Surviving without God

Dominic Wolf was running.

The forest was dense, and the ridges—strewn with a mix of boulders and fallen leaves—were slick. Twisted roots and sharp stones kept catching underfoot. And yet the boy moved through this rough terrain as if he were sprinting across flat ground.

Short, rapid steps. His center of gravity shifted smoothly with each motion. His gaze stayed fixed three or four steps ahead, and whenever an obstacle appeared, his body tilted on its own, naturally maintaining balance.

Gunther Sirhe, “living” through all of this firsthand, couldn’t make sense of it.

“I knew he was good, but this...?”

How could an ordinary boy move exactly like a perfect “Ranger”? Gunther knew Dominic’s background. Before “that incident,” he had been a completely normal child, living an utterly unremarkable life.

Which meant all of this skill led to a single conclusion.

Overwhelming talent.

The very kind the game constantly described as “blessed by a thousand gods.”

— Ha... ha...

The moment his breathing began to falter, Dominic immediately slowed down. He paused for an instant, recovering his strength and distributing his stamina efficiently, while at the same time lifting his gaze to determine the enemies’ position. In the distance, torchlights flickered. But the boy had already calculated that some of his pursuers could track him even in darkness without light.

Shhk—

He quickly tore a strip of cloth from his clothing.

“A false trail?”

Crude, yet executed with clear intent. When Dominic abruptly changed direction and broke into a run ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ again, Gunther felt admiration surge once more.

“This is insane. Do monsters like this actually exist?”

In truth, the reasons for astonishment didn’t end there.

Everything had been unusual from the very beginning of the escape. The Society of Holy Flame hadn’t acted aggressively at first. They had approached Dominic subtly, gently.

“This is back when Luthien still acted cautiously.”

Most likely, they had planned to lull him into complacency and finish him off outside the village. And yet Dominic, by sheer “instinct,” sensed something was wrong. The moment he saw the priestly robes—something that would make any ordinary person relax and trust—he immediately decided to run. Using the excuse of going to the restroom, he left the meeting spot, lied to villagers he passed about his route to confuse any trackers, and ultimately fled into the forest.

“I thought I was decent at improvisation... but this is on a completely different level.”

Awooooo—!

From deep within the forest came a chaotic mix of monster cries and the howls of predators. Yet the gaze of the twelve-year-old boy remained astonishingly fearless. Perhaps this was what the childhood of a hero destined to carry the fate of the world looked like.

“...Those bastards.”

As that thought formed, Gunther felt his blood pressure spike with anger. If Dominic were here now... he wouldn’t have to struggle like this. They would have already united the Union of Kingdoms and be knocking on the front gates of Luthien itself.

“That must be why they eliminated such an outstanding hero in advance...”

Now the pieces fell into place. The scum of Luthien had their own “Tablets.” Through them, they had learned who Dominic would become—and crushed that possibility before it could take root.

“That’s why he never appeared in Act 1, Chapter 1.”

But that wasn’t the only problem. There was a high probability that other main characters he knew had also run into trouble. And just as Gunther realized that the “path to the Union” would be far more difficult than expected—

— A-aaak!

Dominic cried out. A flaming arrow shot from the depths of the forest pierced his thigh. No matter how incredible his talent was, he was still a child. Further resistance became impossible. After taking a few more steps, Dominic collapsed to the ground.

Honestly, the fact that he had made it this far was already a miracle. ...And it was more than enough to convince his pursuers that “this existence must be eliminated at any cost.”

Crunch—

The sound of leaves, damp with night dew, breaking underfoot echoed. Through Dominic’s blurred vision, Gunther stared at the enemy.

...Ironically, it was a familiar face.

Verion Heinz.

The current head of the Society of Holy Flame, the sworn enemy of the King of Flame, and the very man who had burned Ryan Parker’s home village. He looked far younger than in the official records, but there was no mistaking him.

All because of his “signature”—the grotesque protrusion jutting from his neck. A fanatic born as a conjoined twin, branded as a demon incarnate; he had severed his brother’s head with his own hands and cauterized the wound, presenting it as proof of his faith.

“...What a piece of work. Albino Lacreta looks like a saint compared to him.”

Gunther’s insides boiled as he watched Verion approach. It was like traveling back in time just to assassinate a great general before he could rise.

And that was no exaggeration—Dominic was exactly that kind of hero. Not merely talented, but a truly righteous person with a noble and kind heart. Gunther clenched his teeth, bracing himself to witness Dominic’s death.

“......?”

But something strange happened. The “Tablet’s” ending was not the moment of the boy’s brutal execution.

— I will purify your fate with the sacred flame of the god.

Those were the final words. His vision abruptly went dark, as if a heavy sack had been thrown over his head. Gunther held his breath as he realized one “possibility.”

.

.

.

[Clue detected for hidden scenario “Distortion”]

— Gather more clues to unlock the hidden scenario.

[You have looked into the “Tablet” for the first time]

[The “Tablet” is also looking at you]

[Number of Tablets in possession: 1]

[$@@$ is increasing]

[Contents of the “Tablet” have been delivered to the One-Eyed King]

[The One-Eyed King shows rare delight]

[A choice request has been received: increase number of uses or deepen the “Reading” skill]

[Depth of special skill “Reading” has increased]

[“◇” lets out a quiet sigh]

[“◆” strokes their chin with interest]

***

— Huu...

