"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."
Ren knelt beside the worm, his mushrooms pulsing in a pattern that seemed to momentarily synchronize with the creature's weak movements. With precise but respectful movements, he studied the segmented rings, the subtle color variations in its skin, and especially the small lateral glands that rearrange the absorbed and processed earth.
"It's completely normal," he finally confirmed, standing up. "A common lesser worm, near the first fusion cycle."
"That confirms my observations," Julius nodded. "The question is: how did it get so close to the surface?"
"Or rather," added Zhao, "why?"
Ren remained silent for a moment, his mushrooms pulsing slowly while organizing his thoughts, their glow fluctuating slightly with each pulse.