Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2017: This cave was… (2)

Previously on Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure...

The racial alliance forces swiftly eliminated the remaining weak monsters in the cave, including women and children too feeble to join the earlier battle, viewing them as future threats despite their current vulnerability. The protagonist, reflecting on the monsters' instinct-driven existence as programmed foes in this world, left the task to the allies and ventured to the cave's depths. There, huddled monsters charged toward the qilin in his arms, seeking its power, only to be halted by an invisible energy barrier that flooded and destroyed them without mercy. Examining the qilin's egg site yielded no clues until dust revealed patterned lines on the floor, suggesting a repulsive force emanating from the center.

The way those lines extended across the floor made it clear they originated right from the heart of the cave.

Yet the sole item that had occupied the cave's center was...

I glanced over at the qilin, but it showed no response whatsoever to this cavern.

Despite this being the spot where its egg had rested for an unknown period, the creature displayed zero connection to the location.

Right then, I detected the familiar energy emanating from the qilin's presence lingering in the cave's core, where the egg once lay. Though merely leftover traces, it stemmed from the identical origin.

"Do you feel anything here?" I posed the question to the qilin in a measured tone.

The qilin had been lounging comfortably in my embrace until my sudden inquiry startled it, prompting a puzzled gaze up at me, as if baffled by the reason behind my words.

Next, it scanned the surroundings with that same bewildered expression before returning its attention to me and shaking its head.

"I don’t know this place at all."

A bitter grin formed on my lips upon hearing those words.

The qilin possessed knowledge of countless matters despite having freshly emerged from its shell, yet regarding the very site it had inhabited for ages...

I truly couldn't grasp the workings of the qilin's thoughts.

With the qilin offering no clues, my only option was to depend on my own efforts.

That's why I approached the wall for a nearer inspection, hoping to uncover something unusual about it.

At first glance, the wall appeared utterly ordinary, but thoughts of the floor's patterns sparked an inspiration, leading me to lift my hand and press it against the surface.

Upon contact, a peculiar sensation emanated from the wall.

This oddity remained hidden from plain sight, concealed beneath the surface.

Pulling my hand away, I called forth the Staff of Earth and struck the wall with it.

Instantly, a deep rumble echoed from the wall. Soon enough, a portion of it started vibrating, signaling some kind of response.

Before long, that section abruptly parted.

Watching the wall divide in such a manner felt eerie, as a sizable piece detached from the main structure, sliding outward like it was being extracted.

I paid no heed to that detached fragment, simply flinging it aside with my abilities.

My focus instead turned to the exposed interior of the severed wall portion.

The sight there provided the revelation I sought.

In truth, such a display left little room for doubt.

Patterns etched into that wall's interior aligned perfectly with the ground's lines, resembling something compressed and displaced in its formation.

Thus, from the start, this cavern had been shaped by the qilin itself.

I'd harbored suspicions about this site's positioning and construction already.

Seeing this confirmed my suspicions in an instant.

The one who abandoned this egg had placed it exposed and unprotected.

To safeguard the vulnerable egg, a protective instinct must have triggered, compelling it to generate this enclosing cave.

Given how the qilin's power mirrored my divine energy, it stood to reason that such force could forge this shelter.

Those very lines embodied that process.

Bursts of the qilin's energy had layered sediment around the egg over time, building up this space. The outward pressure from those layers formed the distinctive markings on walls and floor alike.

Still, the floor's patterning struck me as particularly odd...

Even with the cave's secret unraveled, it brought no insight into the qilin's true beginnings.

After one final examination of the interior, I let out a sigh and relented.

Uncovering the qilin's origins from this alone seemed impossible, so pursuing it further felt futile.

Pivoting back, I commanded, "Clean this place up."

Klein and the accompanying royal guards acknowledged with nods, indicating their comprehension.

They appeared intrigued by the wall's interior as well.

However, it was evident they couldn't decipher what had caught my eye.

I saw no need to clarify, as their understanding wouldn't alter anything.

My initial urge was to demolish the cave entirely, but justifying that would prove cumbersome.

Hence, I opted for an alternative use.

As a natural draw for monsters, infusing it with alluring energy could turn it into...

An ideal trap to lure beasts, allowing systematic reductions in their numbers.

Implementing this setup would vastly simplify the racial alliance's efforts against the monster threat.

Moreover, we weren't confined to just this one cavern.