Surviving without God

Two silhouettes arrived at the Border City deep in the night.

It was a forced return, only a few days after Grand Crow had reported the beginning of Albino Lacreta’s coup. But even they had never imagined it would escalate into a full-scale war.

From the edge of the continent to the city—after barely managing to escape from “that place”—they had flown at maximum speed atop the Black Cloud. On such a journey, there hadn’t even been an opportunity to receive a carrier pigeon.

That was why, the moment they first saw the city engulfed in the flames of war, Moon Wolf and Cheonmae couldn’t hold back a breath.

The sky was filled with flying summoned creatures, and the streets were completely occupied by paladins and priests. Skirmishes flared up everywhere, while the residents had locked themselves inside, praying only that the consequences would not reach them.

One glance was enough for veterans to instantly grasp the situation: the Cult of Abundance had committed all of its forces.

— Even so, things have calmed down a lot by now.

They were met by Jackal from the support group. Strangely, he had been waiting exactly at the spot where the Black Cloud landed, as if he had known in advance when and where they would arrive. Moon Wolf and Cheonmae couldn’t help but be surprised, even knowing his exceptional competence. Still, there was no time to dwell on that oddity.

— And this is what you call “calmed down”?

— Yes. An hour ago, it was far worse. Before the Hunter at the Waning Moon dragged Albino Lacreta into the Labyrinth.

Hunter at the Waning Moon. In Jackal’s voice, as he spoke that name, there was unmistakable respect—and a hint of awe. Jackal had been with the organization for over ten years. Cheonmae and Moon Wolf were struck by the emotions he showed toward a “newcomer.” But what shocked them far more was the news itself. Cheonmae blinked in disbelief.

— W-what did that rookie do? Drag Albino... into the Labyrinth? How is that even possible? No, why?!

— I assume it was a joint operation with Mayor Mikhela Iska.

— Mikhela? That old fox cooperated with us? Is that even possible...?

— Everything was conducted under the strictest secrecy. Even I didn’t know the details until it began. But as for the reason he made that decision...

Before Jackal could finish, Moon Wolf quietly murmured beside him:

— ...To contain Albino Lacreta’s summoned creatures using magi-engineered constructs.

Then she shifted her gaze to the panorama of the city, now “much calmer than before.”

— And most likely to take on the majority of the risk threatening the city.

The corners of Moon Wolf’s lips trembled faintly. Along with that tremor came a feeling difficult to describe. A bold and resourceful subordinate—that was her favorite type of person. And if that was paired with good intentions...

— He’s my subordinate. I personally examined him.

— ...Ah, what? Oh, right. I know.

Jackal confirmed that the rumors about the unusual “attachment” this fearsome acting commander of the Executive Division had toward the newcomer were entirely true. This time, Cheonmae didn’t argue either. Moon Wolf closed her eyes for a moment and let out a quiet laugh. It felt as though the exhaustion of the past few days had vanished instantly.

— Jackal, are you here at his request?

— Yes. The Hunter at the Waning Moon has a request for both of you. Grand Crow has already approved the operation.

Cheonmae and Moon Wolf asked no further questions and prepared to listen.

***

“Still... not yet.”

Forcing his muscles—ready to tear at any moment—Gunther cut down another summoned creature. Around him, the corpses of monsters piled up, their thick blood squelching underfoot—Bloody Flash had charged again and again.

Every moment felt like the absolute limit. But the end was still far away. Even so, this state was far better than in his 21st life, when his body had been torn apart and he had flown through the air like a baseball, only to smash to death.

— ...Isn’t that right?

In the distance, Albino Lacreta stared at him with savage intensity. His entire body was charred with burns, ichor and pus streaming down like sweat. Repeating endless cycles of regeneration and decay, he did not take his eyes off Gunther for even a second. It was a truly grotesque sight, but...

“By the third time, you get used to it.” 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

From the experience of past lives, Gunther knew: right now, Albino Lacreta couldn’t move anyway, as he was recovering from the strike on the Sixth Root. All he could do was focus on healing and continuously summon monsters from the Border City.

“I need to press him now, while I still can.”

Whoosh—

Gunther swung his sword again. Amid the pounding of his heart and the streams of sweat, he couldn’t help but recall several past lives. First and foremost, the twenty-first.

[#21 Baseball Life]

[Home run~! It flies beyond the field]

The mockery from the status window irritated him, but... in truth, he hadn’t expected to win back then. He had understood: the hope of defeating Albino Lacreta without dying even once was nothing more than an illusion—bordering on shameless greed. Especially since he had already used both Godslayer and Reading during the capture of Mari’s phantom.

“As expected, no miracle happened.”

