Chapter 218 - Taming the Finals (Unit 1) - 9

Though there shouldn't be anything beneath them in this area.

The conversation drifted toward plans for the following day. The boys' voices gradually lowered as fatigue from the day's exertions settled in their bodies.

Gradually, the conversation died down, replaced by deep breathing and occasional snores. The night silence was only interrupted by the distant sounds of local fauna and the crackling of the central fire that remained lit all night.

Ren was about to fall asleep but still awake, his mushrooms pulsing softly in a slow and constant rhythm.

It was then that he felt it.

A subtle vibration, almost imperceptible, transmitted through the skins. So slight that anyone else would have confused it with their own breathing, or perhaps with the movement of a nearby companion.

But Ren managed to distinguish it.

This vibration was different: deep, rhythmic, and above all, impossible.