Surviving without God

Mikhela’s story could be summed up in a single sentence:

— Something came out of the gate on the lowest floor of the Labyrinth.

The gate on the lowest floor. Gunther sank into his now-faded memories.

Long ago, with the flames of the Flame of Eternal Torment, he had saved Mikhela when she was dying, consumed by grave-cold. A deadly frost. An unknown curse. All of it had originated from one thing—the refusal of her clan’s mission.

— You said... your mission was to open the gate on the lowest floor of the Labyrinth.

— Yes, that’s right. In the end, our clan built the Border City for the sake of that gate.

To make the city prosper. To turn the Labyrinth, in the eyes of people, into a “paradise” filled with gold and treasure. To guide the ambitions and lives of adventurers toward the very bottom. Blood, souls, desires—everything served as fuel for the Labyrinth, accumulating energy to open the “Gate” on the lowest floor. That was the mission the Labyrinth clan had carried through generations.

— But I... sensed something wrong and resisted that mission. Perhaps because I only belong to the clan by half. More importantly, there was the prophecy of my friend, Ellen Beyra. She begged me never to open that gate.

At the mention of that name, the atmosphere in the group wavered.

A figure who, with near certainty, was Gunther’s mother.

If one thought about it... Mikhela was something like an aunt to him.

Gunther exhaled quietly.

— So... a week ago, that gate... opened?

— ...Yes. And something unidentified came out. Now it wanders the lowest floor of the Labyrinth.

His gaze flicked again to the system message at the top of his vision.

[Clue about the Judge obtained]

[Movement route of the “Judge” pursuing you has been identified]

The gate of the lowest floor of the Labyrinth.

It seemed that was where the “Karma creditor” had been sleeping.

But then why had the Labyrinth clan been so determined to open that gate? Behind them stood an ancient Outer God—the “Ruler of Cycles and Barriers.” The one who opens what must circulate and seals what is excessive. It must have been that being’s command, but...

In the canonical story, the opening of the lowest floor gate was a mechanism that led directly to “Game Over.” Neither Gunther nor the other players had ever known what lay beyond it. They had only assumed that since the Labyrinth clan hated humanity, they had prepared some catastrophe of unimaginable scale.

But now, with its confirmed connection to Karma, it could no longer be treated so simply.

While Gunther remained deep in thought, Mikhela spoke again:

— Fortunately, in misfortune... my ability to control the Labyrinth has become incomparably stronger than before. Over the past few months, I’ve reclaimed most of the clan’s legacy that Luthien had seized. Well, that’s all... thanks to your treatment, Sir Gunther.

Her cheeks flushed faintly. The raccoon beastkin lowered her head apologetically.

In truth, after the first session, Gunther had continued healing «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» her whenever possible with the Flame of Eternal Torment.

— Because of that, I was able to seal the lowest floor in time.

But after a brief pause, her expression darkened.

— However... if you forcibly close one place, a breach will inevitably form somewhere else.

— You mean...

— After sealing the lowest floor, portals began opening randomly around me. Passages directly connected to the Labyrinth. The location, timing, and scale... none of it can be predicted.

...What?

The faces of the group stiffened.

That meant a portal could open at any moment.

If mechanical lifeforms like the ones they had just fought appeared again, not only would the group be in danger—the entire village would be wiped out.

Sensing the frozen atmosphere, Mikhela hurriedly added:

— Ah, of course, a scale like the one you just handled was the first time. Usually there’s at least a day between incidents. Until now, my guards have been enough to deal with them.

...But those guards were nowhere to be seen now.

Moon Wolf, who had been listening quietly, spoke:

— For the record, we sensed a powerful surge of mana on our way to the rendezvous. Right after that, we encountered the mayor fleeing.

The air grew even heavier.

The knights of Valloren might not yet grasp the full weight of the situation.

But those who had survived long in the Border City understood just how terrifying mechanical entities were.

Right now, Mikhela had become a walking spawn point.

Quite literally—a ticking bomb.

Her shoulders sank slightly.

...Of course.

Gunther felt the same way.

The Karma debt had not been his intention, but it was the result of a snowball he himself had set rolling.

Mikhela murmured quietly:

— ...I would rather leave, so I don’t cause you any more trouble...

Moon Wolf immediately shook her head.

— That’s not an option. If you die, it’s impossible to predict how control over the Labyrinth will distort. In the worst case, the entire Border City could be swallowed by it.

At that moment, Cheonmae slammed her massive bow into the floor with a dull thud.

— Then what’s the point of keeping the lower floor sealed at all? Is that thing really that strong? With our strength, wouldn’t it be easier to just open the gate and beat it to death?

Casual words.

But not without logic.

All eyes turned to Mikhela.

— That...

She slowly looked around the room.

Gunther. Moon Wolf. Cheonmae. The bandaged girl. Fourth and Fifth Platoons. Even Valloren’s elite knights.

She could feel how strong they were. The raccoon clan’s instincts were sharp.

And yet—

— More than half of you would die.

A heavy silence followed.

Ryan pressed a mug of beer to his forehead as if dealing with a headache.

— A dead end...

The knights began whispering about how to protect Parco. Members of the Fourth and Fifth Platoons gathered in grim clusters.

Only one person remained completely calm.

Seril.

After finishing her plate completely—down to the last bite of the tavern’s signature chicken-leg soup—she set it aside, wiped her mouth, and spoke casually:

— By the way... those metal things... can they float?

In an instant, Servan’s face turned bright red.

At a moment like this—discussing conspiracies, fate, and the future of the continent—

— S-sorry. Damn it, Seril! Why would metal things three times the size of a human float?!

