Episode 5
“Sleep well.”
“Gunter! Morning— huh?”
The merchant’s daughter blinked in surprise mid-greeting.
Gunter had already finished his morning routine.
[Remaining stat points: 2 — Invested into ‘Stamina’]
[Stamina 18 → 20]
[Stamina has reached 20: You will not feel significant fatigue even after half a day of intense physical activity.]
Stats changed dramatically around every ten-point threshold.
As soon as stamina hit 20, vitality surged through his body — energy flooding his limbs.
If he wanted to survive long in chaotic melee battles, stamina was essential.
Then—
“Gahk!”
Eddie charged at him again, shoulder-first. Gunter shifted his weight just slightly—
but this time, his body moved on its own, far beyond simple evasion.
His foot slid between Eddie’s legs and—
“Ugh!”
Thud!
Eddie’s balance collapsed, and he crashed straight into the ground.
[The Knight King of Ninety-Nine Defeats smiles faintly.]
‘Wait, what the—?’
That wasn’t luck.
It was jūjutsu.
Knights didn’t rely solely on swords in battle — grappling, leverage, and control techniques were a core part of their combat training.
It made sense.
The techniques the Knight King had taught him carried traces of profound martial mastery.
But what shocked Gunter even more—
Eddy, too embarrassed to stand, pretended to faint.
And over his body—
[“The One Who Sends Love Letters That Never Return” glares at you.]
The god Eddie had contracted with.
Normally, only the message appeared — not a visible presence.
But thanks to the stigmata, divine energy now lingered like a spiritual residue.
‘Hold on… Does that mean other people can see you too?’
[The three gods shake their heads.]
[They explain that you’re a special case, bound by Karma rather than a normal contract.]
‘So unless I reveal it myself, no one will know I’m a contractor?’
[The three gods nod.]
‘Good.’
He grinned as the blurry god’s image faded away.
‘By the way, your epithet is awful.’
[The three gods glare at you simultaneously.]
Leaving behind the stunned onlookers (with Ryan laughing uncontrollably), Gunter walked away.
‘Anyway, we need to talk.’
Before the Holy Army arrived — he had many questions.
Five minutes before the raid.
Gunter questioned the gods relentlessly — about regression, and Karma.
But most of his questions hit a wall.
[The three gods fall silent.]
[A strange force binds their tongues.]
It was a Divine Prohibition.
Some higher power prevented them from speaking.
‘A superior god’s doing, huh?’
Even in Forgotten God, the hierarchy among deities was strict.
Weaker gods were often silenced or suppressed by stronger ones.
Gunter had no way to fight that.
Still, a few basic questions slipped through.
Q. Why do you care about Karma?
A. Think of it as a divine currency — extremely useful to gods.
Q. Do other gods want it too?
A. Yes, but revealing Karma or your regression is dangerous. Be cautious.
Q. Do other gods know I’ve regressed?
A. No. But a few higher deities might have noticed.
He fell silent.
A chilling thought formed.
Had they known from the start who he was — a regressor, a Karma-bearer?
[The Gigolo of the Red District whistles and looks away.]
[The Junkie Saint suddenly finds her knitting fascinating.]
[The Knight King inspects his sword’s edge, expressionless.]
“…Fine.”
Two years together.
They’d helped him, guided him, comforted him through every crisis.
Even if they had known, could he really resent them?
[The Gigolo changes the subject — suggesting preparations for the upcoming raid.]
‘…Good idea.’
He nodded.
[They ask who you’ll dedicate your next Karma to.]
He had 15 Karma stored — not enough for a new skill.
He planned to gather more through repeated life-and-death cycles.
But his decision was already made.
‘The Knight King again.’
[The Junkie Saint clutches her beaker in protest.]
[The Red District Gigolo jeers, pulling down his pants theatrically.]
[The Knight King chides them both, though a faint smile crosses his lips.]
They’d have to forgive him.
Their blessings were mostly supportive or evasive.
What he needed now was power — combat power.
[The Knight King asks how much Karma you intend to offer this time.]
‘Funny, I was about to ask you that.’
He recalled his last life’s message.
[“The Karma you’ve offered is absurdly insufficient.”]
A hundred hadn’t been enough.
That’s why his stigmata had only half formed — his skill, half-realized.
‘So offering more at once yields better results?’
[The Knight King nods — confirming that greater offerings grant exponentially higher returns.]
‘Then tell me. How much do I need to fix this situation?’
[He asks what “fix” means.]
‘To kill the Holy Knight before he kills the merchant lord. Preferably, decisively.’
A pause. Then—
[The Knight King raises five fingers.]
“…You don’t mean fifty, do you?”
“Ryan.”
“Yeah?”
“I need a favor.”
Ryan looked puzzled.
Enemies were closing in, and Gunther was never one for small talk before battle.
“What kind of favor?”
“I’m about to push myself too far. Watch my back.”
From that moment on—
Gunther changed completely.
“Seven down!”
“Are you insane?! Take it easy!”
Ryan could barely keep up.
He’d known Gunter for a year — knew he was skilled and hardworking.
But this… this was beyond human.
‘He’s fighting like a damned contractor.’
And strangely obsessed with kills.
He even hunted down half-dead enemies, finishing each one with precision.
That kind of focus was suicidal.
Ryan had no choice but to act as his shield.
The man was a giant — 195cm, over 100kg, built to swing a two-handed war hammer.
Each swing cleared the area around them.
“Appreciate it. You’re keeping me alive.”
“Are you on… drugs?”
“Feels like it.”
Despite the chaos, Gunter smiled faintly.
Ryan couldn’t fathom it.
Because ahead of them—
“Kill them all!”
“Burn the heretics!”
—Eddy’s defensive line had finally collapsed.
Even Ryan, usually fearless, felt his legs tremble.
‘He’s completely mad… but brave as hell.’
But Gunter wasn’t reckless out of ignorance.
He knew death was coming.
‘So what.’
He’d come back again anyway.
Pain was temporary — progress was forever.
‘Each life, I have to harvest as much Karma as possible.’
He had a clear goal — and absolute belief in reaching it.
That was enough reason to dive into death’s jaws again.
“Let’s go!”
“Ah, screw it— fine!”
Both men charged, roaring.
[The Gigolo of the Red District laughs — says he’s never seen a man run toward death so joyfully.]
[The Junkie Saint gazes hollow-eyed at your bleeding wounds.]
[The Knight King bows his head in respect — impressed by your resolve before great enemies.]
“Still breathing?”
“Barely… cough… not for long.”
Ryan was a damn good partner.
His brute strength and Gunter’s precision formed a deadly balance.
‘At least this life earned more than the last.’
Thirteen enemies down — a staggering number for a mere mercenary.
Probably around 30 Karma total.
[Level 28]
[Agility 20 → 21]
He patted Ryan’s shoulder gratefully.
“Don’t worry. I’ll bring you back later.”
“I— what? Whatever, sure.”
They chuckled weakly, leaning on each other’s backs.
Then—
Step.
A heavy footstep cut through the battlefield’s din.
The surrounding enemies backed away in unison.
Step… step…
Ryan’s grin froze.
An invisible pressure thickened the air.
Gunter rose slowly — out of stamina, out of mana, but not out of will.
‘At least this time, I get to see his face.’
Into the ring of corpses stepped a man with a twisted sneer.
“So many dead just to kill a few worms.”
The Holy Knight — the one who had slaughtered the merchant lord.
