Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2020: Balanced (2)

We both seemed even more bewildered, having absolutely no clue about what he was referring to.

Yet Rose switched the subject by inquiring, "For now, is she safe?"

Max showed no doubt this time as he replied, "Yes, there’s no problem at all. In fact, her condition is better than before since there’s no need for her body to fight against that corruption energy deep inside of her."

Upon hearing this, both of us released sighs of relief.

Though we remained in the dark about the situation, we trusted Max’s medical expertise because he had demonstrated it repeatedly.

The simple knowledge that she was improving counted as positive news.

Still, we didn’t allow ourselves to relax too much, given the larger problem at hand.

"What is causing it?"

This query brought an uneasy expression to Max’s face.

He appeared unsure how to describe it, as he couldn’t pinpoint the origin of the balance. All his devices had detected was some force countering the corruption energy.

From his expression, it was easy to tell his thoughts.

Rather than repeating the question or pushing him, I asked instead, "Can we go in?"

Not just Max, but Rose too was taken aback by my words.

Soon enough, they both understood my intent and began trailing after me.

I entered the chamber where Dorothy and the qilin waited.

Spotting us, they instantly looked eager to approach me, but halted upon noticing Max and Rose following.

To be precise, they paused because of Max.

The qilin wasn’t very familiar with Max, yet it clearly feared him for some reason.

Its gaze toward Max resembled a child’s wary stare at a physician.

Recalling how Max had employed various tools for Dorothy’s examination, it made sense that the qilin viewed him this way.

Was this simply an instinctive dread children felt for doctors?

I found the situation somewhat amusing, though that wasn’t why I’d stepped inside.

Rather, I extended my hand toward the qilin, which displayed surprise at the gesture.

While I waited, a flicker of reluctance appeared in the qilin’s eyes, suggesting it held knowledge about the matter, as I’d suspected.

Nevertheless, I held steady for the qilin to approach, saying, "I know, but don’t worry. I just want to test something."

After my words, the qilin obeyed and settled into my grasp.

The instant it did, a dark feeling washed over Dorothy, as if shadows had enveloped her once the qilin slipped from her hold.

I glanced at Max, who understood my request and advanced with his tools.

After completing the scans, he directed his attention to the qilin cradled in my arms.

This outcome made it clear what had been countering the issue within Dorothy’s body. Thus, Max’s gaze toward the qilin carried an odd intensity.

He regarded the qilin not like a fellow being, but more like an experimental specimen.

The qilin couldn’t ignore this and burrowed deeper into my embrace upon noticing.

This moment would likely linger in the qilin’s extended lifespan.

Shoving Max’s face away, I declared, "Enough of that. Focus on analyzing what’s steadying her state instead and forget those ideas."

Max appeared crestfallen at my words, prompting me to add with a sigh, "I’ll provide you with some of its energy too, since you’ll need to examine that. Just avoid causing it any lasting fear."

Max brightened slightly, though disappointment still lingered in his eyes.

Even so, I refused to yield further.

This was already a substantial allowance on my part, with no room for more.

Recognizing this, Max returned to his devices to scrutinize the data more closely.

With him occupied, I returned the qilin to Dorothy’s hands.

As soon as the qilin touched her palms, Dorothy’s face softened noticeably.

"Play here for a bit. We’re going to talk about a few things." I told them before guiding Rose aside.

Alone together, Rose sighed and remarked, "You really come up with all kinds of surprising things don’t you?"

A bitter smile crossed my lips, though I couldn’t refute her.

I hadn’t anticipated this development, but I could infer its cause.

Moreover, it solidly verified a hunch.

The qilin’s energy held an element I’d long suspected, one that clashed directly with the corruption energy.

Its ability to restrain the corruption within Dorothy proved my theory correct.

With another sigh, I suggested, "Just let them stay together for now."

Rose nodded in agreement, aware that this served only as a short-term fix.