015. Meaning?
"Exactly!" someone agreed, "Those Night Butterfly bastards, they abandoned that planet 20,000 years ago to pursue their own development—our people have lived on Corina for 5,000 years! Now that the planet is recovering, they want to take it from us? No way!"
"Yeah, why should they? I've read the news and the history. Those Night Butterflies, how do they have the right to take away the homeland our people depend on for survival? They abandoned their home and fled into space, and we brought this planet back to life, with countless generations dedicating their lives to it—now they want to take it from us with just a word? Why should we allow that?"
This topic easily sparked a sense of unity among the young people, and calls to oppose the Night Butterfly Federation and join the military echoed around.
"Really? I don't think so."
In the midst of all the pro-war voices, a boy suddenly spoke:
"If you want to join the military, go ahead, but I'm not going!"
"What did you say? Vic, are you trying to betray our civilization?"
"I don't want to be a mage. I've heard the front lines against the Night Butterfly Federation are brutal. I'm the only child in my family, and if I die, the family line ends."
The boy named Vic, looking gloomy, said in a low voice:
"You guys probably don't know this, but we've been fighting the Night Butterfly Federation for forty years. The front lines have already drafted seven waves of student mages, and even in logistics, the death rate is extremely high."
"But our people are being slaughtered! People are dying!"
"Yeah, so what?" Vic shrugged, "War is just one side's story. Who hasn't killed civilians on the other side? We're no different. When the bigwigs give the order, you little crystals will sacrifice yourselves for their gain, while the bigwigs rake in the profits."
"But you're part of the Crystal Tower civilization!" Cardife shouted. "Without the Crystal Tower being whole and strong, anyone could bully us!"
"You don't know shit. The upper ranks are all spineless. If a real war breaks out, they'll immigrate to other civilizations and keep commanding you hotheaded fools to fight. The more of you that die, the more they profit."
Vic sneered:
"I'm not stupid. If things get dangerous, I'll immigrate. You really think the bigwigs are dumber than a poor kid like me?"
"And then? Will you be able to run away every time you face danger?"
"At least I won't die for some politician. If the politicians want a war, they can take their staves and guns and go themselves. I'm just a nobody, and if they send me to fight, I'll betray them. What's the problem with that?"
Vic mocked:
"In interstellar wars, there are no heroes. You'll die like dust in the cosmos, alone and cold, and no one will remember you. It's all meaningless. Wars and civilizations should both just die. And you people—thinking you're going to save some strangers a thousand miles away, who probably live better lives and have higher status than you—sorry, but those people get media coverage every day, and yet the media never interviews me. They're not my people."
"Then what are you living for?"
"For fun. Aren't you all the same? Don't dress it up with grand ideals. You're doing it for girls, for money, for fame. So, why are you taking the test?"
Vic said:
"In interstellar wars, there are no heroes. You'll die like dust in the cosmos, alone and cold, and no one will remember you."
His sharp, cynical remarks exploited the young examinees' lack of experience, and with just a few dismissive words, he silenced their passionate fervor.
Li Aozi glanced at Cardife, the honest, patriotic young man, who was trembling with anger, his eyes red.
'How can he say that... Our people are suffering, our land is being stolen, and he feels no shame? Instead, he's proud of betraying us?'
Cardife's low muttering was clearly heard by Li Aozi.
Although Li Aozi didn't want to get involved in these squabbles between young people…
He glanced at the other young people.
Emotionally, he didn't sympathize with either side's ruling class. Both civilizations were doing whatever it took to win, each with their own reasons, and both had committed violations of interstellar law.
Rationally speaking, paying attention to this war didn't seem meaningful either. Its greatest significance was as an official battle map for players in future tournaments—[Relics of Corina].
The Eye of the Galaxy battle had crippled both civilizations, forcing them to retreat from the war zone to recuperate.
However, many planets were affected, their surface ecosystems destroyed, with 60 billion dead and 200 billion left homeless, wandering through space.
The most tragic was Corina, where due to retaliatory strikes from both the Night Butterfly Federation and Crystal Tower, the surface was bombarded and polluted with banned weapons, turning it into an uninhabitable wasteland.
The Tanas and Night clans on the planet were abandoned by both civilizations. Enemies by nature, they now had to rely on each other to survive.
They supported each other while continuing to fight, as their hatred persisted.
Fortunately, their suffering soon ended.
In Version 3.0, Corina was invaded by the [Machine World Society]. After decades of conflict, the Tanas and Night clans put aside their hatred and bravely fought together against the invaders.
In Version 3.5, Corina was reduced by one-seventh of its original size, and both the Tanas and Night clans were completely wiped out. None of them fell into the hands of the enemy, and they all died with honor, without giving their universal foes any advantage.
However, this heroic sacrifice received no recognition from any civilization.
Because their home civilization was not considered a legitimate government.
The universe is too vast for anyone to care about the death of an ant or the suffering of an illegal planet.
[…If the physical rules of the real world are the same as those in the game, then I should make some changes too.]
Vic, smug with his verbal victory, was basking in the joy of having won the argument.
"In interstellar wars, no one will remember you," Li Aozi spoke up, calmly saying, "But here's the thing, even if there's no war, no one will remember you either."
"You—"
"People who question whether meaning itself has meaning, their existence is based on rebuttal. No, rebuttal has meaning, but you don't. You've denied everything that could give your existence meaning—so naturally, you have no reason to exist, dumbass."
Li Aozi glanced at Vic. The skill [Bully the Weak] converted his high [Charisma] into an equivalent level of [Intimidation]. In Vic's eyes, the rugged and handsome youth suddenly transformed into a magnificently armed mechanical T-Rex, its massive jaws opening with a thunderous roar.
"Those who deny the meaning of others' existence have no meaning themselves. The world doesn't revolve around you—but it definitely revolves around people who are good to the world. Because the world isn't stupid. It's much smarter than you. Who do you think you are? You can't even take care of yourself, and you're already thinking about running away everywhere? Do you even have the ability?"
As a master of the art of fleeing, Li Aozi spoke with confidence:
"Since you don't have any meaning yourself, do you think it would be meaningful if I threw you off this flying carpet?"