His firepower had been catastrophically insufficient to completely neutralize the Sixth Root. In the abyss, Gunther had suffered a crushing defeat. Albino Lacreta recovered effortlessly and killed him instantly.

And yet, at the twilight of his 21st life, Gunther had been certain of victory. It was only natural. Because from the very beginning, he had only ever had one goal.

Shortcut.

Despite the scale, it was the same as in Chapter 1. Back then, too, he had fought and died alongside Ryan Parker and Eddie Wilder countless times, carving out the shortest path to a duel with the paladin. This time was no different.

He had forced the enemy to reveal the Sixth Root and confirmed that strikes against it were effective. He had calculated the path to this point with minimal cost and determined the power required to reach it. In other words, he had created a shortcut—one that allowed him to arrive at the moment of a favorable battle without unnecessary variables.

There was only one thing left. To die again and again, growing stronger until the objective was achieved. The thing he did best... the battle of one who Returns After Death.

[The Ruler of the Oceans looks at you in bewilderment]

[She is astonished that a completely different aura emanates from you than before]

The Karma from his “good deeds”—saving Mikhela Iska and the city—was enormous. After several deaths, his accumulated Karma had exceeded 5000, granting him privileges related to “???”. His level had increased, some skills had evolved, and after offering Karma to the Saint and the One Ahead of the Wind, he had grown even stronger. But the details didn’t matter right now. What mattered was that he could now endure—while protecting the others.

Boom!

One of the special operations fighters failed to dodge a fireball launched by a monster and fell. The creatures immediately rushed toward him. But before them, like an unbreakable barrier, stood Gunther, driving the Greatsword of Despair into the ground. As he held the line, lightning released by Tarsha Everlight swept away the enemies ahead.

— Haa... There’s no end to them.

Everyone was at their limit. On the temple rooftop, the barrage had become sporadic. The fighters who had been in the melee from the very beginning were on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

— AAAAAAH!

Ryan Parker shouted, his voice already hoarse. Dragging along his exhausted body, he charged forward—and behind him, the Fourth Platoon moved again.

— Whoa, that rookie’s got spirit!

— I... I was about to shout too!

— Levain! Parco! Stop lying around and get over here!

In Albino Lacreta’s eyes, as he watched this scene, there wasn’t even mockery. Only silence filled with incomprehension.

Deeply connected to a god, he had long known where this world was headed. The great cycle. The whirl of fate. In his eyes, their struggle looked like a child’s game—like a child throwing stones into the ocean. Or a swarm of ants trying to stop a giant wheel.

— Ignorant, pitiful creatures... Do you truly not understand that all of this is meaningless?

His words reached the ears of the approaching fighters. To his surprise, many of them burst into laughter. It really was funny.

Was there even a single person here who genuinely sought victory or higher meaning in this battle? Most likely not.

Some had lost their families, others their homeland, and some had lost both. There were those who had survived only after watching their loved ones being sacrificed with their own eyes.

Yes, at first, it had been nothing more than revenge. They had squeezed out their last strength to destroy the evil god and its fanatics. But the longer they fought, the clearer it became.

This was a battle that could not be won. A ruined life could never be restored.

And yet, they could not stop. Because that was what it meant to be human. Among the ruins of shattered lives, struggling within the grip of predetermined fate, they tried to endure—no matter what. It was instinct.

Gunther was the same.

He had lived like that even before coming to this world. On Earth, in the filth where no one extended a helping hand. At the very bottom, where ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) escape was impossible if you simply drifted with the current. There, he had learned to fight—even when there was no hope in sight.

This resolve would never be understood by the fanatics of Luthien, who had abandoned their humanity, submitted to the will of a god, and ceased to think.

— ...This is the end.

Amid the ruins, where all the mechanical constructs had fallen, Albino Lacreta’s voice rang out. The burns oozing pus and blood closed up, and the roots covering the temple floor began to stir once more. Hundreds of summoned creatures appeared and lined up. Of course, they were far weaker than at the beginning, but it was enough to finish off the Night Raven fighters, who were barely standing.

However, Gunther stepped forward. In his eyes, reflecting the flames of his sword, there was neither fear nor faith. He knew.

Even if this world was built upon the order of an evil god, and the defeat of humanity was predetermined—there were those not bound by those chains. One without a god. He was that exception. Only he, in this world, could hope to defeat an evil god. Before launching himself forward, the corner of Gunther’s mouth slowly curved.

— Yes. This is the end.

Boom!

The final explosion tore apart the sky above the temple. Red flames and black roots, light and shadow intertwined—and in that moment, the sky of the Labyrinth split open, and two silhouettes began to fall slowly through the fire.