The Sponsored Heroines Are Coming for Me

The strategy for defeating Urugios is as follows:

– Phase 1: This is the initial encounter with the creature. It’s a dangerous type with high vigilance and intelligence. The key in this phase is to drive it into a state of rage.

– Phase 2: Lead the enraged creature to the mud pit near its lair. This mud pit has special properties that soften its armor. Focus on attacking and removing the softened armor.

– Phase 3: The so-called ‘Scratched Urugios’ state. Intelligence is reduced, but physical abilities increase drastically. It gains significant attack power but has reduced defense due to the removal of its armor. Tackle it effectively.

The key to defeating Urugios is destroying its armor during Phase 2.

An essential part of this process is rolling the creature in the mud near its lair.

However, this area is neither its lair nor a mud pit with special effects.

The interaction between plant elements and earth elements.

<Sprout>

The best efficiency for shields is achieved through this interaction.

With Danya’s combination, we were able to successfully remove Urugios’s armor.

Thanks to this, Urugios has entered an incapacitated state.

“Ifrit!”

Whoosh!

Lina unleashed an immense flame.

The fur of Urugios burned away instantly.

On top of that.

“Nyah!”

A rain of arrows from Danya poured down.

Magical arrows falling like a heavy rain.

It’s always a spectacular sight.

However.

— Roaaar!

The creature recovered from its brief incapacitation with a roar.

Its remaining fur turned a complete red with the roar.

“Entering Phase 3! Everyone, fall back!”

Ian shouted urgently.

But was it a bit too late?

Urugios’s reset aggro was drawn to the last attacker, Danya.

“Danya, run away!”

Swish.

Danya swiftly fell back.

But the aggro from Urugios remained on her.

No matter how skilled Danya is, surviving an attack from the creature in Phase 3 would be difficult.

“Your opponent is me!”

Ian threw a rock towards its eyes.

Thud!

The creature immediately turned and swatted the rock away.

Urugios’s weak point is its eyes.

Although it wasn’t a direct hit, it had a good effect.

The creature’s attention refocused on Ian.

— Roaaar!

The creature, now red with rage, charged directly.

A straightforward diagonal swipe.

Once in Phase 3, its patterns simplify.

Thud.

Ian rolled to evade.

But.

Drip.

A small crack on the surface let blood flow out.

Despite predictions, it was an overwhelmingly fast speed.

The problem was that the creature, having passed Ian, seemed to defy physical laws and charged again.

— Rooooar!

Ian managed to deflect the impact while twisting his body but had to roll on the ground several times.

[ 34 ]

Health shattered in an instant.

Despite blocking it and even spilling some of it, this is the result.

It truly is an absurd creature.

But perhaps because of that, the creature was now struggling in the mud.

The ground, unable to support its weight, was dragging it down.

Urugios should be hunted in the swamp, after all.

“Danya, Lina. Now’s the time. Aim for its eyes.”

The strategy that was shared in advance.

Danya immediately nodded and fired her arrows.

Thud!

An arrow struck precisely in the creature’s eye.

Following that, Lina’s flames engulfed it.

— Raaaaaaar!

Urugios writhed in pain as its flesh burned, but its struggles gradually lessened.

Elena, who was observing, jumped with excitement.

“Hahaha! We did it! This voice is only for the big bear!”

“No, Elena.”

“What?”

“Why are you suddenly setting up a ‘we did it’ flag… Oh.”

Ian’s eyes narrowed in an instant as he examined Urugios.

‘What’s that on its shoulder?’

There was a small, glowing yellow vial embedded in its left shoulder.

It was the same color as the awakening potion used by Victor Jan.

If that’s an awakening potion, then when did it get embedded?

— Grrr… Grrr…

The creature’s breathing gradually returned.

And it slowly tried to open its eyes.

Leaving one completely destroyed eye as is, the other eye began to open slowly.

A bloodied, red pupil fixed directly on Ian.

‘…This is like a horror movie.’

Ian spoke in a low voice.

“Everyone, fall back as far as possible. And pour in the strongest attacks you can.”

“R-Retreat!”

“We can’t run. Only attacks will work. Trust me.”

Ian’s party members quickly fell back and unleashed their attacks.

– Pabababababak!

– Whooosh!

Lina and Danya’s combined attack painted the sky with green and red lights.

Dust billowed up where Urugios had been. But through the dust, a towering black shadow rose.

The creature leapt as if it were flying.

The landing spot was, of course, where Ian was.

Ian gripped the Berserker’s Shield.

“Elena, shield me!”

“Yes!”

Whoooosh!

Elena’s shield enveloped the area.

At the same time, Urugios’s attack exploded.

Rumble.

The ground shook violently.

Followed by the sound of the shockwave.

— Kuuuuaaaargh!

Dust scattered.

A massive crater formed as if a meteor had crashed.

[ 5 ]

Remaining health: 5.

“Cough!”

Blood flowed from Ian’s mouth.

Bright red blood.

He could feel his health depleting.

