Surviving without God

[I’ll come back once I’m strong enough that I won’t be ashamed to stand beside you. See you soon]

That note lay in front of the door to Gunther’s room at dawn. Gunther smirked as he looked at Ryan’s clumsy handwriting.

“Kid...”

It seemed he had left for the assembly point only recently. There wasn’t much reason to worry. Ryan had been assigned to the Combat Unit, and their recruits went through a kind of training camp before being sent on official missions. Unlike the Execution Squad, they weren’t thrown into the fire right away, so the risk of dying there was lower.

“Even though their program is insanely harsh.”

Still, Ryan would manage. He lacked technique for now, but there was no doubting his ability and drive. If he worked himself to the bone and unlocked his potential, before long they’d be able to take part in operations shoulder to shoulder.

“Though first, I need to secure my place in Fourth Platoon and seize command.”

Only then would he gain the authority to scout and make use of fighters from other divisions. In the end, if he wanted to fight back to back with Ryan again, they both had to give everything and stand out in their respective units.

“And that’s not all.”

...In this mission, dying was absolutely not an option. Otherwise the Karma debt would snowball. Right now it was around two thousand. Even if he’d earned a few hundred, it was too early to relax. He needed at least another thousand to free himself from the interest.

“I’ve lived too long—feels weird...”

[The Drug-Addicted Saint looks at you with sympathy]

“Either way, I have to hold on to the very end.”

With that resolve, Gunther left the mansion.

— Hey, Gunther! Sleep well?

— We’re here.

At the meeting point, Parco and Levain were waiting for him. Their outfits were drastically different from yesterday’s. Leather armor, multi-purpose utility belts, greaves, and more. Nine out of ten adventurers you met in the Labyrinth would look exactly like that. Gunther eyed Parco with skepticism.

— Isn’t that gear a little too light?

Weren’t healers required by regulations to wear at least plate armor? Levain shook his head and pointed at a small pouch hanging from his belt.

— Don’t worry. Our real equipment is in here.

— ...In that pouch?

Gunther narrowed his eyes. The pouch Levain indicated was the size of a fist. Apparently it was a magical tool enchanted to reduce volume and weight.

“Still, if his class is Spell Thief, he must have a lot of rare magical tools.”

Someone who prowled ruins in search of treasure. At their first meeting, Levain had used a magic pistol. Since he belonged to the thief-type classes, he seemed to compensate for a lack of raw combat power with artifacts.

— I’ve got a couple things for you, too.

— For me? What things?

— We’ll talk on the way to the entrance. I’ve got two pieces of news: a good one and a bad one.

The three of them headed for their destination.

Getting into the Labyrinth was easy. You came to the registration point managed by the city and bought a “Labyrinth Ticket” for 1 gold and 50 silver coins per person. Then, at the appointed time, you entered the portal. Converted into Korean won, that was about 1.5 million—a very steep price for a single entry, but the registration point was always packed with crowds.

From veterans who moved through the Labyrinth like it was their own backyard, to rookies trembling with tension. Levain, looking at them, muttered quietly:

— People dreaming of sudden wealth.

In the Labyrinth, you could find cores and parts needed to create magical tools. If you were incredibly lucky, you could even find technologies of a lost era that couldn’t be reproduced with modern methods—like the machine Parco had driven. They were called “artifacts.” Rare trinkets capable of changing not only the finder’s fate overnight, but that of their descendants, too. ...Of course, for that you had to take enormous risks.

The three of them stood in a corner of the registration hall, away from the atmosphere where excitement and anxiety mixed. Ten minutes remained until the Labyrinth opened.

— Gunther, are you looking for someone? — Parco asked, noticing Gunther had been scanning the area since they arrived. Gunther gave a slight shake of his head.

— No, it’s nothing. So what’s the good news and the bad news?

— Which one first?

— The good news.

Levain carefully glanced around and lowered his voice.

— The connection with the platoon members briefly came back last night. They said they’ve been successfully avoiding those Luthien freaks and climbing the floors. And most importantly...

— What?

— It looks like they roughly identified the location of the sacred relic those fanatics are hunting.

Gunther tilted his head, bewildered.

— What...? How did they manage that?

— I don’t know. The connection cut out right away. Either way, the two of them have made considerable progress.

That really was surprisingly good news. In this scenario, the final objective was to secure the “sacred relic.” Knowing even an approximate location of the target was huge progress.

