How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 39

Novel: How to Survive Against Villains Author: BreakTL Updated: Jun 02, 2026

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Now reading: Chapter 39 from How to Survive Against Villains, a Action novel by BreakTL.

Chapter 39: Beneta's Calamity, Arena Huaton

Smack!

A sharp slap on both cheeks snapped out of my daze. The sting brought back to full awareness.

"What's the situation?"

"We still have so breathing room."

"Yet I can hear the Chiras right on our doorstep."

Dreadful roars echoed from every direction, and the entire forest shook as if the beasts would burst out of the trees at any mont.

But Elton shook his head.

"They’ll hit the mountain base first. We’re next."

Karl had warned us that the mountain base was the most dangerous spot to be. It was the place where newly captured prisoners were sent, serving as bait to buy ti.

Just as Elton said, the monstrous sounds gradually faded, and the restless stirring of the forest started to calm down.

A mont later,

Screams!

Agonized cries began to erupt from the direction of the mountain base. It seed the Chira legion had started their collection operation.

"Here, take this."

Elton handed a small vial filled with a violet liquid.

It was Bethel's Poison. If we took it and lay low, it would help us avoid the Chiras' detection.

For Karl and his team, it was practically a lifeline.

But for , it wasn’t really necessary.

Would there ever be a need for this?

With the power of the ancient rune at my disposal, I didn’t need to worry about being captured by the Chiras. Instead, I was more concerned with figuring out how best to hunt them.

If I wanted to grow stronger, I needed more of the violet mana stones, which were found in the more powerful Chiras.

I planned to observe and, if the opportunity arose, hunt one. With that in mind, I was already prepared to move alone. But unexpectedly, Elton remained by my side, insisting on accompanying .

"I'm not planning on hiding."

"Doesn’t matter."

"Is this Karl’s order?"

"I was instructed to protect you."

As I thought. Elton wouldn’t make this kind of decision on his own.

With a sigh, I turned to find Karl. He was busy gathering the team together.

The reason he’d chosen this place as a hideout was because it had nurous places to hide. He was currently preparing supplies and hadn’t even spared a glance.

He must really be worried.

Worried that I’d try to escape on my own, so he’d assigned Elton to keep an eye on . Elton probably got the sa instructions as well.

"So you're here to keep an eye on , huh?"

"…"

"No point in asking you, is there?"

I shook my head and walked over to Karl. Seeing approach, he clicked his tongue and scratched his head, clearly aware of why I was coming over.

He’d known I’d figure it out but had assigned Elton anyway.

Trust was better shown through actions than words.

"What happens if I take off this bracelet?"

"What do you an? The bug won’t die, of course."

"So it won’t blow up or move back to my heart or anything?"

Karl nodded, and I imdiately unclasped the bracelet and tossed it to him. Caught off guard, Karl caught the bracelet and looked at with a bewildered expression.

"What are you doing?"

"I’ll co back for it later. Just don’t forget it this ti, alright?"

"…"

I’d put a lot of effort into building trust with Karl, and it would be foolish to throw that away. Escaping was only an option I’d consider if things got truly desperate.

Karl wordlessly turned the bracelet over in his hands, clearly deep in thought over my actions.

"Trust just this once, alright? I’ll be back. You just focus on keeping yourself hidden."

"Take Elton with you."

"What would I even do with him?"

"You’ll probably just sneak around stirring up trouble."

"Maybe you should consider a career as a fortune-teller. You’d make a lot of money."

"Quit the jokes and just take him. Didn’t you tell to trust you once? Elton’s the sa to ."

Karl’s trust in Elton seed solid enough that even if I revealed my hidden abilities to him, it wouldn’t be an issue. If Karl trusted him that much, it probably ant Elton knew how to keep secrets.

And to be fair, Elton was known to be one of the most steadfast characters in the story.

The Fla Blade Elton was soone even the Butcher had tried to recruit. But despite all the tempting offers, Elton remained loyal to Karl and stayed by his side until the end.

He was more suited to the role of a knight than an assassin.

Should I take him along?

I thought it over, and there was really no reason to refuse.

If I didn’t need to hide my ability, then having an ally with would make hunting Chiras much easier. Plus, Elton was stronger than I was.

A trustworthy ally who could provide both safety and power was a rare find.

"Alright, I’ll take him."

"Good decision."

Karl smiled and tossed the bracelet back to . He turned to leave, as if trying to make a dramatic exit, but I grabbed him by the shoulder again.

"What now?"

"My bag."

"…"

The bag I’d taken from the shaman Dominic had killed was a magical item, equipped with exceptional shock absorption, water resistance, and heat resistance.

Karl had been particularly interested in it, saying he wanted to check it out. But since then, I hadn’t heard a word about it.

"You’re still wearing it, so don’t try to pretend otherwise."

"Hm!"

Guess he wasn’t planning to give it back unless I asked.

Since the violet mana stones were about the size of a fist, I’d need the bag for storage. I all but snatched it from him and looked inside, raising an eyebrow at him.

Seeing my expression, Karl coughed awkwardly and pulled out the witch’s necklace and a magic scroll from his robe.

"Thinking of changing careers to a thief, are we?"

"I was just examining so interesting items."

