A massive tree, easily one and a half meters in diameter, lay slanted against a mound of soft earth. It had clearly fallen decades ago. Its roots had been half-swallowed by the soil, and thick moss now coated its bark. But what caught his attention wasn't its size, it was the sound.
He tapped it. Tok.
Hollow.
He tapped again, crouching low this time. Tok-tok-tok.
'Definitely hollow.'
And not just that... it seemed deep. From the way the sound echoed, Han Yu estimated there was a large cavity inside, sealed shut by the compressed earth around the roots. There was no visible opening from below or the sides. A perfect natural vault.
His heart skipped.
'This… this could be it.'
