The Sponsored Heroines Are Coming for Me

Heretics.

Heretics are always targets for extermination.

Guilds, nations, intelligence agencies, religious organizations—every group has its sights set on them.

And if that heretical group is as overwhelming as the Bloodstone Cult, the hostility is even greater.

A doctrine that denies humanity itself.

Fanatics, each one of them utterly insane.

Brutality, coupled with formidable strength.

The embodiment of evil.

In Fantasy X Academy, the Bloodstone Cult is defined as such.

Worse, they even absorb them.

That’s how they grow stronger.

And the stronger they become, the more destruction they bring.

Even at this level, the Bloodstone Cult is already the enemy of all.

The truly terrifying part is that they have yet to reveal their full ambitions.

‘…The Cult Leader is the problem.’

The final boss of this game, the Bloodstone Cult Leader.

The moment he attains enlightenment and ascends to the throne of the Blood Demon, everything will come to an end.

However, that enlightenment will not come easily to him either.

Because the moment the Cult Leader unleashes his followers across the world in search of his revelation, chaos will consume the land.

His enlightenment is so difficult to attain that he is willing to turn the entire continent into his enemy just to find it.

It won’t be long now.

Until the Cult Leader truly begins to move.

‘If the war between the Vatican and the Empire hadn’t been stopped, he would have used the chaos as his chance to act.’

But that plan was foiled.

Because of me.

In the end, I’ve managed to buy some time.

And in that borrowed time, I’ve been dragged into enemy territory.

This should have been the worst-case scenario…

‘But in a way, it’s an opportunity.’

This place is their stronghold.

The elusive stronghold that left not a single trace.

That was why the continent could never unite against the Bloodstone Cult.

To form an alliance, you need a target.

But without knowing where that target is, no coalition could be made.

No one will rally against an illusion.

Thus, discovering the location of the stronghold is the key to their eradication.

Even if I’ve been captured like prey ensnared in a spider’s web…

‘I am now inside the belly of the beast.’

The key to annihilating the Bloodstone Cult is now in my hands.

“…”

That’s why I stood still in place.

The eerie sense of familiarity I just felt—

It was déjà vu, overlapping with the moment I entered Richard’s dantian.

I recall the scenery I observed before entering the cave.

A grand palace.

Towering inner walls.

A city beyond them.

Countless cultists and numerous landmarks.

‘What if…’

It’s just a theory—

But what if this place, too, is someone’s dantian?

Just like Richard’s was?

‘…If that’s the case.’

Perhaps I could leave a trace.

If I could somehow release my mana beyond this dantian, a mark would be left behind.

If there’s a mark, there will be a trail to follow.

‘The others must be tracking me by now.’

I left a note telling them not to follow.

But I’m sure they are.

The moment time froze as I was returning—

I had a gut feeling.

I knew the Blood Witch was going to abduct me that day.

I left a note.

It was a short sentence telling them not to look for me.

I wanted to warn them about the danger.

But I didn’t have time.

Because in that moment, I had to make sure the Blood Witch never realized—

That I could move within her Time Stop.

So, I hastily wrote not to follow.

But they will.

Cautiously, but they will.

Even if the others hesitate, I believe Silvia will understand my intentions completely.

‘…If they can just pinpoint my location.’

The Bloodstone Cult’s stronghold will be revealed to the world.

And with that, the continent’s power can converge upon this place.

The key now is how I leave a trace…

‘They’ll devour everything, but anything unnecessary will be expelled from the dantian, like waste.’

That’s the approach I need to take.

Generating an endless stream of useless energy and letting it flow out naturally.

The problem is, the Bloodstone Cult consumes everything.

So, what exactly counts as useless energy?

What can I expel to reveal my location?

“What are you doing?”

A soft voice broke through my thoughts.

Inside the dimly lit cave, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed ominously.

I turned toward the voice.

The Blood Witch was staring at me intently.

“You’ve been standing there for quite a while. Have you figured out a way to escape?”

It was only then that I realized—I had been frozen in place.

How long had I been lost in thought?

“…No.”

“Hoooh.”

Her eyes were filled with suspicion.

It was too late to come up with a convincing excuse.

Instead of lying, I mixed in a bit of truth.

“This place… The flow of mana is strange. It feels like I’ve been swallowed into someone’s stomach.”

I watched her reaction carefully.

She ranked third in the Bloodstone Cult hierarchy.

If this place was someone’s dantian, she might know about it.

