Chapter 266

Thus, the tale of the ‘Sage of the Deep Forest’ came to an end.

Hmm. Was it a decent enough conclusion…?

I might have thought so if not for Arthur’s sudden last-minute twist… Hmm… No, I didn’t expect a confession at that point!

Still, he did resolve the famine as a final gift.

During the process though, there was a minor issue where my power acted too strongly on the sage’s divine body… My image ended up being etched inside his body, but well, it’s nothing much. It’s fine.

The stone tower made of haphazardly stacked boulders remaining in the castle garden doesn’t suit him; a proper statue of a beautiful maiden would be more appropriate.

Anyway, after wrapping up one story like that, I stretched lightly as I rose to my feet.

Since I’ve had some fun for a while now, it’s time to focus back on work.

Alright then…

Shall I teach the gods the concept of ‘entertainment’?

—

Gods don’t have many forms of entertainment.

There used to be gods who played with humans like toys, and some who enjoyed dividing into factions and engaging in wars among themselves, but those aren’t gods anymore.

The gods remaining now are mostly well-behaved and obedient.

At best, they hold banquets at the Divine Hall and enjoy the food offerings dedicated to them.

Though I’ve mass-produced ambrosia and nectar acquired by subduing Olympus for their banquets, it’s not enough to fully satisfy all the gods’ complaints.

Of course, with me here right now, capable of easily overpowering all other gods, they wouldn’t dare voice their discontent…

But eventually, I plan to delegate everything to others and just play around!

Although I half-doubt if that’ll ever happen… Still, it will someday!

When that day comes, things will change!

Ahem. Anyway, to quell the gods’ dissatisfaction, entertainment is necessary.

Even delicious food can’t surpass ambrosia and nectar, so ordinary meals won’t appease the gods’ complaints.

In this regard, new entertainment would be an excellent choice to calm their grievances.

—

Back in the day, I taught children a magic to create bodies.

The magic to create avatars. Not merely changing a god’s divine body, but creating a duplicate with the same physical form as another life.

Well, strictly speaking, can this even be called magic? But since it uses mana, let’s just call it magic for simplicity.

Anyway, teaching all the gods this magic would be a bit tough, so I planned to use tools instead.

By creating avatars and inserting a god’s consciousness into them, they could experience human lifespans.

So first, rather than the avatar creation function, let’s test putting the gods’ consciousness into other bodies!

Let’s start by crafting a system where a god’s self-awareness is inserted into a human body, allowing them to observe from that person’s perspective.

“What is this thing?”

“It will serve as entertainment for the gods.”

—

I crafted a unique bed. A pure white marble bed, sized perfectly for one person to lie down comfortably.

It had soft cushions so one could lie there for days without discomfort.

And it came with a transparent crystal lid.

“Entertainment?”

“Hmm. Would you like to try it?”

—

Upon hearing my words, Asherat examined the bed carefully before asking,

“What strange antics have you prepared again?”

“Hmm. Let’s call it a Life Experience Simulator.”

“A what now?”

—

Ah, the term ‘simulator’ hasn’t been coined yet.

To roughly explain… It’s like a VR-style life simulation game that stimulates all five senses.

Imagine a life simulation game with tons of DLC. Think of it as experiencing that game from a first-person perspective.

“One must see to understand. You’ll grasp it quickly once you try.”

“Huh?”

—

I pushed Asherat onto the bed and pressed the temporary switch I’d set up.

The crystal lid closed, sealing her inside.

“You’ll understand once you experience it.”

—

After lying there for a moment, Asherat sat up looking utterly baffled.

“Woah… What exactly was that?”

—

Judging by her expression of incomprehension, she seemed to have enjoyed it thoroughly!

“I felt like I was seeing the world through someone else’s eyes… Experiencing becoming something else… Incredible!”

“For now, this is just a test version, so all you can do is spectate from another human’s perspective.”

—

Lying in this bed and pressing the button allows observation from the viewpoint of one of the humans on the land.

Of course, it’s not anyone random; I’ve placed restrictions ensuring compatibility between the deity lying in the bed and a believer chosen at random from among their followers!

