Surviving without God

Click!

A sharp burst of pain lanced across his cheek, and Edad Camaril, an agent of the Public Security Bureau, snapped his eyes open. The taste of iron spread across the tip of his tongue.

For a bastard by birth, being slapped was nothing unusual. But to experience it now, as a grown man, felt strangely surreal—stirring a tangled rush of emotions. The pain became the trigger, and memories were violently torn loose.

A childhood spent desperately clawing for acknowledgment. The decision that had ultimately led him into the Bureau. All those years flashed before his eyes like scenes from a film. But there was no time to dwell on those bitter fragments. If he did, the man standing in front of him might simply burst from sheer rage.

“Get up! Damn it, you’re absurdly careless for an agent.”

The moment Edad saw the black mask in front of him, the events of the past few minutes surged back into place. The iron mace. The deafening crash that split the air. The sensation of bones shattering.

Edad jerked upright and immediately realized the bones from his right forearm to his shoulder had been crushed into powder. A dull ache spread through his body in waves.

“I injected you with a painkiller. It’ll hold for a couple of minutes.”

“Where are we?..”

“As you can see, in a tunnel,” the other man replied shortly, glancing back. “We didn’t completely shake her off. In a minute at most, she’ll break in here.”

His manner made it obvious this was neither empty bravado nor exaggeration. The masked voice sounded strained, and every movement was sharp with urgency. He hoisted Edad up, nearly throwing him over his shoulder, then strode down the narrow passage.

How could a tunnel like this even exist in the middle of the capital? What had happened while he was unconscious? And above all—why was the “Sacred Magnificence” of Justice in the capital?

There were countless questions, but what escaped Edad instead was something entirely different.

“Why not just leave me here?”

“I’d love to. But there’s something I need to hear from you first.”

A dry laugh ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) slipped from Edad.

“...The fact that you still crave information in a dead-end situation like this means you’re sure you’ll survive. Or you’ve finally gone completely insane from curiosity. Either way, you’re a true Night Raven.”

Gunther fell silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully. He couldn’t say that the next version of himself would pick up the baton after regression. The other man would never believe that. So Gunther chose the most fitting lie.

“I’ll pass everything I learn to my comrades through Operate Link. They’re specialists. They can be relied on.”

“...So you’re ready to die?” Edad’s voice dropped lower.

Gunther shrugged.

“As always.”

Thud-thud-thud...

Outside the tunnel, the vibrations and sounds of destruction began to fade.

That was not a good sign.

It meant the “Sacred Magnificence” of Justice had begun hunting seriously.

All he could do was hope she still saw this midnight chaos as part of the “game.” Gunther glanced upward, then urged Edad on.

“Tell me the rest.”

As befitted an agent, Edad thought quickly. The answer came at once.

“I started investigating the epidemic... because the children I was watching over started getting sick.”

“Children?”

“...From the slums. Even in this noble, prosperous capital where chivalry supposedly reigns, there are shadowed corners. Places where children live that no one even wants to look at.”

A deep bitterness seeped through Edad’s words.

“The point is, those children came from completely different districts. They never crossed paths. Different environments, different food, different water.”

Edad’s breathing was growing heavier.

“But a few days ago, they all started showing the exact same symptoms.”

Gunther immediately pressed him.

“What symptoms?”

“That’s the strange part. No matter how much I dug through the archives, it didn’t match any known illness. Even the healers couldn’t find a cause. They spouted nonsense about a cold or exhaustion.”

Edad’s voice quickened.

“Fever and chills are only the beginning. The worst comes after that. The muscles start contracting involuntarily. They spasm violently, and when they stop—they just hang there like dead flesh. And then suddenly this horrifying stench starts coming off them.”

Gunther absorbed every word, missing nothing.

“And the biggest thing... they couldn’t eat. Not normal food, not even liquid porridge. Their gag reflex triggered before they could swallow a bite. If you forced it in, it all came back out. They were starving to death, but the body itself refused to accept food.”

“...That really is strange.”

Gunther’s mind instantly aligned the facts.

“So the one thing all the sick children had in common... is that they ate festival sweets?”

“More precisely, sweets someone was handing out during the festival.”

Edad described the exact district.

In Gunther’s mind, the image surfaced again: the dark mill, Audrey, and the mysterious pair.

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats says the flour ground in this district is far finer than normal military grain]

[He assumes it’s a special powder for mixing with honey, nuts, and dried fruits... specifically for festival sweets]

And the offhand words of the “Sacred Magnificence” of Justice:

“That’s all. If we dig any deeper, I’d feel bad for the kids who worked so hard preparing it.”

The countless hypotheses and suspicions in Gunther’s head slowly began fitting together into a single image.

The puzzle still wasn’t complete, but the outline of the picture was already visible.

Gunther let out a deep breath.

There was almost no time left.

He could feel through his skin the shadow snakes he had placed in the passage bursting one after another.

“Listen carefully, and don’t dismiss this as nonsense.”

Edad smirked.

“Usually anything that starts with a line like that turns out to be complete nonsense.”

Even with his body shattered and death looming, this man was clearly no coward.

“What phrase from a stranger do you think would instantly make you trust them and feel friendly toward them?”

