Surviving without God

Tap—tap—

I stood and stepped forward. I did not hesitate, yet my heart began to beat slightly faster. Dozens of gazes fell upon me.

“Definitely... this is different.”

The weight of those stares was incomparably heavier than when the other candidates had stepped up. Too much attention was fixed on me. The most piercing looks came from the seniors of the Executive Division. After steadying my breath, I climbed onto the podium and stopped before the black, faintly gleaming stone pillar. It was the stela bearing the oath.

Ding!

[Place your hand on the stone slab]

The moment my palm touched it, a sensation like pressing against paper-thin ice ran through my hand. Along with the cold came the feeling that something was peering deep inside me.

[Recite the Oath of Night Raven]

...What was that?

For an instant, the suicide notes I had once seen in the notebook flashed through my mind. After a brief pause, I parted my lips.

—I will cloak myself in lies for the sake of truth.

—I will walk in darkness, yet follow the shadow.

—I was born in blood and betrayal, in vows and suffering.

—I will see through the hypocrisy of Luthien and the whispers of the Evil Gods, and turn my blade against them.

—I, Gunther, from this moment forth become the sword of Night Raven.

The short oath came to an end.

Clang—

Everyone in the hall rose at once and unsheathed their swords. Pointing their blades toward me, they proclaimed:

—We are your comrades.

—We are one blade, one breath, one darkness.

—We shall soar on the same wings and dissolve into the same shadow.

—Betrayal is death, silence is an oath, death is honor.

—Yes.

—We are Night Raven.

A scene I had watched countless times in the game. A sequence I had always skipped mechanically, hammering at the keys. Even moments ago, when other candidates took the oath, I felt nothing in particular.

But now, standing at the center of the Sanctuary and hearing that chorus of voices, a strange sensation returned. My heart thudded a beat too late. At the moment I unconsciously pressed my palm harder against the stela—

—O One-Eyed King.

Grand Crow stepped closer and began the prescribed prayer.

Ding!

And by the time the prayer ended, an enormous message filled my vision.

[The One-Eyed King gazes upon you]

[You perceive something incomprehensible]

[Your mind boils]

[Three gods protect you]

Naturally, no dark crimson light symbolizing betrayal appeared. Grand Crow placed a hand on my shoulder, mercy in his visible eye.

—The god has opened His hearing. You have passed the trial, and soon you shall be granted a name and a blessing. If there is anything you wish to convey to Him, speak it now within your heart.

What to say.

I did not hesitate for even a second. The words for the One-Eyed King had long been prepared.

“Karma... do You find it appealing?”

.

.

.

The deities within are divided into two primary categories.

Ancient Gods and Outer Gods.

Ancient Gods are, simply put, natives of this world. Those who were born in living flesh, yet accumulated enough myth in their lifetimes to attain divine status. Humans, foreigners, yoma, sacred beasts... their origins differ, but all share one trait—they were once mortal beings.

“All the gods I have encountered and interacted with so far belong to this category.”

Most contracts are made with these Ancient Gods, and their alignments vary: good, evil, neutral. Those classified as evil cooperate closely with the Luthien Theocracy.

Then who are the Outer Gods?

Outer Gods are those who came from beyond this world.

They were never incarnated in flesh and have existed as gods since the beginning of time. The Seven Evil Gods of Luthien belong to this category, and their descent into this world is the ultimate objective of the Luthien Theocracy.

“These are true divine entities, fundamentally different from the lesser evil gods.”

However, not all Outer Gods were evil. There were deities benevolent toward humanity, rightly called “Good Gods.” Most of them were slain or sealed in the past by the Seven Evil Gods, and at present only one Good God remains in this world.

“The One-Eyed King.”

In other words, He was the highest-ranking and safest deity I could possibly contact.

Which meant I had to show Him. Karma.

“From Flying Ahead of the Wind, I already confirmed that Karma holds value even for other gods.”

Would Karma serve as effective currency even against such a supreme being? If so, what reward would He offer? Perhaps information about Return and Karma. Or something I cannot even imagine.

“Like that mysterious witch named ◇.”

I suspected she was likely an Outer God who does not appear in the main storyline.

In any case—

I could not miss the opportunity to meet a Good God face-to-face without offering payment. That was why I made such a bold proposal.

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats admires your courage]

[Alphonse of Red Street makes an interested face, but his legs tremble slightly]

[The Drug-Addicted Saint secretly takes a sip of an unidentified potion]

[Flying Ahead of the Wind, who had been secretly watching you, screams and runs away]

And finally—

Ding!

[The One-Eyed King invites you to His abode]

My consciousness was pulled somewhere.

***

—Hmph?

The sensation of waking from a very short nap. Gunther opened his eyes, breathing heavily. His chest felt tight, as if he had been swimming in deep water and had just surfaced.

“...What the.”

Before him—an indigo-black floor. A faint murmur of voices entered his ears. He blinked again, collecting himself.

“Strange. This place...”

His brows knit in confusion as he looked around. There was no mistake. It was the very same place... the altar where he had just taken the oath.

“They said they were inviting me to the King’s abode?”

