CHAPTER 126: THE SWORDS AND MAGIC

Life.

Life has value.

All lives, be it a creature, a monster, a sinner, or a devotee, all have a value.

There are no worthless lives. And at the same time, there are no invaluable lives either.

All lives have value, a certain price that makes them unique.

As the Very first [Law of Divine Oneness] suggests, everything in this world is connected. Everything is derived from the source energy, and everything that exists possesses a certain kind, type, and volume of this source energy.

As everything is interconnected and an extension of a source, to say it does not possess any value or it is so valuable it cannot be compared with anything else would be wrong.

But the value of life is still not something just anyone can judge.

[Time left until monster waves begin: 00:05:52.]

For a normal mosquito that everyone wants dead, the value of life it has for humans would be minimal, while on the other hand, a newborn baby of great lineage would be as important to the family as the most precious of items.

For their enemies, the same baby would be a threat, a threat they would want to eliminate, and without that so-called ’lineage’, the same baby would possess different values in the eyes of different parents.

Still, how one perceives a being does not define their worth. A child, regardless of background and bloodline, possesses infinite and equal potential.

It would adapt according to the environment it has if it survives there, and it would evolve to have different, unique aspects of life if it does not. It would die if it cannot adapt accordingly, and it would not be alive if there was a Cause for its death.

In the grand, non-judgmental, divine eyes that see everything as equally inferior, all lives possess a certain value that is not relative or contextual.

The divine sees Mortals as (1s or 0s), and assigns them a value ranging from 0 to 1. These values correspond with a certain color that further categorises the mortals, but the same is not the case for the creatures or monsters.

[Time left until monster waves begin: 00:04:32.]

A monster of low level will possess a certain value that one can guess based on the EXP that is assigned to it.

A creature with Mana will possess a higher value than a creature that cannot handle this certain special energy— according to the energies they can handle, their worth changes.

The case is different for a mutant or a corrupted being, as it has lost its sanity and has become something different from a monster. These beings possess a higher EXP count than they but have less Divine value.

For humans, in a similar context, the value of life changes... And during the time of war, this value becomes more visible.

"Mama..."

"It’s going to be alright, little one. The strong city guardians will protect us."

"It’s alright, I’m here, right? Everything will be alright."

In the cities on the 3rd floor, the value of the city guards that possessed the strength and will to stand against the monster waves was greater than that of the citizens that were under their protection.

The children who weren’t of great help right now but were looking up to the guards were their future beacons.

The parents who protected their children in the safe areas were not of as high value, but those who stood on the walls to protect their families against the monsters were of even lesser value if they were not confident in their own survival.

The brave ones were a little more valuable, those who were confident in their swords were of greater value, and those who wielded magic were of a greater value.

Those who could use their swords, their weapons well, were undoubtedly going to protect the others with greater strength, with greater confidence, and with greater efficiency.

The mages, despite their experience in the field or skill levels, as long as they were selected and trained by the city guardians, possessed a higher value than most normal sword or weapon users.

The weapon users who could use Aura were few, and that made them more valuable than most normal mages, but not as valuable as the mages who had higher proficiency with their skills.

There was no true mage on the 3rd floor, someone who used true magic derived from mental processes. The magic skills that they used were different as well, and the mastery over these skills made the difference in their values.

Still, the guardian captains who could use magic were seen as having a greater value than the guardian captains who could use Aura.

There were exceptions like the guardian captain of the 12th floor, but these examples were countable on one hand, making them comparatively less valuable than the mage captains.

[Time left until monster waves begin: 00:00:57.]

[Ding!]

[The monster waves will soon begin. Please be ready...]

The value of each and every player was different from the natives in the eyes of the Divine since these players were from a completely different world.

The Divinities that see others with an equally arrogant point of view see players as better mortals than the ones that live in the tower.

It is their judgement from their point of view, and the mortals will not be able to understand it, that is how it was for a long, long time.

The players were of great value to them. And by learning and adapting to the 3rd floor, doing something the natives need their entire lives for, the players proved their worth.

Some were more valuable than the others: the Holy sword of the north, the guardians from the east, the executives of the association, solo players that showed far greater promise than even the captains of the cities stood at the gates, along with the natives, in their fight against the approaching monsters.

The Moon above them was bleeding crimson, the entire floor was dyed in the red of the night, with nature having gone under a devilish transformation.

"GHHHHHHHH!"

"KWIIIIIIII...!"

"KYAAAAAAA!!!"

The little rabbits had turned into ugly hounds that would make one nauseous just by the sight of them.

The hounds that hunted in packs had merged into one, forming a monster that had their heads present on their entire bodies.

The deer-like creatures had taken on humanoid forms that seemed more buffed than those on Tren. Their sight was more horrific than the other monstrosities that were appearing around the floor.

The mutants that already roamed the forest had become dreadful monsters with tens of eyes and limbless, grotesque bodies. The worst was the case with the Monsters that existed in the forests of the 3rd floor.

They had become the biblical representation of angelic entities possessing a form that cannot be put into words, beings that were a different kind of power entirely.

Their average level was (Level-30), which surpassed the usual levels of their previous forms. Some were also more powerful than their level ranges, with their stats and the unique stats that they had gained from the transformation being far greater.

As the young native soldiers stood on the Walls and gazed down at the forest in the distance, the mere shadows of these approaching monsters, the mere noises that now saturated the entire floor, made their legs tremble in fear.

{ "Prepare for the initiation!" }

As the captains announced the beginning of the battles, trumpets and war horns echoed across the cities, signaling the initiation of the battles.

The soldiers who trusted their captains, the ones leading them, and the powerful weapons of war that they were going to operate still had lingering anxiety within their hearts.

However, they clenched their weapons tightly and prepared to use their Mana and magic skills with a will that aimed to protect and defend.

[Time left until monster waves begin: 00:00:21.]

The time was approaching, and so were the monsters that had started gathering at the edges of the forest.

The city walls were shut tight, the traps were ready to be activated as soon as the monsters got in their range, and the battle weapons were ready as well...

[Time left until monster waves begin: 00:00:6.]

As the captains held their weapons and stood in their positions, the monsters that were merely walking picked up their pace in all directions.

[Time left until monster waves begin: 00:00:3.]

{ "Begin!!!" }

[Ding!]

[The monster waves have begun.]

[Protect the assigned cities.]

[Monster wave: 1/9.]

The monsters surged towards them in a wave, and at the same time, explosions and dangerous sounds were heard in all directions...

-Booooooooom!

Sprinting at them from all directions.

"GHAAAAAAA!"

"KREEEEEEEEEE...!"

The noises that they made were maddening. It was not something humans could endure, much like the murmurs from the great beyond.

Thankfully, with the help of the special armors and helmets that the cities had developed over the years, along with the modifications from the Players, the guards managed to endure the noises.

-Booooooooooooom!

The explosives, the spells, the arrows, the war that had just begun... It was the start of chaos on all sides.

All cities began their defense, the soldiers used their long-range weapons, and the traps did their work, finishing off the monsters that walked right into them.

For a moment, it seemed like the humans had an edge thanks to the addition of the players.

But things took a drastic turn in an instant.

-Zaaaaaaa...

The moon above them became redder, and redder, and redder, painting even the clouds red.

Then...

-Ptptptptpt.

Rain started.

A bloody rain that the floor had never experienced since this curse was cast on the floor.