Surviving without God

The reason Gunther volunteered to set up the magical lures was simple. If he wanted to sort through the thoughts that felt ready to split his skull open, he needed to be alone.

Viiiiing—

With a short vibrating hum, the device anchored itself to the floor. A red indicator began blinking, signaling activation. Gunther scattered several more nearby and then stopped, letting out a heavy breath.

“First mission, and it’s already this hardcore.”

The corpse of the man with the scar in the Labyrinth. He had been the very target Gunther suspected of ties to the “Society of Forgotten Books.”

“Don’t tell me the ‘Society of Forgotten Books’ is after the relic too?”

At this stage, there was no longer any doubt about the nature of the artifact rumored to rest on the third underground floor.

“It must be a relic of an Ancient God.”

[Three deities cast meaningful glances at you]

A god erased from history by Luthien. Its relic had surfaced in the Labyrinth, and now multiple factions were hunting it.

This had never existed in the official game storyline. But for Gunther, that meant opportunity. Contact with a new god would undoubtedly trigger another leap in his stats.

“Well, I’m used to unknown variables by now.”

He had made peace with that long ago. From the moment the “Protagonist” failed to appear, everything had derailed from canon. Now that the butterfly effect had spiraled beyond control, it was safer to assume that aside from the key scenarios, countless details had already changed.

“By the way... until I see it myself, I won’t know what kind of god it is? You don’t feel any familiar aura or anything?”

[Three deities remain silent]

“...Fine. I’ll pay off my debts soon and bring you Karma.”

Only then would their Hierarchy rise and various restrictions be lifted. At that point, many of the mysteries surrounding him would finally unravel. Gunther was about to resume placing the lures when—

Ding!

The long-awaited notification arrived.

[Rank calculation for clearing Act 1, Chapter 3 completed]

The evaluation of Chapter 3 depended on how well the “initiation” had gone and how much recognition and expectation he had earned from the organization’s members. Gunther had executed it as perfectly as possible. As expected, the follow-up messages gleamed with praise.

[You began your life in the organization as a legendary rookie who captured everyone’s attention]

[Despite standard rookie regulations, you were assigned to the Execution Unit, specifically the Fourth Platoon, and immediately entrusted with an important mission]

[The upper echelon has placed unprecedented trust in you]

[Final assessment: you are “hands” worthy of entering the history of the "Night Raven"]

After the ornate wording, the results window appeared.

[Clear Rank: SSS]

SSS — the highest rank in the game. Though last time he had received the out-of-system EX rank thanks to “◇”, the anticipation didn’t fade. Items from an SSS chest were never ordinary gear or consumables.

They were clues leading to hidden scenarios, artifacts, or allies. Rare Nezzi that granted permanent buffs. High-level weaponry that shouldn’t appear at this stage of the game. These weren’t simple rewards — they guaranteed qualitative leaps forward.

...And most importantly, this would bring at least some of the desperately needed Karma.

“Please.”

Eyes wide, Gunther waited for the reward list.

[Reward for clearing Act 1, Chapter 3 granted]

— Karma: 300

— Chaos Chest x5

— Bonds...

Crunch.

In that instant, Gunther’s body jerked backward. Air exploded from his lungs in a single violent exhale.

— ...Kgh!?

Before his mind registered the impact, a second shock tore through the back of his skull. Flesh ripping. Bone shattering. Hot blood gushed, sliding down his spine.

...Ba-bang!

The sound came late. The distant gunshot reached him only after Gunther had collapsed to his knees.

“What the fuck is this...”

His body tipped backward and hit the ground. His vision slowly blurred. The concrete jungle of rusted rebar and skeletal buildings tilted and swayed before his eyes.

— Don’t... need...

Under the echoing gunfire, the ceiling of the Labyrinth gazed down upon the dying Gunther.

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.

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Ding!

[You have died]

[Counting death records]

[15/99]

.

.

.

Ding!

[Achievement: “Accustomed to Death” obtained!]

