Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
As Lu Yao prepared to march into the abyss, a notification popped up on the game interface.
【A believer has developed wisdom. Would you like to transform him into a prophet?】
Lu Yao clicked on the prompt, and the screen switched to Salt City, where a child shimmered with a faint light.
His name was Shi Bao, 11 years old.
Heroes often emerge in their youth, and as long as one possesses genuine talent, age is not an issue.
Lu Yao made the conversion.
On the character portrait, miniature cities crafted from stones covered the ground. A young boy squatted, laying out roads with his hands, connecting each city.
Below the image, it read:
【The most important aspect of a city is its planning】
【Prophet Lv1】Shi Bao
Attack 0 Defense 0 Knowledge 2 Mana 0 Luck 1 Morale 1
【Abilities】
Wisdom Lv1: Wisdom is key for Apostles to heed the will of the gods. The higher the level of wisdom, the easier it is to enhance and comprehend various abilities.
Inventor Lv1: Skilled in inventing, increasing the probability of creating new things.
Stonecutter Lv1: Proficient in gathering and processing stone materials.
Spiritualist Lv1: Can see and interact with ghosts, converse with the deceased.
【History】
At the age of 8, he was injured by a stone, resulting in deafness in his left ear, and gained the ability 【Spiritualist】.
At the age of 11, he became a prophet.
Judging by his name, Shi Bao was born into a family of stonecutters.
The ability 【Spiritualist】 was something pixel people had never had before.
What's most precious is his young age, coupled with the innate trait of an inventor. The last inventor was the current prophet of Yao City, Yao Shao.
Fortunately, in the temple of Salt City, there was Dorennunu, an experienced hand, capable of mentoring the newcomer.
Upon the young prophet Shi Bao's arrival at the temple, Dorennunu indeed greeted him warmly.
"Fantastic! Salt City needs the youth, needs the vitality and hope you bring! The Lord God is truly visionary."
"Do you have a charcoal pencil and paper? Can you write? You'd better jot down what I'm about to say."
Dorennunu began to explain the daily affairs of a prophet.
"……Apart from praying and listening to the divine will, it's also necessary to pay attention to the voices of the believers, the citizens."
"The prophet's role is to do just that, to alleviate the Lord God's worries, to petition on behalf of everyone."
"However, the Lord God is usually very busy. Whether it's God Yao or the White God, Their gaze is upon all creatures in the world, and sometimes They must depart temporarily to deal with other worlds……"
"So, as prophets, we need to handle as much trouble as we can ourselves. Otherwise, what's the point of us prophets?"
The old prophet spoke rapidly: "In short, you'll spend most of your time in the temple, pray earnestly, read books, then go out into the city to observe the lives of the people, to see if there are any particularly significant difficulties."
"If there are problems that can be negotiated and resolved, go find the mayor, Tong Hai. Anyway, you don't look for him, he'll come looking for you."
"If you encounter threats or troubles brought by Transcendent creatures, seek Commander Yan Ge'er. If he can't handle it, then go to the castle and find Sir Blood Knight……"
"Being a prophet is not an easy job. But it can help many people, and it will make you feel powerful and confident, because the gods are with us."
"And the most important point, Salt City must not lose to Yao City, this is of utmost importance."
"Have you got all that down?"
Young prophet Shi Bao quickly recorded with his charcoal pencil, then said, "I've written it down."
"Good."
"Then I wish you luck, the future of Salt City rests on you."
A question mark appeared above the young prophet's head: "Are you leaving Salt City?"
"Yes."
Dorennunu said, "I'm already 87 years old, too old to keep up with the pace of this city. And now my eyesight is not clear, my memory is all jumbled."
"But before a new prophet arrived in Salt City, I had to stay. Now that you're here, I can retire. The White God has also agreed to my request."
"Good luck to you, successor."
And so, Dorennunu entrusted the temple and the duties of the prophet to Shi Bao.
He took off his splendid feathered robe, donned a simple linen gown, removed the dazzling rings from his fingers, put down the golden staff, mounted a horse, and left Salt City with a carefree departure.
Lu Yao saw that Dorennunu indeed had a clear ghost symbol above his head, his life indeed not much longer.
The old prophet made his way to the southern Sanilo.
There, he spent the last moments of his life in a seaside cottage.
Dorennunu spent his days walking, fishing, chatting and drinking with merfolk and dwarves, growing some vegetables and flowers, living like an ordinary old man. One afternoon, as he slept, his aged body declared death.
