Surviving without God

Sharin tilted her head slightly, looking at him with open defiance.

— And what exactly do you know, that you speak with such confidence?

— Yes, I know a little about alchemy...

— Hmm-m, sure. People say legends are told about the talents of our junior colleague...

But Gunther’s words clearly didn’t convince Sharin.

— They say you fight brilliantly, you’re strong in tactics and strategy, and you’re handy in everyday matters too, right?

A smile played on her face, but the tone of her voice grew sharper and sharper.

— And now you’re also deeply versed in alchemy, which you have to train as an apprentice for at least ten years... What a miracle. How is that even possible? Maybe under that mask you’re hiding a fifty-year-old old man with a young voice?

...Well, her irritation was completely understandable. Any professional would react like that if an amateur suddenly barged into their field with advice. But he couldn’t back down. The “mistake” the goddess of alchemy herself had whispered about was real. There could be no misfire. Before his affinity with Sharin collapsed for good, Gunther moved to decisive action.

— This reagent!!!!

Seizing the initiative. Gunther shouted loudly, pointing a finger at the boiling liquid. Under that fierce pressure, Sharin froze for a moment. Gunther, reading the message that floated up before his eyes, continued:

— Nitro-blood, a frost crystal, essence of deadly poison... In theory, it’s the correct combination to create a combustion catalyst. The approach is very competent. But! The essence of deadly poison can’t keep up with the reaction speed of the nitro-blood and frost crystal. It adds viscosity, but it throws off the balance, and in the end only unstable byproducts remain. That’s why you keep failing every time.

— ......?

Looking at Sharin, frozen like stone, Gunther threw out the final line:

— And if you leave it as it is, it’s going to blow right now.

— ...What did you say?

Step—

While the advantage was his, he had to strike while the iron was hot. Gunther threw on the lab coat that hung in the corner of the workshop. It was an A-class coat that was worn only for important reports... but Sharin didn’t dare stop him.

“Saint.”

[The Drug-Addicted Saint nods]

Gunther took up a beaker.

“Will it work?”

[The Drug-Addicted Saint smirks with certainty]

Ding!

[You sacrifice 50 Karma to the Drug-Addicted Saint]

Above his heart, a pattern in the shape of a flask flared up, scorching bright.

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[The secrets of great alchemy temporarily seep into the depths of your consciousness...]

***

Glug—

The bubbles that had been swelling unstably sank, and soon a pure beam of light began to rise from the vessel.

— O-o-o-o...

Sharin’s eyes flew wide open. In her gaze was the obsession of a researcher who won’t miss a phenomenon even if the sky collapses to the ground. Watching a cynical scholar rejoice with sincere, childlike delight was more pleasant than he’d expected.

[The Drug-Addicted Saint clears her throat and crosses her arms over her chest]

— No... That’s impossible.

Gunther pretended he didn’t understand what the problem was:

— Hm, did I do it?

— You... you’re asking if you did it?! The combustion reaction manifested in just 3 minutes 13 seconds! Do you even understand what you’ve done?! Though of course you do. If you’re that smart. Oh gods...

What happens to a person obsessed with research when they encounter overwhelming talent? Envy? Jealousy? Despair? No—those are only counterfeit madness. True madness shows itself in moments like this.

— Heh-heh... Ha-ha-ha!

Sharin’s lips trembled, and she burst into laughter she couldn’t hold back. The possibility that her research would advance one step. The burning desire to develop this discovery further. Against feelings like that, pride was nothing but a worthless emotion.

— A week...

— Pardon?

— Come to me again in a week, absolutely!

Sharin clamped onto Gunther’s wrist with a death grip. It felt like if he refused, she’d simply tear his arm off.

— Why?

— I want to show you something. The research I’ve been working on lately... and that reagent was part of it. So—will you come?

— Hmm-m-m.

Gunther was exulting inside, but for appearances he made her wait a little. In truth, he already knew what that work was. The very decisive technology that, in the future, would earn Sharin the title of “a mandatory NPC for stat growth.”

“...To think we’ll start it together already, at this stage?”

In the “official story,” that route didn’t exist. It was physically impossible to raise your alchemy level higher than Sharin’s at the very beginning of the journey. But the current Gunther was different. Through Karma, he had temporarily borrowed the Saint’s achievements and, as a result, won Sharin’s trust and received a proposal to collaborate.

This wasn’t merely about speeding up progression. An unprecedented situation had formed: transcendental knowledge from the Saint had been applied to the technological system Sharin had built over years. Sharin’s research would be completed far earlier than it was supposed to be—and that would directly lead to an increase in the entire power of “Night Raven.”

“Every time, I’m reminded: Karma is a real cheat.”

It almost stung that because of his massive debts he hadn’t been able to use it earlier. Meeting Sharin’s pleading eyes, Gunther made his decision.

“I have to agree. No question.”

If this technology was introduced into “Night Raven” ahead of schedule, not only he, but the entire organization would make a colossal leap in development. And such “exceptional” results always came back in the form of “Easter eggs.” Gunther’s eyes lit up no less than Sharin’s.

“Earning Karma with Karma.”

Perfect. Gunther firmly shook Sharin’s hand.

— It’s a great honor that you’ve decided to share such valuable research with me. Very well—see you in a week.

Sharin’s face shone with excitement.

— I’ll show you... something incredible.

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Ding!

[Side scenario “Warm Support” completed!]