He reflexively lifted his head and met Grand Crow’s gaze. The elder stood motionless, attempting to conceal his bewilderment, but confusion was clearly visible in his single eye behind the mask.

Gunther was even more perplexed.

“What happened?” 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

From the candidates’ seats, everyone watched him silently. Ryan Parker was gesturing with his hands, as though something had gone wrong.

The spectator stands. Cheonmae was silently laughing, slapping Moon Wolf on the shoulder. Moon Wolf, however, kept narrowed eyes fixed on Gunther.

A thick atmosphere of awkward sympathy filled the Sanctuary. The same atmosphere that had just minutes ago been directed at another candidate who had received a “deferred expulsion.”

Gunther’s heart dropped.

“No way.”

Did I receive no blessing at all?

Gunther rarely froze like this.

“Why? How is that possible?”

There was no time to search for reasons. Grand Crow’s voice fell upon him as he remained kneeling.

—Return to your seat.

Disappointment and weariness were evident in the old man’s tone. As they were in everyone present. The promising newcomer of the Executive Division had collapsed without receiving a single blessing.

......

Yet Gunther did not move.

This was the worst possible outcome—one he had not anticipated. And precisely because of that, his mind accelerated.

“Should I commit suicide and reset?”

A last resort. There was no guarantee the One-Eyed King would grant a blessing the next time. He needed to understand why he had been boycotted. But since his memory had completely cut off in the middle, forming hypotheses was difficult.

“Was mentioning Karma too hastily a mistake, or...”

Just as Gunther desperately sifted through the gaps in his memory, he froze.

“...Wait.”

—Nameless oathbearer, return to your place.

“This isn’t right.”

No. It wasn’t that nothing had happened.

Something had.

Ding-ding-ding—

The clean, white gap in his memory filled with a familiar sound. Karma. Yes—the sound of paying a “price.” He had definitely heard it. The moment he remembered, a sequence of visions flashed before his eyes.

—Kh—

It resurfaced. An endless gallery. Countless branching staircases. And a great Eye suspended above them.

Silence. A space without light, wind, or words. Yet some will was devouring him. Status messages appeared before his eyes—

[You have perceived a rupture in existential status]

[Your mind boils]

[You have entered the state “Collapse” — duration: indefinite]

[Three gods protect you with their final strength]

—The Drug-Addicted Saint covers your eyes with bloodied fingertips.

—Alphonse of Red Street struggles to unfold a veil.

—The King of the Knights of Ninety-Nine Defeats staggers, raising his shield.

[An incomprehensible grace has been granted]

[A fleeting audience has been permitted]

From that point, the memories were fragmented. Only a strangely distorted voice echoing inside his head.

「...illegible...」

「...thread of time... no... this is... a line not on the blueprint... fragment...?」

「...ah, already breathing...」

「From where did you...」

「Ah... empty space... choice...」

In that stone-still silence, the immense Eye was unmistakably disturbed. But soon, as if reaching a conclusion, it spoke clearly:

「I shall accept the offering」

After those words... After? What came next?

[Characteristic “???” partially unlocked. Check updated information]

Right. The unidentified characteristic “???” that had shown no change since his first death. Its information had updated. Ignoring the bewildered gazes from all sides, Gunther immediately checked it.

[Characteristic: ???] Rank: ??

-Unable to form contracts with gods.

-Can obtain and use Karma.

-Return upon death is possible (limited number of times).

※ Partial associated regression unlocked.

Up to that point, nothing had changed.

But—

-Signature of the “One-Eyed King” obtained (updated)

A new section had appeared.

Authority: Reading. Once per life, you may read. Possibly even that which lies beyond the blueprint.

※ Remaining effects are locked. They will not activate until conditions are met.

......?

Gunther stared at the description in shock.

Read. Read what? And what was this blueprint?

“This feels serious.”

As he continued thinking, he suddenly flinched.

“......?”

[Do you wish to read?]

When he glanced at Grand Crow, a message he had never seen in his life appeared before his eyes. Grand Crow narrowed his eye, apparently interpreting Gunther’s stunned expression in his own way.

Inhale—

Gunther rose to his feet. Whatever this was, he could not remain kneeling before the altar any longer. It would look like the tantrum of a failure who had received no blessing and was making a scene.

“...No choice. I’ll have to prove my worth with results.”

He could not predict his future placement. Would he be accepted into the Executive Division regardless? Or transferred to the Combat Unit? In the worst case, he could end up in the Reinforcement Unit.

“I’ll assess the situation first. If everything collapses, I’ll reset through suicide.”

And so, as he walked toward the candidates’ seats under sympathetic gazes—

“...Huh?”

Gunther realized the One-Eyed King was far more generous than he had expected.

Guuuuuum—!

Light capable of swallowing the entire Sanctuary poured down upon him. Even without looking directly at it, it felt blinding. Spectators were already crying out—whether in awe or terror—and bowing their heads.

Guuuuuuuum—!

Thinking it resembled the pillar of light that appears before returning after death, Gunther gave a hollow smile.

“You’re intense.”

The torrent of light, swirling like a massive current, enveloped Gunther’s body.