Surviving without God

Tr-r-r-r!

Fortunately, at Gunther’s insistence, the Stigma was engraved on his left collarbone. It was still far from an ideal spot, but it was vastly better than the original option...

«Damn, this is creepy.»

Gunther shrugged off his outerwear and began examining the tattooed Stigma. The pattern depicted a black serpent coiled around crimson lips. Unlike the noble and majestic Stigma of the King of Knights, Alphonse’s mark exuded a strange, alluring charm.

[Stigma activated: Tempter]

— Charm +7, Agility +7

[Charm 50 -> 57]

[Agility 25 -> 32]

[Your Agility has increased sharply. Your reflexes have sharpened, your body feels noticeably lighter. Your sense of balance and evasion ability have significantly improved.]

Soon a wave of dizziness washed over him. His vision blurred, and a sensation arose as if his body were floating in the air.

Huuum— A brief vision flashed before his eyes.

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.

.

A man whose fatal beauty seemed like a masterpiece crafted by the gods themselves. He was born the son of a woman who fetched the highest price in the red-light district. The surprising thing was that he did not follow his influential father, but remained on Red Street. People mocked him.

“Alphonse.” “Debauchee.” “Parasite.”

Yet behind his lazy smile hid ambition and cold calculation. He wove whispers at bedsides together, thread by thread. The invisible web he created ensnared the entire world, and—at last—a shadow ruler was born.

.

.

.

Gunther briefly summarized what he had seen:

«...A remarkably capable host.»

[Alphonse of Red Street scratches the back of his head, saying this turned out unexpectedly embarrassing.]

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats cuts him off, declaring that it’s because he lived a shameful life.]

[Alphonse of Red Street easily blocks his outburst.]

Either way, looking at Alphonse’s life left Gunther with a faint unease.

«...So what skill are you giving me?»

[Alphonse of Red Street smiles confidently.]

[Power flows in from the activated Stigma.]

[New skill acquired.] — Serpent’s Nest (Lv. 1)

***

[Skill: Serpent’s Nest]

Rank: Ancient

Type: Passive / Detection

Description: If the user remains in one place for more than 5 seconds, all biological traces within a 10-meter radius are detected. The probability of discovering hidden targets also increases significantly.

After reading the description, I fell silent for a moment.

“.......”

[Alphonse of Red Street insistently informs you that refunds are not possible.]

I shook my head. What refund? I like it a lot. It was just unexpected.

«Honestly, I thought it’d be something like infiltration, escape, stealth, or charm.»

But detection instead. And Ancient rank at that. Common, Magical, Rare, Ancient, Epic, Legendary, Mythic, Primordial. The fourth tier in the ranking system. A skill of this level was practically impossible to obtain in the first act.

«And most importantly—it’s passive.»

Given the security level in Border City, this skill would definitely not go to waste. It would surely make the entrance exam easier too. I nodded in satisfaction.

«Now it’s the Saint’s turn.»

[You offer “125” Karma to the Drug-Addicted Saint.]

[The Drug-Addicted Saint throws her hands up and starts jumping with joy.]

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats sighs and asks her to behave with decorum.]

Clink-clink— The sound of scattering coins rang in my ears. In truth, I had a rough idea of what kind of Stigma and skill she might give. Surely something related to healing. After all, all her advice so far had been about that.

[The Drug-Addicted Saint shakes her head.]

“......?”

Immediately after that, I realized I had underestimated her.

.

.

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[Stigma activated: Healer and Executioner]

— “20 Forbidden Mixing Recipes” engraved!

I stumbled over the list of those bombastic names.

“Healer and Executioner? Forbidden recipes?”

And her past provided the explanation.

.

.

.

Everyone loved her, the herbalist’s daughter. A kind girl in a skirt stained with plant juice, who healed the suffering. People jokingly called her a “Saint” and followed her. That nickname led to tragedy.

“This is heresy!” “Find the false saint!”

Only she survived—on that day, she had gone deep into the mountains to gather herbs. At the ashes left by the fanatics, she touched forbidden alchemy for the sake of revenge. Studying all manner of herbs and chemical reactions, she mastered the art of manipulating the human body. Deadly poisons, hallucinogens, stimulants, addiction...

Now the fanatics sought her instead of a god. Years passed, and people began to call her this: the Drug-Addicted Saint. Those who yearned for salvation, and those who yearned for destruction—everyone sought a meeting with her.

“.......”

As soon as the vision ended, I stared silently at the pattern over my heart—an image of a flask and a beaker filled with endlessly bubbling, ominous liquid.

[The Drug-Addicted Saint smiles awkwardly.]

[Power flows in from the activated Stigma.]

[New skill acquired.] — Overdose (Lv. 1)

[Skill: Overdose]

Rank: Ancient

Type: Active / Enhancement

Description: For one hour, doubles the effects of used drugs while halving side effects. However, repeated use of medication during this period may produce unforeseen consequences.

“Uh, well...”

Unlike with Alphonse, I didn’t immediately know what to say.

