Surviving without God

At the moment Gunther’s group entered the Black Paths, an order came down from above.

— The rats have holed up in the Black Paths. We take the open zone, strike first, and wipe them out to the last one.

There is one blind spot in the open zone that few people know about. The sea — the “shared” sea. No matter which sector you transition from, if it’s cleared at roughly the same time, everyone ends up in the same open zone. In simple terms, whoever breaks through first can throw open their gun ports wide and wait for guests.

— ...No matter how elite they are, they can’t clear the sections faster than us. That’s certain.

So the traitors of the “Blue Blade” and the Black Wind gang lay in wait at the entrance to the strait, and the moment Gunther’s entry was confirmed, they struck from the flank.

— Swinging swords on land? Don’t make me laugh. On water they’re just helpless future corpses.

— Boys, the stakes are high. After this, all of Nereus will be ours!

Edgar, captain of the 4th unit of the “Blue Blade” who had betrayed the Great Admiral, was certain of victory. His fleet had won countless naval battles. Now the strength of the Black Wind had been added to it. He was already imagining how they would reach the open zone first and smash the enemy ships to splinters as they sailed unsuspectingly into the trap. He saw himself sitting atop a mountain of gold.

«Though they might not even make it through the path’s traps and end up fish food before the finish.»

He believed that. But then why...

— Th-this can’t be...

The Blue Blade fleet that burst into the open zone was greeted by something entirely different from what they had expected.

Skreeeech, creak—

— Wind at three o’clock! Guns two through eight — continuous fire!

They were met by the wide-open maws of the cannons of Gunther’s group, which had arrived earlier. Under the clear sky of the open zone, a thunderous roar rolled out. The Black Wind hadn’t even shown up yet.

— Hard right! Sharp turn! Drop the sails immediately!!

Edgar’s shout cut through the sea air. But it was too late — the cannons had already roared.

Booom!

The side of one of the Blue Blade ships was blown to splinters, debris flying into the air like fireworks. The mast snapped with a crack, sailors collapsed onto the deck, clutching their blood-soaked faces. Screams and howls pierced the ears.

— Get a hold of yourselves!

However, Edgar quickly regained his composure. He had held the sheets under the Great Admiral since he was twelve. Swaying slightly, he raised his binoculars. Distance, number of cannons, enemy formation, current, debris positions... the calculation was ready instantly.

«We can win.»

The enemy had only three ships. He had seven. Their equipment and ship sizes were comparable. And most importantly — his experience in naval combat was overwhelmingly superior. The enemy was backed up against a graveyard of ships, their maneuvering restricted. They hadn’t even fully deployed their formation yet. Edgar began issuing orders rapidly:

— All ships — prepare portside volley. Third and fourth — move through the wreckage and flank them. Concentrated fire, sink the lead ship. Sweep them away!

A counterattack followed immediately. The Blue Blade cannons spat fire in unison. The shots landed cleanly. The enemy ships listed heavily.

— Reload!

While the gunners worked, part of Edgar’s fleet slipped between the wreckage. Skillfully catching the wind in their sails, they took perfect firing angles and began hammering cannonballs from blind spots.

— Kh— they’re already on the flank!

— We’re closing in too, move!

— But... this...

The enemies seemed like experienced sailors, but to Edgar’s subordinates, who had spent their lives privateering, they were nothing more than fat, sluggish prey.

Boom!

The stern of one of the enemy ships took a direct hit and burst into flames. Sailors ran across the deck in panic. The corners of Edgar’s lips curled upward.

«Even better.»

If they destroyed them before the Black Wind arrived, their share of the reward would be much larger.

«And most importantly...»

His gaze slid across the deck of the enemy flagship. When he saw Tarsha Everlight, he bared his teeth in a vile grin. A familiar face. A few months ago, that beautiful mage had joined the Blue Blade. He had tried to speak to her a couple of times during councils, but she had only coldly ignored him.

«Hm?»

