The sudden black shadow that fled startled Bai Zhe, but he quickly dismissed it. It was probably a mouse or some other small animal, unlikely to threaten him.
He planned to stay in the tree hollow for the night. If the rain stopped tomorrow, he would look elsewhere for a suitable home and return this hollow to its original owner.
If the weather didn't clear, he would remain here.
After some thought, Bai Zhe calmed himself and prepared to sleep.
He found the hollow comfortable, with a soft, warm layer beneath him—something like fur or down. As a cold-blooded animal, such a resting place was perfect.
Soon, sleep overcame him.
The next morning, Bai Zhe awoke early. Light had already begun to fill the hollow.
Just as he wanted to explore the structure, his attention was caught by sharp cries.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
He looked toward the entrance and saw a furry little creature yelling at him, seemingly cursing him out.
Bai Zhe smiled— it was a little squirrel.
[Target locked: Long-nosed Squirrel! Devouring gains 20 Evolution Points.]
The system's voice surprised Bai Zhe; this squirrel offered more Evolution Points than the mother rat he had killed last night.
But after closely observing, he realized the squirrel was about twenty centimeters long, larger than the mother rat.
Still, he had no intention of hunting it. Squirrels were quick and not easy to catch.
Besides, he had taken over its nest, allowing him a good rest last night.
One must be kind—whether human or snake.
After glancing at the squirrel a few more times, Bai Zhe withdrew his gaze and inspected the hollow.
He was amazed to find the floor lined with plenty of fur—hare fur, sheep's wool...
Quite a tidy mouse indeed.
Bai Zhe admired the squirrel's intelligence for decorating its nest so well—no wonder he felt warm last night.
On another hand, he found piles of pinecones and chestnuts, squirrel food stores.
After looking around, Bai Zhe crawled out of the hollow to explore the area.
The squirrel at the entrance saw him coming and, thinking Bai Zhe was after it, instantly vanished.
Bai Zhe climbed to the entrance and surveyed the surroundings.
The rain had lessened, allowing a clear view.
He noticed the tree he was in was a huge pine, its trunk thicker than his whole body, maybe two meters across.
The canopy was massive, covering ten meters around, full of lush green needles showing vibrant life.
The whole area was dense with trees, crowns touching each other, few gaps.
Mostly evergreen trees—camphor and pine.
About a hundred meters to the right was a flat grassland with few shrubs.
The grassland sloped gently downward on one side and ended with a steep cliff exposing gray-white rocks.
Only shaded parts of the rocks supported some green moss.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
Sharp cries broke Bai Zhe's thoughts.
He looked to the right and saw the squirrel on a branch, baring its teeth at him.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
Seeing Bai Zhe looking at it, the squirrel shrieked louder.
Annoyed, Bai Zhe snapped his head toward it, adopting an attacking stance.
"Squeak!"
The squirrel screamed, trembled, staggered, and fell from the branch.
Thud!
It hit the mossy ground with a cry, but the thick fur and soft moss saved it from injury.
Bai Zhe grinned.
"Hehe, silly mouse."
Once calm, Bai Zhe pondered his survival next steps.
It was still raining, so he couldn't look for a new home.
And he wasn't sure if this area was suitable for him.
To settle, two factors mattered.
First, the den had to be hidden and of moderate size—not too big or small to prevent predators from invading.
Second, food needed to be abundant.
Seeing the rain showed no sign of stopping, he returned inside the hollow.
The cold forest air made him uncomfortable; he preferred resting on the pile of hare and sheep fur.
Finding a home could wait until the weather cleared.
Unexpectedly, the rain lasted seven consecutive days.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。