Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2068: Living ancestor

Realizing that this stone was far from ordinary, I found myself pondering why the elder had led me to this spot.

Yet the elder paid me no mind and simply approached the stone.

Upon reaching the stone's side, the elder abruptly declared, "Ancestor, we've arrived to pay our respects."

The moment those words left the elder's mouth, the whole cavern appeared to awaken. It felt like the entity within that stone held sway over the entire space.

This sight stirred memories of the rock constructs I'd encountered before.

Whenever rock elementals drew in the strength from fellow rock elementals, not only did their power surge, but their forms also grew larger. Based on what I'd observed, there appeared to be no cap on how massive these rock elementals could expand.

The cavern and the surrounding hill... they might actually be fragments of a far grander entity than I'd imagined.

Still, if that held true, I couldn't shake the thought of how many lives must have been lost for this ancestor to attain such might. Clearly, this wasn't a power born from merely consuming a handful of rock elementals.

It demanded the absorption of hundreds, perhaps thousands, to climb to this height.

And then there was that divine energy, potent enough to challenge a god's envoy.

Such force couldn't be acquired without receiving it straight from a deity.

The ancestor the elder wanted me to encounter was undoubtedly an ancient being.

This was the very ancestor from whom I could extract the details I sought.

Once the cavern's tremors subsided, the shaking finally ceased.

The central stone lifted into the air momentarily before an aura enveloped it, shaping it into a human-like figure. Even so, this shape remained rocky, not truly flesh and blood.

At the very least, it resembled a person more than the typical rock elementals.

Once shaped, the entity dubbed the ancestor settled into a seat that looked like a simple throne. No ornate design here—this was a crude construct forged from stone by the ancestor itself.

The posture it adopted evoked the image of a weary old grandfather, done with being on his feet.

It hardly came across as the formidable leader of the rock elementals.

But only after taking its seat did its gaze upon me reveal depths far beyond its unassuming exterior. That stare pierced right through me, as if unraveling my very essence.

Following an extended hush, the rock elemental ancestor at last spoke, "So you've finally come."

A puzzled brow lift was my instinctive response, since I had no clue what the rock elemental ancestor implied. Particularly with that tone, suggesting some prior acquaintance.

Yet I'd never laid eyes on this rock elemental ancestor previously.

"Do we know each other?" In the end, that's the only question I managed.

"Ha, ha, ha, not in the slightest."

This reply from the rock elemental ancestor only deepened my bewilderment, leaving me utterly lost on its intent.

Still, judging by its demeanor, the rock elemental ancestor had no intention of clarifying.

After the laughter died down, the rock elemental ancestor continued, "Long ago, someone spoke of you to me. That's why I've awaited your arrival all these years."

My brows furrowed tightly upon hearing those words.

The phrasing from the rock elemental ancestor carried an ominous ring.

Who from that distant past could have known of me and shared it with the rock elemental ancestor?

Try as I might to make sense of it, nothing added up logically.

Ultimately, words failed me because of the rock elemental ancestor's unwavering gaze. Whatever I uttered wouldn't sway its resolve.

"Can you share details about your rock elemental tribe and the events of the first war?"

"It's straightforward—we gained the gods' power amid the brutal clashes within our own ranks, which drew us into their conflict."

The rock elemental ancestor's summary stripped the events to their bare bones, mirroring precisely the performance they'd staged for me earlier.

These weren't the insights I'd hoped to uncover.

Therefore, I pressed, "There has to be more to it than that. Surely there are deeper layers."

Gazing steadily at me, the rock elemental ancestor replied evenly, "Naturally, there's more, but much of it I cannot reveal to you."

Encountering the same restriction from the rock elemental ancestor as from the gods prompted another furrow of my brows.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Simple—you're not prepared for it yet."

A urge bubbled up inside me to protest, yet something held it back. It was as though a hidden part of me concurred with the assessment.

Even knowing this sensation wasn't organic, some influence must have been steering my emotions.

Evidently, greater forces were at play than what appeared on the surface...

Thus, with a resigned sigh, I conceded, "Fine, then share whatever you can."

On this occasion, the rock elemental ancestor responded with what felt like a grin, "Certainly."