How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 174

Chapter 174 – Escape

I had a dream.

For the first ti, it wasn't the world inside the novel—it was the real world.

School, work, and ho.

The ti when I was preparing for life, diving into reality, and living out my days.

It was a period where nothing seed to go right.

No matter how many exams I took, or how many interviews I attended, I always failed.

Whenever I tried to make a little money through investnts, I ended up losing it, and because of my financial struggles, my friendships and relationships were a ss.

Part-ti jobs, manual labor, unfair treatnt.

An endless cycle where I had to endure everything as the underdog kept repeating itself.

Maybe that's why I turned to novels—to forget about reality, even for a little while.

Especially How to Survive as a Villain.

Imagining a dystopian world where death was an everyday occurrence sohow comforted , making appreciate the fact that I was still alive and breathing.

Of course, that feeling changed once I beca a proper office worker and life settled down.

At tis, I even entertained the delusion that living in a novel's world might not be so bad.

By the ti the pain of my past had dulled into re mories, life had beco unbearably monotonous.

But now, I missed even that pain so desperately it drove mad.

Fuck, I want to get out of this godforsaken world and go back to reality.

‘Yeah, this is definitely a dream.’

Was it just an illusion?

The Executioner lood over , pressing down on my heart, and whispered in a low voice.

[I’ll kill you.]

His mouth opened wide as he ca closer.

“AAAAAH!”

I scread and thrashed wildly.

The terrifying reality snapped awake.

I gasped for breath, my chest heavy. When I lifted my head, I saw Keros staring down at with an annoyed expression.

He had his mouth open as if about to bite , but when our eyes t, he froze.

Wait, why the hell was he sitting on my chest?

It had to be because of him that I had that nightmare.

“Was it you who just said you’d kill ?”

“Grrr!”

Judging by his expression, he actually ant it.

Well, considering the hell he went through because of , it wasn’t surprising.

If he hadn’t rampaged in his true form and turned the enemy camp upside down, I wouldn’t have been able to focus on Lyon.

I grabbed him by the scruff and checked his body—covered in wounds.

He was still just a pup, but had I pushed him too hard?

No, he was a beast. Training him tough was probably the right thing to do.

“I’ll hold that at feast I promised.”

Keros had already grown addicted to the at I gave him.

At this rate, was I about to adopt a dog?

As I watched Keros flick his tongue, distracted by random thoughts,

“Are you alright?”

Lochter’s voice reached .

“Where are we?”

“We're near a forest close to the mines.”

He observed briefly before handing so food.

A small clearing.

A bonfire crackled in the center, and our group had each taken a spot to rest.

Seeing the food reminded of my hunger.

I took the jerky he offered and popped it into my mouth.

Since the situation didn’t seem urgent, I focused on eating first.

Lochter and the others watched eat and let out a sigh of relief.

Arthur’s horrific back.

When they first saw those wounds, their hearts nearly stopped, thinking he was dead.

But then, new flesh began to regenerate, and the wounds rapidly healed.

A monstrous level of regeneration.

However, rather than marveling at his healing, they were simply relieved that Arthur was alive and conscious.

“That’s a relief.”

Arthur Clayton.

Without him, it felt like sailing without a compass.

Unknowingly, they had all been relying on his judgnt to guide them forward.

This mont made that realization crystal clear.

He was the captain, leading them through this voyage.

“What about Karl?”

“He said he felt uneasy and went scouting.”

“A scout mission, huh… If Karl’s instincts as a danger detector are acting up, that’s never a good sign.”

If Karl returned, it would an sothing had already gone wrong.

“What exactly happened?”

“You were unconscious, so we had to retreat quickly.”

“And Lyon?”

“Uncertain.”

“Uncertain? What do you an?”

“The only one who appeared intact was him.”

As soon as the aftershocks of the explosion subsided, the group had carried Arthur out.

The first thing they checked was Lyon Martrein’s condition.

His subordinates had been reduced to ashes, yet Lyon himself was untouched, except for so burns.

They tried to finish him off, but even Lochter’s Aura Sword couldn’t leave a scratch on him.

Then, as cavalry reinforcents arrived, they had no choice but to retreat.

“We were on our way to the mines. That’s when Karl sensed danger and went to check on the Blyer side. We’re waiting for him.”

“How long has he been gone?”

“Not long.”

Judging by the pitch-black night, about half a day had passed.

By now, the Executioner must have arrived.

What would his next move be?

I pondered for a mont, and then, a certain person ca to mind.

“Where’s Lily?”

“You don’t see her?”

“…Huh?”

Following Lochter’s gaze, I spotted a cloak draped nearby.

When I pulled it away, Lily was curled up underneath, stirring slightly in her sleep.

I lightly tapped her cheek, but she didn’t react.

Her head had hit the ground—was she done for?

Would be hard to wake her up.

“Is she alright?”

“She was starving, so she ate a bunch and just fell asleep.”

“No major injuries?”

“The only one seriously hurt here is you. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Other than my fist, I’m fine.”

My right hand throbbed—it had been shattered when I tried to crush Lyon’s skull.

If Lyon had survived the aftermath of Teremore thanks to his absolute defense, then he was definitely still alive.

“Lyon is alive.”

“Then he’ll be a problem for us.”

“No, not imdiately. He barely survived.”

He had endured a similar situation before, so this ti wouldn’t be any different.

But he’d be crippled.

However, if Kal had regressed, he wouldn’t abandon Lyon just because he was crippled—he’d make him even stronger.