— That is good news. And the bad?

Levain’s face hardened instantly.

— Command rejected the request for support. They said they’ll send people if someone frees up... But honestly, it’s better to prepare for the reality that we’ll have to manage with five of us until the very end.

Parco grumbled, chiming in:

— Always like this. They could stand to believe in us a little less. The tragedy of a capable subordinate, seriously.

Gunther wasn’t particularly surprised.

— I wasn’t counting on it.

The reason was the chronic manpower shortage in “Night Raven.” And on top of that, the people upstairs had probably decided to test his capabilities again.

— Ha-ha, you really are something. Perfect fit for our platoon, absolutely perfect, — Parco let out a laugh when he heard Gunther’s calm tone. — But Gunther, don’t relax. It’s your first time in the Labyrinth, right?

— ...Something like that.

— Then get ready to pour your soul out. Inside there, literally, it’s “a completely different world.”

Levain cut in right after Parco. His voice was more serious than ever.

— Of course, it probably won’t happen, but... Gunther, don’t push yourself too hard just because it’s your first mission. Nobody expects you to show off from the start. If you simply don’t get in the way, that’s already a success.

“Don’t get in the way,” huh. Gunther’s expression turned ambiguous, then he smirked.

— ...When you threw me into a garbage heap, I didn’t realize you could be this considerate.

— Back then we weren’t comrades.

At the moment Levain also smiled faintly, the air was pierced by a barely perceptible vibration.

U-u-u-um—

And that vibration soon turned into a powerful hum that swallowed the whole building. Outside, on the empty platform, a thin gray line was drawn in the air, and it began to expand rapidly. Adventurers immediately surged forward.

— The portal opened!

— Let’s go!

— Great, this time I’m definitely getting rich!

Gunther silently watched the portal swallow the crowds like a tsunami.

U-u-u-um—

A light-filled outline slowly widened, bending ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) in colors and curvature you rarely saw in the normal world. Silent, yet a strange vortex. Beyond it, a hazy world flickered.

The exact same scene was surely unfolding right now at dozens of other registration points all over the city. New Luthien reinforcements were probably entering, too. And she was as well.

Psh—

As if to confirm it, the Operate Link in his ear let out a soft hiss. Parco and Levain turned toward Gunther. They had already put on their masks. Parco’s—an otter. Levain’s—an owl.

— Well then, let’s go.

— Let’s go! We’ll link up with the guys and smash those bastards!

Gunther also stepped toward the portal. An unfamiliar pressure and a bizarre sensation wrapped around his body.

***

If someone asked what the Labyrinth was, the landscape before his eyes would be the most accurate answer.

Walls covered in metal and glass, and black steam bursting from pipes crawling along them. Over the ruins of a fallen mechanical civilization, a pack of more than fifteen mechanical dogs charged, filling the area with howls. The red glow of their eyes cut sharply through the dense fog.

— Ha-ap!

At the end of that gaze stood a man with a sword in his hand, running to intercept the pack.

[“Knight’s Swordsmanship Art” activates (Lv. 3)]

[Skill “Zero-Point Strike” (Lv. 1) is ready for use]

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats glints his eyes, declaring this is an interesting opponent for practice]

Clink!

Gunther raised his sword. First—the very first one.

Clink—!

The moment the pack leader leapt, aiming for his throat, Gunther dodged with his whole body and counterattacked.

Crack!

The blade that came down from the side split the enemy in two. Then—an arcing swing. A head with its jaws open flew off with a clang.

Next. The one that dug steel claws into the wall and launched itself horizontally...

Crack! He kicked its jaw upward with the tip of his boot...

Bang! Gunther drove the longsword straight into it.

[Aura manifests]

He wrapped the blade in Aura to add destructive power and protect the edge.

Scre-e-e-ech!

A ribcage plated in plywood crumpled, and the inner gears burst out with an ugly grinding shriek.

Rata-ta-ta-ta!

Next, two more lunged viciously with a slight delay—but there was nothing to worry about.

Piiiii—!

The high-pitched sound of Levain’s magun at work tore at his ears.

Bam!

One dog, its head pierced through, stayed embedded in the wall. The other shattered into splinters right in midair. Through flying sparks, debris, and the vibrating stink of iron, Gunther surged forward again.

Crunch!

