Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2005: Stragglers

"You're not joining in the fight." Klein ensured I fully understood this point before permitting us to trail after the monsters.

I realized right away that participating in the battle was completely out of the question for me, though honestly, jumping into the action wasn't my plan regardless. That made it simple to accept his rule about staying clear during their clashes with these creatures.

Claiming I had no curiosity at all about measuring my abilities against these beasts would be false, yet goblins didn't spark enough thrill in me to make it worthwhile.

In the past, such goblins would have presented a massive danger to me, my followers, and my domain.

My outlook had transformed greatly as the years passed, shaped by the strength and rank I'd attained.

As we pursued the goblins, we spotted them heading toward a cavern positioned along the edge of a sheer drop. The odd part was that it wasn't burrowed into the cliff wall; instead, it opened in a rise situated high above the abyss.

Picturing the path this cavern took grew tough, considering the steep fall right behind it.

Still, pushing far into the depths wasn't required to catch sight of the goblins clustered within.

Not solely goblins had assembled in this spot; additional beasts had converged here too.

Moreover, it went beyond just a handful of monster varieties; a wide assortment of creatures had amassed in the area. But upon closer examination, it became clear these varied beasts weren't truly banding as one.

In reality, they were simply leveraging one another for basic safeguarding, without any genuine regard between them.

Each monster kind huddled in their own tight packs, steering clear of any contact with the others.

"These must be the remnants of the monster wave." I remarked steadily while eyeing the creatures ahead of us.

Klein and his group affirmed with nods.

The truth shone through plainly, as certain monsters appeared utterly drained. Some even looked like they were in the midst of healing, their forms riddled with fresh injuries.

These creatures seemed to have journeyed from distant corners, judging by how many types didn't belong to nearby territories.

The bulk of them hailed from regions that lay far off from here.

That meant their trek to reach this location had covered vast distances.

Furthermore, the path wouldn't have been smooth, with the racial alliance dispatching hunters to eliminate these threats along the way.

To prevent another disaster like the previous one, we'd been deploying forces to cull and contain them. For so many to arrive despite that, their ordeal must have been intense.

"What is it about this place that's drawing them in?" I pondered aloud, scanning the throng of gathered monsters.

"We're leaving." Klein declared in a resolute tone.

This announcement didn't catch me off guard, given the risks of lingering in such a spot.

His forbearance in letting us get this close already showed impressive restraint on his part.

The real concern was his grasp on my soft spot.

Should he relay this back to Rose after we got home, trouble would surely follow for me.

With a casual shrug and a nod, I replied, "Let's go."

Forcing the matter held no upside for me, so there was little reason to press.

By now, the threat had escalated to the point where only a proper strike team could handle them effectively. Sending anything less would lead to heavy losses and beasts slipping away.

Besides, putting Klein and the royal guards in harm's way wasn't something I aimed for.

Thus, I went along with his idea, and we geared up to depart.

Yet prior to heading out, I tossed in one final instruction: "Make sure that you keep a few people here to watch over this place."

Klein nodded simply, as if he'd foreseen this and already intended to follow through.

Unpredictable moves from these beasts if left unchecked made oversight vital.

Hence, we needed at minimum to station scouts who could update us on their actions.

However, just as we were set to pull back, agitation rippled through the monster ranks. Some disturbance had abruptly roused them.

"Please move back." Klein instructed, pulling his blade free in readiness for combat.

But I countered, "Don't do anything rash. We're the ones that will be in danger if we do anything now."

Klein nodded in response, though his posture revealed he'd throw himself into the fray if circumstances demanded it.

Naturally, I had no intention of letting that happen.

Even with our sharp exchanges, the deep loyalty that kept them shadowing me like this had solid roots.

As we observed the beasts, it grew evident that an emergence from the cavern's interior was fueling their unrest.

By sharpening my awareness toward the cave, I sensed an unusual power flowing from its depths.

It resembled mana, yet this force also echoed something familiar...

"What is this thing?"

Klein shot me a baffled glance after my quiet words, but greater shock hit him upon noticing the glow emanating from my palm.

This item had triggered in response to whatever lay inside the cave.