How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 240

Episode 240: It’s a Hunt (7)

Since Dorneth reacted, the scream must have belonged to Sharbadin—aning their subordinates had reached her.

Harkman had expected them to bring her imdiately, having cleared the area, but no word ca from the subordinates even after waiting.

“Go check.”

“Yes, sir.”

He sent a few of the remaining n to investigate.

Even as he did, he kept his greatsword pointed at Dorneth’s heart—a hostage for any unexpected situations.

Monts after they left—

“Aagh!”

A scream rang out, and Sharbadin appeared.

At the sight, Harkman gave a smirk and lowered his sword from Dorneth.

Her silk dress was half torn, and the curve of her chest, frad by delicate white shoulders, instantly drew his gaze.

Slender, perfectly proportioned—flawless.

The mont he saw her face, Harkman was in awe.

He’d embraced countless won, but she was the finest of them all.

She surpassed any standard of beauty a human could have.

An exquisite elf even her liege lord had never touched.

“Can’t believe I’d ever be jealous of a dwarf.”

Looking down at Dorneth, he swallowed dryly as he gazed at the approaching Sharbadin.

She held her torn clothes and walked with a pitiful expression—a surge of lustful fire roared within his chest.

He wanted her now.

As his mind montarily drifted, Sharbadin had already co right up to him—and only then did he notice the subordinate following behind her.

‘Just one?’

Harkman asked the knight,

“Where are the others?”

“The others are—”

Just as the knight lowered their visor and answered in an unfamiliar voice, Harkman instinctively activated his shield.

“—dead.”

In that instant, Harkman’s vision flashed red.

A blindingly fast slash—

Bzzzt!

His shield tore apart in one blow amid a spray of sparks.

Aura Sword.

Harkman hurriedly tilted his greatsword to block—

KAAANG—!

“Kuugh!”

Pushed back by the heavy impact, he saw the visor-wearing knight grabbing Dorneth and retreating.

A single strike had shattered his shield and easily sliced through magic restraints.

Whoever this was—was no ordinary fighter.

At that mont, a masked figure erged silently from the shadows and disappeared with the two.

“Who are you?!”

At Harkman’s furious shout, the knight slowly turned around.

He took off his helt—his previously closed eyes snapped open, revealing a sharp, unwavering gaze that locked onto Harkman.

His mouth slowly opened.

“My na is Lochter Felice.”

He drew another sword, Reyna, from a new sheath, and crossed it with his other blade—taking a stance.

“Captain of Hunt.”

“...Hunt?”

It was a na he knew from intel.

One of Beneta’s allied factions—the very group Kal regarded as most dangerous.

Lochter Felice was forrly the Knight Commander of Blyer, and recognized for his skill even in Tobaron.

As an Attribute-less Awakener, his na was known even in Hell Gri.

Alone, he would not be a threat—but if others from Hunt were here, it was a different matter.

‘Hunt is known for operating as an elite unit...’

He hadn’t even sensed the masked figure’s presence.

If he had missed them, then his subordinates had likely died without even realizing they were under attack.

Harkman glanced around, trying to spot anyone else besides Lochter and the masked man.

“I was told there were no Hunt mbers in the castle.”

Kal had paid special attention to Hunt’s location.

If they were stationed here, there’s no way Kal wouldn’t have known.

And—

‘They wouldn’t have just stood by and watched until Dorneth got attacked.’

Had they followed behind?

But there was only one route in—if they had followed his trail, he would have noticed.

He didn’t want to admit it, but there was only one answer.

“How did you get in?”

“Through a crawl hole, where else?”

Turning toward the voice, Harkman saw the masked man retreating slowly with both targets in tow.

“You too... part of Hunt?”

“Damn it, why doesn’t anyone recognize ? I’m Karl Bastain. A noble na, so rember it well.”

“Crawl hole? What the hell is that?”

“You think the dwarves didn’t build a few secret tunnels? Kal should’ve told you.”

But Kal had said there were no such tunnels.

‘He lied to ?!’

Back when they set up Terremor, Kal’s instructions had been perfect.

Harkman had followed them without suspicion...

Karl, seeing his expression, smirked.

“You got played too.”

“You’re thinking Kal already took the outer wall? Nah. He got his ass kicked. A real specialist went to et him.”

Harkman quietly sent a distress signal and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

He had no intention of listening to their prattle any longer.

A new enemy had appeared, but his objective hadn’t changed.

Sharbadin.

The elf before him.

“Is that so? Then let ask you sothing. You said your na was Karl?”

“So you do know my—”

KWAAANG!

Without warning, Harkman stomped and charged like lightning toward Karl.

Despite the distance, Harkman’s charge was blisteringly fast.

His greatsword swung—

Whoosh!

He slashed at the legs, but Karl’s figure leapt into the air and vanished—

No, he’d actually leapt into the air.

As Harkman tried to catch him mid-fall—

“...Huh.”

Karl had reached the ceiling and thrown a pale cord, moving swiftly between the walls.

Just as Harkman raised his gauntlet to cast a spell, he grimaced and swung his greatsword behind him.

KAANG—!

Lochter Felice.

He had moved in behind him.

The unique twin swords in his hands traced red lines toward Harkman—precise and fast.

Instead of countering directly, Harkman used his greatsword as a shield, twisting his body side to side.

Tatatatatang! Tatang!

The greatsword trembled violently under the relentless shock.

While briefly analyzing Lochter’s swords, Harkman grabbed his gauntlet—

Bzzzt!

Blue lightning sparked from it, generating a wave.

Swept by the wave, Lochter groaned and fell back.

Lightning Wave, a spell of electric shock.

