How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 242

Episode 242 – The Shield of Tobaron

“Hey, are you alive? Open your eyes.”

To Karl’s voice, Lochter’s closed eyes slowly fluttered open.

It seed he had briefly lost consciousness as the ntal fatigue accumulated from repeated Counters hit him all at once.

“You passed out covered in blood? Scared the hell out of .”

“What about them?”

“Got ’em all.”

“That was close.”

“No kidding. Are all 5-star types in that region monsters like that?”

Though he said that, Karl seed more interested in what Harkman had possessed than the man himself.

The greatsword he’d had his eye on had vanished into thin air, and since he’d seen that it was connected to both the armor and the weapon, Karl began grunting as he stripped Harkman’s gear.

“Damn, he had his equipnt practically welded to his body.”

“What are you doing?”

“You have to collect these things in advance. They’re all blood and bone—valuable.”

Though blood splattered and his clothes were stained, Karl didn’t stop.

From armor, gauntlets, boots, to greaves—Even the broken parts, he gathered everything.

To him, each piece was a treasure trove.

Once he was done stripping the gear and piling it up, the Specters returned late.

Each of them carried an armful of equipnt looted from knights, and Karl greeted them with a thumbs-up.

Lochter gave a wry chuckle at the mountain of loot.

“Do we have ti for this?”

“Not really. But Dorneth needs so ti to regain consciousness. Looked like he’d wake up soon, so I took the opportunity.”

“Do you have anything to say to the Dwarf Lord?”

“There’s that ssage Arthur left.”

While Karl had reasons to go slowly to deliver Arthur’s ssage to Dorneth, another reason was Lochter himself.

“Can you stand?”

“I can’t.”

“You know what Arthur’s next instruction was, right?”

“Regroup.”

“Exactly. A quick regroup, to be precise. So focus on recovery now. I’ll take care of things here.”

Though Harkman’s group had been eliminated, the battle wasn’t over.

As he thought of Arthur, who had gone off in another direction alone, Lochter downed a potion and closed his eyes.

Leaving Lochter leaning against the wall, Karl left a few Specters to guard him and headed to the room where Dorneth was.

Inside, Sharbadin was removing Dorneth’s armor and giving him ergency treatnt.

Sweating profusely, she tore the hem of her dress to use as bandages.

As the already short dress got even shorter, her smooth, bare legs were fully exposed—And the dwarf lay with his head resting on those thighs.

“Kuheum.”

What Harkman said had been true.

This damned lucky dwarf.

Smacking his lips, Karl checked Dorneth’s condition, who had beco the target of every man’s envy.

Each wound from the greatsword was severe, but thanks to the sturdy armor, he’d avoided death.

Even as Sharbadin treated him, he retained consciousness.

A potion had been administered, so once it kicked in, he would likely be lucid enough to talk.

Just like with Lochter, Karl assigned a few Specters to guard Sharbadin, then looked around the room and clicked his tongue.

A space filled with blood and corpses.

Other than Dorneth and Sharbadin, no one had survived.

“Ha, even with preparations, he said it’d be hard to stop them… and he was right.”

Those were Arthur’s words before they split up.

Karl had been unsure, but now he was convinced.

Following that advice and rushing like mad had paid off.

If the two here had been taken hostage, Beneta would’ve fallen completely under Kal’s control.

“So both the one who started this, and the one who predicted it—they’re not ordinary guys.”

Both Kal Blazer and Arthur were impressive in their own ways.

A short while later, perhaps due to Sharbadin’s devoted care, Dorneth ca to.

Though he still couldn’t move easily, there was strength in his eyes.

Seeing the situation with a clear mind, he imdiately thanked Karl.

“…Thank you. I owe you.”

“Save that for after this is over.”

“Sounds like there’s still more to co.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Am I the only one afraid to hear it?”

Looking around the room, Dorneth gritted his teeth.

The elite soldiers he’d led were all dead.

Realizing that it had all started with his own defeat, he closed his eyes with a look of despair.

His own weakness had killed his kin.

Was he truly worthy of being a lord?

Reading the despair in his expression, Sharbadin gently embraced him.

“Don’t run away, Dorneth.”

“No matter the result, you are the Lord of Beneta. Are you going to abandon those who remain too?”

“But…”

“The you I know is not soone who shirks responsibility.”

Perhaps moved by her firm tone, Dorneth bit his lip, stood with her support, and looked up at Karl with burning eyes.

“What do I need to do?”

“An allied human army will co, centered around Blyer and Etor. Their numbers… sowhere between thirty to fifty thousand.”

“That’s a lot.”

“Yes, a whole lot.”

“We have to stop them, no matter what.”

“Do you need Hunt’s help?”

“If you’re asking, I assu you have sothing else to do.”

Karl nodded and conveyed Arthur’s ssage word for word.

“We’re focusing our strength on tracking down the mastermind behind all this. If we can handle it within Beneta, that’s ideal, but if they’re outside, Hunt’s forces will have to move out.”

“Hunting the one behind this…”

The one who’d bathed Beneta in blood—That was still Beneta’s issue too.

Kal Blazer.

He couldn’t be forgiven.

Resolute, Dorneth continued speaking.

“Are there more like Harkman within the allied army?”

“I can’t say for sure, but the odds are low.”

“Odds… That’s a dangerous assumption. Who made it?”