This being a prototype, the only function available is observing and feeling through the selected human’s perspective, with no interaction possible.

—

“Phew… Haa…”

—

Looking at Asherat’s dazed expression, it’s easy to tell how effective this is.

Even just observing through another human’s perspective provides considerable stimulation for the gods.

—

“For now, it’s just a spectator function, but I plan to gradually add more features.”

—

First, I intend to add various options at the start. Instead of viewing through existing humans, perhaps creating entirely new characters—no, avatars—or experiencing life from the birth of a newborn baby onward.

I’m planning to add more functions!

Of course, I’ll place limits to avoid significant impacts on the land. For instance, making users forget they’re gods while using the device, or forcibly disconnecting them when the target falls asleep.

For sensitive parts… maybe applying mosaics or forcibly blocking visibility is necessary?

I have plenty of ideas bubbling up, but they’re too scattered and need organizing! Yes!

Additionally, I’m considering implementing a feature to prevent gods from becoming overly immersed.

After all, this device is meant for the gods’ entertainment, not to hinder their activities!

Ah! That’s right! Let’s categorize the device’s functions into three levels. The lowest level, Level 3, should only allow observational experiences, with higher levels unlocking more functions as one progresses.

Level 3 will be purely observational. Level 2… Hmm, perhaps allow subtle subconscious interference. Level 1 will permit directing consciousness slightly—like drawing attention to certain thoughts or influencing them mildly—but issuing direct commands won’t be possible.

Let’s also quantify the gods’ activities… How about numerically representing their total faith? Sounds reasonable?

Based on these numbers, let’s assign Level 1 access to the top 10%, Level 2 to the top 30%, and Level 3 to the top 60%. These percentages are rough estimates subject to adjustment later.

Hmm… Should we restrict avatar creation to the highest level? We must prohibit everyone from creating overpowered characters and causing chaos on the land.

Maybe we can implement something along those lines!

—

By the way, my children won’t need this device. They already know how to create avatars! They can manage on their own by crafting manifestations!

—

“Amazing… This…”

“Right? Enjoyable, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. However, I’m worried the gods might get addicted and neglect their basic duties.”

—

Just like a mother worrying about her children becoming gaming addicts!

But well, it’s a personal choice, so shouldn’t they manage it themselves?

—

“If gods neglect their basic duties due to addiction to this device… Perhaps we can issue three warnings, then confiscate the device if they still don’t respond. Additionally, if their faith decreases due to neglecting their duties as gods, their rank will drop… Which means they’ll lose access to higher-level devices.”

—

Ah, we should create more distinctions between different ranks of devices. For the lowest-tier devices, let’s give them a budget feel by limiting resolution and sensory sensitivity.

Ah! That’s right! We should impose species restrictions on possession or creation targets! Let’s limit it to humans initially.

Elves, dwarves, and lizardmen have restricted deities they worship, so it’ll likely be impossible under normal circumstances… But occasionally, peculiar individuals might believe in other gods.

—

“When will it be completed?”

“Hmm? Completion?”

“Yes! This device will surely become immensely popular among the gods! It’ll provide fresh stimulation to those bored gods! They might even spread their faith to experience more diverse human perspectives!”

—

Asherat’s eyes began to sparkle. She clearly understood the potential of this device after trying it out.

—

“It’s still a prototype, so it’ll take some time to perfect.”

—

Creating the functions themselves isn’t a big issue, but thorough testing is essential.

Such complex-functioned objects inevitably encounter bugs… problems. If there’s a loophole in avatar creation leading to overpowered avatars, it could negatively impact the land.

Since this enables gods to interact with the land, we must approach it cautiously, very cautiously.

However, this prototype merely allows experiencing a believer’s perspective, so there shouldn’t be any major issues!

—

“Is that so…?”

—

Hearing my words, Asherat’s face turned quite glum. Her expression practically screamed disappointment.

But what can I do? I can’t hand over an incomplete product. A brief trial is one thing…

Trial… Ah! That’s right! A trial version! With a trial version, this prototype should suffice!

I smiled faintly at the visibly disappointed Asherat.