Surviving without God

Tiliing—!

[Buff: “Self-Multiplication” Activated]

[Strength increased by 1]

[Agility increased by 0.5]

[Endurance increased by 0.5]

Gunther’s morning began with these pleasant notifications. Vitality spread through his body. It felt as though every cell in his organism was waking up.

“Brainwashing... isn’t as bad as I thought?”

The moment that ironic thought crossed his mind as he lay in bed, his body began moving on its own. Washing up, changing clothes, stepping into the corridor with familiar ease. A smooth, confident gait without the slightest hesitation. Gunther watched the process from the outside, slightly stunned.

“And... where exactly am I going?”

Soon, Gunther arrived at the training grounds of the inner castle. The open space, usually crowded with soldiers and knights, was completely empty. Though even without any brainwashing, it would have been difficult to find anyone here — a snowstorm just as fierce as yesterday’s was raging outside.

However, Gunther (under suggestion) paid no attention to it whatsoever. He stopped right in the middle of the blizzard, a greatsword in his hands.

Thud — his body naturally assumed a stance. The slowly moving limbs began to accelerate, and soon he was executing “Knight Swordsmanship” flawlessly. Gunther watched the spectacle in complete stupefaction.

“I’m going to catch a cold...”

There was no sensation of being controlled. How to put it... since no direct commands were coming from above, his body was moving according to habit. After all, morning training was a routine he had never skipped since entering this world. Gunther wondered:

“Is this how the suggestion itself works? Or is it a side effect of my high resistance?”

He recalled the moment yesterday when his true thoughts had briefly burst out.

“Maybe I’m gradually breaking free from the control.”

Gunther clung to that faint hope, praying it was not mere self-deception.

But at that moment, the greatsword that had been slicing through the air froze abruptly.

Gunther’s gaze instinctively shot upward. At the window overlooking the training ground stood a disheveled Remesia, waving at him.

— Oh! You’re training? How diligent! But you’ll catch a cold like that!

Thus, Gunther realized another rule of the suggestion. While Remesia was unconscious or distracted, he moved according to his old habits. But the moment she decided “it’s time to control him,” his body responded immediately. Remesia smiled gently at Gunther, who stared up at her without expression.

— Come to my room!

Tap-tap.

Gunther’s body, as if pulled by a magnet, headed back inside the castle.

.

.

.

Rem stood at the door to Remesia’s room. As always, her face showed no emotion, but now Gunther could read what lay beneath that indifference. Anxiety and concern.

— Gunther... — she began cautiously.

It seemed she wanted to say something more, but an impatient voice came from inside:

— Let him in!

Rem let out a quiet breath and opened the door. Gunther slowly raised his head.

A quiet, dark room came into view. An ordinary bedroom, aside from an excessive number of aromatic candles. No torture instruments, no magic circles, no laboratory equipment.

But Gunther would have preferred to see those.

Because what awaited him was far worse.

Remesia sat on the bed, holding a round object in her hands and staring at it.

— Say hello.

Hummmmm...

A crystal sphere. Light stirred within it, and gradually, an unfamiliar silhouette emerged.

Disheveled brown hair. A thick beard. A worn cassock. Narrow, slit-like eyes.

The appearance seemed ordinary, but somewhere deep inside, Gunther’s body tensed instinctively. He knew that face. Remesia smiled broadly and pointed at the sphere:

— This is the archbishop of our cult, Masiu.

Masiu Beltirein. In the canon of the game, he had been the main villain, obstructing the player far more insidiously than even the Hierarchs. The moment his narrowed gaze locked onto Gunther—

Suddenly, Gunther’s vision distorted without warning.

A female silhouette flashed before his eyes, covered in a white veil. Her entire face was drowned in light, impossible to discern. Long white fingers slowly reached toward Gunther and—

Hook.

Everything vanished. Instead, in the darkness, thousands of crimson eyes stared at him. Not a single one blinked.

Piiiiiiii—

A shrill ringing screeched deep within his head. Gunther felt intense pain.

Piiiiiiii—

Only after several seconds did Gunther manage to regain himself with difficulty.

“What was that?”

As he breathed heavily, replaying the vision in his mind, a voice rang out.

[The Hero of the Borderlands, is it...]

Masiu spoke with quiet admiration.

[I thought it was empty propaganda from the crows, but it seems the name is deserved. Now I understand why the diocese head failed.]

Remesia spun the sphere excitedly in her hands.

— Right? I told you! It was really hard to suggest things into him. He still hasn’t fully stabilized.

Gunther had the impression that Remesia desperately craved recognition from Masiu. Like a child begging for attention from a parent, she waited for his reaction.

But Masiu did not say a single word to her.

From beginning to end, his narrowed eyes remained fixed solely on Gunther.

At that moment, it became clear how he regarded the Hierarchs.

“A tool to be replaced every few years... that’s the feeling.”

Important information.

While Gunther carefully observed Masiu and Remesia—

[Hm, hard to believe someone like this is an “empty shell.” Unless there was some kind of interference...] Masiu muttered to himself, then suddenly raised his voice as if delivering a verdict.

[“Night Raven” and Mayor Mikhela. Tell me everything you know about their plans and future actions.]