The accumulated number of deaths has reached a threshold. You have ascended to a new stage of “Return After Death.”

[Characteristic: ??? Functions partially unlocked]

[Affinity Inheritance System unlocked]

— Deep bonds are not bound even by death.

[Part of your current affinity has been inherited]

***

Crackle—

The campfire snapped, scattering warm sparks. The campsite was filled with objects that felt alien in the cold urban landscape.

Bubble-bubble—

The stew Levain and Parco were preparing was one of those alien comforts. From the thick aroma beginning to spread, it would be ready just in time for Gunther’s return.

Levain sat before the fire with his eyes closed. He appeared asleep, but his ears were sharp. True to his cautious nature, he never lowered his guard.

“She always has terrible sleeping manners.”

Meanwhile, Parco adjusted the blanket over Blanc, who had half-slipped out of her sleeping bag and was tossing restlessly. Feeling the warmth, Blanc murmured sleepily and curled up. Tarsha lay exactly as she had when she went to sleep. Her sleeping bag rose and fell in steady rhythm with her breathing.

The quiet, calm atmosphere was suddenly broken by Tarsha’s voice — she hadn’t been asleep [N O V E L I G H T] either.

“So, what do you think about Gunther?”

Blanc reacted first. Scratching her messy white hair, she pushed herself up and muttered softly:

“Honestly, at f-first I really didn’t like him. He seemed like he thought he was the smartest and coolest guy around.”

Parco chuckled.

“The way you’re saying that — sounds like you changed your mind?”

“I... I saw him fight today. Whenever an attack flew toward defenseless adventurers, he’d throw himself in the way... even if it looked incredibly painful. I... I know how hard that is. Maybe he’s actually a good person...”

Parco nodded.

“Right. Levain and I saw him a few days longer than you did. He’s a pretty decent guy.”

Tarsha asked quietly: 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“In what way?”

“He’s got backbone. Straightforward character. No hidden malice, no fakeness. And he has one huge advantage you two don’t know about, right, Levain?”

Levain stayed silent for a long time before speaking.

“He unquestionably has many strengths.”

Beyond combat skill, there was something else exceptional.

“I particularly like his wide battlefield awareness. His tactical knowledge overall is very rich... you can tell he’s ‘studied.’ Honestly, at first I thought headquarters dumped a burden on us... but they actually sent us real ‘hands.’ We weren’t anywhere near this competent right after enlistment, were we?”

Parco grinned.

“Not even close.”

At the end, Levain shrugged awkwardly.

“If not for Gunther, we wouldn’t have been able to save you. So I don’t hold back my praise.”

The stream of opinions about their new platoon member came to an end. A short silence followed. Tarsha said meaningfully:

“Backbone and competence... Pretends to be calculating, but deep down he’s kind. Flexible enough to live with picky people like us...”

She stretched and smiled slyly.

“He’s more like him than you’d think.”

There was no subject named. But soon a faint smile touched Levain’s lips as well. Blanc lowered her eyes, then gave a barely perceptible nod. Instead of speaking, Parco let out a quiet laugh. Longing lingered in every reaction.

“Yeah. A little... like him.”

With a heavy sigh, Tarsha flopped back down and muttered:

“Still need to keep an eye on him though! By the way, when is he coming back? Our rookie is so slow~.”

If he stayed any longer, the stew would lose its flavor. The platoon members cast uneasy glances at the pot.

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.

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Boooooom!

***

...It was too meaningless. Gunther stood in absolute darkness.

His “Twisted Fate” hadn’t triggered. He hadn’t relaxed his vigilance. He had even acted based on Levain’s briefing that there were no enemies within a 300-meter radius. And yet — a bullet from an ultra-long-range sniper rifle. Here, in the middle of tangled buildings and steel frameworks.

“This is just unfair.”

For a moment, resentment and emptiness rose to his throat... but he crushed them. It had already happened. Instead of drowning in emotion, he needed answers. Step by step, Gunther reconstructed the circumstances of his death and soon reached a conclusion.

