Surviving without God

Whoosh—

Gunther, hiding in the alley, lifted his head. The sky, as if soaked in ink, vibrated faintly — something above had begun to move.

“A drone?”

The device, painted a deep black, descended smoothly and hovered in front of Gunther. Dimona must have sent it. Gunther attached the prepared “item” to the drone. The video camera mounted on the front panel blinked red, confirming receipt of the cargo.

“Please...”

It was a gamble that could hardly be called probability calculation. And yet it was the conclusion he had reached by combining Brody’s painstakingly gathered intelligence with his own intuition. The success of this operation would determine how many deaths he would have to endure.

“Please answer.”

Gunther watched the departing drone with desperate eyes before looking away. The footsteps of patrol guards were becoming more frequent and hurried. The first step of the plan was complete. It was time to leave the Upper City.

.

.

.

Gunther returned from the Upper City to the Middle City at around six in the morning. That meant a little more than ten hours remained before Brody’s death. After parting with his teammates, he did not head to the mansion immediately as he had in the previous iteration, but went straight to Brody’s office. On the way, he did not forget to stop by the temple and retrieve Eddie’s gift — “Steel Myocardium.” Even though in this life he had not yet promised to deliver it, that did not matter.

Crunch—

He walked along the still-sleeping streets when a voice spoke.

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats asks whether it might be wise in such a situation to rely on your platoon comrades]

“They said they were going to the hot springs.”

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats asks again whether this is really the right time for jokes]

“...I’m not joking. I don’t need them.”

Asking the platoon for help was something he had left as a last resort. If the operation went as planned, he would manage without them. As already mentioned, if the scale of the event grew too large, it would create many unnecessary problems.

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats adds that sometimes one must learn to rely on others]

[Alphonse of Red Street mockingly asks whether this guy even knows what trust is]

“.......”

It struck a sore spot. In truth, relying on others was not easy for Gunther. Since childhood he had been used to solving everything alone. Moreover, in a situation where lives were at stake, asking for help so shamelessly was even harder. Perhaps the only person he could open up to in this world was Ryan.

[The Drug-Addicted Saint laughs softly, saying this is a morning when one wants to see Ryan]

Gunther agreed. That guy was probably running laps around the training grounds again right now. Since combat unit training ran in monthly cycles, it would still be a while before they could meet. For now he could only occasionally receive updates through messages.

[Teammate “Ryan Parker” is completely absorbed in training. Expect his growth]

If he returned stronger, placing him into the Fourth Platoon would not be difficult.

[The Drug-Addicted Saint eagerly anticipates the chemistry between Ryan and the other fighters of the Fourth Platoon]

Gunther snorted, involuntarily imagining the strange spectacle.

“Alright, enough. Time to prepare for battle.”

He was already standing before Brody’s office. For a moment Gunther looked at the building standing alone in the middle of the snow-covered open ground. Surprisingly, dim light was still visible through the window.

“You really are a workaholic...”

Gunther chuckled and looked around. Brody had built a defensive perimeter using water artifacts, not only inside the building but across the entire surrounding area. A fortress that no gang could take even if they attacked together.

But as he had seen in the previous iteration, against the “Table Companions” it was useless.

“Because they were never detected entering in the first place.”

The reason was the stealth abilities of the younger one — the assassin. This time he absolutely had to prepare for that. Gunther took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes.

[Skill “Heavenly Mechanism Vision” Lv.1 activated]

[Nearby mechanical formation reveals itself]

At once, intertwined blue lines resembling a net appeared within his field of vision. These were magical nodes linking the flows of energy — meridians shifting from straight lines into curves. Gunther began studying the structure with far greater confidence than before.

“...Good. I can read it.”

Hummmm—

Closing his eyes, Gunther immediately activated the technique “Pure Heart.” Unlike aggressive mana such as “Flame of Eternal Torment,” the calm nature of “Pure Heart” was perfectly suited for this kind of delicate interference.

Shhhh—

Mana stretched like a thin thread followed the pattern of the formation, touching and slightly shifting the necessary parts. Gradually but steadily, the structure changed in the direction he intended.

“Make it trigger not only when enemies are detected, but also at my own will.”

In the past he would not even have dared attempt such delicate work. But now everything was different. Mana 63 was not merely a doubling of volume or numbers. With it had grown his control ability, recovery speed, and efficiency.

Psssh—

If Brody had pulled aside the curtain and looked outside, she probably would not have believed her eyes. Dim light spilling through the darkness faintly illuminated the snowy clearing. Like a lighthouse in the middle of a night sea.

Ding!

[You have subtly tuned a complex magical formation, reshaping it to suit your needs. Your understanding of mana deepens]

[Mastery of “Pure Heart” Level 3 increases!]

Eight in the morning. Only when a dark blue dawn spread across the ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) wasteland did Gunther stand up. His head spun from mana depletion, but there was no time to hesitate.

“The next stage.”

Gunther left the surroundings of the office and headed to the nearest private training hall. Since the city was full of adventurers, specialized training spaces existed everywhere. Of course, those designed sturdy enough to allow full-power skill usage cost a fortune.