“Arthur.”

At the na Arthur, Dorneth didn’t hesitate to think of the forces he needed right now.

He trusted him.

Dorneth pointed at the Specters.

“They’re enough.”

“You want all of them?”

He nodded, then looked at Sharbadin—

A silent ssage that if sothing happened to him, they should at least ensure her escape.

But Sharbadin seed conflicted by his decision.

“Understood.”

Karl nodded without hesitation.

But then—

“No. Leave only a few to help Dorneth. Take the rest with you.”

“Shadin!”

“I’m not leaving. I’ll stay with Beneta.”

Sharbadin tied her hair up and grabbed the bow hanging on the wall.

“I’ll fight to the end.”

Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Dorneth let out a sigh, then turned to Karl.

“…Just leave two—no, three.”

“That enough? You don’t look like you can even move.”

“I have a plan. I will protect Beneta. So…”

With fierce eyes, Dorneth spoke.

“Kal Blazer. Make sure you catch that bastard.”

Even Arthur hadn’t guaranteed that they could catch Kal, so Karl gave the only answer he could.

“I’ll try.”

Leaving three Specters with Dorneth, Karl returned to Lochter.

Perhaps the brief rest had helped—Lochter had sheathed his twin swords and nodded.

Karl, arms crossed, looked him over and said,

“If you think you’re gonna faint while running, tell . I’ll carry you.”

“That won’t happen. Not now or ever.”

“Heh, sure.”

With a scoff, Karl covered the pile of loot with a large cloth. He’d already instructed the Specters to retrieve it later.

Karl began running down the outer corridor.

Five remaining Specters followed as Lochter let out a short breath and chased after them.

Glancing back and counting the Specters, Lochter asked,

“Will three be enough?”

“Why?”

“The lord’s condition was awful.”

If Dorneth’s condition had been critical, Arthur had ordered that Karl and all Specters remain behind to assist.

But there was an exception.

“Dorneth chose it.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Arthur told us to follow Dorneth’s will.”

“He trusts Beneta’s lord, then.”

“No, he trusts his Divine Na.”

Dorneth’s Divine Na was “The Shield of Tobaron.”

If the powerful enemy had been eliminated, and he believed he could hold the line, Arthur’s intent was to let him.

It didn’t an abandoning him.

They, and Arthur, would begin preparing a defense outside.

Black smoke slowly rose.

As the ruined walls ca into view in the distance, Lochter’s group moved toward the wall.

It was ti to reunite with Arthur.

Dorneth silently examined the broken warhamr.

The voice no longer ca.

Death.

Beneath a rciless blade, he realized his artifact had died.

“Help up.”

At Dorneth’s request, the Specters supported him and guided him to a location deeper within the central fortress.

A long staircase led down. With their help, he reached a secret door connected to the second basent floor.

The Specters, eyes filled with curiosity, stepped back when Dorneth said,

“Wait here a mont.”

They nodded—mission ca before curiosity.

Sharbadin supported the staggering Dorneth as the two moved toward the iron door.

Monts later—

Ggrgrgrgr…

As Dorneth placed his palm on the door, it slowly opened.

The two disappeared into the dim space.

“Where are we?”

Even Sharbadin seed unfamiliar with the place.

“The Blacksmith’s Garden.”

“Huh? I thought that was in the abandoned mines.”

“Thanks to Arthur lifting the mine’s curse, that place now sees thousands daily. Since it’s now a public area, we moved the Garden here.”

“So there’s a reason we ca here?”

To her question, Dorneth gave a faint smile and pointed.

There, a glass statue stood.

A dwarf, delicately sculpted in fine glass.

Standing before it, his expression weary, Dorneth inspected the gear on the statue.

Ancient artifacts passed down from their ancestors.

Among them was the “Ring of Blood” now in Arthur’s possession.

The equipnt here was all powerful, but each carried severe penalties and couldn’t be used carelessly.

Hoo—

Letting out a short sigh, Dorneth stood before a large square silver shield.

Made by the first clan leader, it was an artifact only the head of Beneta could use.

“Never seen that shield before.”

“No surprise. No clan leader has ever used it.”

“Why?”

As she asked, Dorneth slowly stroked the surface of the shield, a bitter smile on his lips.

“Because the cost is too great.”

“What cost?”

“Talent.”

A cursed artifact that strips away a dwarf’s blessing—dexterity, sense, the eye for craftsmanship.

To the clan’s master artisans, it was a dreadful curse.

A terrifying price.

Even Fenry had warned him not to choose the shield.

‘One mistake is enough.’

He’d lost to Harkman.

His kin were slaughtered.

Now Beneta was in danger.

Dorneth no longer hesitated.

It was ti to lay down his title as “Lord of Frost.”

“How can you give up your talent…”

“In exchange, I gain great strength and ‘numbness.’ I won’t feel pain—until I die.”

“Dorneth…”

“To protect Beneta, I need this shield.”

Lifting his hand from the shield, he looked up at Sharbadin and smiled.

Then he said,

“Shadin, I don’t think I’ll be able to make any more treasures for you.”

Lowering her head with clenched teeth—Monts later, as if answering his smile, she lifted her head and bead.

A beautiful smile.

“You are my treasure.”

She lifted the shield herself and handed it to Dorneth.

“Take it, Dorneth. Be our shield.”