He already knew how.

“What was it like fighting him?”

Lochter didn’t answer.

But his expression alone spoke volus—he looked utterly drained.

It must have felt like all his efforts had been denied.

Effort was important, but knowing the right direction to take was even more crucial.

This experience would have taught him that.

And that was enough.

Because I could guide him the rest of the way.

“We’re heading to the mines.”

“Karl hasn’t returned.”

“If we wait for Karl, it’ll be too late to prepare. We need to scout the mines and get ready in advance.”

Against Kal, reacting wasn’t an option.

He was soone who had to be preemptively dealt with.

As I got up, the others followed suit, despite having barely rested.

The battle had been fierce, yet all five of them seed relatively unscathed.

I left them behind to wait for Karl.

“When he returns, have him assess Rengua’s troop situation. If he says he doesn’t even have the ti for that…”

I hesitated briefly before speaking.

“Then don’t look back. Just run straight to the mines.”

With that, I hoisted Lily onto my back and set off.

Lochter and Keros followed behind .

From Blyer Territory to the mines, it took about a day by cart.

On foot, it would be faster—but that also ant the mountain path was well-worn.

"Must’ve been a massacre."

The mountain path before looked like a field of corpses.

For nearly half a year, forced labor had overturned the land, wiped out the forest, and carried away piles of rocks.

How many of those who had been dragged here had actually survived?

Even if they had managed to cling to life, all that awaited them was another round of brutal mining labor.

For those left behind, there was only despair.

A pit of endless suffering that wouldn't end until death.

And yet, salvation had co.

What was the current state of the mines?

I would soon find out.

Kooh—Kooh—

A dimly lit path stretched before us, barely illuminated by a single torch.

On my back, I could hear Lily softly snoring.

“We’re almost there.”

Lochter led the way, guiding us forward. Having spent months working here as a laborer, he knew the terrain well.

I gazed at Lochter’s back, lost in thought.

I had awakened Divine Hunter by marking him as my target.

I had lost consciousness.

At least half a day had passed.

[Divine Hunter (Target – Lochter Felice)]

Yet, my awakened state was still active.

“So, it doesn’t deactivate in a short ti…”

There had to be so kind of failure condition or ti limit, but there was no one to ask.

Would I find a way to learn more in the Ordor Forest?

I wanted to et Elder deia, but I wasn’t sure if the opportunity would arise.

Checking my condition, I counted my remaining Burst Strikes.

“Three shots left?”

If I used them all, my latent energy would be completely drained.

At that point, my body would rapidly deteriorate, forcing Reto into ergency recovery mode.

Which ant I could lose consciousness again.

I needed to be careful with my usage.

Just as I made that decision—

[No. You have one left.]

“…What? What do you an?”

[I used your latent energy at my discretion. The only reason you’re awake right now, the only reason you can move without pain, is because I used that energy for your recovery.]

“…Ah.”

[If you don’t like acting on my own, say the word.]

“No… You did well.”

That explained why my wounds had healed so quickly.

Only one shot left—it was practically the sa as having none.

But Reto’s judgnt had been right.

If I had remained unconscious in this situation, the advantage we had painstakingly secured could have crumbled instantly.

Right now, I was the only one in our group who could fight Kal.

The battle wasn’t over yet—I couldn’t afford to be careless.

“We’re here.”

The dense forest covering the mountain path ca to an end, revealing a vast open space.

At its far edge stood a steep cliff.

Beneath it lay a massive, gaping hole, carved deep into the earth.

A gold mine that had granted Kal the Executioner imasurable wealth.

A place that had brought nothing but suffering and despair to the people of this land.

This was Blyer Mine.

As we approached, torches flickered and moved rapidly toward us.

“Who’s there…? L-Lochter, sir!”

A sharp cry rang out.

But as soon as they recognized Lochter’s face, the torch-wielding soldiers lowered their weapons and rushed toward us.

They looked like Heinz’s n—an old noble’s soldiers.

It seed they had taken control of the mine and freed the laborers.

Just as we had planned.

Under their guidance, we entered the mine.

Scattered bodies lay around us.

Soldiers in Blyer uniforms.

Most of them had been Kal’s n, stationed here to guard the mines.

After walking through a long tunnel, we finally erged into a vast chamber.

“…Even this isn’t enough space.”

Lochter let out a quiet groan as he scanned the surroundings.

The chamber was packed.

People huddled together, waiting for the soldiers to guide them.

One of the many tunnels leading out of the mine was overcrowded, the people unable to move forward.

What was going on?

Had they failed to locate the passage?

As I observed the situation, Heinz approached in a hurry.

“You… You’re here!”

“What’s happening? Have you found the passage?”

“Yes, we found it… but, please, follow first.”

Heinz moved quickly toward the congested area.

At his appearance, the crowd parted, making way for us.

Following his lead, we advanced swiftly.

The passage was long, and even along the way, more people stood waiting, as if lining up for their turn.

Heinz gave his report.

“There were knights guarding the passage, but with the help of your companions, we managed to deal with them.”

“And after that? Did you check the other side of the passage?”

“Yes. A barren land… and an endless stretch of forest surrounding it.”

The scenery beyond the passage.

It was exactly as it had been described in the novel.

The forest stretched out beyond it—this was the northern outskirts of the Ordor Forest.

And the barren land…

The boundary of Area 2.

Beyond Area 1—Tobaron’s domain.

A place where the main story of Chapter 2 unfolded.

A land of mages—

The crossroads leading to Hell Gri.