— Ha-ha! Here you can start fires or smash walls if you want! Do whatever you like! This hall will hold even if an entire band of adventurers crashes into it!

Gunther opened his wallet without hesitation.

[Alphonse of Red Street asks what kind of training you are planning]

“...What training.”

Now the most important part begins.

“Training the finishing move.”

Following the guidance of the “Pure Heart” technique, Gunther reversed the mana that had previously flowed calmly. The balanced current instantly inverted, and from the depths rose the magic of ultimate chaos — “Flame of Eternal Torment.”

Crack—!

Fiery mana burst through his veins and enveloped his entire body. The training hall began to glow with the color of crimson flames, as if draped with a red curtain. The same happened in Gunther’s vision.

[“Scarlet Flame” activated]

[The flame fluctuates unstably. Control it]

Eight hours remained before the battle. He had to grow accustomed to the new weapon that would cut down the “Table Companions.”

***

The reason Gunther had been so eager to obtain the “Flame of Eternal Torment” was not merely because it was a myth-rank technique. The essence lay in its element — Fire.

Since ancient times, fire had symbolized divinity. It was a power that exerted special influence upon the entities of the Abyss, the evil gods of this world, and their followers. Even back when he was a player, he had personally experienced its power while leveling a character through the combination of “Godslayer” and this skill.

The problem was that pushing the flame’s power beyond its limits required sacrifice. The technique itself was insane: the blood had to be forced to flow backward, burning it to amplify the explosive effect.

Psssss—

A moment of lost concentration. Gunther clenched his teeth at the sound of melting skin. His body was already covered with burns and blisters from several failed attempts.

Fwoosh—

The uncontrolled flame quickly flowed through the meridians. His heart clenched with fear, and unbearable pain shot through his entire body as if he were being torn apart.

— Kh—!

In an instant his lips dried and cracked, and the moisture of his skin evaporated. But at that same moment—

Boom—!

A cold and pure current of energy surged from the Lower Energy Center. The stream of water-element energy left behind by the Ruler of the Oceans trapped the chaotic bursts of flame and rushed through the veins together with them. The sudden sensation made Gunther’s body tremble.

[The King of Ninety-Nine Defeats orders you to pull yourself together]

“...I’m trying!”

Interweaving that power with the currents of “Pure Heart,” Gunther stabilized the center. With a deep exhale the flames were suppressed, and the meridians found their path again.

And finally—

[“Scarlet Flame” completed]

The fire, restrained by the balance of water, slowly enveloped the blade of the greatsword. Gunther squeezed his eyes shut as he watched the black blade of “Straight Line of Despair” glow red-hot like metal thrust into a forge.

“Finally!”

This was the moment the final puzzle piece of the plan to overthrow the “Table Companions” fell into place. Gunther stared at the flames flowing along the blade without even breathing.

“This is the Scarlet Flame... the first step toward the ‘Flame of Eternal Torment.’”

Flames were divided into five stages depending on mastery of the technique: Scarlet Flame, Blue Flame, White Flame, Golden Flame, and finally the highest stage — “Flame of Eternal Torment”... a transparent flame of purification that burns everything. He had only reached the first stage.

Ding!

[Brief description of “Scarlet Flame”]

Effect: all melee attacks are converted into fire-element attacks.

Destructive power increase: base attack +50% / armor penetration bonus +30%.

On attack, there is a certain chance to inflict the status “Ignition” (continuous burn damage and reduced healing efficiency).

A burning sword. A man’s dream. Without hesitation, Gunther lifted “Straight Line of Despair.” It was time to test the power.

The combat techniques he planned to use had been prepared exclusively against the “Table Companions.” A wide-area strike to catch the agile youngest, and a decisive blow capable of piercing the Elder’s powerful defense that he had failed to break in the previous life.

Gunther took a deep breath and assumed a combat stance. Tensed muscles and veins beneath his clothes, along with the scarlet flame flickering over the blade, merged into one. On top of that — the mana “Concentration,” a gift from the Ruler of the Oceans, reached its peak—

Boom—!

A red flash of the sword tore through the training hall.

.

.

.

Outside the melted iron wall of the training hall, the establishment’s owner stared at Gunther in astonishment. Gunther exhaled briefly and lowered the sword.

Thirty minutes remained before the attack.

***

Brody suddenly stopped her pen.

Silence filled the office. The monotonous hum of the magical heater, the scratching of the pen against paper, the winter night cold seeping through the curtains. Ordinary details she normally would not notice strangely irritated her today.

“Why am I so distracted...”

Her heart felt uneasy. A strange sensation, as if it had suddenly skipped several beats.

“Maybe because I didn’t sleep well?”

Brody shook her head, set the pen aside, and picked up a cup of coffee before heading toward the balcony.

...At the very moment when the steam rising from the cup touched her tired face—

BOOM—!

— A-a-a-gh!

With the sound of an explosion the balcony was engulfed by a blinding flash and shockwave. First the hot coffee scattered, and then she herself was thrown to the floor.

Before she could even gather her senses, what appeared before her eyes...

“...Huh?”

Brody’s trembling gaze froze on the snow-covered field.