CH 17

Chapter 17 Inventing Writing

Holidays come and go, while work persists without respite.

Lu Yao sat diligently at the company's workstation, meticulously organizing the materials and customer information on the computer screen. 

Beside him, Sister Peng leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "That young foreign girl, Yin Shabel, she's like a delicate doll, with an air of sophistication. I hear she comes from a respectable family..."

"Which family does she belong to?" Lu Yao casually took a sip of water from his paper cup and replied, "Seems like she comes from a working-class background."

"So, when are you planning to tie the knot?"

Lu Yao almost choked on his water.

"We're just friends..." he managed to say, suppressing his surprise.

"Quit playing innocent," Sister Peng waved her hand, convinced that she had deciphered everything. "Do you think I'm blind? It's clear as day that she's wearing your clothes. Are those your pants? A girl wouldn't wear a guy's clothes and follow him to the supermarket unless she's living with him. Is she your girlfriend or perhaps your maid?"

Lu Yao had to stifle a laugh. "It's not what you think."

"And what is it then?"

Trying to change the topic, Lu Yao inquired, "By the way, Sister Peng, how tall is your fiancé, Officer Fu?"

"He's quite tall, around 187 centimeters. A man with height exudes a sense of security."

Sister Peng beamed with pride, clearly content with her fiancé's stature.

"No wonder you were vigilant regarding that deviant individual earlier, Sister Peng. It appears that your familial ties are aligned with the law enforcement sector."

"Hey, don't get me started. Those policemen have their occupational quirks. It seems like they instinctively scrutinize everyone as if they were suspects... Speaking of which, I heard they caught that pervert."

"They caught him?" Lu Yao pretended to be surprised.

"Indeed."

Sister Peng's voice dropped to a whisper, her tone tinged with secrecy. "However, it appears that the suspect's identity is of a delicate nature. They haven't disclosed it to the public yet. The case is being transferred to higher authorities. Fu Chenggang didn't provide many details, emphasizing the importance of adhering to rules."

Lu Yao was taken aback.

Handed over to higher authorities?

In other words, Lisa's status as a player has been exposed. Moreover, it seems there are specific departments governing player groups. This implies that, apart from himself and Lisa, there are numerous others who play the role of gods in the pixel world.

Recalling how Lisa once regarded Yin Shabel as a high-level player and mentioned that the committee didn't impose restrictions on her, it became evident that the committee had some involvement.

However, this also meant that Lisa had indeed been apprehended by the player management department.

For the time being, she would have limited opportunities to cause trouble for him.

"How did you end up with me?" Sister Peng snapped out of her thoughts and resumed gossiping. "Yin Shabel doesn't look like she's in her twenties, right? Which country is she from? How can her family be so trusting of you? Could it be that your families arranged your engagement from childhood?"

Lu Yao could only respond with a sigh, "She has gone back home."

"What?" Sister Peng's expression suddenly changed, and she exclaimed in anger, "You just let her go like that? Had a falling out? What if she doesn't come back? Why are you so foolish? You can find another beautiful girl, you know?"

Lu Yao raised his hands in surrender. "People always long to return home."

Yin Shabel had returned to the pixel world.

Returning to the pixel world wasn't solely driven by Yin Shabel's personal wish; it was also mandated by the laws of the dimensions.

Subjected to the limitations of Jiewei, the longer Yin Shabel lingered in the real world, the higher the likelihood of her succumbing to mutations and distortions caused by the influence of the rules. Her foremost objective was to safeguard Lu Yao's well-being. With Lisa's apprehension, there was no longer a compelling reason for her to prolong her stay in this realm.

The apostles' paramount duty was to act as the gods' arm, carrying out their will and collecting and spreading beliefs. Only by returning to the pixel world could Yin Shabel fully unleash her abilities.

In reality, Yin Shabel had only stayed in this world for two days.

...

After finishing work, Lu Yao returned to his apartment.

On the computer desk, Xiao Huo sat inconspicuously in a flower pot, resembling an ordinary houseplant. Lu Yao had instructed it to remain silent, appearing no different from a regular Cactus.

The game interface displayed a steady growth of the Garlic Tribe.

In the upper right corner, the population had reached 303, while the faith value stood at 201.