"…"

"What’s that scroll used for, anyway? It didn’t seem to have any magic aura."

I turned the gray scroll over in my hands.

It was an illusion scroll that created a swarm of butterflies in the air—perfect for a festival. Purely decorative, with zero offensive capabilities. I’d bought it at a magic shop in Beneta and promptly forgot about it.

"It’s a survival tool."

"What? Survival?"

"It’s a thing."

I stuffed the scroll back into the bag. I had a feeling I might actually need it soday.

Then I slung my crossbow over my shoulder and fastened a quiver of bolts to my belt. Karl glanced at the bag, lingering for a mont, and then turned away. I grabbed his shoulder one last ti.

"…"

He looked at wordlessly, clearly irritated, and I spoke up. This was just a hunch.

"The red stones are fair ga, but everything else in there belongs to ."

Karl glanced at Elton with a look of exasperation. Elton shook his head emphatically, as if to say he had nothing to do with it.

Karl looked back at , clearly taken aback.

"Seems like you're the one who should consider fortune-telling. How’d you know I was interested in that rumor?"

"Ever since you kept trying to stick Elton with ."

"But that rumor—I never told you about it."

"I do have ears, you know? Anyway, we’ll leave it at that."

"Wait, just a second!"

Ignoring Karl’s call, I swiftly darted toward the opposite side of the forest. Behind , Elton followed with a slightly disgruntled expression.

The timing was right for the rumor to start spreading. Karl’s insistence on assigning Elton to had given it away. He’d begun showing interest in bio-stones.

If Karl’s already heard the rumor planted by the Butcher, then the whole of Etor must be buzzing about bio-stones by now.

—A mana catalyst with incredible effects on mana awakening.

The Devil’s Stone.

This rumor would likely drive everyone in Etor to start gathering bio-stones, with no knowledge of the high risk involved—naly, that seven out of ten who used it would lose their sanity and descend into madness.

The seeds of greed and ignorance that the Butcher had sown were beginning to sprout within Etor.

For Etor, it was a sign of impending ruin.

As I reattached the bracelet to my left wrist, I found myself deep in thought.

Once Etor’s forces enter the forest, Dominic will start looking for an escape route.

The three powers of Tobaron.

Even Dominic couldn’t hold out against the threefold pressure of Blyer, Etor, and Beneta.

He’ll gather his Chira legion in one place and divert attention to the Heir’s Temple.

That would be the perfect mont for to step in.

With that in mind, I sprinted faster toward the direction of the screams.

There was still so ti before that critical mont arrived.

In that ti,

I need to reach 3-star.

The night deepened as darkness blanketed the forest, and Elton and I lted into the shadows between the trees.

***

In the southeastern part of Laup Forest, about a day's journey from Etor,

Rustle.

A middle-aged man gently turned the page of his book. His glasses slipped down his nose slightly, and he pushed them up, resuming his reading.

The sight of him sitting comfortably on a small rock, book in hand, looked like the picture of a man enjoying a quiet mont in nature.

But,

“Gh- gh…! Aargh—!”

“Please, spare !”

The screams and chaos that filled the forest starkly contrasted his peaceful deanor.

Crack—! Snap—!

The sound of flesh being torn apart.

When blood splattered onto his glasses, the middle-aged man blinked and removed them. Wiping them on the hem of his robe, the man—no, Dominic—surveyed his surroundings.

The entire scene was drenched in red.

Torn flesh and pooling blood had turned the forest a deep crimson.

“If we don’t hold them off, we’re all dead! We’ll all die!”

“Hold the line!!!”

A desperate, almost frenzied shout.

Dominic’s gaze followed the sound.

He saw a massive rcenary band surrounded by the Chira legion. They had entered the forest to hunt the Chiras, only to end up trapped themselves. Despite the endless onslaught, around 200 rcenaries remained, fiercely resisting.

“The human instinct to survive, I see.”

To Dominic, they looked like mice caught in a trap. Or rather, test subjects awaiting their turn in an experint.

He glanced up at the sky, adjusted his glasses, and returned his attention to his book. It would take a bit more ti for everything to be cleaned up.

Boom—!!

Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted among the rcenaries. Several of the Chiras, which had been steadily wearing down the rcenaries’ defenses, were blasted outward, landing near Dominic.

"…"

Dominic examined the bodies of the Chiras, all killed instantly by a single powerful attack. His gaze shifted back to the source of the explosion, where a gap had ford in the surrounding lines.

Through that gap, a rcenary drenched in Chira blood charged out like a thunderbolt.

The encirclent had been breached.

"Hyah—!"

With a sword swing, the rcenary cut through the Chiras as though they were re tofu.

A crimson aura radiated from his blade, a tangible manifestation of his mana.

"A wolf among mice?"

A 4-star rcenary was hidden among the masses.

"The captain has broken through! Hold out just a bit longer!"

“If we kill that lunatic, we might actually stand a chance!”

Encouraged, the remaining rcenaries dug in, clinging to hope. anwhile, their captain, surrounded by the red haze of mana, barreled toward Dominic.

With a twisted expression, the captain gripped his sword tightly, his gaze locked on Dominic.

"You bastard! You said you’d let us live if we told you everything!"