About 200 meters underground, Julius advanced with the fluid certainty of someone who commands the element surrounding him.
His earth wolverine maintained a constant flow of perception through the ground, allowing him to detect movements and vibrations across a considerable radius.
Something didn't add up, though.
Since beginning his patrol after the worm incident, he had noticed strange patterns in the behavior of subterranean creatures. At times, they seemed to become agitated as if responding to an invisible threat, moving in waves of panic that spread across different levels.
But when he arrived at the location, inexplicably, everything calmed again.
"It's as if something is frightening them," he murmured to himself, his wolverine's essence merged with his skin in subtle ripples, enhancing his connection to the earth around him. "But when I approach to investigate..."
Nothing. That was the most disconcerting part.