In the temple, Yin Shabel, dressed in black, knelt silently before Lu Yao's virtual representation on the screen, her head slightly bowed, awaiting the god's command.

Lu Yao typed in the dialog box.

——Has anything unusual occurred in the tribe lately?

"My lord, everything in the tribe remains normal, with no suspicious activities."

——Did you uncover any findings regarding the collapsed cave in the barbarian tribe?

"My lord, there was indeed a passage inside the cave. It led to an uncharted region, but unfortunately, it has been rendered completely impassable due to the cave-in," Yin Shabel relayed.

In a sudden turn, she voiced her request, "My lord, I seek your permission to temporarily depart from the tribe."

"Not long ago, through my last desperate prayer, I managed to speak to a summoned dead. It revealed the presence of an oasis in the southern desert, home to a Bedouin tribe. The Bedouin tribe raises sheep and camels, and this oasis serves as a passage connecting the plains."

"I wish to venture into the desert, find the Bedouin tribe, and convert them into your faithful followers, further fueling the fire of your faith."

Lu Yao had great confidence in Yin Shabel's abilities.

——Then let us proceed.

"Yes, my lord."

Yin Shabel exited the temple, embarking on her journey into the western desert, beginning her exploration.

...

Lu Yao gazed at the cactus follower on the table. "Xiao Huo, prepare a bowl of noodles with pickled peppers for me. Add an egg and half a sausage."

"Yes, my lord."

Xiao Huo emerged from the potted plant, shaking off the soil clinging to its body. It retrieved a pack of instant noodles from one of the cardboard boxes stacked in the corner and went off to cook the meal.

Lu Yao's rented apartment had two bedrooms, shared with his college classmate, Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang didn't actually reside there, and the spare room served as a temporary storage space, cluttered with numerous cardboard boxes.

Usually, Zhou Qiang would come by every Monday morning to clear out the merchandise from the boxes and restock them with new goods. Lu Yao would lock the door upon returning, ensuring that Xiao Huo remained hidden from view.

The sound of stray cats outside the window mingled, their purpose unclear—were they fighting or courting?

Lu Yao rose from his seat, stretching his limbs as he twisted his neck, eliciting a satisfying crackling sound. His movements were a tad too vigorous, causing a twinge of pain in his waist that made him gasp.

As he rubbed his aching back, a new notification popped up on his computer screen.

"The Garlic tribe has invented writing, leading to a slight improvement in everyone's intelligence."

"The advent of writing has bestowed upon the Garlic tribe the ability to record and disseminate civilization and beliefs across regions."

If it hadn't been for the nagging ache in his back, Lu Yao would have been tempted to triumphantly pump his fist in the air.

The advent of writing stood as one of the paramount accomplishments of the tribal era.

Words held the essence of civilization itself, serving as its very embodiment.

Finally, the Garlic tribe emerged from the era of ignorance and primitiveness.

With the introduction of writing, the game interface underwent a change.

In addition to the population and belief indicators at the top-right corner of the screen, several new resource displays appeared.

Grain | Wood | Stone | Leather | Salt.

However, these items didn't show specific values but instead exhibited a battery-like shape that fluctuated slowly.

Grain seemed the most abundant, displayed in a vibrant green color.

When Lu Yao hovered his mouse over the grain icon, a detailed breakdown of its ingredients appeared below.

Wheat accounted for 80%, meat accounted for 10%, and the remainder constituted other food sources. This represented the current food structure of the Garlic tribe.

Apart from grain, salt and leather also thrived in plentiful quantities, as indicated by their healthy green hue.

Wood appeared yellow, suggesting inadequate reserves.

Stones, on the other hand, were painted red, indicating extreme scarcity.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Yao grasped the concept.

With the advent of writing, these resources could now be represented through textual means. It seemed that as the civilization of the Garlic tribe continued to advance, the complexity of the society would steadily rise, accompanied by corresponding interface updates.

Fortunately, the entire civilization operated and evolved autonomously, sparing Lu Yao the need for micromanagement. He simply needed to steer its general direction.

The prompts on the game interface continued to flow.

"By defeating the god Jack in this region, your relationship with the Yanchi tribe has grown intimate."

"The Yanchi tribe has offered you a sacrifice."