Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2168: Where is this?

Stepping through the portal produced no sensation whatsoever. I had anticipated some distortion, a feeling of being pulled or stretched, but there was absolutely nothing. "Truly, the work of an advanced ancient civilization," I conceded, having experienced it firsthand. We emerged on the other side after only a few steps. However, upon exiting the portal...

"Where are we? What is this place?" The surroundings were utterly unfamiliar. It was a desolate expanse, devoid of anything but sand stretching in every direction. Turning back, the faint outline of the portal we had traversed was still visible, but it was rapidly fading, signaling its imminent closure. There was nothing we could do to halt its disappearance; by the time we could react, it would be gone. Even if we turned back now, it would have vanished by the time we reached it. So, I faced forward again, surveying our new environment. Since we were stranded, our only recourse was to search for any signs of civilization. Rather than dwelling on Solista perhaps abandoning us in this wasteland, it was more practical to focus on finding a way out.

It was Lupus who ultimately broke the silence. "I can smell civilization," she announced. Even with my own senses heightened by the God of Creation's inheritance, my olfactory abilities paled in comparison to Lupus's. Of course, I was comparing myself to a wolf renowned for its keen sense of smell. And Lupus was no ordinary wolf; to compare myself to a Fenrir, a legendary beast, was hardly a fair assessment.

Since Lupus had detected signs of civilization, there was no time to delay. I mounted her back, and she set off, guiding the way. Her incredible speed meant it wasn't long before I saw what she had spoken of: a city nestled in the heart of the desert. Judging by its size, it appeared to be quite substantial. Yet, we observed that very few people were entering or leaving. Despite its apparent scale, the city didn't exude an aura of prosperity due to the sparse population. "Is that a good sign or a bad one?" I couldn't help but murmur, observing the scene. To avoid alarming the inhabitants, I had Lupus reduce her size as we approached.

As we drew nearer, the guards at the city's entrance appeared extremely tense, as if anticipating danger. Their vigilance wasn't directed solely at me; it seemed they were generally on edge, wary of some unseen threat. It was as if a pervasive sense of danger hung in the air. The moment we came within range, they immediately leveled their weapons at us. "Halt and identify yourselves," commanded the guard captain, though he hesitated to approach further. Their demeanor suggested extreme caution towards anyone arriving from outside the city.

"We are merely travelers who became lost in the desert, nothing more," I replied, raising my hands. My cloaked figure, intended to shield me from the sun's heat, now seemed to work against me, concealing my identity. After a prolonged, silent scrutiny, the captain turned away, as if to retrieve something. He returned holding one of the mass-produced weapons I had manufactured. A part of me felt relieved, realizing this indicated I was likely back on the continent. However, another part was apprehensive about why he would produce such a device.

His action made their reason for being on high alert glaringly obvious. Recalling the events in the Kite Kingdom, it wasn't difficult to surmise the continent's current predicament. I remained still as the captain proceeded to scan me with the weapon. However, the device's reaction was not what the guards anticipated. "This isn't the typical response to corruption energy, but it is a reaction." "Yet, this device doesn't react to ordinary people, nor even to those possessing relics." "Then the only thing it could react to..." The guards' expressions shifted as a realization dawned upon them. I kept silent, recognizing that this unexpected outcome was, in fact, a favorable development for me.