“...I was being tracked, and they were waiting for the right moment. Possibly from the very first second we entered the second underground floor.”

Such an ultra-long-range shot couldn’t be random. Not in a forest of skyscrapers where line of sight was constantly obstructed. Hitting a split-second opportunity was impossible. At minimum, several hours had been spent tracking and preparing.

“The fact that they waited until I was alone confirms it.”

But new questions followed.

Who? How? Why?

Even exhausted, the Fourth Platoon weren’t the kind to let someone tail them so easily. To follow them unnoticed, one would need to be at least a fourth-hierarchy thief or higher. A fourth-hierarchy thief who could also masterfully wield a powerful magical pistol...

“As far as I know, the Cult of Abundance doesn’t have anyone like that.”

Even with non-canon elements constantly appearing, could a master of that level just materialize?

“Or someone from the Public Security Bureau? But they have no reason to hunt me.”

Gunther shook his head and continued theorizing.

“...Scavengers? No. For some random scavenger to possess those skills is nonsense...”

In the midst of his grinding thoughts—

Ding!

The familiar sardonic status window appeared.

[#15 The life of a fool who imagined himself a “rookie”]

It was mocking from the very first line.

[Gunther, a single sniper shot shattered your success story. In your next life, instead of staring at your results window, maybe try ducking in time? Or perhaps be a little less greedy!]

“......!”

Gunther fixed his gaze on the glowing blue message window. Not in anger. Annoying as it was, it sometimes offered useful hints about his death. This time was no exception.

“My cause of death... greed?”

One decisive detail flared in his mind. Immediately, Gunther constructed the most plausible theory.

“What if it was the ‘Society of Forgotten Books’?”

Right before entering the second floor, he had taken the belongings of the scarred man. More than that — he had equipped the Black Needle Pauldrons and armed himself with Death’s Cry. What if the scarred man truly belonged to the “Society of Forgotten Books”?

“They must’ve assumed I was the killer.”

It could be speculation. Or an overreach. But Gunther felt certain.

One question remained.

“If he’s from the ‘Society of Forgotten Books,’ why was he serving Luthien’s hounds? Undercover... or something else?”

Mysteries stacked upon mysteries. His brows furrowed deeply. Too many unknowns. Too few clues. So he set his goal for the next life.

“I have to save the scarred man.”

Intervene in the clash between the adventurers and Luthien’s forces — and capture him.

“...Recruit him or interrogate him, it doesn’t matter. I need the truth.”

The objective was clear. But one last issue remained. Gunther’s tense gaze fixed on the status window. The debuff he would receive now would determine success or failure.

Ting!

[Karma calculation complete!]

Karma should be fine. He had earned a solid 300 from clearing the chapter and performed a good deed by saving adventurers.

[You have repaid 411 of your –2041 Karma debt]

[Current Karma balance: -1630]

[Compound interest of 12% applied]

[Current Karma balance: -1826]

Indeed, not only had he stabilized — he had significantly reduced the debt.

[Congratulations! Your Karma debt has fallen below 2,000. As a result, the imposed debuff has been alleviated. Continue working diligently toward full repayment]

Gunther pressed his palms together in prayer.

“Anything that doesn’t interfere with combat. Please.”

There were plenty of normal debuffs besides masochism or twisted fate.

Reduced magic resistance. Increased mana consumption. Lower attack power.

Troublesome, yes — but nothing compared to previous “gifts.”

Ting!

[Debuff for this life...]

And the god heard his prayer. He was granted a debuff that did not interfere with combat at all.

[Debuff list updated]

For some reason, Gunther wasn’t happy.

[Condition: Hair Loss]

Due to an abnormal symptom of unknown origin, your hair follicles weaken and hair falls out at an unnatural rate. This change goes beyond mere appearance loss, affecting your social image and mental stability.

— Ah...

...Gunther swore. In this next life, he would crush everything in his path and earn as much Karma as possible.

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[Returning to Save Point #6]

White light enveloped him.

Flash!