Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2057: Dying source

Trailing after the rock elementals, we quickly reached a spot that one might label as their village.

Yet, through human eyes, it barely resembled anything of the sort.

To a human observer, this area was more accurately just a cluster of stones piled together.

The dwellings of these rock elementals appeared entirely crafted from rock, which suited beings like them perfectly.

Still, to human sight, it came off as nothing more than scattered boulders.

We only recognized them as homes because tiny stone beings emerged from inside. Clearly, I had vastly underestimated the sheer number of rock elementals dwelling here.

Upon witnessing this, Klein and the royal guards instinctively grew tense, fearing we might get overwhelmed by the creatures.

I shot them a glance, signaling to stay composed and avoid any hasty moves.

Stepping into this village brought an odd sensation, mainly due to its mismatched proportions.

The stone huts were perfectly scaled for these diminutive rock dwellers, but that rendered them tiny next to human structures.

Truth be told, the biggest edifice here barely reached our heights.

Their low stature allowed us to peer right over the rooftops with ease.

It felt like we had transformed into towering giants amid this realm.

As they emerged, the village's little stone inhabitants regarded us with evident curiosity. They gazed at us like exotic beasts in an exhibit, leaving us somewhat uneasy.

Naturally, the one feeling the most disquiet was me.

That was because the majority fixed their stares directly on me.

I noticed them murmuring with the stone creatures who had guided us, clearly sharing tales about me that sparked this intense focus.

It truly made me feel like some spectacle put on for their amusement.

At last, the gathering split open as a delegation approached.

The deference shown to them suggested this was likely the village's ruling council.

From our human perspective, though, distinguishing these leaders from ordinary rock elementals proved impossible—they all blended together visually...

For me, however, a subtle distinction stood out among these leaders.

They carried a denser aura of power within.

It wasn't quite divine energy, nor was it mana. Yet it differed from the qilin's essence too.

This power defied easy categorization...

When they drew near, the figure heading the group tilted upward toward me and declared, "Representative of the gods, we’ve been waiting for your arrival for a long time. It was long prophesied that you would come to our village."

Then, in a quieter tone that still reached my ears, they added, "Though it was said that you would have arrived much sooner than this."

A bitter sensation washed over me at those words, yet I held my tongue, allowing the leader to proceed.

"I am the elder of the village, you may address me as elder. For us rock elementals, we have names that can only be said in our own language and there is no direct translation in your language for our names."

I found myself arching an eyebrow at the elder's words, but it appeared they had no intention of revealing more about the rock elementals, as they abruptly pivoted away.

The way the throng cleared a path and the elder pressed onward made it obvious they expected us to trail behind.

Still, a trace of reluctance gripped me, uncertain of our destination...

In the end, though, I chose to follow, knowing idling in place wouldn't advance our cause.

From our vantage, the elder guided us straight to the village's heart. Yet, nothing remarkable occupied that spot except for a lone stone pillar.

It resembled many of the surrounding rock formations, blending seamlessly without drawing attention.

Closer inspection, however, revealed an unusual quality to this pillar.

Its solitary prominence at the village core hinted at deeper significance. As we neared, a clear perimeter emerged around it, devoid of any nearby objects.

This appeared as a deliberate buffer to keep everything at bay from the pillar.

Almost like a forbidden sanctuary.

Halting at a precise distance, the elder wheeled back to face me and stated, "As you can see, the source of our world is dying and the only one that can help us is the representative of the gods as per the prophecy."

Following this pronouncement, the elder regarded me expectantly, as if anticipating some action on my part.

But their expectant gaze did little to clarify matters for me.

After all, the pillar's nature and their hopes for me remained a complete mystery.

Thus, I had no grasp on their implication.

Gazing down at the elder, I replied, "I have no idea what you’re talking about. I need you to explain what is happening here."