Through the lenses of his binoculars, he met Tarsha’s eyes. He had expected to see despair and panic, but instead saw only a faint smirk. Her lips moved slowly. Thanks to the quality optics, Edgar clearly read:

«Mor... on?»

At that moment, something appeared in his blind spot.

.

.

.

Woooo— 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

At first, he felt a strange vibration.

A crimson hull. A dense scarlet, as if devouring light. The sails were swollen to the limit against the wind’s direction, and a thick red mist coiled around the vessel. The Crimson Pearl. The red phantom ship that had come under Gunther’s control ignored the wreckage and surfaced directly from the flagship’s blind side.

Yes — surfaced. Like a corpse rising from the dark depths.

In an instant, the sailors felt a chill on their skin. Instead of the familiar smell of the sea, a stale stench spread — an old cabin, damp ropes, rotting wood, air from century-old coffins. Goosebumps crawled along their necks.

— Wh-what is that...

Absolute silence fell over Edgar’s flagship. Edgar suddenly remembered that night. The night he had spoken of betraying the Great Admiral. The same silence, when everyone held their breath, staring at him. And it had been the same then. After complete silence came the feeling that someone — or something — was sifting through your thoughts. And now again... a low hum echoed in Edgar’s ears.

His hands began to tremble.

— Aaaaaa!

— C-captain! On deck!

— Th-that face...

The dead appeared on the deck. One sailor, with wet tangled hair and an unnaturally twisted neck, sat on the railing. It was an old comrade Edgar had killed for refusing to join the mutiny.

— Aaaah!

— It’s a ship of the dead! A ghost!

The dead climbed aboard one after another. They hung from the masts, peered from the gun ports, laid their hands on the sailors’ shoulders.

— Throw them off! Now!

Sailors are superstitious. They fear this far more than storms or currents. Chaos. Elite fighters turned into a terrified herd in an instant.

And at the center of that madness, the Crimson Pearl silently circled their ship. Its ports slowly opened. Inside was only black emptiness. No gunpowder, no cannonballs. Instead...

Woooo—

The scarlet mist began to thicken. The next second, an invisible wave pierced Edgar’s flagship. No sound, no impact. But the sailors screamed all at once.

— Aaaaah!

A vision was forcibly imprinted into their minds — themselves drowning, choking in the abyss. A dark, icy sea. The dead swimming toward them from the depths. And the crimson hull watching from above.

— Ah...

Edgar collapsed helplessly onto the deck. A silhouette entered his vision, standing motionless on the deck of the Crimson Pearl. The stranger’s lips moved.

— ...Works as intended.

A man in steel armor with a massive two-handed sword on his back. A mask that devoured light concealed his face, and pale blue eyes glinted coldly through the slits. He stepped onto Edgar’s ship as calmly as if going for a stroll.

— Good timing. I need information about the Great Admiral’s location. You’re one of the traitors, right?

— I... I...

— Don’t want to talk? Afraid Luthien will retaliate?

Behind the mask, the pale blue eyes narrowed in a smile.

— Spend a day tied to the mast of the Crimson Pearl — you’ll change your mind.

Edgar stared blankly at the armored fist approaching his temple. The thought of dodging never even occurred to him. The monstrous speed and strength outpaced his very consciousness.

Bang!

The last thing he saw in the fading, tilting world was the Black Wind squadron majestically appearing in the sky of the open zone.

«What a bunch of mor... ons.»

Edgar’s consciousness finally went dark.

***

— What a magnificent victory...

When the sea breeze brushed the deck, Mikhela Iska’s tail twitched involuntarily with pleasure. Before her, pirates and former privateers knelt with bound hands. Their faces were still frozen in complete disbelief.

Gunther’s group had not only crushed the Blue Blade, but also scattered the Black Wind fleet that arrived afterward. Even if it was only the 4th Blade unit and one Wind squadron, overturning such a numerical disadvantage at sea was nothing short of a miracle. Gunther received system notifications one after another:

[You have achieved a “Great Victory” in an extremely unfavorable naval battle]

[Class mastery “Commander” has increased]

— Command ability correction parameters enhanced.

