Surviving without God

Meanwhile, the search for the infiltrator had reached a dead end.

— The feeding chamber is clear!

— The armory is empty!

— No one in the barracks!

Fortunately, the Mother was unharmed. However, the intruder could not be found. They searched everything: the feeding chamber, the armory, the vaults, even the boss’s room and the prison cells — nothing.

— You bastards going to crawl around like snails forever?! Find him immediately and bring him to me!

The boss raged, tearing at his throat as he shouted.

And yet he himself was moving slower and slower. Moreover, when the scarred man was about to join the search, the boss quietly grabbed his arm. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

— You stay here. With me.

— ...What is it, boss?

— We need to guard the VIPs, understand? And me too.

He had survived the brutal slums of the Lower City purely because of his instincts. And right now those instincts were ringing like a funeral bell. The boss cast a sideways glance at the Paladin and the Priest whispering to each other.

— Looks like we’re dealing with an assassin-class. What do you think, Lumar?

— Be cautious, Sir Patrick. In open combat that wretched worm isn’t worth your little finger, but if by misfortune you were to be wounded...

As soon as they confirmed the Mother was safe, they immediately took position at the main entrance to the feeding chamber and did not move. They stood alert, as if sworn to protect the Mother at any cost. The boss narrowed his eyes.

“These types seem to have an idea who this infiltrator is... What kind of monster stormed in here that these arrogant zealots are this nervous?”

An unseen threat lurked somewhere in the bunker. So the boss decided to stay close to the main force. He glanced hopefully at the scarred man.

“...That guy’s a monster too.”

But his cleverness did not last even three seconds. Lumar lashed out at him sharply:

— Why are you still standing here? Is the commander of this facility planning to sit idle? Every man counts!

— Huh? N-no, I just thought I should stay here to ensure the safety of the VIPs in case of danger...

Lumar snorted irritably and pointed at Patrick.

— Sir Patrick is here. Do you really think we need your protection? Shut up and get moving to find that rat!

— Ghm.

The boss cast a dark look down the bunker’s shadowy corridors.

Step—

The moment he reluctantly turned around, Lumar’s face — which had been glaring at the boss in annoyance — suddenly froze.

— ...What?

Patrick changed posture almost simultaneously. His face was hidden by his helmet, but his aura shifted instantly. His composure vanished — his entire body tensed. A whisper escaped Lumar that sounded almost like a scream:

— N-no. That’s a mistake... It must be a mistake.

His lips trembled faintly. Patrick’s breathing grew heavy as well, and he muttered hoarsely beneath his helmet:

— Impossible... We’re guarding the passage. How could he... That’s impossible.

Only the boss and the scarred man stood in total confusion. Sensing something was wrong, the boss cautiously asked:

— W-what’s going on?

Smack!

The boss’s head snapped sideways from a ringing slap. At the same instant, the scarred man’s brows furrowed fiercely. Lumar burst into a hysterical shout:

— The signal!

— .......

— The signal! The connection to the Mother has been cut, you piece of shit! What are we supposed to do now?!

There were tears in his voice. The connection to the parasitic core could be severed only in two cases: either the Mother was dead, or the core had been destroyed. But there was no need to distinguish between them. Once the transformation was complete, the core fused entirely with the Mother’s body, and destroying it separately was impossible. Therefore, Lumar had no choice but to accept the object’s death.

“Damn it, but how?!”

How could such a powerful beast be killed so silently and so quickly? And the passage to the feeding chamber had been completely sealed. Sir Patrick and he himself had personally guarded the door. No one could have entered or exited. How could this have happened? Had someone from the upper ranks of “Night Raven,” those called living devils, arrived? Lumar was so shaken he could barely think straight.

However, no matter the circumstances, they had to confirm the details. The vessel meant for divine descent had been shattered. He could not report this to the diocesan head without knowing anything. That would not be mere incompetence — it would be blasphemy.

Tap-tap-tap—

Forgetting all decorum, Patrick and Lumar shouted:

— Open the door!

Grrr—

The sound of locks disengaging one by one filled the corridor, and the heavy steel door slowly began to part.

Grrr—

***

Hearing the door open, Eddie flinched. Everything was unfolding exactly as Gunther had said.

— ...You’re a monster.

Gunther, breathing heavily, smirked.

— You’re only realizing that now?

Looking at that confident smile, Eddie recalled what had happened minutes earlier. When Gunther had first proposed killing the beast in the feeding chamber, Eddie had thought he’d completely lost his mind.

— No, but how were you planning to break through the guards at the entrance?

— Guards?

— Did you even see what it looked like when we escaped?

The most heavily guarded place in the bunker was the entrance to the feeding chamber. Numerous sentries, magical traps, several layers of locks. Try to storm it head-on and you’d be torn apart. Yet Gunther’s face remained calm.

— There’s another way.

And he led Eddie with him.

— W-where? Where are we going?

— The hatch.

— What?

— The feeding chute.