Grabbing the neck of a creature that had jumped to head level, he slammed it into the wall.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They moved unmistakably badly. A mix of animal stubbornness and mechanical insensibility. Carefully programmed violence poured in a nonstop stream. If he were his old self, he would’ve been exhausted before he even dealt with a couple of them.

[Skill mastery for “Knight’s Swordsmanship Art” has increased]

But now everything was different. His stats had noticeably risen after consuming Nezzi. On top of that, his mana had crossed a certain threshold, providing a constant buff. And most importantly...

— Gunther! I’ll cover you!

No matter what insane movement he made, he didn’t tire. Gunther glanced back at Parco, stationed in the rear.

The huge dark-skinned guy with the eternal cheerful grin was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a shining steel fortress towered there. Parco had donned a special armor called the “Walking Castle.” In its normal state it looked like light armor, but when fed mana it expanded instantly, enveloping the entire body—an authentic artifact. The power of his “Healing,” applied from a state of full protection, was truly overwhelming.

U-u-u-um—

Heavy breathing and aching muscle pain—everything vanished without a trace.

Bang!

That was why fighting felt easy. It felt like all his past hardships were finally paying off. In the Execution Squad, even the “ride comfort” was completely different.

Gunther tightened his grip on the sword again. His focus rose as if the battle had only just begun, and his stamina was at its maximum. He didn’t miss a single moment, even with the insane acceleration of the mechanical dogs, armed with reinforced fibers and metal frames.

— Well, let’s go!

Mechanical dogs fell one after another. Some were knocked back with their chests crushed, others had their heads severed from their bodies. There were even ones that, split clean in half, still ran a couple steps before collapsing to the floor. There was only one thing to regret...

“I should’ve switched to a heavy weapon.”

Ladenbach’s sword was good and sturdy, but to smash mechanical creatures, it lacked weight and destructive force. He should’ve gone into debt and pulled a rare-rank two-hander from the Gods’ Shop. Gunther looked at his hands, trembling from the recoil. But otherwise, he was satisfied with everything.

[Level Up! / Lv. 51] 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

[Strength: 44 → 45]

[※ Parco and Levain acknowledge you as a combat unit above a certain level]

Gunther lowered his sword and looked back. He wasn’t the only one impressed by his comrades’ strength. Parco, having taken off the “Walking Castle,” stared at Gunther with an excited expression.

— Whoa... You’re good!

Levain also nodded, looking a little stunned.

— Sorry for underestimating you, Gunther.

Laughing, Parco added:

— Heh, it’s awesome having a reliable vanguard.

Strictly speaking, his class was “Commander,” so he wasn’t a pure vanguard, but Gunther simply nodded.

— Blanc... Our vanguard will definitely be thrilled when he sees you. Guaranteed.

— The platoon’s vanguard? You already have someone in that position?

— Yeah, but he’s got a few quirks. He can’t stand being the only one in the front.

Seems Parco was on good terms with this “Blanc.” The smile didn’t leave his face when he mentioned his comrade.

— Anyway. Levain! How long until the rendezvous point? Let’s hurry up and introduce our capable rookie to the guys!

Levain quickly tapped on the magic tablet in his hands.

— Wait, the mapping’s almost done.

Once inside the Labyrinth, Gunther learned something new. Levain wasn’t simply a “Spell Thief.”

[He’s an Arcane Runner of a decent level]

“Better than you?”

[No]

“...Instant answer.”

[Because it’s a fact]

...Either way, there was a reason he was the temporary leader of Fourth Platoon. Versatile, strong in information analysis and tactical decision-making—an all-purpose talent. The fact they hadn’t had a single unnecessary clash since entering the Labyrinth proved it. All thanks to his perfect use of the information obtained from Seraz last night and at dawn.

“Then just how strong are the other two?”

Right as Gunther was indulging in optimistic fantasies about Fourth Platoon, Levain continued with a rare enthusiasm:

— Great, in a couple hours we’ll...

And then it cut off. Levain’s voice died abruptly.

— ......?

His relaxed face turned to stone in an instant, and his pupils froze, fixed on one point. On nothing.

— Levain?

The same happened to Parco. The playful expression vanished without a trace; he stared into space with a frighteningly distorted face. Gunther instinctively followed their gaze. And...

“...A signal flare?”

He saw a signal fire in the sky. A flame slowly spreading high above. Gunther felt a strange, ominous premonition and asked:

— What happened?