Edad looked baffled, but answered honestly.

“If he said, ‘Hey, you bastard piece of shit! Is that really all you’ve got?’ we’d probably start talking happily.”

Gunther frowned.

“...So you really are a bastard? No, more importantly—are you sure that line would work?”

“One hundred percent. My little secret.”

Gunther gave a short laugh, stunned by the absurdity of it all.

“Alright. Deal.”

And in that same instant—

Rrrrrrr—

The air above their heads trembled.

The tunnel ceiling groaned and began to crack, dirt and gravel pouring from the seams.

Edad and Gunther met each other’s eyes. Edad spoke first.

“My life started like shit, and it’s ending like shit too.”

Gunther shrugged.

“This still isn’t the end.”

The moment Edad gave a faint smile, the tunnel collapsed like a house of cards.

Earth and stone swallowed them both whole.

And from above—

“Ahaha! Ahahahahaha!”

A ghostly, deranged laugh rang out.

.

.

.

[You have died]

[Calculating death records...]

[26/99]

[Life cycle reset detected]

[Skill “Deicide” of the Godslayer trait is now available]

[Skill “Reading” of the ??? trait is now available]

“Come to think of it, I didn’t get to use either of them in this life. What a shame.”

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[#26 The life was short, but eventful]

[Well now, to be buried alive on your very first meeting...]

[Still, your scream aged quite nicely underground]

[There was only one listener]

[In the next life, I suggest watching the compass a little more carefully~]

[Calculating Karma...]

Ding!

[Karma for 26th life: 0]

[Current Karma: 2861]

[Accumulated Karma: 10705]

[Returning to save point #13]

***

Gunther opened his eyes again.

The familiar scenery spread out before him.

“Here are the trophies I prepared.”

“...Everyone freeze. Don’t move.”

Blanc and Rietta, who had been about to grab the saint-sword-shaped sweets called “Heights,” froze on the spot.

Gunther confiscated the sweets from his comrades’ hands and shoved them into Levain’s arms. It was unlikely every treat in the capital had been poisoned, but better safe than sorry.

“T-this is tyranny!”

“Ooooo, shame!”

“I never thought I’d live to see the day someone stole candy from an old woman.”

While the others protested, Levain was the first to sense something was wrong. He knew perfectly well how deep Gunther’s knowledge of alchemy ran.

“What happened? Is something wrong with them?”

Gunther paused for a moment, considering how to explain information from the previous iteration... then simply shook his head.

When there was nothing he could say, there was no better answer than this.

“I had a vision.”

An uproar broke out.

Even Blanc, who had been trying to snatch the sweets back—and who now had Cheonmae quietly joining her side—froze in place.

“The blood of the prophet...?”

“Another revelation?..”

What followed resembled the previous run, but with major differences.

Gunther didn’t merely say he would be stepping away—he issued clear instructions.

“Sector Seven, blocks C and G. There’s a high probability of finding infected there. Track down everyone showing symptoms immediately and inspect everything suspicious nearby. Once those blocks are done, search the rest.”

Unlike the confused expressions of the others, Servan and Seril’s faces darkened at once.

“But why the slums all of a sudden?..”

“Sir Moonless, perhaps you aren’t aware, but Sector Seven is full of repeat offenders and criminals. It’s dangerous to go in there.”

Instead of answering, Gunther stared directly at the twins.

“Listen to me carefully.”

To identify and isolate the infected, he needed their help.

In the previous iteration, Gunther had delayed large-scale action.

Not this time.

There’s no time.

The epidemic sabotage is already in full swing.

And this isn’t an ordinary illness. If my suspicions are right...

A disease that had never existed in the official history.

Unbelievably contagious despite the northern climate... and one whose true nature Gunther would never have guessed if he had not come from the modern world.

This might be the last golden hour.

Gunther spoke.

“In truth, I received a secret order from Grand Crow.”

It was a complete lie.

But no one here would dare question it.

Even the members of his platoon stared with their eyes wide.

“I came to Valloren to investigate sabotage by the Cult of Healing, which is using an epidemic as a weapon. I found a lead, and if we delay, the consequences will be irreversible. Will you help me?”

The atmosphere changed completely.

After the Audrey House operation, the level of trust Night Raven commanded across the continent was unprecedented.

And with Seril and Servan, the accumulated affinity level also played its part.

Despite the lack of explanation, they slowly nodded.

“...Alright, we’ll help. If we guarantee it, the guards will move too. Explain later.”

“Ha-ha, the Barkel family will cover Sir Moonless’s back.”

One last thing remained.

The moment he had confirmation, Gunther burst into motion.

There was no longer any need to chase Audrey—her route was already known.

First, he had to do this.

Tap-tap!

Gunther spun around and sprinted at full speed toward the mill district.

At the same time, he released his shadow snakes, tracking a single presence.

Soon, a cautious moving silhouette flickered ahead.

Shrring!

Just like last time—flawless skill.

Before Gunther could even close the distance, the tip of a sharply honed longsword was pressed against his chest.

“And who the hell are you?”

Who, indeed.

Gunther straightened and spoke the password Edad himself had given him.

“...Bastard piece of shit.”

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“......?”