Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2016: This cave was… (1)

The remaining monsters inside the cave stood no chance whatsoever against the reinforcements sent by the racial alliance.

A large portion of the monsters had already departed as reinforcements, leaving behind only those too feeble to join the battle.

These were the female monsters and their offspring from the group that had pursued us earlier.

In some respects, it felt almost like we were targeting the vulnerable ones.

Yet monsters didn't warrant such mercy in the slightest.

For starters, these creatures lacked the intelligence to qualify as beings capable of rational discussion.

Driven purely by their primal urges, they possessed inherently destructive natures from the outset.

Thus, even in their current weakened state, that wouldn't hold true indefinitely.

Should these monster young mature, they'd prove just as fearsome as the foes we'd battled before. That's why it made far more sense to eliminate them now, preventing them from evolving into future threats that could harm others.

Striking at the source of the issue was the wisest course.

Still, the spectacle unfolding here carried a somewhat peculiar air.

Nevertheless, the racial alliance troops showed no reluctance in wiping out every last monster remaining in the cave. They had no reason to leave potential dangers lingering, especially with nothing to be gained from it.

I alone appeared to harbor different considerations.

"These monsters were programmed by the creators of this world. They exist as adversaries to humans, meant to provide EXP for players. Doesn't that imply they have no real say in the matter?"

In truth, I was the sole individual in this realm capable of such reflections, thanks to my unique awareness.

However, that insight offered little in terms of actionable steps.

I couldn't very well alter the fundamental code of this world without even understanding the reason for my arrival here.

Therefore, I simply entrusted the situation to the racial alliance forces.

They possessed more than sufficient strength to handle the leftover monsters clustered in this cavern. Consequently, it was smarter for me to concentrate on the primary objective that had drawn me here.

As the racial alliance dealt with the monsters, I proceeded without trouble to the cave's depths.

The cavern wasn't particularly extensive from the start, so reaching the far end required only a short time.

Upon arrival, I discovered a few monsters seeking shelter in that spot.

The manner in which they clustered together in the center, as though searching for aid, suggested they hoped some force would help them survive this catastrophe.

It even appeared they sought a particular item that had once been present here.

Except that I had already claimed it.

Though the monsters detected my presence, they didn't direct their focus toward me. Rather, their gazes fixed entirely on the qilin cradled in my arms.

Despite being mere younglings, these monsters apparently sensed the qilin's formidable power. They understood it was the very strength they'd been seeking, the kind that could elevate their own abilities.

Hence, child or not, they lunged toward me, intent on seizing the qilin's essence for themselves.

Yet they never managed to get near us.

An unseen barrier of energy halted their advance before they could close the distance.

The instant this invisible force enveloped them, expressions of delight surfaced on their features. After all, this was the alluring energy that pulled them toward the qilin and stirred their desire to draw closer.

But it wasn't long before their faces twisted into something else.

Panic overtook them, mirroring the dread shown by other monsters upon realizing this energy spelled not rescue, but destruction.

Thus, they remained powerless as the energy overwhelmed them completely.

When the process concluded, they exploded in the identical fashion as the rest.

I couldn't resist arching an eyebrow while glancing at the qilin.

It had displayed zero reluctance in dispatching these monsters, despite sharing their youth.

Comprehending the qilin's growth proved truly challenging, yet it clearly followed its own determined trajectory.

Under those circumstances, I had no grounds to comment on the matter.

With every monster eradicated, I approached the location where I'd discovered the egg.

A depression marked the ground where the egg had rested, but nothing else remained to hint at the qilin's origins. The area seemed utterly barren of any connections to the egg.

Even so, I was certain that wasn't the full story.

Something must exist to explain how the egg came to be in this spot.

That's why I scoured every corner of the cave in search of clues.

Nothing turned up until I spotted an irregularity.

I detected it because my movements around the cave had disturbed the dust on the floor, uncovering a hidden detail.

Lines etched into the cavern floor radiated outward from the central point.

Given their arrangement...

"It seems like something repelled everything surrounding it..."