And at the same time.

— Bzzzzzz

A ringing filled his head.

His vision momentarily went dark.

“….I-I-I-I-Ian!”

“Are… are you okay?”

The voices of his comrades came slowly and brokenly from afar.

“Ah.”

Ian realized.

It wasn’t that they were speaking slowly.

He was the one moving faster.

An unknown force filled his body.

He absorbed the blood-red energy.

The blackness in Ian’s vision was gradually filled with red.

Finally, his eyes opened.

The Berserker’s Shield.

The passive effect, <Berserker’s Rage>, manifested.

In a world turned entirely red.

Ian faced Urugios and smirked.

“Bring it, you b*stard.”

The clash between the two began.

Boom—Kaaaaboom!

A massive explosion enveloped the surroundings.

◆

— Zzzziiiiiiing

Ian’s head was filled with a ringing sound.

He felt incredibly dizzy.

Ian shook his head.

But he couldn’t.

He only felt a soft sensation on the back of his head.

What’s this?

Did he collapse?

Ian slowly opened his eyes.

Fortunately, the world had returned to its original colors instead of the red hue.

“Y-You’re awake!”

“Ian!”

“Brother!”

Drops of water fell on Ian.

Danya, Lina, and Elena, who had gathered around Ian, were all in tears.

“Why the sudden outburst?”

“Brother was unconscious for a whole minute!”

“Only a minute, and you’re crying so much.”

“The blood…!”

Following Elena’s gesture, Ian looked down and understood the situation.

The clothes were so red that blood was squeezing out of them.

It seemed he was indeed in a serious state.

[ 24 ]

On the other hand, his health had recovered quite a bit. Seeing that it stopped at 24, it seems the regeneration charges were all used up.

“Without Elena, it would have been a disaster!”

Lina pointed to Elena’s priestess robe.

Indeed, her robe was also stained bright red.

“Good work, Elena.”

“I’m glad you’re okay, Brother!”

Ian used purification to clean Elena’s clothes.

“By the way, what about Urugios…?”

Danya silently pointed to one end of the area.

The huge creature lay defeated.

Ian approached and placed a bracelet near it.

“Oh.”

And let out a short exclamation.

A whopping 2000 coins were awarded.

Even if divided among four, that’s 500 coins each.

With this amount, even if he were to be out now, it would mean a promotion to Aether.

“W-Wow!”

Lina, having received the coins, hugged Ian and jumped up and down.

“With this, if I get promoted to Aether, tuition is free…! Thank you! Thank you, Ian!”

Then, as if realizing she’d done something embarrassing, she clutched her chest and blushed, but her smile remained.

Elena also looked quite pleased.

But Danya seemed more relieved than happy.

“I’m glad.”

It seemed she was genuinely worried that Ian might be dead.

“I told you. I don’t die so easily.”

There’s still so much to do in this world.

Ian, who had given a reassuring smile to Danya, approached Urugios’s corpse again.

The vial he had briefly noticed earlier.

It seemed to be embedded somewhere on its shoulder.

“Here it is.”

Ian carefully extracted the vial embedded in the creature’s shoulder.

The end of it was sharp, like a syringe.

For now, let’s take this with us.

“Then should we find a safe place to rest?”

Lina asked, looking at Ian.

Ian shook his head.

“No. There’s still something left to do.”

“What is it?”

Having defeated the field boss, they needed to claim their rewards.

“Let’s go.”

◆

On the cliff where Urugios had been active.

A girl with blue hair gazed down from above.

The girl, Sharon Pierce, was dressed in clothes stained heavily with blood.

She had not eaten or slept properly; she had only pursued the traces of one person.

Finally, she had arrived at the source of those traces.

The direction of the traces pointed below the cliff.

— Kaaaaa-boom!

And beyond the cliff.

The earth shook, and occasionally an immense force burst forth.

It was undoubtedly Urugios, a Grade 3 species.

This meant Ian Blackangers was likely in danger.

Therefore, she had to save him.

A remaining fragment of Emilia from earlier had subtly hinted at the woman’s plans.

Ian would be in grave danger.

[ 12 ]

Sharon had only 12 health left.

Even if it was just this much, if it could help Ian, she would gladly throw herself into the fray.

Crunch.

Sharon tightly gripped her blood-stained sword.

Then she leapt off the cliff.

The massive red bear visible in the distance.

Despite the tremendous force emanating from it, Sharon strengthened her resolve.

— Tap, tap!

The reason was simple.

She could sense Ian’s presence beyond the cliff.

If he was in danger, she needed to save him.

She needed to atone, even just a little.

“Hang on, Ian. I’ll find a way to…”

She would help him.

As Sharon rushed forward and began to see Urugios,

— Clang

Sharon lost her grip on her sword.

Urugios had already fallen.

To Ian’s strike.

“… How.”

A monster like that… Alone?

Sharon’s expression crumbled.

She felt it.

Endless despair.

Ian didn’t need her help.

He was strong on his own.