But the Blood Witch merely chuckled in amusement.

“As expected, Ian, your senses are sharp. To think you could perceive the unique aura of this place. Even I only noticed it after my third seclusion training.” ꞦἈꞐοBÈš

“Aura? You mean the flow of energy?”

“Yes. It’s what makes the training here special. The efficiency is much greater than outside.”

Hmm.

So, in game terms, this place grants a training speed buff.

“You… you really plan on mastering all three, don’t you?”

That came out of nowhere.

My face must have reflected my surprise because she smirked.

“I can see everything, you know? Even your earlier worries were probably about how you’d master all three. Your face was practically dripping with greed.”

Oh…

She’s mistaken.

But there’s no reason to correct her misunderstanding.

Besides, I do plan to master all three eventually.

“Fufu. You know, a long time ago, the Cult Leader also took the position after completing his seclusion training.”

She had approached without me realizing.

Smiling wickedly, she ran a hand through my hair.

“Ian, my precious one. You resemble the Cult Leader in so many ways.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m looking forward to it. To see just how powerful you’ll become once you finish your seclusion.”

“…”

“That’s why, even though it saddens me not to see you for a while, I’m letting you go.”

Sssk. Sssk.

Her touch slithered over me like a spider’s legs, sending chills down my spine.

After lingering for a moment, she finally guided me deeper into the cave.

A massive boulder stood before us.

—Kugugugu!

As the Blood Witch infused it with energy, the rock shifted on its own, revealing a passage.

What lay beyond was a vast hollow chamber.

In one corner, there was a simple bedding arrangement and a low table.

The rest of the space was completely empty.

Except—

The stone walls bore deep, engraved markings.

“How does it look?”

“Not bad.”

Dried grains and jerky were piled up in one corner. There was plenty of water.

More importantly, the mana here was abundant.

And the stone walls—

They looked sturdy enough to withstand even powerful magic.

The markings carved into the rock exuded an ominous presence.

They weren’t just shallow etchings—these walls…

‘It’s Eternal Iron.’

In Fantasy X Academy, Eternal Iron is one of the highest-tier materials.

And here—

The entire cave wall was made of it.

“…”

I placed the books on the table.

Then, I sat cross-legged on the floor.

“You’re starting right away? Without even a farewell?”

The Blood Witch’s voice wavered, as if on the verge of tears.

I didn’t care.

I heard her pacing for a while.

—Clunk.

The stone door closed.

The secluded training had officially begun.

◆

Tap, Tap, Tap.

Long, elegant fingers tapped against the table at a steady rhythm.

Following the line of her arm upward, one would meet a pair of deep, violet eyes, clouded with thought.

Silvia Laurent.

Though overshadowed by the four main heroines, she possessed an unmatched strategic mind.

And now, she was devoting every ounce of that intellect to rescuing Ian.

She had already pieced together the truth.

Ian had been captured by the Bloodstone Cult.

And given the circumstances, he was likely being held in their stronghold.

‘…I have to pinpoint his location—no matter what.’

The goal was to mobilize the entire continent.

Their enemy was the Bloodstone Cult.

This wasn’t just any ordinary threat.

And judging by Ian’s note, they were even more powerful than she had originally imagined.

The problem was scale.

It wasn’t easy to escalate the situation.

After all, only a single academy student had been kidnapped so far.

Without knowing the stronghold’s location, gathering the continent’s forces was impossible.

‘…We need as much search support as possible.’

That was the challenge.

If she had a strong political backing, she could have at least swayed the Empire into action.

Using the Laurent Trading Company and Emilia’s faction for lobbying was an option, but…

‘…It’s too slow.’

Lobbying required time and effort.

And the Raymond Merchant Alliance had already aligned itself with the Second Prince’s faction, meaning their cooperation was out of the question.

—Press. Press.

She rubbed her aching forehead.

“Umm, Branch Manager.”

Her secretary approached.

“What is it?”

“A message from the Imperial Foreign Minister.”

“The Foreign Minister? You mean Sir Blitter?”

“Yes.”

Silvia’s eyes burned with intensity.

Blitter.

A Duke of the Empire and the head of a major governmental office.

Both in visible power and actual influence, he was a man who held everything.

‘He’s part of the First Princess’s faction, which is concerning…’

But at the same time, his pride was absolute.

He wasn’t the type to blindly dedicate himself to the First Princess.

A glimmer of hope.

Perhaps…

The Empire could be moved.

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