Naturally, Gunther did not respond. His mouth remained tightly shut. Silence stretched. Remesia blinked, glancing between the sphere and Gunther.

— Huh? That can’t be...?

[Remesia.]

— Gunther, answer. Now!

She urged him, but his lips did not move. Masiu’s eyes narrowed even further.

[Indirect suggestion does not work at all. Such powerful resistance... it’s been a long time since I’ve seen this.]

— You mean Dominic, right? Yeah~ I heard the previous Hierarch struggled with him too. They say it took years for complete submission. It’s the same with us. Mm-hm.

Remesia hurriedly nodded along, trying to smooth things over.

— Ah, right! This Gunther... he knew about Dominic too, didn’t he?

[...What?]

The moment those words were spoken, the air froze.

[What did you just say?]

For the first time, Masiu’s eyes opened wide. His brown pupils trembled. For the first time, clear caution — and fear — appeared on his face.

[That... is impossible.]

Remesia quickly protested:

— No, I heard it clearly with my own ears!

[...Are you certain? This man knows Dominic?]

— ...Yeah. He told me himself! Don’t you believe me?

Masiu fell silent for a long time, then very slowly shook his head.

[How could this man... know that?]

Then he fixed his gaze on Gunther again. ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) This time it was completely different — deep and heavy. Gunther instinctively felt that the situation was unfolding in a completely unforeseen direction.

[You can read the Tablets.]

[Perhaps you even possess more than one.]

Masiu’s voice lost its earlier laziness and turned sharp.

[Before the end of this month, deliver him to the continent.]

[I will personally come to the border.]

[Until then, completely break his spirit.]

[Spare no cost or sacrifice.]

And without waiting for a reply, he cut the connection.

Silence fell over the room again. Only the faint light of the sun, hidden behind snow clouds, seeped through the gaps in the windows. Remesia stared blankly at the sphere for a while, then slowly turned toward Gunther.

— So that’s how it is? — a note of disappointment crept into her voice. — Honestly... I suspected it myself. I couldn’t copy your abilities at all.

— ...

— But I didn’t think the suggestion would be this weak. Masiu is probably terribly disappointed deep down, right? He must think I’m more incompetent than the previous Hierarch.

The corners of Remesia’s lips drooped from irritation and gloom.

— ...A way to completely break someone like you.

She spoke as though she did not particularly want to do it, but still finished the thought.

— I know one. I am an expert in suggestion, after all.

Remesia abruptly stood up, preparing to leave. Her gaze was directed at the window — more precisely, beyond the veil of the black barrier that rippled around the entire territory.

— ...And just in time, the perfect candidates have arrived.

At that moment, through the snowstorm, a faint shout could be heard. Gunther immediately understood what Remesia intended to make him “do.” His hands and feet turned cold.

“Damn it...”

On the way here, Gunther had saved many knights and soldiers using Sanity. And he had asked them to watch over the surrounding villages and rescue people.

And now, breaking through the blizzard, they were rushing here with all their strength — to save their lord, their comrades... and their savior.

Remesia’s lips slowly stretched into a smile.

— Take your sword, Gunther.

***

In Eterno Cheongdam, left without its master, it was always quiet. The vast space felt empty due to the small number of residents, and those few were constantly busy.

Brody had been making such progress in the Night Raven reconnaissance unit that she was already being called a rising ace. Imagine what that meant for an information broker — to enter a unit handling top-level secrets. She barely appeared at home.

Eddie and Roanna were still grinding away in the combat unit training camp, and it would be a long time before they returned.

As for Dimona, there was nothing to say. Recently, with active support from Mikhela and Seraz, she had been “burning out” every night at work, setting up the city’s security system. Thanks to that, Border City was finally becoming a place fit to live in.

But because of that, Eterno Cheongdam had turned into an empty nest.

...However, today was different.

For the first time in a long while, all residents and familiar faces had gathered in one place. The only question that had forced these insanely busy people to drop everything was—

— What the hell is this! — Seraz roared, exhausted from work, her eyes bloodshot. — Our pretty boy got kidnapped, locked up, and brainwashed?! Which arrogant bastard did this?!?!

This was the result of the distress signal Cheonmae had sent without delay.

— ...Have you determined the situation our benefactor is in?

Mayor Mikhela was no less furious. Not a trace of her usual gentle demeanor remained. Raccoon-kind were a people who never forgave intrusion into their territory or harm to their own. Now that the foundation of the city had been laid, the mayor was seriously considering officially deploying troops. freewёbnoνel.com

Clack — the old man from the Society of Forgotten Books was already assembling a large-caliber sniper rifle. He had secretly hoped Gunther would help fulfill the Society’s long-held wish, and he had no intention of losing him so easily.

Brody was pulling gold bars from the safe to hire top-tier adventurers, while Dimona headed to the warehouse to charge a swarm of combat drones.

The atmosphere in Eterno Cheongdam boiled with bloodlust, anger, and anxiety.

— Listen, everyone.

The voice that cooled that fervor was calm... no, it only sounded that way on the surface. In truth, it held more irritation over the crisis of a dear junior than anyone else present.

— Only five people can board the “Black Cloud.” So I will decide the composition of the first rescue team.

Under the wolf mask, sharp fangs bared in a predatory grin.