Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2019: Balanced (1)

Previously on Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure...

With the monster threat resolved, the group accelerated their return to the Kite Kingdom, leaving the protagonist temporarily ignored amid the rush. He gathered his contracted god's messengers to inquire about the mysterious qilin, but none recognized it, and the young creature seemed overwhelmed and fearful in their presence. Seeking ways to suppress Dorothy's unstable power, he consulted the kraken and Queenie, who offered no direct solution, leading him to plan a temporary measure using Queenie's divine energy through Max. Reluctantly allowing the qilin to meet Dorothy, the two made contact, resulting in a sudden bright flash of light.

The blinding burst of light forced me to shield my eyes right away, though it faded in just a moment.

Once the glow vanished, I saw that both of them remained frozen in their previous spots.

During that sudden flash, neither had shifted even a fraction.

Actually, they appeared completely oblivious to the intense illumination.

"What happened?" I questioned the qilin, yet it ignored me entirely, staring blankly at Dorothy.

Seeing them behave this way left me with a growing sense of unease.

"Are you two okay? Any odd sensations?" I posed this follow-up query, which at last snapped them out of it.

The qilin leaned in as though collapsing into Dorothy, who extended her arms to cradle it close.

Embracing the qilin this way, she glanced upward at me and remarked, "I’m fine. Actually, I feel stronger than earlier."

The qilin stayed silent, but its facial expression revealed it was alright too. It looked far more at ease now that it touched Dorothy like this, unlike moments ago.

I gazed at the pair with a puzzled expression, sensing something unusual, though I couldn't quite identify it.

After pausing briefly, I approached Dorothy and inquired, "May I check it out?"

She understood my intent without clarification, yet she wavered before ultimately nodding her approval for my inspection.

Brushing her hair back, I examined the spot on the nape of her neck where the dark mark had been.

Yet as soon as I parted the strands, my jaw slackened in astonishment.

For the dark spot that once marked her skin had vanished entirely.

I swept her hair further aside to confirm I hadn't overlooked it, discovering it was gone for good. Without prior knowledge, no one would suspect such a mark had ever existed there.

"What is it?"

Given that it involved her own body, Dorothy naturally picked up on the irregularity in my examination.

At first, I struggled for words, reluctant to spark unverified optimism in her.

Thus, I simply instructed, "Stay put with the qilin for a moment. I'll fetch some folks to examine you shortly."

I caught the intense stare from Dorothy, but I held my tongue and headed off to locate Max and the rest. Though unsure of the details, I figured they'd provide clearer insights.

Alerting Max naturally drew Rose's attention as well.

However, upon her arrival...

"How is she?"

Her tone brimmed with concern, yet her glare toward me carried clear irritation.

I recognized her frustration stemmed from the potential chaos I was stirring, possibly raising Dorothy's hopes in vain, but I believed it was the right move. After all, the dark spot on her neck had truly vanished.

"She’s fine; he’s assessing her state at the moment."

"You shouldn’t do this." Rose held back initially, but she voiced it in the end.

This differed from the Rose I recognized, though I understood her protectiveness over Dorothy fueled this reaction.

"I know, but it could turn out positive for her. I won’t risk overlooking anything."

A hint of her anger softened in her eyes, yet she plainly intended to hold me accountable.

For the time being, we lingered, awaiting Max's verdict.

Yet the wait dragged on unusually.

Max typically oversaw Dorothy’s health checks, and we'd observed his standard procedures before. So it was evident that his current actions deviated from the norm.

He appeared to run multiple additional examinations, suggesting a shift in her state.

Whether this indicated progress or trouble remained unclear.

It dragged on for quite a while, but Max finally emerged, his face etched with bewilderment. He seemed lost in contemplation, mixed with evident perplexity over his findings.

Rose couldn't hold back until he gathered his wits, demanding, "What is it? Good or bad?"

Max shook his head uncertainly before replying, "I think it’s good?"

We both shot him sharp looks at those words, prompting me to demand, "Explain what that means."

Max held off responding as his features shifted, like he was organizing his mind. At last, he explained, "Well, one key point is that her abilities seem restrained at present."

Surprise hit us both, though we'd half-anticipated this given the mark's absence from her neck. Still, that detail fell short of satisfying us.

Max recognized as much, continuing, "Something appears to be holding it in check, but that's not quite the accurate description either."

"Not the accurate description? What exactly do you mean?" I pressed, my voice laced with confusion.

Max fell silent again, his look flickering through various emotions.

Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh and admitted, "I’m not sure what to call it myself, as I’ve never encountered this before. But it’s like an equilibrium is countering her power."