Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2054: Fell out of a tree

I pushed my senses out as far as they would stretch, desperately trying to pick up on something, but in the end, there was truly nothing to be found.

Try as I might, the sole sensation that reached me was the eerie feeling of eyes upon us. Pinpointing where those stares originated proved impossible, as they stayed perfectly shrouded.

Yet Klein and the rest of them appeared oblivious to it all.

The skeptical glances they shot my way revealed their uncertainty about my claims, though I swear I wasn't imagining a thing.

Right at this moment, those watchful eyes still lingered from every direction.

I was certain that unseen presences lurked in the distance, observing our every move.

Only trouble was, I had zero clue what they might be.

"Let’s go back," I blurted out suddenly.

The royal guards showed no opposition to my idea.

Even without spotting whatever I described, they regarded it as a possible danger. An invisible foe like this? Undeniably hazardous.

Wiser to retreat to the clearing, which felt far more secure than the heart of this woodland.

For my part, I burned to discover if those stares would trail us back there.

Prior to this, no such scrutiny had touched us in the open space, so I knew they hadn't started spying until we ventured into the trees. Exactly when they began, though—that remained a mystery to me.

We hadn't strayed too far from the clearing during our brief scout, so it didn't take much time to return.

Back in the clearing at last...

"They’re still watching."

Not only did Klein and my followers stare at me oddly, but the other royal guards who gathered to check on the commotion shared the same baffled expressions.

They eyed me like they feared I'd lost my mind.

After all, not a soul among them picked up on what I described.

Unable to perceive it themselves, they figured the pressure had cracked me, making me hallucinate nonexistent threats.

Were it not for my proven reliability, they'd have pinned me down on the spot for my safety, king or not. They simply wouldn't stand by while I risked myself pursuing phantoms.

Still, I got why they reacted that way.

Doubts even crept into my own mind about whether this was real, given that I detected nothing beyond this nagging watched feeling.

After some deliberation, I made up my mind. "Let’s go, we’re leaving."

Klein and the team were taken aback—this marked the first time I'd shown such abrupt caution. The old me always pushed forward to the bitter end, no matter the odds.

Yet here I was, calling for an immediate retreat.

They gazed at me like I'd transformed into someone entirely new.

A twinge of resentment stirred in me at their stares, but I held my tongue. Knowing my former stubborn self, their reaction made perfect sense.

Eventually, they snapped out of it and trailed after me as we departed the area.

But just as we turned to go, a noise echoed from behind.

It mimicked the mere whisper of branches in the breeze, yet I knew better. One of those gazes had vanished the instant the sound hit.

No second thoughts—I bolted toward it to uncover what hid there.

The royal guards wore grim expressions watching me dash off, but they kept silent, hurrying after me with readiness for whatever came.

Arriving at the source of the noise, I spotted something odd.

A crater marred the earth right where the sound originated, though that wasn't all.

The thud of a hefty impact had caused it, so the depression came as no shock.

What stunned me was whatever lay within that pit.

At first glance, I couldn't make sense of the bizarre form before me, but realization dawned quickly.

"It’s a rock, isn’t it?" Klein voiced from over my shoulder.

This was a rock, sure, but far from ordinary.

No stone in existence sprouted limbs like arms and legs, did it?

Klein’s casual phrasing betrayed that he saw something different. Had he witnessed the same, he'd have zeroed in on those appendages first, just as I did.

His oversight of them spoke volumes...

"What are you?" I demanded of the rock, brushing off the bewildered stares from the others.

They regarded me as if madness had claimed me, yet I stood firm, awaiting its reply.

Finally, the rock stirred, sensing I wouldn't budge.

But the second it twitched, my hand shot out to seize it—I'd anticipated the escape attempt.