[Personal scenario activated! “Forbidden Assistance in Research”]

— Find Sharin Vega in a week.

***

When he left the Nest, it was morning.

“And the night was productive.”

An epic-class sword. A reunion with old comrades and children. And above all, an unbelievable scenario route with Sharin Vega. Just how many unexpected achievements had he collected? Taking a few steps in high spirits, Gunther suddenly stopped when he felt a cold touch on his cheek.

“...Snow?”

The snow that had fallen all night had draped the city in a white veil. Everything around—the watchtower he stood on, and the roads below—was silently buried.

— .......

The excitement quickly shifted into calm. Landscapes like this inevitably sink you into melancholy and old memories. Gunther moved on with a bitter smirk.

“Just like that day.”

Three years ago. The day he first arrived in this world had been exactly like this.

“Only the wind was stronger back then.”

Gunther recalled the moment he first opened his eyes in “Gunther’s” body. He didn’t need to pinch his cheek. The bone-piercing cold made it abundantly clear: this was a new reality. The previous owner of this body, thinking who-knew-what, had been walking along a deserted mountain path in the dead of winter in light clothing. If not for a diligent herbalist passing by, his story would have ended as a snow-covered corpse immediately after the transfer.

“Well... then I’d have learned about the return ability sooner.”

In any case, after being rescued he spent a week in his home village, finding out everything about “Gunther.” And he realized that aside from a pretty face, there was nothing special about him. No lineage, no abilities—nothing.

“And he was a complete orphan with not a single relative.”

How he had despaired back then, learning of the penalty of being unable to form a contract with a god. Gunther snorted, remembering those days.

“I even hid from the local thugs, scared out of my mind.”

But now he stood at the very center of the main plot. Even if he wasn’t the “Protagonist” of the original story, he was carving his own path. If everything went according to plan, in a few years he would be looking at a snowfall like this on Earth... together with Suhyeon. And the people whose fates he’d tied to his in this world would have found peace by then as well.

The thought warmed something deep inside. Gunther clenched his fists.

“Alright. Back to work. Today’s going to be a packed day.”

He had arrived here on the “Black Cloud,” but he’d have to walk back into the city. On the way he could stop by platoon members’ homes or the gods’ shops. And by evening he needed to meet Brody.

“At last, I’ll hear the results of the investigation.”

Yes, that was the plan.

Crunch—

Gunther lifted his head. Through the curtain of snow, a silhouette was approaching the tower. He narrowed his eyes, thinking it might be someone from the organization, but the blizzard made visibility nearly zero. He only made out the stranger when the man came closer. Gunther’s eyes narrowed.

“...He’s not wearing a mask?”

And no weapon, either. A man in an expensive suit was climbing to a high mountain tower buried in snow, wearing ordinary dress shoes. Impeccably slicked-back black hair. Sculpted, perfectly symmetrical features. Among the organization members he knew... there was no one like this.

Woooo—

The blizzard intensified. The man walking through it so easily, as if strolling in a park, looked less like a person and more like a ghostly vision that had wandered in at the wrong season. Gunther shook his head, driving away the illusion, and tensed.

“Who the hell is he?”

This abandoned tower was a restricted area by order of the city authorities. An ordinary person wouldn’t wander here. Gunther’s face hardened.

“...Maybe he’s from Luthien.”

In the original plot, the Nest’s shelter was exposed much later. But in this twisted story, he couldn’t be sure of anything anymore.

Clench—

His relaxed body tightened instantly. Gunther hesitated for a second, but he reached not for the “Straight Line of Despair,” but for Ladenbach’s familiar, light sword. For a quick preemptive strike, a longsword suited better than a two-hander.

“At the slightest suspicion—I strike without warning.”

Remembering the faces of those currently in the Nest, he reinforced his resolve.

Crunch—

When he finished preparing, the distance between them shrank to arm’s length. Wearing an indifferent expression, Gunther tried to pass by him.

— Hello, Gunther.

A quiet whisper.

Bang!

The thrust Gunther delivered reflexively was knocked away with ease. And Gunther instantly felt it: there was no chance of victory.

Clang!

Ladenbach’s sword, which had never broken through countless battles, shattered to pieces, and the fragments spun in the snowy vortex.

Slice—

The man didn’t even flinch, making no move to dodge the flying shards. Sharp bits of metal carved deep {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} lines into his cheeks, but he only stared intently at Gunther.

— Hm.

...A strange sense of déjà vu washed over Gunther as the stranger spoke again.

— I heard you were kind to my brother. It’s a shame you greet me so coldly.

— ...Your brother?

— “◇”.

...Strange. The sounds he’d uttered were clearly words, yet Gunther’s hearing caught nothing. Only a white rhombus flared in the depths of his consciousness. Gunther exhaled heavily. The man continued casually:

— As I understand it, you even exchanged gifts.

— .......

The blizzard grew wilder and wilder. But the stranger’s voice rang clear and distinct. The roar of the wind seemed pushed into the background, creating the illusion that they were speaking in a closed room.

— He endowed your time with luck. Because of that, you obtained rather decent abilities.

He spoke as though he knew absolutely everything.

— In that case, Gunther.

Incomprehensible understanding.

— ...Instead of greeting me with such hostility—the brother of that being—wouldn’t it be more logical to ask what I can give you?

The man smiled faintly. Now Gunther was beginning to understand who stood before him.

Ding!

[“◆” offers a deal]

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[The one who had been secretly watching you, flying ahead of the wind, faints]