Surviving without God

Shuuuuush—

Two silhouettes fell from the sky. The emergency exit left behind by Mikhela Iska activated with a slight displacement, transporting them right beneath the ceiling of the fourth underground floor of the Labyrinth. But that only made things better. Moon Wolf lowered her gaze, taking in the entire battlefield in a single glance.

Normally, this space was filled only with a gray metallic sheen and piercing cold.

But now, the Labyrinth had turned into pure chaos.

Mountains of scrap metal—remains of destroyed mechanisms—piled up like jagged peaks. The corpses of summoned creatures gave off a rotting stench. Members of the alliance fought desperately, while black roots writhed everywhere like living shackles.

At the center of this madness, Moon Wolf’s gaze locked onto a single point. Instinct told her exactly who the hunt was meant for.

Albino Lacreta. The man who had settled in the Border City last year, driving the roots of Luthien ever deeper. A villain who had brought countless tragedies. The leadership of Night Raven had long and fervently desired his death.

But he was a monster known as a “one-man army.” Possessing overwhelming power and immense political influence, his assassination had been considered nearly impossible within the organization.

However—

“Now it’s different.”

Gunther and the alliance members had prepared the perfect “hunting ground.”

“......”

Beneath her mask, a faint smile touched Moon Wolf’s lips. She understood exactly what kind of assistance Gunther had been expecting from her and Cheonmae.

“Gunther... just who are you, really...”

Everything was ready. In the most literal sense.

Huuuuum—

Even midair, her slender white hand clenched the empty air. At that instant, the scent of blood hanging in the atmosphere grew unbearably dense.

[The One Who Opened the Bloody Night manifests her authority]

A vampire inheriting the lineage of Sacred Blood. The most powerful being among all her kind to have ever lived in this world. No matter how tainted and defiled that blood had become—it was still blood. The countless bodies beneath her feet were both her weapon and her source of strength.

Whoosh—!

The red liquid flowing across the temple floor like a river began to boil. Thousands of streams of blood spiraled together, intertwining—and from that vortex, a crimson storm surged upward toward the heavens. At the sight of that majestic and horrifying spectacle, Albino Lacreta’s face twisted into a grotesque grimace.

He knew of Moon Wolf as well. The strongest combat unit of Night Raven. The one who, having been granted the fate of a Saint, dared to betray the Theocracy. Albino Lacreta’s lips curled.

— Filthy creature!..

But his shout was swallowed by the bloodstorm.

The swirling blood obeyed Moon Wolf’s will completely. Liquid turned into sharp spearheads in an instant, and droplets scattered through the air condensed and rained down like bullets.

Albino Lacreta reacted immediately. His summoned creatures clustered tightly around him like a living shield, while black roots intertwined like vines, forming a defensive barrier. As they held back the assault, he layered defensive magic formulas one upon another. Albino Lacreta’s condition was far from normal—but Moon Wolf was also wounded after her battle with “Magnificence.” She had bound Albino Lacreta’s limbs, but breaking through his defenses immediately was difficult.

A stalemate.

...Yet Moon Wolf’s expression remained calm. As if she had already done everything required.

— Cheonmae.

— I know.

That single word was enough for a comrade who had fought alongside her for years. While Moon Wolf restrained Albino Lacreta with the bloodstorm in the air, Cheonmae landed on the temple roof. She signaled to the exhausted alliance members to steady themselves, and then—

Twang!

She pulled out the massive longbow from her back and drew the string.

[The Half-Day Arrow slowly opens its eyes]

Huuuuuuum!

Beyond the gray sky of the Labyrinth—through thick mist and darkness—a point of light ignited. The tiny, barely noticeable glow at the tip of Cheonmae’s arrow transformed in an instant into a blinding radiance capable of swallowing the entire field of vision.

“Half-Day Arrow.”

The authority of absolute accuracy, which Cheonmae could use only once per day.

