boundaries."

"Good. Come down first."

"Yes."

Isabelle lightly jumped down from the desk.

She was around one meter sixty, with delicate, fair skin like porcelain. Her nose was slightly upturned, her lips rosy, and her figure was that of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl.

But the girl wore a long black robe that covered her entire body, with black cloth over her eyes. She stood out far too much.

"Change into something else first. Otherwise, before we find the Demon, he'll find you."

"Yes."

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

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

Lu Yao had Isabelle choose from among his clothes.

She selected a white shirt, a pair of jeans, and slippers, replacing that old black robe that was both long and loose.

Lu Yao waited outside until she had changed before entering again.

Looking at the girl's current appearance, Lu Yao nodded. "You look much more normal now. But you're still missing something."

He rummaged through the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap.

"Here, can you use these instead of the eye covering?"

"Yes."

Isabelle turned around, removed the black cloth over her eyes, and put on the sunglasses.

"Done."

Lu Yao nodded in satisfaction. The oversized casual outfit, paired with Isabelle's green hair, black sunglasses, and baseball cap, gave her quite a streetwear look.

The tribe's development in the game was important, but his safety in the real world came first. Isabelle's primary task was to ensure his personal safety.

Lu Yao had gained a rough understanding of the Simulator. Wars between Gods were extremely brutal. Old Gods were fallen Gods, and all of this had happened in the Pixel World.

If the Demon player found him, the other side would definitely imprison and control him, turning him into a tool for extracting faith.

The frequent hanging of ordinary people for various Demonic Rituals showed that some players no longer cared about basic rules like modern law. They might be capable of anything.

Little Fire the Cactus was decent at cleaning, but had absolutely no combat ability.

With Isabelle guarding his side, Lu Yao would be much safer.