Seril simply shrugged.

— Then it’s simple.

At that moment, a few of the sharper minds slowly met each other’s gaze.

The heavy atmosphere began to shift.

Reaching for another chicken leg, Seril concluded calmly:

— Let’s put the mayor on a ship.

***

Seril’s suggestion was perfectly timed.

Yes—their destination was Nereus.

And Nereus was a maritime nation made up of a massive peninsula and dozens of surrounding islands.

“Even if a summoning portal activates... what can those mechanical things do in the middle of the ocean except sink?”

Most of Nereus was water. It lay directly between the knight kingdom Valloren and the mage kingdom Seiran. Land routes existed, but were extremely limited due to harsh mountain ranges. In contrast, rivers and straits spread like veins.

Travel by water was faster. Safer. More efficient.

“Thanks to that, Nereus became the heart of trade.”

From Seiran came rare minerals, magical ingredients, and medicinal herbs.

From Valloren—grain, livestock, iron.

Even from Badland in the south, exotic goods flowed in.

And all of it passed through Nereus.

Tariffs, maritime insurance, ship leasing, hired crews...

Nereus was not a nation that produced goods.

It controlled their flow.

— However... paradoxically, the sea is dangerous.

Levain’s voice sounded quieter as they walked toward the port.

Everyone listened carefully.

Levain was originally from Nereus. Though he had studied in Seiran, he knew his homeland intimately.

— The sea itself is treacherous.

He gestured toward the harbor, where Valloren’s rivers met Nereus’s waters.

— Narrow straits, fast currents, reefs everywhere. If you don’t know the route—you’re guaranteed to wreck. Even if you do know it, one mistake is enough.

He paused, emphasizing the key point.

— But the real problem is pirates.

Parco tilted his head.

— Doesn’t the royal family maintain a fleet? I heard they even have privateer fleets. Are pirates really that bold?

— ...They are.

Absolute certainty.

At that moment, a Valloren knight spoke up:

— I doubt pirates would pose any problem for our strength. Is there a single one among them who wouldn’t kneel before His Highness’s radiant glory?

Gunther noted silently:

“A professional flatterer.”

Levain continued:

— I’m saying this because these aren’t “just pirates.” And combat at sea is completely different from land.

He seemed about to say more—but simply sighed.

You wouldn’t understand until you faced Nereus pirates yourself.

— Still, no need to worry too much. Real monsters like “Black Wind” roam the open sea. We’ll stay near the coast for now.

Their goal was simple:

Reach Nereus’s central peninsula. Meet leadership. Secure support for a sea route to Pendrox.

Open sea would come later.

Yuria frowned.

— ...What’s “Black Wind”? Are they strong?

— A pirate band specializing in indiscriminate plunder. They target large fleets. Even when they were weak, they robbed everything—merchant ships, fishing boats—growing stronger over time. They even engaged in slave trading, kidnapping people from Badland. There’s no one in Nereus who doesn’t hate them.

— Hm. Slave trade? Then they’re definitely tied to Luthien’s followers.

Ryan nodded.

— Heard of them too. Oldest pirate band around. When I was a rookie, we got a job to rescue someone’s daughter they kidnapped. Our captain refused outright. Asked if we wanted to join the dead.

Levain smiled bitterly.

— Exactly. They’ve survived for so long and accumulated countless sea treasures. In some waters, they’re stronger than the official fleet. If not for the Great Admiral, Nereus would’ve become a pirate kingdom.

Still, the overall reaction was lukewarm. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Pirates?

Just sea bandits, right?

Compared to Apostles, archbishops, and machine armies...

They seemed trivial.

...That faint unease vanished entirely when they saw it.

— W-what is that...

In the quiet port village, a ship stood anchored, drawing every eye.

A polished black hull. Luxurious sails. The bow and stern loaded with excessive equipment—magical engines, reinforced gunports, finely crafted details.

A strange vessel.

Half warship.

Half luxury yacht.

Prepared by Valloren.

Thud-thud-thud!

At that moment, someone hurried down from the ship.

A man in a captain’s hat.

More precisely—a Valloren naval officer disguised as one.

His face was glowing with excitement as he rushed toward Parco.

— Your High—kh!

He almost shouted it instinctively, clamping his mouth shut just in time.

The Valloren navy existed more in form than function. As a knight kingdom, all focus was on land forces. The navy was where those who didn’t fit elsewhere were sent.

For ten years, he had endured mockery.

“Drone.”

“Dead weight.”

And now—

Finally—

A real mission.

The most important role in decades.

Serving the king.

— Your... I mean—it is an honor to welcome such distinguished guests!

He nearly dropped to his knees, but remembered his cover and straightened abruptly.

— Please... board our vessel!

.

.

.

One by one, they stepped onto the ship.

For most, it was their first time.

The sensation of the deck shifting slightly beneath their feet made shoulders tense, eyes flicker.

Excitement was impossible to hide.

— O-oh! This feels strange!

— The ground’s moving!

The deck was already lively.

A welcome feast had been prepared.

Tables overflowing with fine alcohol and food.

Roasted meat. Fresh seafood. Fruits and cheeses arranged beautifully.

Even a small orchestra stood ready, strings carrying softly on the sea breeze.

“Is this... the Titanic or something...”

Even Gunther, stunned, stepped aboard.

— Hm...?

Behind him, the bandaged girl—silent until now—murmured something under her breath as she stepped on last.

But her words were swallowed by music, laughter, and voices.

Splash—

The anchor was raised.

The massive vessel began to cut through the waves.

.

.

.

Ding!

[Act 2, Chapter 2 begins: “Distorted Sea”]