There would be no error. Distance meant nothing. Obstacles meant nothing. The moment the target was chosen, the arrow determined the future—it would hit.

Cheonmae’s arm, pulling the string to its limit, trembled slightly. The sound of muscles tearing and joints straining echoed in her ears like thunder. Yet even through the pain, she couldn’t suppress her smile.

How could she not smile?

She had waited too long for this moment. And besides—the table was already set. All that remained was to pick up the spoon.

“Damn... I have to admit it.”

A short nod—and she released.

Boom—!

...The arrow flew. Hearing the extraordinary roar of air being torn apart, Albino Lacreta raised his head.

And saw.

Thousands of droplets of blood evaporating into crimson mist. Summoned creatures rushed to block its path—but vanished instantly, dissolving into vapor. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Then came the six layers of defensive barriers Albino Lacreta had erected. They tore apart like paper. Reaching the tangled black roots, that radiant white light... finally reflected in Albino Lacreta’s eyes.

— ...Ah.

Boom—!

A massive pillar of light exploded at the very center of the Labyrinth.

.

.

.

And at the epicenter, where everything collapsed, a silhouette burst through the blazing light.

***

— ...Huuuuuu.

Every breath came out as a distorted groan.

— Kh-h-h-h-huuuu...

Albino Lacreta took a deep breath. Then he looked down at his body.

“......”

Everything below his waist had vanished without a trace. At the frost-covered cut, frozen blood crackled. Albino Lacreta silently watched as his flesh slowly crumbled among ice crystals.

“Half-Day Arrow.”

This was the result of colliding with a deity that ruled over cold.

Slurp... squelch—

Even so, after some time, chunks of flesh and blood began to stir, trying to find each other and fuse together. The scene clearly showed just how many lives Albino Lacreta had consumed over his lifetime.

Crunch!

Bluish-black steel blocked the regeneration. The Greatsword of Despair plunged into the severed section, crushing and tearing everything in its path. The sounds of ripping flesh, cracking ice, and splintering bone merged together.

— Kh-h-h-h-h—!

Albino Lacreta did not scream—out of sheer arrogance. He clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes bloodshot.

— ...You.

Gunther stood before him. Slowly removing his mask, he looked down °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° at Albino Lacreta in silence. In truth, Gunther’s condition was hardly any better. Bloodstains, soot, torn bandages—he looked like a living scarecrow in rags.

Everyone held their breath as they watched the two of them.

Mikhela Iska, her fur singed. Blanc Ibel, unwavering as she protected her. Ryan Parker, gasping for air on the ground. Tarsha Everlight, twice as exhausted as usual from shielding him. Levain Bernecker and Parco Draven, sprawled across the temple roof. The old man who never took his eyes off his sights. Cheonmae and Moon Wolf, who had delivered the decisive blow. And all the wounded members of the alliance.

All eyes were fixed on just two people.

Crunch—

Once again, the Greatsword of Despair pierced into Albino Lacreta’s regenerating flesh.

— Kh-h-h-h...

In that groan, rage and humiliation were intertwined. Had there ever been a moment in his life when a heretic—an enemy of the gods—had trampled him so mercilessly? Everyone was looking down on him. That fact was more terrifying to Albino Lacreta than any wound. Hatred and defeat swirled in his eyes... and then they turned empty, like glass marbles.

— Are you having fun? — he spat out a mouthful of blood, forcing a crooked smile. — You look like you’ve accomplished something. Do you think you saved the city?

With those words, his laughter grew louder.

— Not a chance.

There was neither despair nor bluff in that laughter. On the contrary—it was certainty. The certainty of a man who truly, firmly believed in the victory of the Theocracy. In the victory of the gods.

— Worthless trash. There is no salvation for you. You’ve merely stepped onto the edge of a shadow.

Bloody foam bubbled at his lips.

— Struggle. Thrash. And while you do, you will rot forever within this wheel...