— Tactical efficiency in group combat increased.

— Command efficiency in naval combat additionally increased.

[The fame of your fleet spreads across the Northern Sea]

[Enemy morale has been shattered]

Moreover, they had captured enemy ships and treasure. But victory always comes at a cost. Gunther’s fleet had also taken heavy damage.

The Moonless Moon was half-destroyed. The condition of the other ships was no better. Materials stripped from captured vessels were hastily used for repairs, but it would take time before they could set sail again.

— We’ll finish as quickly as possible, Gunther. We need to leave before the enemy regroups, — said Dimona Ryen.

— Please, Dimona.

— Oh-ho... so this is how ships are built.

— Your Highness! Why are you personally handling repairs...

All technicians, including Dimona’s drones, were working. But they would have to remain in this open zone for /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ at least several hours. Which meant Gunther had time. And he knew exactly how to use it.

Interrogation.

He didn’t need to break bones or heat iron. Gunther had a far simpler method. He slowly approached the prisoners. When his shadow fell across the puddles of rainwater on the deck, nearly hysterical pleas rang out.

— Please, spare us! We’re guilty, we’re guilty! Just not there!

— I-I’ll become an honest man! I swear! Just forgive me this once!

Thugs and pirates, their massive bodies covered in tattoos, trembled like children. Even if they were branded or beaten, they wouldn’t have humiliated themselves like this. But the Crimson Pearl's torture was different. Their commanders were already drooling, crawling across the deck in complete madness. Becoming like them was worse than death.

— Aaaah! Spare me! I’ll tell you everything!

Gunther lifted one of the pirates by the scruff like a kitten and thought:

«The Crimson Pearl... it’s far more powerful than it was in the game.»

He had realized it from the very beginning of the battle. Right after he obtained the Godslayer, Gunther had briefly lost consciousness. When he woke, the first thing he saw was the enemy fleet. At first, he thought things were bad due to the overwhelming numbers. Even if they won, the ship damage could be fatal. But at that moment...

«...?»

The Crimson Pearl appeared at the edge of his vision. At the same time, an indescribable sensation pierced his entire body. The feeling that the ship belonged to him. Part of the power of the dead was directly connected to his will. In the game, obtaining a legendary vessel had been just an event. In reality, it was different.

[Alphonse of Red Street whispers that this ship pairs excellently with his occult techniques]

Gunther didn’t hesitate. He immediately installed the Red Lantern on the ship and rammed Edgar’s flagship. An easy victory was guaranteed.

«Is there any better vessel for fighting humans at sea...»

But the true value of the Crimson Pearl revealed itself later. The ship literally oozed the ominous energy of the dead. Even Gunther’s companions, strong-willed as they were, tried not to approach it. Of course, the effect on his allies was weaker, but still noticeable.

Only a few could remain aboard constantly: Parco Draven, who possessed the Holy Sword; Gunther himself as its rightful master; and... Moon Wolf, who, perhaps due to his nature, was unaffected by the aura of death.

Tie pirates to the mast of that dreadful ship, and they wouldn’t last even an hour before spilling everything. Gunther quickly extracted the key points. Two things.

«The mutiny was led by Isolda, captain of the 2nd unit of the Blue Blade and... the Great Admiral’s lover. She has now allied with Black Wind Armarch and come under Luthien’s wing.»

«The place where they abandoned the Great Admiral... the Sunken Crown.»

Gunther looked at the map, and a deep crease formed on his brow.

«Coincidence?»

[The Vanguard of the Dark Night lets out a quiet laugh]

...It couldn’t be helped. Gunther’s plans needed adjustment. Time was pressing. He looked at his companions and, overcoming a moment of hesitation, said:

— Who... will go with me to the ghost ship?