The ghost of Dorennunu began a new chapter.
***
Lu Yao switched the view back to Salt City.
Shi Bao was only 11 years old, and although in the pixel world children take on responsibilities early, whether he could be a good prophet for a city at this age was still a question.
Initially, Shi Bao spent his time reading. The temple had books from three cities, these volumes recorded the various histories and accumulated knowledge of pixel humanity.
At the age of 13, Shi Bao left the temple and ventured into the outside world.
Wearing a black scholar's robe, he was inconspicuous on the streets.
Shi Bao walked and stopped, hardly interacting with anyone, often muttering to himself in corners.
"This won't do, it will scare people."
"Is it hard for you? I'm so sorry…"
"You got separated from your family? Let me help you look, don't worry."
***
Under Lu Yao's divine perspective, everything was crystal clear.
Shi Bao was conversing with one ghost after another.
Wherever he went, ghosts that had been hiding underground and within walls floated out.
It was then that Lu Yao realized there were so many souls lingering in the city, unwilling to leave their hometown.
Shi Bao's 【Spiritualist】 ability unearthed the lingering spirits of Salt City.
Through these ghosts, he also received a lot of secret information.
"Prophet, my body is buried beneath the southern city wall. I was killed by a blacksmith named Tie Gu, who also stole the money on me. Please help me catch this murderer!"
"Rest assured, I will inform the mayor immediately to capture the criminal."
"About fifty steps to the right under the western port lighthouse, there's a treasure chest buried. It was hidden by a slave trader many years ago, and it contains quite a few gems."
"Thank you! I will return the chest to Salt City to help more poor people fill their bellies."
"In the western forest, there are several Cannibal Crabs. They come out at night to poach livestock, and if discovered, they will kill and eat people. Please make sure to eliminate them."
"I understand."
The ghosts spoke all at once, revealing various secrets of the city, and Shi Bao recorded each one on paper with his charcoal pencil.
After summarizing these matters, he went to the Citizens' Assembly to find Mayor Tong Hai.
Hearing this series of important intelligence, Tong Hai immediately mobilized the city guards to start arresting the criminals. Shi Bao also visited Yan Ge'er, asking him to lead a team to drive out and annihilate the lurking Transcendent creatures like the Cannibal Crabs.
After a swift crackdown on crime, Salt City captured a number of hidden criminals, imprisoning some, expelling others, and executing the rest.
Shi Bao proposed an idea.
"Mr. Mayor, I think Salt City might need a special kind of building."
"This building will face all the deceased, giving them a place in Salt City, and they will become the most reliable source of information for the city."
"Moreover, this building will serve as a bridge to Sanilo."
"That way, not all souls will go to Sanilo, and the ghosts from Sanilo might come to Salt City. Many ghosts have rich experience and knowledge, which will be very beneficial for the future of Salt City."
Tong Hai asked Shi Bao for details, and decided on the spot to turn this idea into reality.
With his full support, the Citizens' Assembly quickly passed the project.
Soon after, a columnar tower was erected opposite the temple. It resembled the port's lighthouse in shape, but was sturdier and more majestic, with its doors firmly shut.
Subsequently, Shi Bao hurried to Sanilo. His 【Spiritualist】 advantage immediately became apparent.
After negotiations and cooperation with Mayor Chapman, Sanilo also erected a similar columnar tower.
At this moment, the Simulator popped up a notification.
【Salt City has built a special lighthouse.】
【Discovered a usable wonder prototype: Ghost Lighthouse.】
Lu Yao found it interesting.
With ample faith reserves, he directly transformed the wonder.
***
【Ghost Lighthouse】: A special wonder established by Salt City, a dwelling for ghosts, able to resist the pull of the Sea of the Dying.
Those with 【Spiritualist】 or related abilities can converse with the deceased in each Ghost Lighthouse.
In the cities where the Ghost Lighthouse is located, humans have a certain probability of comprehending the 【Spiritualist】 ability.
***
Lu Yao thought to himself, impressive.
The young prophet Shi Bao, after two years of enlightenment, made a big move upon his return.
He created a ghostly radio station.
No wonder Shi Bao said, this building would connect Sanilo.
Generation after generation, the young are getting more and more formidable.
Lu Yao gave Shi Bao a 【Sunshine】 highlight as encouragement.