Ren held his breath, his body completely still, pressed against the cool stone wall. Each heartbeat seemed unnaturally loud in the oppressive silence of the deep tunnels.
A lesser worm emerged from a side tunnel, its pale body glowing faintly with absorbed mana. The creature’s rugged skin revealed intricate patterns of mana circulation, a beautiful display of natural energy processing.
‘Must have been about two months ago,’ his mental analysis continued while observing the worm. ‘The common worm probably died or returned to the depths. But its last defecation left this zone separated.’
The knowledge flowing through his mind painted a clear picture of the tunnel’s recent history.
The lesser worm advanced near the deposit, its movements fluid and purposeful. Its olfactory sensors quivered, drawn by the rich mana concentration in the vein.
Ren watched, fascinated, as the blind creature approached the area where he had been working. Each movement revealed more about its nature, its hunting patterns, its sensory capabilities.
‘Mana attracts them,’ he thought while the worm tentatively tested the earth near the deposit. ‘But the residue…’ His knowledge showed him exactly what would happen next, like reading a script written in mana patterns.
Just as expected, the worm recoiled almost immediately.
Its sensors writhed in what appeared to be disgust before the creature rapidly retreated through another tunnel, its body contracting in visible revulsion.
‘Common worm excrement must taste terrible to them,’ Ren’s smile widened. ‘It’s like a natural repellent. The mana in the vein attracts them, but one taste of these residues…’
The elegant simplicity of nature’s defense mechanisms never ceased to amaze him.
Ren waited several moments more before resuming his work, each second measured carefully against the growing pressure of mana poisoning in his system.
‘That’s why this vein has retained so much mana,’ his mind connected the pieces while extracting another crystal.
‘Lesser worms detect it because of its mana richness, but the common worm’s residues keep them away.’
Each new discovery reinforced his understanding of the mines’ ecosystem.
His fingers traced the crystallization lines on the wall. The mana had concentrated uniquely here, preserved by the peculiar nature of the deposit. The patterns told a story of power trapped and refined over recent months.
‘Nobody else would come looking in such a cramped hole, and lesser worms won’t eat what’s basically a pile of worm feces unless by accident,’ he thought while packing another portion.
The irony of finding treasure again in what others would avoid brought a slight smile to his face.
The mushrooms pulsed again, detecting another movement in the distance, but farther away this time.
Ren continued his work, each movement precise and silent.
He had found a unique treasure here, and he wasn’t going to waste it. The density of the mana, the quality of the crystals, the perfect preservation of the deep earth, it was a miraculous combination of circumstances at this ‘low’ depth.
‘Just hope Taro never asks why his special crystal has that particular color,’ he smiled while sealing his bag.
The knowledge had shown him many secrets of the depths, and this was one of the most useful, however unpleasant it might seem.
♢♢♢♢
Ren leaned against the tunnel wall, his legs trembling slightly from the effort of the last hours.
The bag at his waist weighed pleasantly, the result of a productive but risky expedition.
The bronze crystals clinked softly against the iron ones, while the black earth remained stored in its own bag… 2 bags.
‘Almost 40 bronze crystals,’ he counted mentally while the mushrooms in his hair pulsed ever more slowly. ‘Plus the 50-some iron ones that surrounded them in the vein. And enough black earth for several complete sealings. Could get more, but…’
A slight dizziness made him lean against the wall again.
The dense mana was beginning to affect his system after more than three hours of exposure. The mushroom’s processing capacity severely reduced.
‘Time to start heading out,’ he straightened with effort. ’40 minutes before the mana poisoning becomes serious.’
Ren took out his canteen and took a long drink. The water helped mitigate the effects, but it was only a temporary solution. He needed to get out soon.
Following the mana residue patterns on the walls, Ren moved methodically toward the upper zone, each scratch, each crystallized mana residue telling a story.
His eyes scanned each intersection, looking for something specific. After several minutes of searching, he found what he needed.
‘There.’
A relatively gentle slope rose in one of the side tunnels. The marks on the walls showed the characteristic traces of a lesser worm that had abandoned the area long ago.
The tunnel seemed to end abruptly several meters up.
‘Perfect.’ A smile formed on his face while examining the formation. ‘Time to build my exit.’
Ren took out some tools and began working in the abandoned tunnel. Each movement was precise despite the growing dizziness. There was no time for errors, only thirty minutes to execute his exit plan and his alibi depended on doing this correctly.
‘The guards are meticulous with exit records,’ he thought while beginning to work in the abandoned tunnel.
‘They’ll need a convincing explanation for this amount of crystals. Something that doesn’t raise suspicions about forbidden levels.’
Especially if he wanted to collect his doubled month-end reward.
‘Twenty-five minutes,’ he estimated while feeling another wave of dizziness. ‘Need to finish this and start ascending in the next ten, or I won’t reach the surface in presentable condition.’
Sweat ran down his forehead as he continued his work. Each passing minute made his movements more difficult, more imprecise.
First he used the residual energy in the lens he had bought and overcharged a crystal, then sealed it with deep earth. The crystal began to glow in a brown tone.
Ren carefully deposited five bronze crystals on the ground, forming a specific pattern. His fingers trembled slightly while placing each one, not just from mana poisoning, but from the pain of wasting valuable resources.
‘Hurts to use bronze crystals like this,’ he thought while taking out three more from his bag. ‘But I need the worm to detect them from afar. Iron ones wouldn’t be enough attraction at this 115 meters low depth.’
The fresh marks on the walls confirmed what was necessary to execute his plan. A lesser worm had passed through here recently, its sensors probably still alert to any signal in its territory.
The mushrooms in Ren’s hair, though weak, could still detect the fresh mana trail.
‘This one must be near leveling up,’ he analyzed while studying the residue patterns. ‘The marks are deep, regular. It’s been accumulating mana consistently.’
With methodical precision, Ren began to strike the tunnel wall.