Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2057: Dying source

Trailing after the rock elementals, we quickly reached a spot that one might label as a village.

Yet, through human eyes, it barely resembled anything of the sort.

To humans, this area appeared more like a simple cluster of stones.

The dwellings of these rock elementals consisted entirely of stone, which suited creatures like them perfectly.

Still, to human sight, it came across as nothing more than scattered boulders.

We recognized these as homes only because tiny stone beings emerged from them. Clearly, I had vastly underestimated the number of rock elementals dwelling here.

Upon witnessing this, Klein and the royal guards instinctively grew tense, fearing we might get encircled by the creatures.

I shot them a glance, signaling to stay composed and avoid any hasty moves.

Entering this village brought an odd sensation, mainly due to its mismatched proportions.

The stone huts fit the little rock beings just right, but that made them tiny next to human structures.

Actually, the biggest structure here stood shorter than every one of us.

Their low height allowed us to peer right over the rooftops with ease.

It felt like we had transformed into towering giants amid this place.

As they emerged, the village's small stone inhabitants regarded us with evident curiosity. They gazed at us like exotic beasts in an exhibit, leaving us somewhat uneasy.

Naturally, the one feeling the most disquiet was me.

That was because the majority fixed their stares directly on me.

I noticed them murmuring with the stone creatures who had guided us, so those guides must have shared details about me with the villagers, sparking this intense focus.

It truly made me feel like some spectacle put on for their amusement.

At last, the gathering split open as a delegation approached.

The deference shown to them suggested this was probably the village's ruling council.

From our human viewpoint, though, distinguishing these leaders from ordinary rock elementals proved impossible. They all blended together in appearance to us...

Yet, I sensed a distinct difference in these leaders.

They carried a denser aura of power within.

This wasn't quite divine energy, nor was it mana. It also differed from the force the qilin held.

Describing this energy proved quite challenging...

When the group drew near, the figure at the front tilted upward toward me and declared, "Representative of the gods, we’ve been waiting for your arrival for a long time. It was long prophesied that you would come to our village."

Then, in a quieter tone that still reached my ears, they added, "Though it was said that you would have arrived much sooner than this."

A bitter sensation washed over me at those words, yet I held my tongue, allowing the leader to proceed.

"I am the elder of the village, you may address me as elder. For us rock elementals, we have names that can only be said in our own language and there is no direct translation in your language for our names."

I found myself arching an eyebrow at the elder's words, but it appeared the elder had no intention of revealing more about the rock elementals, as it abruptly pivoted away.

The way the crowd cleared a path and the elder pressed onward made it obvious they expected us to trail behind.

Still, a touch of reluctance gripped me, uncertain of our destination...

In the end, though, I chose to follow, knowing idling in place wouldn't advance us.

Observations indicated the elder was leading us straight to the village's heart. Yet, nothing remarkable occupied that spot except for a solitary stone pillar.

This pillar resembled many surrounding stone formations, blending seamlessly into the surroundings.

Closer inspection, however, revealed something unique about this pillar.

Its central position alone hinted at importance. As we neared, a clear circular boundary became visible, keeping everything at a distance from the pillar.

This looked like a deliberate buffer to prevent any approach to the pillar.

Almost like a forbidden territory.

Halting at a specific distance, the elder wheeled back to face me and stated, "As you can see, the source of our world is dying and the only one that can help us is the representative of the gods as per the prophecy."

Following this pronouncement, the elder regarded me expectantly, as if awaiting my action.

But their expectant gaze didn't clarify what they hoped I'd accomplish.

After all, the pillar's nature and their expectations remained mysteries to me.

Thus, their words carried little meaning without further insight.

Gazing down at the elder, I replied, "I have no idea what you’re talking about. I need you to explain what is happening here."