Steampunk Era: Mad Abield

Malin shrugged at the half-human beside him, then slipped away with his team without a peep—stay and see how this poor sir screams himself hoarse?

Leaving the scene, he called his team and continued to advance towards the Church district.

Along the way, there were armed citizens everywhere, City Guards and Noble guard squads were fighting Chaos Folk in love and war, and upon hearing the news Malin brought over, all the people of Pamir City were overjoyed—this meant that Chaos had no reinforcements, and they were diminishing one by one.

Then they fought with even more vigor—yes, more vigor, because a Chaos Believer’s head could fetch five coins at the Church, which was half a year’s income for those lower-class citizens.

If they had anything on them that could prove they were out of the ordinary, the price would naturally skyrocket.

According to the old Punisher, the head of a Chaos warrior was worth at least fifty, their weapons could fetch ten, and as for the Chaotic Sorcerers, that was truly a seller’s market, with prices that could only be described as outrageous.

"I always feel like this is a carnival," Malin said, watching the armed citizens charging into melee combat with the Chaos Believers under the cover of gunfire from the City Guards and Noble guard squads. He couldn’t help but turn his head to glance at the old Punisher.

"Lord Malin, this is the moment when the lower-class citizens gamble with their lives for the future. The last time Chaos invaded, some among them did not have the courage, but my grandfather did, allowing my father to enter the Church to study, and for me to become a Punisher reserve from a young age, to eventually retire with honor, watching my grandson become an Apprentice to the Church," the old man said. Seeing the surprise on Malin’s face, he smiled and said, "The Nobles of that time, their ancestors too sat at the gambling table called Fate, betting their martial skills and lives for honors, so don’t feel that the City Guards and Noble guard squads are just watching the citizens go to their deaths. They too are choosing brave and capable people, either to expand the ranks of the City Guard or to let them join the guard squads... after all, we are all seated before the gambling table of Fate."

Malin pursed his lips—this theory was one he had always scorned, but on second thought... it wasn’t without reason, at least not in this world.

In this world of Chaos invasion, the citizens’ bravery was not just for themselves, just as the old man said, but their bets were somewhat high, high enough that Malin, a fellow from another world, found it hard to accept.