Gunther listened to Albino Lacreta’s curses in silence. He simply breathed quietly amidst blood and dust. Then a bitter smile flickered across his lips.

“What a shitty world. Seriously.”

Yes, there was some truth in his words. Killing Albino Lacreta was a major achievement—but from a global perspective, it was nothing more than capturing a single pawn on a chessboard. In the future, monsters like him would continue to appear, and thousands—tens of thousands—would die. The unchanging... “predetermined scenario” of this world.

But what could he do?

If he was the one chosen to rewrite that scenario.

Gunther was prepared to walk the path of an asura. He knew he would have to fight and win through the dozens of lives remaining to him, squeezing out every last drop of himself. That was the only path—and that too was “predetermined fate.” Complaining was meaningless.

— Heretic, believe in the mercy of the gods...

So Gunther simply smiled. The smile on his exhausted face was faint—but it held not a trace of doubt. Even if the path he walked was lined with thorns... at its end, there would be salvation.

...For the first time, Albino Lacreta looked up at Gunther with the eyes of a man utterly defeated.

***

The operation to assassinate Albino Lacreta was complete. Before leaving the fourth floor of the Labyrinth, there was a mountain of matters to deal with. Things obtained at the cost of several deaths—and finally, the immense rewards and growth gained after defeating Albino Lacreta. But before any rewards, there was something that had to be checked.

Gunther silently looked at the messages filling his vision. Deep inside, a strange sense of reality washed over him.

[Main Scenario Updated!]

[Act 1, Chapter 5 “Before the Black Wave” Cleared.]

[Act 1: Completed]

Recording your deeds.

Gunther Sirhe. Under your name, an entire city has been saved.

In the alleys of the Lower City, in the abyss of the Labyrinth, under the assault of the Perfumers. And finally—up to the moment when you severed the head of the demon who had long set the table for an evil god.

Despite all fanaticism and chaos, you did not break. Therefore, the system names your first chapter as follows:

“Hero of the Borderlands”

However, this is not the end. The fires in the Border City have subsided—but new flames are rising in other parts of the continent.

On the altars of lifeless deserts. Beneath the icebergs of the Northern Sea. Behind the fortress walls of kingdoms. The apostles of the Seven Evil Gods still cry out the names of their masters.

The slumber of forgotten gods deepens, and the world slowly tilts toward the abyss.

Some still desperately call out to the gods—but you know.

No god, no order will save this world in your place.

It is time to choose. Will you remain the Hero of the Borderlands? Or will you go further—and write a new saga?

*

It was a message warning that far greater dangers lay ahead. From here on, he would have to step beyond the Border City, save and unite Badland and the Union of Kingdoms. Those lands had already become demonic territories, where the evil of Luthien had taken root far deeper than here—and it was unknown whether all his remaining lives would be enough to conquer them.

Yes. This was the true beginning of .

But...

— I’m really proud to call you my friend.

Ryan Parker, who had approached unnoticed, placed a hand on Gunther’s shoulder. His body was in terrible condition, but his face was as bright as ever.

— Hey, it’s not right for a rookie to take this spot. Move over.

Tarsha Everlight, leaning on her staff like an old woman, hobbled slowly toward them. In the distance, Levain Bernecker and Parco Draven, supporting each other, smiled brightly and waved. One by one, the other alliance members began to gather around Gunther. In every pair of eyes, there was trust, respect, and affection.

At that moment, Gunther felt even the last trace of fear lingering in the corner of his heart disappear.

Shhh—

He stepped forward. At the center of the temple, the exit created by Mikhela Iska was visible. In front of it, Mikhela Iska and Blanc Ibel, leaning against each other with half-closed eyes, waved at him.

Yes. First, they needed to return, wash up, eat—and get some proper sleep.

.

.

.

Ding!

[Act 2, Chapter 1 will begin upon trigger activation]

[Would you like to review the results of Act 1, Chapter 5?]