Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2010: Emerging from its shell

Previously on Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure...

With Joan's flames blazing a path, the group escaped the cave, aided by energy waves from the mysterious egg that repelled pursuing monsters. Though the creatures seemed to relish the waves, absorbing them caused eerie evolutions—goblins grew taller and more developed, orcs thicker-skinned, ogres larger—turning the horde into a greater threat. As royal guards on wyverns cleared the way and summoned reinforcements, the protagonist questioned the silent egg and gripped it tightly to prevent further empowering pulses. The evolved monsters, fixated on the egg's power, pressed their assault, calling their own backup that suddenly encircled the group.

Surprisingly, the orcs that showed up coordinated their efforts in a manner unusual for their kind.

They lifted themselves from the ground by supporting one another.

A few orcs stayed put and propelled the others upward with their hands, allowing them to get close to me and the egg perched atop Joan's head.

Joan was far from petite, after all.

Before I could even respond, the orcs appeared ready to seize the egg.

Though I desperately wanted to intervene, there was truly nothing I could do to prevent them from getting to the egg.

Thus, I simply observed as the orcs soared straight toward the egg.

In the end, however, not a single orc managed to touch the egg, for it abruptly unleashed the identical energy from earlier.

Even though it looked like the orcs wouldn't get their grasp on the egg, I felt no joy at how the egg halted their advance.

This method carried its own risks, undoubtedly.

While the orcs hung suspended in the air, trapped by the force, they didn't appear bothered in the slightest. Joyful expressions even crossed their faces as the egg's energy elevated them skyward.

I was far from pleased by this sight, yet it remained the lesser evil between the choices.

Had the orcs succeeded in reaching the egg, the outcome could have been unpredictable.

At the very least, they stayed somewhat controllable even as the energy empowered them.

Visible transformations occurred in their forms, with certain areas beginning to expand noticeably. It felt inevitable that they would soon evolve into an entirely new species.

With such developments underway, I needed to halt their progress.

Yet, before I could act, an unexpected noise echoed through the air.

"Crack."

Turning my gaze to the egg, I realized the noise originated from it.

This wasn't merely an ordinary noise; it signified the egg's shell beginning to fracture.

A lone crack appeared initially, but soon additional fissures spread across the shell's exterior. The entire structure seemed poised to disintegrate at any moment.

Worry gripped me, as it appeared the egg—or more precisely, its contents—faced peril. I had no clue how much longer it might have taken for the creature inside to emerge naturally, yet the current chaos forced an early hatching.

Still, I remained clueless on how to help...

Out of options, I extended both hands toward the egg, pretending to grasp it. But my intent went beyond holding; I aimed to compress it and seal the cracks.

Admittedly, this wasn't a brilliant strategy, but it highlighted my utter lack of better ideas.

In the end, though, I never made contact, for something protruded from the fissures. Upon closer inspection, it resembled a hoof emerging from within the egg.

Could that imply the inhabitant was some sort of equine?

Stunned by the hoof's emergence, I watched as further portions extended from the egg's split.

With greater exposure, it became clear this wasn't any horse. Scales covered the leg just above the hoof, after all.

Horses lacked such features entirely, though this evoked memories from my previous existence.

I felt sure this being didn't belong in this realm, based on what I recalled from the game in my mind.

Yet here it manifested before my eyes.

As cracks multiplied across the egg, the hoof thrust outward, causing the shell to shatter completely. With the fragments scattered, the entity's true nature emerged, confirming my suspicions.

"What is a qilin doing here?" I muttered in a stunned and bewildered tone.

The freshly hatched qilin from the egg abruptly opened its eyes and scanned the surroundings, searching for a particular target.

Only when its gaze fixed on me did the qilin cease its search. After observing me briefly, it approached my position.

Despite having just emerged, this qilin moved independently with ease. Its growth evidently surpassed typical expectations for a newborn.

It was like the qilin had advanced significantly during its time within the egg.

Upon reaching me, it gazed upward expectantly, as though anticipating something from me. Regrettably, I couldn't fathom what the qilin desired.

The uneasy quiet lingered momentarily until disrupted by the grunts from behind.

One orc had progressed enough to escape the peculiar energy restraining it.

After dropping to the ground, it paid me no heed, its focus locked on the qilin.

The intensity in its stare suggested it would stop at nothing to claim the qilin.