Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2055: Not fairies

The instant I seized the rock, it appeared to freeze up again.

Clearly, this rock was attempting to pretend it was lifeless the very moment I took hold of it, yet pulling off that act proved difficult because its arms and legs remained plainly visible to me.

Though it stayed completely motionless, I wasn't deceived in the least, given those obvious features staring right back at me.

Still, I was the sole one noticing these details.

Klein and the rest kept staring at me with puzzled expressions, utterly clueless about my actions.

After an extended pause filled with silence, Klein muttered awkwardly, "It's definitely odd to find a rock perched on a tree branch like that. Still, it wouldn't be too surprising if it tumbled down after being stuck up there for so long."

The other royal guards nodded along in full agreement with his words.

Every one of them shared the identical thought, believing this stone held nothing unusual at all. They dismissed it as mere chance, odd as it might be.

Yet I refused to accept that explanation.

For as they spoke those lines, a subtle vibration pulsed from the rock gripped in my hand, as though it responded directly to Klein and the guards' remarks.

The quiver was incredibly faint, but my firm grasp allowed me to detect it clearly.

This rock had indeed shifted by itself earlier, joining the group that spied on our movements. It baffled me that I hadn't spotted it sooner, especially with those bizarre limbs making it so conspicuous.

At the same time, it logically explained why nothing had caught my eye before, if they could camouflage themselves as ordinary rocks so effectively.

Maybe it wasn't limited to just the rocks...since those watchful eyes still lingered from every direction around us. Right now, encirclement held us tight, with unseen watchers observing closely.

No clue whether they were rocks or some other beings entirely.

At the very least, I understood the way to force their reveal.

"No need to keep skulking in the shadows—show yourselves already." I declared, brushing off Klein and the others entirely. Their faces twisted into even more bewildered stares upon hearing me, but I paid them no mind.

With no reply emerging from our hidden observers, I lifted the rock higher and applied a gentle pressure to it.

Nothing seemed poised to shift at first, yet I picked up on the rock's subtle motion. It reacted sharply to my squeeze, and the response didn't feel positive at all.

Maybe I'd gripped it with excessive force this time...

In reaction to that quaking from the rock, the earth beneath us abruptly transformed.

I'd clearly agitated our stalkers, as the ground began rumbling fiercely.

A variety of stones erupted into view surrounding us, quickly forming a tight circle before long.

While Klein and the others remained baffled by the unfolding events, their instincts told them danger loomed. Only through sheer training did they finally draw weapons and assume defensive stances.

I lacked understanding of the situation too, but idleness wasn't an option for me either.

Thus, I shifted the rock to my free hand while readying myself for battle.

Yet the second the rock transferred to my other hand, a surge emanated from the Mark of God. That very instant the Mark of God activated, everything halted abruptly.

The advancing stones locked in place, behaving as if utterly shocked by the sight.

Following a prolonged hush, a voice rang out: "Why do you possess that?"

I couldn't grasp what the voice referenced, but it originated straight from the rock in my grasp. Glancing down, a face matching the limbs materialized on its surface.

It resembled a tiny being crafted entirely from stone.

"A fairy?" My initial assumption upon viewing this petite stone entity, though I dismissed it quickly—I'd encountered fairies previously. I'd even crafted a garden habitat for them, leading to frequent meetings.

I recognized no existence of stone fairies resembling this diminutive creature.

Thus, its true nature escaped me completely.

Regaining my composure, I replied, "I've been dispatched here to aid you. The Mark of God serves as my evidence."

I had no inkling of the outcome from uttering those words, but they proved remarkably potent. The instant I spoke, every stone scattered across the ground rose up, unveiling their actual shapes.

Each stone on the ground mirrored the small stone creature now in my hold.

This revealed the true watchers who had trailed us from the start.

I stayed far less stunned than Klein and the others, whose faces betrayed total surprise. Having detected nothing unusual, their shock at this metamorphosis was entirely expected.

Because I'd braced my mind somewhat, anticipating this reveal, I quickly composed myself to ask, "What exactly are you? How long have you dwelled in this area?"