How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Change and Completion (2)

"Today was incredible, as always."

"It’s a sha though. I can’t take this bread ho anymore. What am I supposed to tell my wife?"

"True that. This stuff is a hundred tis better than anything the castle’s chef makes."

The dwarves held long loaves of bread in their arms, their faces filled with regret as they stared at them.

It had only been three days since its debut, but the beer bread had already beco a signature treat in Beneta.

On a whim, I’d mixed flour and beer together to create the bread. When the dwarves tasted it, dipping it in butter and taking a bite, they declared it bread from the gods.

For dwarves who lived and breathed beer, a bread that carried its aroma was akin to an addiction.

Even the castle chef had begged and cried for the recipe, so I eventually handed it over. Now, even Dorneth was asking for the bread first thing in the morning.

I never imagined the camping knowledge I’d picked up as a hobby would prove so useful here.

Would it co in handy for survival soday too?

The dwarves, despite their regret, eventually left the training ground.

As they walked away, they turned back to grin at .

"If you ever need help, just call us. We’ll co running with our clubs like lightning."

"…Haha."

Their sharp gazes swept over my body, and I gave them an awkward smile and wave.

Shoo, get lost. I’m never calling you again.

The Judges of Beneta had graduated.

Those repentance clubs would now be used against the criminals of Beneta.

Once the dwarves had vanished from the training grounds, I cleaned up briefly and placed the leftover food back into the basket, setting it under the shade.

It was for Sharbadin and Natone.

Lately, it felt like they weren’t coming to see , but rather to enjoy the food.

Especially Natone.

Despite being incredibly busy with the abandoned mine issue, he never missed stopping by in the evenings.

Was it the allure of the beer bread?

At any rate, there was still plenty of ti before they arrived.

Hoo—

Letting out a small breath, I sat down alone in the now-empty training ground.

The injuries I had sustained during training had improved sowhat while eating, but I hadn’t fully recovered yet.

In the past, I would have been groaning in pain. Now, I was casually enjoying a beer with the dwarves.

It was quiet.

In the stillness of the training ground, I slowly closed my eyes.

"Reto."

At the sound of my voice, it was as if ti slowed down. The pace of my recovery felt deliberate, like a stream flowing sluggishly.

I focused on the sensation of each muscle in my arms, legs, chest, and back healing.

I also paid attention to my breath and the flow of energy.

This was a mont of dialogue with my own body—a practice called Contemplation.

Reto had recomnded it as a way to develop my sensory perception, and it had significantly improved my ability to control my energy.

In particular, it had been extrely helpful for mastering enchantnts.

[To maximize the benefits of Contemplation, you should do it when you’re on the verge of death.]

A state where ntal clarity is achieved just before dying, as if ti itself has frozen.

There’s a reason people say that monts before death, your life flashes before your eyes.

Contemplation in such a state is said to be far superior to any other form of sensory training.

I’d had a taste of it once, under extre circumstances, and the experience was so intense that I hadn’t dared to try it again since. But soday, I’d have to.

In other words, even after completing the first stage of my training, the painful tis ahead were far from over.

As my focus peaked, I snapped my eyes open and stood up.

Everything around ca into sharp clarity. In this state, I felt like I could hit any target with perfect precision.

Wooong—!

I summoned the Ring of Blood and gripped its pristine bow handle. The ring began to siphon my blood, dyeing the bow’s fra a deep red.

The Ring of Blood had a unique characteristic—its power increased the darker and richer its red hue beca.

It was a perfect crimson, mirroring the color of my own blood.

This was the signal for maximum output, and upon timing it, I found that it took roughly 15 minutes of blood absorption to reach this state.

Fifteen minutes.

This ant it was nearly impossible to use during a battle, except for an ambush at the very start.

I had tried gripping the bow handle harder, channeling energy into it, and various other thods, but I still couldn’t reduce the ti required for maximum output.

My main concern was finding a way to shorten this ti, and Reto had claid that completing the first stage of training would naturally resolve the issue.

What exactly would change?

I still didn’t know.

Swish—

I gently pulled back the glowing red string.

This training was part of the process to master enchantnts.

As I focused on the Ring of Blood, arrows began to manifest.

Not just one.

One, two, three…

The number quickly increased until five arrows were loaded on the bow.

‘So, it’s possible to fire multiple shots at once if I reduce their power.’

Securing all five arrows to the string, I aid at a single spot and released lightly.

Kwa-kwang—!

A series of rough explosions erupted.

Though the power was weak because it had been divided among five arrows, the resulting widespread damage was impressive.

It was a kind of area-of-effect attack.

Depending on the opponent, this technique could be incredibly versatile.

I repeated the process: siphoning blood and summoning five arrows.

At first, even splitting the power between two arrows had felt awkward, but now I could handle five with ease.

This was the limit when using the minimum destructive force equivalent to a mana bullet.

I wondered if it could be pushed further, but considering that mana bullet-level power was only effective against ordinary people, it wouldn’t be enough to deal significant damage to stronger opponents.

That’s why arrow enhancent was necessary.

I began to imbue the arrows with enchantnts.

If the power was weak, I’d just make it stronger.

"…Mm!"

As the energy dispersed among the arrows, my senses beca disoriented. My vision blurred, and my face twisted in concentration.

Even the slightest lapse in focus caused the enchantnt to fail.

When the energy scattered, the arrows beca unstable. This was when I first realized that enchantnts could fail.

The price of failure ca imdiately.

Pshhh—!

Three of the five arrows disintegrated into dust.

The failed enchantnts had destabilized the arrows, causing them to vanish entirely. The shock of this was significant for .

