Startled by the shadow, Xie Junping nearly tumbled all the way down, making a complete mess of himself. Naturally, he couldn't stop cursing.
Thanks to the Dark Heavy Chains' perception, Ronan could see more clearly. "It's an animal from the swamp. Looks like a muskrat... Are there any other entrances or exits besides the route we took in?"
Muskrats were fairly common in the jungle wetlands of Zhi Xing Institute. Adults measured thirty to forty centimeters long, with tails another twenty to thirty centimeters in length. The one that had just flashed past was much smaller, apparently still immature, but it moved with astonishing speed.
Xie Junping bared his teeth. "This place has been abandoned for more than a year or two. It's probably become some bird's nest beast den by now. Watch out you don't step in bird sh—"
He swallowed the last word halfway out.
Just then, the beam of light swept into an open area. The circular seating made maximum use of the space. There were two casually placed footrests, wall lamps embedded in the inner walls of the tree hollow, along with several delicate wall-mounted bookshelves and decorations. One glance was enough to tell that this was a lounge.
How large could a tree hollow be? The usable area before them was certainly no more than three square meters—not even enough room for a bed. Yet its exquisite arrangement made the most of the tree hollow's circular space, giving it a relaxed, comfortable feel.
Xie Junping immediately forgot what he had been saying and clicked his tongue. "Whoever made this really knew how to live. Incredible."
"There's another level above." Ronan pointed at the stone steps that still extended upward and continued on.
"Why do I feel like this project isn't inferior to Gear at all?