In the mont of paralysis—A huge shadow lood over Lochter.

Weapon Breaker, his massive greatsword, glowed nacingly in silver as it cleaved toward Lochter’s head.

Lochter’s twin blades crossed and shot upward—

BOOM!!!!!!!

A clash of different auras cracked the ground beneath them.

Harkman grinned as he poured more weight into his blade.

Grgrgr—

A chilling screech of tal.

Sparks flew as the greatsword scraped down the red twin blades.

“Interesting swords you’ve got there.”

“I’ll smash them to bits.”

Runes appeared on the blade.

Magically imbued sharpness enhanced the edge—splitting the twin blades.

As the blade chipped, an explosion, then corrosion, followed.

But then—

“Indomitable Will.”

At Lochter’s quiet words, the twin blades began to glow a vivid crimson.

The stronger the pressure from the greatsword, the brighter the crimson beca.

Monts later, Lochter propped up the greatsword with the short, thick blade Belin, then struck the blade with the longer sword Reyna.

His attack looked light—

but—

BANG!

“Kuh-!”

The result was stunning.

Harkman couldn’t withstand the impact and was slamd into the floor along with his sword.

He staggered up and looked at Lochter in disbelief.

Lochter calmly approached, swords lowered.

“...What the hell did you do?!”

“Just used magic.”

“No way in hell that’s normal magic—!”

Before he could finish, Lochter struck upward under his jaw.

The greatsword rained down like a storm—savagely fierce.

Harkman had never seen a weapon withstand this onslaught before.

The twin swords moved with precision, deflecting the greatsword.

The greatsword responded with bursts of mana, targeting the twin blades.

A battle of power against power.

Wuuuung!

The twin blades clashed again, glowing with crimson light.

Then—

Flash!

“GRAAAAGH!”

As the crimson burst, Harkman spat blood and was flung into the wall.

Huff—

Lochter exhaled, letting Reyna and Belin fall limp.

Forged of ancient Damascus steel, unmatched in durability—

But their true ability was Counter: A technique that stored shock within the blade and released it in a devastating blast.

The amount they could hold depended on their wielder’s will—Lochter’s will.

Indomitable Will.

The blades and Lochter were one.

If his will faltered, the blades would break.

As long as it didn’t, they were virtually invincible.

“GRAAAAGH! DIE!”

After being thrown down twice, Harkman unleashed his full power.

Armor, gauntlet, ring, boots—

He activated the mana stored in all his equipnt, empowering Weapon Breaker.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—!

The battlefield turned into a wasteland.

Using everything he had, Harkman tried to kill Lochter.

But the longer the battle dragged on, the more anxious he grew.

“What are you?!?”

Lochter’s blades—untouched.

Weapon Breaker had never faced a weapon it couldn’t shatter.

But now, it felt like his attacks were making the enemy weapon stronger.

Wuuuung!

The twin blades, now a dazzling crimson—blazing brighter than before.

Danger.

Harkman clenched his teeth, activated his shield, and braced himself behind his greatsword.

The twin swords struck like lightning—both stabbing into the greatsword.

His shield was shredded—

BOOM!

“......!”

Harkman’s eyes widened in horror.

His greatsword spun through the air.

He had lost his weapon.

Looking down at his hands—his fingers were completely crushed.

“C-Captain!”

“Cover him!”

The knights, who had been watching idly, rushed to respond—unleashing magic at Lochter.

Lochter had to fall back, unable to finish Harkman off.

Soon after, his expression twisted—sothing was wrong.

“It’s working!”

“Get the captain to safety!”

While their attention was on those two—figures hidden in the ceiling revealed themselves, daggers drawn.

Spectral Assassins.

Assassins in Ghostification, having concealed their presence completely—fell like lightning on the knights.

By the ti a few noticed—

Puhk—

“...Guh!”

Daggers were already buried in their throats and hearts.

“Assassins!”

“Block them!”

Half of the twenty knights died in the ambush, the remaining ten began fighting the ghosts.

anwhile, Harkman, having recovered slightly, charged at Lochter again.

The battle expanded, blood filling the grand hall.

“Dorneth!”

Karl pulled back from the fray and set Dorneth down.

Sharbadin, teary-eyed, rushed to him.

“His wounds are serious, but thankfully not fatal.”

“Thank you, thank you so much.”

“It’s thanks to you following the advice so well, Lady Sharbadin.”

He had used Arthur’s instructions and a secret passage to reach her—but arrived late.

She had already been captured, and Dorneth was bloodied under Harkman’s assault.

First, he quickly assassinated the knights dragging her off.

Then used her to rescue Dorneth from being a hostage.

Fortunately, Harkman beca distracted by her—avoiding the worst-case scenario.

Lochter succeeded in rescuing Dorneth.

But the real battle started now.

‘We need to move fast.’

The twin blades Belin and Reyna had the power of Counter—to store shock and release it explosively.

A perfect match for attribute-less Lochter.

But the ability demanded willpower to endure the accumulated force.

It wasn’t called Indomitable Will for nothing.

It required trendous ntal strength.

“I’ll wrap this up quickly. Wait here.”

Leaving the nodding Sharbadin behind, Karl rushed back into the fray.

Just as expected—Lochter, who had the upper hand, was now gradually being pushed back.

He likely underestimated the ntal toll of using the power for the first ti.

Karl had to help.

“Let’s see here.”

Karl grabbed two daggers, and ghostly energy gathered in both hands.

A faint white aura extended from the hilts like threads of spirit.

Entering spectral form, he hurled both daggers at once—

Whoosh—

Two blades curved from different directions—both aiming for Harkman’s throat and heart.