"Is it Julius?" asked Ren directly, his voice barely audible.
The surprise that crossed Zhao's face was revealing. His eyes widened momentarily before he could control his expression. He quickly looked around, ensuring no one else had heard.
"Yes," he finally confirmed, placing a finger over his lips in a clear gesture for silence. "But you shouldn't know that, and we definitely shouldn't be discussing this here."
Without further explanation, Zhao took Ren lightly by the shoulder and guided him toward the professors' tent. The guards appeared surprised but didn't question the professor as both entered, the heavy canvas flap falling shut behind them.
The tent's interior wasn't new to Ren. Detailed maps covered a central table, illuminated by soft light crystals that cast a warm glow over the gathered faces. Lin and Wei were discussing in hushed tones when Zhao and Ren entered, their conversation halting abruptly.
"He felt the vibrations," Zhao explained without preamble. "And he's already learned that Julius is here."
Lin didn't seem particularly surprised. "Of course he felt them," she commented, studying Ren with an evaluative gaze. "The question is whether he has any idea what might be happening."
"I'm not sure," Ren responded, his eyes traveling over the maps spread across the table. "But I've seen strange behaviors from creatures at school. Especially near the seed..."
The three professors exchanged significant looks.
"Sit," Lin indicated, pointing to a chair near the table. "We need to talk about what you just witnessed."
Ren obeyed, his mushrooms pulsing softly while evaluating the situation. He hadn't expected his simple decision to warn about an anomalous worm would lead to this impromptu meeting with the professors.
"Julius is here along with many more auxiliaries and guards as an additional security measure because of what happened on the first trip," explained Zhao, keeping his voice low despite being inside the tent. "His presence isn't known to the students, and we prefer to keep it that way."
"We must be prepared," added Lin, leaning forward slightly. "We can't afford another similar incident, especially with so many important students in the first year."
"The worm," Wei returned to the topic, his fingers tapping nervously against the table's edge, "I don't think it's natural. At least, it shouldn't be so close to the surface due to the mana distribution and..."
"I know," Ren interrupted. "What do you think it means, then?"
The three professors fell silent for a moment, apparently weighing how much they could share with a student, even one as exceptional as Ren.
"What we're going to tell you must remain between us," Zhao finally said. "Understood?"
Ren nodded, his mushrooms pulsing with what seemed to be anticipation, their glow intensifying slightly.
"We suspect there are... explorers," Lin chose the word carefully, her expression guarded.
"Yino?" Ren asked immediately, cutting to the heart of the matter.
Again, the professors exchanged glances, but this time it was Wei who responded.
"Possibly," he conceded. "Although we don't have concrete evidence yet."
But Ren shook his head. "I think that's very unlikely... It seems to me that the subterranean mana structure has been gradually altered even before the seed's opening. The slightly strange behaviors near the seed make more sense then."
"Which would explain why a worm might venture so close to the surface," Zhao completed, his brow furrowing in thought.
"Exactly," Ren nodded.
"Julius should return soon to give us information about what he found underground. But he's also looking for signs of external intervention," added Lin. "Any evidence that someone might be trying to exploit these worm tunnels."
Ren remained silent for a moment, processing all this information. The implications stretched far beyond a single misplaced worm.
"What do you want me to do?" he finally asked.
The question seemed to take the professors by surprise. They clearly hadn't expected Ren to offer help so directly.
"For now, nothing specific," Zhao responded after a moment. "But if you feel other similar anomalies, inform us immediately. And of course..."
"Keep the secret," Ren completed.
"Not just about Julius," Lin clarified. "But also about the changes in subterranean mana. The last thing we need is for students to panic or, worse yet, for some to decide to 'explore' on their own."
Ren nodded, perfectly understanding the implications. Knowledge, as always, came with responsibility.
Before Ren could respond, a faint but distinctive sound came from the tent floor, a subtle vibration different from the worm's movement.
"It's him," Zhao murmured, straightening in anticipation.
Mere seconds later, the earth opened and Julius emerged, his imposing figure somewhat made awkward by the fluid way he moved upwards. Still, not a speck of dirt clung to his immaculate clothing despite having traveled through the ground.
A hole beside him grew larger, but the earth barely trembled despite its great size, earth elemental control at its finest. His earth wolverine finally emerged, holding a worm in its mouth.
The creature couldn't move, trapped in a compressed earth cage that seemed to emerge from the ground itself. Julius's earth manipulation was so powerful in comparison that the worm could barely move its central segments to breathe, while its head and tail remained completely immobile.
Julius paused momentarily upon seeing Ren, an expression of mild surprise crossing his face before being replaced by his usual composure.
"I see we have company," he commented, his voice controlled but friendly as he fully entered the tent. "Good evening, Ren."
"Your Highness," Ren slightly inclined his head, maintaining a respectful distance.
"Young Ren felt the vibrations," Zhao quickly explained. "And somehow deduced it was you who was pursuing the worm, so there was no point in hiding it from him anymore."
"Impressive," Julius acknowledged. "May I ask how you reached that conclusion?"
"By the size and level of earth control," Ren responded, his mushrooms pulsing softly. "Since the day your wolverine transported me out of the school cave, I memorized that sensation; it's quite... distinctive."
Julius exchanged a look with Zhao and Lin. "And apparently quite recognizable," he added with a slight smile, a hint of genuine respect in his eyes.
Wei, who had remained relatively silent, approached the captive worm. "Did you find anything unusual?" he asked, pretending to be uninterested in Ren's surprising perceptive abilities.
"Nothing concerning," Julius responded, allowing the conversation to change. "I found the small tunnel that Yino's spies had used during the previous incident. It was almost completely collapsed but I still sealed it entirely."
"Signs of recent activity?" asked Lin, also approaching to examine the worm.
"None," Julius shook his head. "There were no traces of human presence, no unnatural alterations."
"And what about our friend here?" Zhao pointed to the worm, which continued weakly writhing in its earth prison.
"A completely ordinary worm," Julius responded. "Its behavior was absolutely normal when I found it. It showed no signs of external manipulation."
"I agree as well," added Wei.
Ren had slowly approached the worm, his mushrooms pulsing intensely while studying the creature. His eyes methodically traced each anatomical detail, as if reading information invisible to others.
"May I examine it more closely?" he asked, looking at Julius.
The prince nodded, though with certain caution. "Go ahead. The containment is secure, but keep your distance from its mouth."