[Alphonse of Red Street steps in to defend her, saying that she’s a good girl at heart.]

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats asks if that can really be called a defense.]

[The Drug-Addicted Saint hides the flask and beaker behind her back and fidgets with her fingers.]

[She adds that she apologizes if the Stigma and skill are not to your liking.]

I shook my head. I was just stunned by the surprise. From an efficiency standpoint—I was more than satisfied.

«In any case, doping will become a mandatory condition for survival in the future.»

[The Drug-Addicted Saint smiles, relieved that everything turned out fine.]

...All in all, for 250 Karma I obtained the Stigmas and skills of two gods. Just as I was mentally calculating ways to apply them...

Boom—

The sound of a bell tolling several times in succession made me jolt.

«Already six o’clock?»

Only then did I notice the view outside the window. Among buildings piled haphazardly like cigarette packs, the sky—compressed into a narrow strip—was gradually brightening, turning dark blue. I stared blankly at the thin pre-dawn light. In that dim halo, too many things barged into my thoughts uninvited.

Familiar faces now sleeping somewhere in this city. Nightmarish enemies I would soon have to face. And allies I had yet to meet.

— Today... really was a long day.

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats encourages you, saying they will remember the blood and sweat spilled today.]

[Alphonse of Red Street suggests properly enjoying the city’s nightlife tomorrow.]

[The Drug-Addicted Saint pretends to pat you on the head, saying you did well.]

I collapsed onto the wide bed, arms spread out like a “starfish”.

«Good night, everyone.»

[Three gods wave their hands.]

Sleep took less than a second.

***

The midday sun illuminated every speck of dust in the sky above Border City.

— Huuum...

Stepping out of the hotel, I stretched quietly. Thanks to solid sleep, I felt better than ever.

«I need to act quickly, so this is perfect.»

That morning, an envelope had been slipped under the door.

==================

[Quest] Collection and Processing of Transported Cargo

Client: K.L.

Executor: Gunther Sirhe

Details: Valuables of a merchant guild were seized by unidentified armed individuals wearing masks. Information has been received that the cargo is being prepared for transfer to an illegal auction. Intercept the goods along the designated route before they reach the auction and ensure their preservation.

Reward: 100 gold coins. Additional reward: paid depending on the degree of cargo recovery.

(omitted)

※ Attention ※ This mission is not to be carried out solo. The time and location are listed on the back; arrive there to meet your partner. In the event of unforeseen situations, priority is given to the partner’s judgment. However, note that the partner is non-combat personnel and will not participate in combat.

※ If recapturing the cargo becomes impossible—destroy it immediately.

==================

As was easy to guess, this was the Night Raven’s “trial”, disguised as a routine contract.

[Alphonse of Red Street smirks, saying that all of this looks far too simple.]

Yes, as he said, on the surface it all seems elementary. A simple job: take back the guild’s stolen goods from a bunch of bandits.

But the reality was different. First of all, these “valuables”. They weren’t just objects. The true nature of the cargo was people. Living sacrifices procured by the Luthien Theocracy through the city’s criminal organizations.

«If I don’t save them, they’ll be offered as sacrifices to an evil god.»

A contract between god and human always demands a “price”. And Luthien’s fanatics preferred to pay in human sacrifices. Torturing the innocent, tearing them apart, and presenting them as offerings to borrow an evil god’s power. More victims meant more “high-quality” material. That was why they were expanding their influence in Border City.

«And Night Raven are the ones who oppose them.»

In other words, this assignment wasn’t just about retrieving cargo. It was a monstrous trial where I’d have to face both hordes of bandits and the holy knights and priests of the Theocracy guarding the convoy.

«...And who’s to blame.»

In truth, if I had followed the standard route, the trial would have been far easier. But yesterday at “Haven”, I caught the attention of “that very division”, sending the difficulty through the roof.

«High risk—high reward.»

The examiner was dispatched from the most radical and extreme division of the Night Raven. If I passed this test brilliantly, I’d join them. Promotion, rewards, companions—all of it could be obtained far faster than in ordinary divisions.

«...More than enough reason to take the risk.»

The scheduled time listed in the documents was today at 9 p.m. About 9 hours remained. The plan to boost my stats during that time... was already fully prepared.

«First things first, I’ll drop by a shop.»

[The Drug-Addicted Saint waits hopefully for a visit to the herbalist.]

«Not an herbalist.»

[The Drug-Addicted Saint is disappointed.]

I patted the tightly packed backpack and muttered:

— We’re going to the God Shop.

Bashing my head against a wall, dying dozens of times, had been enough once. Now that I knew the number of deaths was the basis for rewards, I had no right to die pointlessly.

«Looks like it’s finally time to put a veteran player’s knowledge to use.»

It was time to obtain an item that would let me breeze through this hellish exam “for free”.

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Tiling!

[Location: God Shop]

A shop in another dimension, managed by servants of the gods. All transactions are conducted exclusively via barter; human currency has no meaning here.