Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2059: Being drained

Just to confirm I wasn't imagining it, I turned to the elder and asked, "Can I take a closer look?"

The elder nodded right away without the slightest pause.

That rapid agreement from the elder left a nagging doubt in my mind that I couldn't shake off. It felt like the elder might be concealing some hidden agenda from me, given the haste in their response.

This suspicion made a part of me reluctant to get any nearer to that thing.

Yet ultimately, the powerful bond emanating from this stone pillar pulled at me, convincing me that I needed to inspect it at least once.

So I inched forward gradually toward the stone pillar.

Once I crossed that initial boundary with my first step, I braced myself for any possible response from the stone pillar. However, it simply stayed motionless, as if utterly unaware of my presence.

Of course, this stone pillar wasn't a creature with life in the first place.

Noticing the complete lack of response from the stone pillar, I drew nearer step by step until I stood directly before it.

Positioned right in front of the stone pillar like that, the link between us became vividly clear to me. No surprise it outshone the ties from ordinary objects infused with divine energy.

All of that stemmed from the stone pillar brimming with creation-attributed divine energy.

Moreover, it was the purest form, surpassing even the purity of my own.

Still, the elder had mentioned this as a gift straight from the gods.

Coming directly from divine origins, it made perfect sense for it to hold such untainted divine energy.

The fact that it carried creation attributes suggested the source of this divine energy belonged to...

In the end, I had no chance to dwell on it further as the stone pillar suddenly reacted.

I had extended my hand toward the stone pillar, hoping to uncover any unique traits it might possess. Yet the instant my fingers touched it, the stone pillar began to glow brightly.

The glow wasn't the sole occurrence from this contact. I alone could perceive the deeper effect, as it involved my own essence being siphoned away.

The very moment my hand connected with the stone pillar, my divine energy began pouring into it.

I didn't keep my hand there for more than a brief instant, and the drain wasn't aggressive in nature. As soon as I withdrew my hand, the flow of divine energy ceased entirely.

A puzzled expression crossed my face as I stared at the stone pillar, though I had no idea what had just transpired.

That feeling was entirely unfamiliar to me, after all...

It didn't feel like an assault or exploitation; rather, it resembled a mutual exchange between the stone pillar and myself.

In truth, I had benefited considerably from that brief contact with the stone pillar.

The creation-attributed divine energy I held was merely rudimentary divine energy. Despite its creation nature, it wasn't anything exceptional.

But upon linking with the divine energy within the stone pillar, it appeared I'd absorbed some new insight.

Indeed, my divine energy now felt thicker and more substantial following that bond.

I had no opportunity to speak up before the elder and the other chiefs of this rock elemental village rushed over to examine the stone pillar.

It wasn't long until their cheers erupted.

"It’s bigger!"

"It became a little bit bigger!"

"The source of this realm won’t die now!"

I glanced at the stone pillar upon hearing their words, yet I couldn't discern any noticeable increase in size.

For the rock elementals, their perception of scale should make it obvious.

Based on their measurements, it probably appeared slightly larger or the like...

"Why did it do that?" I questioned the elder once I snapped back to attention.

The elder regarded me with renewed surprise and bewilderment before replying, "We don’t know either. The only thing that was in the prophecy was that the representative of the gods would help restore the source of this realm."

My eyes narrowed as I fixed the elder with a sharp stare at those words.

Essentially, they were admitting prior knowledge that this event would unfold.

The elder couldn't ignore the implication in my gaze, so they added, "We didn’t know the specifics, so we didn’t know that this would happen."

I narrowed my eyes again, but the elder met my look steadily, showing no signs of deception.

With that open expression, it proved difficult to hold any grudge against them.

Still, I wasn't about to repeat the action, even as they gazed at me expectantly, hoping for more.

Though it caused no real harm, the link with the stone pillar had still depleted a portion of my divine energy.

I had no clue how extended such a connection might last, but I certainly wouldn't dive in recklessly.

If I decided to proceed, I'd experiment cautiously first.