Gunther took a deep breath. Breaking free from the endless stairs and the unfamiliar forest, he returned to reality. Before him was once again the hidden room where he had been alone with Grand Crow. As Gunther tried to steady his breathing, a hoarse voice reached his ears:

— ...You really are something.

Grand Crow looked visibly exhausted, but behind the mask, genuine interest shone in his gaze.

— You defy every expectation. I never imagined you would try to strike a deal with the King himself.

— ...You were observing the audience as well?

— No. I merely feel it. Veteran contractors... develop that kind of connection.

— I see.

Silence settled between them again. Both were drained.

Just today alone, Grand Crow had contacted the One-Eyed King several times to grant blessings to those who had joined Night Raven—Eddie Wilder, Roanna, and Dimona Ryen. On top of that, there had been a meeting with the Society of Forgotten Books in the morning. Now that the remnants of Luthien in the city had been purged, preparations for a formal alliance were in full swing.

— ...Thanks to you, I’ve been quite busy lately. And it’s a very pleasant kind of busy.

Grand Crow smiled faintly and poured tea into Gunther’s cup.

— So then, did you get what you wanted from your audience with the King?

— ...One old question has been answered, but...

— A new one has appeared, hasn’t it? That’s how knowledge works. It never lets you rest.

That was true—his mind was a complete mess now. The most pressing question was this:

Why did Ellen Beyra leave this Tablet specifically for him?

A prophet wouldn’t do something meaningless. Then why? Just to inform him of the existence of a vanished protagonist?

“No...”

Gunther understood instinctively. She hadn’t wanted to convey mere information.

“This is a warning.”

He was almost certain that Dominic was still alive. ...In what form—that remained unknown. Gunther slowly closed his eyes.

“To think the canon was distorted because of a Tablet...”

Pshhh—

The sound of Grand Crow lighting his pipe pulled him back to reality.

— The face of a man about to fight an impossible battle.

— You’re perceptive.

— I see that face in the mirror every day.

Gunther let out a quiet chuckle. Of all people to complain to... Grand Crow was someone who had fought Luthien from nothing.

— You’ll manage. As always. The next mission as well. I’m counting on you.

— ...You’re slipping work onto me rather smoothly.

— You noticed?

A deep laugh echoed from beneath the crow mask. Not a speck of ash fell from the pipe held between his teeth.

— Moonless one, I ask you—go to the Union of Kingdoms.

Gunther listened in silence.

— The Union... from the outside, they seem to be holding together well, but the reality is different. If Luthien seriously deploys against them the same forces it used against us, the balance will collapse instantly. No—on second thought, it’s already collapsing.

Gray smoke drifted through the darkness in ghostlike strands.

— But we’ve shown them hope. Moon Wolf and Cheonmae defeated the Archbishop of Abundance. And then there’s you—a new hero born in this city.

— I take it the Union’s reaction was positive.

Grand Crow nodded.

— We have several trusted contacts there. From their responses, it’s clear our reputation has improved. Though they still look down on us.

Gunther knew the nature of the Kingdoms’ people all too well. Descendants of the continent’s oldest dynasties, filled with excessive pride in their traditions and lineage. All three nations were deeply prejudiced against outsiders. Even now, in the face of Luthien’s threat, they only pretended to cooperate. True unity was rare for them. Deep-rooted distrust and arrogance—that was one of the main reasons for their downfall, despite their immense power.

— Plenty of arrogant types over there.

— That’s why you’ll go and show them their place. While you diligently knock the arrogance out of those aristocrats, we’ll regroup our forces here in the city and gather intelligence in Badland.

Gunther nodded. It was the right approach. Exactly the direction he himself had intended to take.

— Naturally, you’ll provide me with people?

— Of course. I won’t spare manpower or resources. Ask for whatever you need.

Grand Crow tapped the ash from his pipe and continued:

— By the way, some representatives of the Union have already arrived in the city. You’ll be leaving with them.

Sensing a subtle nuance in those words, Gunther smirked.

— Those same... “people who look down on us”?

— Precisely.

A glint of mischief flashed in Grand Crow’s eyes.

— So I’m counting on you. I’m sure you can— 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

He didn’t get to finish.

Pshh—

Pshh—

The Link emitted the signal of an incoming call. Gunther frowned. It was Dimona.

“What is it?”

She should know he was currently in an audience with Grand Crow. Gunther excused himself and activated the device.

— Dimona? What happened?

[Gunther, anomalous activity has been detected on the outskirts of the city].

— Anomalous activity?

[Yes. Approximately a dozen unidentified objects are moving toward the city at high speed. They have active concealment veils, so detection was delayed].

At the moment, Dimona—supported by Mayor Mikhela Iska—had deployed a full surveillance network over the city. The instant Gunther heard this might be Luthien, he immediately switched the Link to speaker mode.

[Estimated target—Hestia Street in the Middle City. They will soon enter direct visibility range. Their speed is too high—we cannot intercept in time].

Grand Crow spoke at that exact moment:

— Hestia Street... Looks like a suicide squad targeting the high-ranking guests from the Union. It seems they are very eager to prevent our relations from improving further.

A trace of irritation flickered in his voice—likely due to the fact that Luthien’s spy network was still active within the city. But he quickly regained composure and smiled at Gunther.

— It seems the opportunity has come sooner than we expected, hasn’t it?

Gunther smirked and rose to his feet.

— When else would the noble lords of the Union get to witness how Luthien’s monsters are dealt with?