Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2068: Living ancestor

Realizing that this stone was anything but ordinary, I found myself pondering why the elder had led me to this place.

Yet the elder paid no attention to me, simply approaching the stone instead.

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.

Witnessing this, my thoughts drifted back to the rock constructs I'd encountered before.

Whenever rock elementals drew in the strength from fellow rock elementals, their power surged and their forms grew larger. Based on what I'd observed, there appeared to be no cap on just 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 question of how many lives had been lost to elevate this ancestor to such heights. Clearly, this wasn't a power gained from merely consuming a handful of rock elementals.

Such might demanded the absorption of hundreds, perhaps thousands.

Beyond that lay this divine energy, potent enough to challenge even a god's envoy.

No ordinary means could grant such force; it had to stem straight from a deity's touch.

Without question, the ancestor the elder wanted me to encounter was an ancient being, one that had endured through ages.

From this ancestor, I stood to gain the knowledge I sought.

Once the cavern's tremors subsided, calm returned.

The central stone lifted into the air momentarily before an aura enveloped it, shaping it into a humanoid figure. Even so, it remained a rocky construct, far from truly human.

At the very least, it resembled a person more closely than the other rock elementals did.

Once shaped, the entity dubbed the ancestor settled into a seat that materialized beneath it—a simple throne forged from stone by its own power.

In that posture, it evoked the image of a weary grandfather eager to rest his legs.

It hardly conveyed the aura of a mighty rock elemental ancestor.

Yet once seated, the intensity in its gaze toward me revealed depths far beyond its unassuming exterior. Its stare pierced right through me.

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

A puzzled brow arched on my face, as I had no clue what the rock elemental ancestor intended with those words. The tone suggested a familiarity I didn't share.

After all, I'd never laid eyes on this rock elemental ancestor previously.

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

"Ha, ha, ha, not at all."

That response from the rock elemental ancestor only deepened my bewilderment, leaving me utterly lost on its implications.

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

Once the laughter faded, 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 at 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, it defied all logic.

Ultimately, words failed me, especially given the rock elemental ancestor's unwavering stare. Nothing I uttered would sway it.

"Can you tell me about your rock elemental tribe and what occurred in the first war?"

"It's very simple—we gained the gods' power amid the ugly strife within our own ranks, and that's how we ended up battling in their conflict."

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

This fell short of the details I'd hoped to uncover.

Therefore, I pressed, "That can't be everything. Surely there are deeper layers to it."

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

Encountering the same restriction from the rock elemental ancestor as from the gods caused my brows to crease again.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"It's very simple. You're not ready for it yet."

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

I recognized this wasn't a natural sentiment, implying some external influence was at play in shaping my reaction.

Evidently, greater forces lurked beneath the surface here...

Resigned, I let out a sigh and said, "Then share whatever you can."

With what appeared to be a faint smile, the rock elemental ancestor responded this time, "Sure."