Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2021: Combined power

We kept a close eye on Dorothy's condition over the next few days, and it became obvious that she was recovering well.

With that black mark gone from the back of her neck, we could allow her to wander around the castle a little more freely.

I still ensured that the divine messengers stayed by her side no matter where she went, but at least she wasn't confined to one room the entire day.

Not just did she appear more lively, but her command over the corruption energy had improved once again.

That dark spot on her neck had previously amplified her corruption energy to the point where she couldn't handle it at all, wiping out all the prior training she'd put into mastering it.

Now with it back under her control, she could begin honing that skill anew.

The only real shift was that the qilin followed her everywhere she ventured.

They seemed to bond nicely, so this didn't pose any issues.

The trouble lay in how the qilin kept expanding in size day by day.

Despite being freshly born, its growth rate was remarkably swift.

Right after birth, it had matched the stature of a small pup.

These days, it rivaled a big hound and continued to enlarge steadily, likely soon reaching the proportions of a full-grown wolf, and perhaps even a stag afterward.

Yet, without knowing the full adult size of a qilin, there was no way to predict just how massive it might become at this pace.

Going by the current trend, it could easily swell to the bulk of a horse.

Should that occur, containing the qilin within the castle walls would prove quite challenging...

For the moment, though, the pair appeared to collaborate effectively in holding Dorothy's corruption energy in check, preventing it from spiraling beyond her grasp once more.

That's what brought us to the training grounds, eager to witness her capabilities now that the corruption energy was subdued.

We understood she couldn't eradicate the corruption energy entirely, yet testing her control over it remained a wise move.

After all, this was her inherent strength, so mastering it would serve her best.

However, as she showcased her abilities, I found myself furrowing my brow in concern.

It had nothing to do with fears of her losing command again; rather, something unfamiliar blended into the corruption energy, as if the qilin had influenced her during their shared time.

That puzzled me, given how these energies ought to clash as total opposites.

Watching them merge like this challenged everything I'd assumed before.

"Can you let me have a closer look at this?" I suddenly asked Dorothy.

She'd been midway through a powerful technique, so my interruption left her startled.

Regaining her composure, Dorothy turned to me with a puzzled expression, silently questioning my intent. Still, I held my silence, simply awaiting her display of the corruption energy in action.

Eventually, she approached and formed a sphere of that corruption energy for my inspection.

Upon examination, I realized it wasn't as fused as I'd imagined.

Through my perception, I discerned two distinct energies present, though they weren't truly blending together.

They merely coexisted in the same space.

The core of the sphere consisted primarily of the corruption energy.

Yet, along the outer rim, a faint layer of what felt like divine energy coated it—though not quite, as it carried a milder potency than true divine energy.

This was the unique essence the qilin held, somewhere between regular mana and divine power.

It had gained a touch more strength with the qilin's growth, but it fell short of reaching full divine levels.

Ultimately, the two forces weren't merging properly; one simply enveloped the other.

Even so, their lack of conflict was astonishing on its own.

Moreover, I sensed a subtle exchange between the energies, hinting at some underlying factor drawing them into interaction.

For Dorothy to achieve this feat, it underscored how extraordinary she truly was.

To begin with, harboring such vast corruption energy was already an oddity for her.

After pondering it briefly, I chose not to dwell on the mystery.

Since it helped keep things in check, this setup beat having no restraint at all.

Better to let events unfold naturally without interference.

Thus, I reached out to ruffle her hair and said, "Keep practicing. I can see that you’re getting better."

Dorothy's face lit up with a broad grin at my words.

Meanwhile, the qilin lifted its head, seemingly demanding its own pat.

I obliged with a helpless chuckle, shaking my head.

It felt like welcoming yet another child into the fold...