Why?

[If you had thought of them as your own body, you wouldn’t have failed.]

"……."

Damn it, and you expect to apply enchantnts to my own body after seeing this?

I had tried it once as an experint, and the pain had left speechless.

It felt like my flesh and muscles were being torn apart.

It was excruciating.

[If you want to improve your enchantnt skills faster, try it on your body. The pain you survive will beco the foundation of your growth.]

"…I’d be shattered to pieces."

[Start with your fingers.]

Reto’s casual suggestion that even a destroyed finger could be restored was chilling.

He was undeniably insane, and I was growing increasingly terrified of him.

Enchanting my body was sothing I’d reserve for much later. I wasn’t ready to watch my body get destroyed just yet.

[Again.]

"…Tch!"

[Your focus was lacking. Again.]

"Damn it."

[Not just one arrow. Focus on all of them. Again.]

The training continued endlessly, with little regard for the passage of ti.

Successfully enchanting all five arrows at once was rare. On average, I managed to succeed with two arrows, but even that was significantly more powerful than firing five arrows without enchantnts.

It was clear that mastering this would beco a major asset. That’s why, under Reto’s guidance, I relentlessly pursued mastery of enchantnts, sacrificing sleep in the process.

Creeaak—

The sound of a door opening interrupted my training, drawing my attention toward the source.

I blinked, my eyes stinging.

Wiping my forehead, I realized I was drenched in sweat.

When did I sweat this much? Looking around, I noticed that the once-bright training ground was now so dim that only torchlight could illuminate it.

I must have been so absorbed in training that I lost track of ti.

Was it ti for Sharbadin to arrive?

No.

It wasn’t him.

It was a servant who had co looking for .

The servant scanned the area until their eyes landed on , and then they hurried over.

"Lady Nella is requesting your presence."

Lady Nella, the elf, had arrived?

It seed the elf stone had been completed.

The fact that a servant had co to the lord’s private training grounds indicated they had been sent by Dorneth.

I followed the servant out of the training grounds, asking where we were headed. The answer was my quarters.

I had planned to deliver the food basket to Sharbadin and Natone before heading to my quarters, but the servant relayed surprising news.

"They’ve left the castle?"

"Yes. Both of them departed early this morning on the lord’s orders."

"Do you know why?"

"I’m just a servant, so…"

I nodded quietly, realizing I’d find out soon enough when I t Dorneth.

By now, the sun had set, and the moon had risen.

As I glanced at the night sky, I noticed the moon seed exceptionally clear tonight.

The servant’s shadow stood out starkly ahead of as they led the way.

***

Slowly, I climbed the stairs.

The quarters were located on the top floor of the lord’s castle.

The servant guided only to the entrance of the castle. As a gesture of thanks, I handed them the food basket, which they received with great joy before departing.

"Huh?"

As I stepped onto the top floor, I noticed figures waiting for in the corridor.

Dorneth and Nella.

The lord of the castle and the priestess of the Black Rose approached as soon as they saw .

But sothing about Dorneth’s appearance was off.

He was clad in the sa battle gear he had worn when we fought the mimic at the altar. In his hand, he held the Hamr of the Frozen Tundra.

What’s going on?

Was there sothing in his castle threatening him?

As I t his gaze, questioning him silently, Dorneth glared back at fiercely.

His hand, gripping the hamr, trembled slightly—it was intimidating.

What the hell? Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?

What did I do wrong?

"I ate those Apal seeds. Quite the fiery flavor—best I’ve had in a long while."

"……."

I had casually suggested to Sharbadin that she add the spicy seeds to Dorneth’s sandwich, and it seed she had followed through with gusto.

It must have been quite the experience.

Out of curiosity, I had tasted a tiny bit of an Apal seed myself. It had a similar heat to pure capsaicin, scorching my tongue.

This world really had no concept of moderation. Everything was extre and intense.

And Apal seeds were very spicy.

"Pretty good, huh? It’s great for your health."

"If you value your life, tell her it was a failure. That’s all."

"Why don’t you just tell her yourself?"

"I don’t want to see her cry."

So, you ate it every day?

What a stubborn dwarf.

I couldn’t say anything back, so I just forced an awkward smile.

He shoved the hamr close to my face, and frost began forming on it.

If he hit with that, I’d be a goner.

"You didn’t suit up like this just to threaten , did you?"

"……."

You’re kidding , right?

Is this dwarf out of his mind?

No, it’s probably just his way of saying how ridiculously spicy those seeds were.

I never imagined that the thing to “threaten” the lord of this castle would be a sandwich crafted by Sharbadin.

"No, he’s dressed like this to protect you."

The golden-haired elf beauty smiled at warmly.

She looked exhausted, likely from working hard to craft the elf stone.

Her delicate, tired expression paired with her smile made it seem almost seductive.

Of course, I wasn’t fooled.

I’d been burned too many tis.

"Lady Nella, it’s been a while."

"I heard about you from Sharbadin, but you’ve changed much more than I expected."

"It’s been a rough few days."

Nella’s curious gaze lingered on .

Even with the discerning eyes of the Blue Rose, Arthur’s appearance was exceptional.

However, where he once exuded a gentle aura, he now radiated the rugged charm of a hardened man.

"So, what’s the matter that requires Lord Dorneth’s help?"

"We’re going to administer the elf stone to the master."

"Is that a problem?"

"Hmm, not necessarily, but it could be dangerous depending on the situation."

"Dangerous?"

"Let’s go to the master first. Now that you’re here, we can consider things relatively safe."

Relatively safe?

It was clear sothing had gone wrong the last ti they tried using the elf stone on Fenry.