The main entrance to the feeding chamber was a massive steel door with multiple locks, nearly impossible to open and close every time feeding occurred. That was why the chute had been designed. But it was located somewhere no outsider would ever find. At the very top of the dome-shaped ceiling of the feeding chamber, in a spot that usually did not even enter one’s field of vision. An infiltrator would never guess it existed. That was precisely why the gang had failed to find it during their search.

— How the hell did you even know about this hatch?..

— Let’s just say... a guess.

It was the privilege of a Returner. Gunther himself would never have known about this path if he hadn’t been thrown in as a sacrifice last time. And so they stood before the hatch. That was when Eddie saw the “monster.”

— My god... it looks disgusting just to touch.

Behind the grate beneath their feet, mandibles clicking, stared a creature unlike anything even a seasoned mercenary had encountered. He had seen many monsters, but this was different. It wasn’t just threatening — it made his blood run cold.

— Maybe you should reconsider? Honestly, before I wanted you dead, but now... not really.

— Scared?

— How could I not be?!

— When I see Yor, I’ll make sure to tell her you pissed yourself at the sight of a big spider.

— Shut up. I’ll go chop her head off myself.

They exchanged a brief joke and laughed. Gunther shook his head reassuringly.

— You won’t have to face her. Just do what I asked.

— I will, but...

When Gunther stepped to the very edge of the hatch, Eddie genuinely panicked.

— Careful!

In truth, Gunther was suppressing his own trembling. Of course he was. Just minutes ago — in his memory — that creature had torn him to pieces. But to escape this “Badland” alive, there was no other way.

— Eddie, I’m counting on you, — Gunther murmured quietly as he leaned dangerously forward.

Eddie gripped the rope even tighter in horror.

— You lunatic!

[Skill activated: “Godslayer”]

The first mythic-rank skill obtained by Gunther revealed itself to the world. Eddie froze with his mouth open.

Flash!

A crimson aura exploded from Gunther’s wrist. It resembled flame, but it was not fire. It pulsed like living blood, swallowed the blade of “Ladenbach Fortress,” and upon reaching the tip, solidified into frost-sharp energy. A force that suppressed existence itself burst outward, slicing through air and darkness.

Tsssss—

Gunther gasped for air. Unfamiliar power filled every vein. His gaze fixed on the crimson frost shimmering along the blade.

“It works.”

The trump card he had failed to draw in the previous life. “Godslayer” was a growing skill. In its current state, it could not kill the Mother, even if she were a “being of divine origin.” But that did not matter. Because killing was not his objective.

Wooooong—!

Gunther began pouring every ounce of strength in his body into the sword’s tip. Eddie forgot how to breathe watching the spectacle. He had always known Gunther was unusual. But this... what even was this?

[The One Who Sends Love Letters That Never Return is overcome with awe]

An image combining sanctity and blasphemy. In the crimson glow, Gunther radiated a dangerous light — it was unclear whether he was a being worthy of worship or one deserving condemnation.

[Divine provocation detected]

[Next strike will violate divine law]

Familiar effects and messages. Gunther checked the rope tied to his waist and gave a faint smile.

— Pull hard.

Eddie did not have time to answer. Gunther’s body tipped forward completely. The downward-pointed blade erupted in crimson light, and in the same instant—

Boom!

The enormous spider leapt upward like a spring, meeting the falling enemy head-on. Wind screamed past his ears. Blood rushed to his head, vision blurred. But one thing became crystal clear.

— AAAAAA! — Gunther roared as he collided with the black shadow.

Countless barbed legs, lined with dagger-like spikes, lunged toward him to weave a deadly embrace. At that moment Gunther’s pupils dilated. Now it was different. He was no longer the wounded wretch who could barely resist. Now he knew. He had seen it with the eyes of his past life.

The red pulsing ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) thing in the spider’s abdomen. A heart that was not a heart. The parasitic core.

Crunch!

The blade pierced the monster’s massive carapace. Instantly, a crimson flash erupted in blinding brilliance.

.

.

.

Ding!

[Neutralization of divine power successful]

[Fear status applied to nearby divine entities]

[Magical formula of parasitic core destroyed, connection between Mother and deity severed]

[Divine power residing within the Mother is dispersing]

[“Weaver of Despair” gazes at you with immeasurable fury]

Gunther rolled his stiff shoulder and looked toward the entrance of the feeding chamber.

Tap-tap-tap—

The sound of many feet. In that hurried noise he could feel their rage, confusion, and despair with his skin. Gunther’s gaze fell once more on the updated message:

[Duration of “Fear” status: 33 seconds]

[After expiration, due to severed divine connection, the Mother will enter a state of loss of control]

All preparations were complete. Gunther waved upward.

— Pull!

The remaining battle was not his concern.

— Infiltrator! Capture the infiltrator!!

It was theirs.

Swish—

With Eddie’s strained grunt, Gunther’s shadow quickly and cleanly vanished from the feeding chamber.