After signing in, the group continued their descent into the depths.
“There are more students than usual,” Min observed as they sidestepped another group climbing up laden with crystals. Picks clinked against the stone walls and earth beasts were the norm here, the sound of mining echoing through the tunnels.
“It’s the semester’s final stretch,” one of the noble girls’ ‘student’ escorts explained. “Many upperclassmen try to increase their productivity around this time to pass the gathering unit.”
As they crossed below 150 meters, the mana density began affecting the group. Beasts started manifesting in preparation for any lesser worms, Taro’s living tunnel creating patterns across his skin and Luna’s wolf projecting denser shadows that seemed to crawl along the walls were some examples.
Only Liora and Larissa kept their beasts completely hidden, though the tension in their postures suggested they too felt the pressure of uncertainty.
They could have entered through Ren’s ex secret tunnel, Liora and the escorts already knew about it and had expanded it… but with adults still investigating the seed from outside, Ren had decided to write it off.
Ren’s mushrooms pulsed softly, detecting several lesser worms nearby. They weren’t a real threat to the group, but their presence indicated they were entering more dangerous territory.
Before they could cross to the next level, the sound of approaching voices and footsteps made them halt. A new group of six older students was climbing up.
Ren immediately recognized one of them, they were fifth-year students, and among them was Leopold, the same one who had demanded special attention from Finch at the bank. Ren lowered his gaze, hoping to avoid any confrontation, but…
“Well, well,” Leopold’s voice shattered the silence between both groups. “If it isn’t the ‘mushroom magnate.'”
The group stopped. Leopold stepped forward, his golden robes gleaming even in the dim light.
“Don’t think you’ll surpass me just with luck,” he continued, his tone dripping with disdain. “Don’t expect another miracle just because you wander around here. I’ve investigated everything about the hydra and the gifts you received from the prince. But that’s not enough to stand out. You need to shine in many areas, and with a miserable spore…”
One of his companions suddenly leaned in, whispering something in his ear. Leopold’s expression shifted subtly.
“Noble candidates?” he murmured, loud enough for everyone to hear. “These first-year children?”
Liora and Larissa exchanged glances, their fingers touching their chins in identical gestures of contemplation.
‘I wonder who leaked that information,’ Larissa mused internally.
‘Grandmother might have spread it… she has a peculiar sense of humor,’ Liora pondered.
‘Julius enjoys these political games,’ Larissa finally inferred.
‘Even the Director could be involved,’ Liora continued thinking. ‘What better way to make the academy stand out among the other two schools than boasting about having such young double tamers?’
Ren’s mushrooms pulsed with what seemed like resignation. The secret apparently wasn’t so secret anymore.
“They’re just Iron students!” Leopold spat, though his voice had lost some of its initial arrogance. “If you could find a miracle, I’ll find one too. I won’t let some novices surpass me.”
“No one’s trying to surpass you,” Ren finally spoke. “We’re just working on our own path.”
“Your own path?” Leopold laughed, but there was tension in his laughter. “Don’t you understand? If you aim upward, you aim at me…”
“Leopold,” one of his companions interrupted. “We still have several things to process to get the crystals from…”
“Fine,” Leopold turned sharply. “Let’s go. But this isn’t over, ‘minor magnate’.”
As the fifth-year group moved away, Mira approached Ren.
“Is he your friend?” she asked quietly.
“It’s rival pride,” Han answered before Ren could. “My sister says upper-year students hate when someone younger surpasses them.”
“Especially if that someone has mushrooms instead of a ‘proper’ beast,” Min added with a smile.
“Well,” Taro intervened, “at least now we know why there’s been so much interest in our group lately… seems like many already know.”
“The annoying part of fame,” Larissa sighed dramatically. “That’s what you get for finding something extraordinary.”
“We should continue,” Ren suggested, trying to evade the topic. “I need to find a good spot before it gets late.”
The group resumed their descent, but now there was a new element in the air… the sensation that somehow, they were at the center of everything.
“You think it was your grandmother?” Luna whispered to Liora as they walked.
“Maybe… or maybe Julius?” Liora added with a small smile.
“Knowing both,” Larissa joined the conversation, “I have no idea who moved first. They love creating chaos.”
Their soft laughter mixed with the echo of their footsteps as they ventured deeper into the mines, leaving politics and rivalries behind, at least for the moment.
♢♢♢♢
Ren studied each intersection carefully, his mushrooms pulsing as he analyzed the veins and monster activity patterns. He was looking for something specific: an area that other students would naturally avoid.
“Watch out!” Min warned of a lesser worm emerging from the ground.
“They’re really annoying,” Taro commented as his living tunnel detected and crushed another. “Weak, but those bites are dangerous…”
“Just keep moving,” one of the nobles’ ‘student’ escorts explained. “And stay alert to ground vibrations.”
Luna observed Ren with growing irritation. Her eyes followed his every movement as he examined the walls, ignoring veins that any other student would have considered valuable.
“What exactly are you looking for?” she finally asked, her tone mixing curiosity with ‘annoyance’.
“The perfect entrance,” Ren responded distractedly, his mushrooms pulsing faster as they neared their objective.
Another worm emerged, but Luna’s wolf dispatched it with a casual swipe of its shadowy claws.
“Entrance to what?” Larissa joined the interrogation, her interest clearly piqued.
Ren stopped abruptly, his mushrooms illuminating a crack in the wall. It was small, almost invisible if you didn’t know what to look for, and completely devoid of crystals around its edges.
“To my new secret route… to this,” he pointed at the opening. “Nobody would come here, there are no visible crystals and the space is too narrow to be comfortable.”
“And that makes it perfect because…?” Mira let the question hang.
“Because nobody will follow us,” Ren smiled, his mushrooms pulsing with what seemed like anticipation.
Without further explanation, he began squeezing through the crack. His thin body barely fit through the opening.
“Are you sure about this?” Han asked, looking at the narrow space with apprehension.
“Absolutely,” Ren’s voice came from inside. “It’s time to head for the real objective.”