Liu Chengen, an academician specializing in biological research, squeezed his way over too.
"Yes, about the World Tree, could you describe in more detail what you felt when you saw it?"
"Any detail will do! Changes in humidity, for example, how your skin felt, or even your heart rate at the time!"
"And rune technology!" A female expert in materials science rushed over as well.
"Comrade Lin Mo, how do the dwarves inscribe their runes? Through energy etching or material restructuring? Can they be replicated?"
"We urgently need a sample bearing a rune, even if it's only a tiny fragment!"
"And the Demon Clan!" a military staff officer interjected gravely.
"Their social structure, chain of command, and troop composition! We need to build a comprehensive threat assessment model!"
"The common language of the Terra Continent, its grammatical structure and phonetic logic..."
"The Elves' magic... the Holy Human Race's faith..."
For a moment,
questions surged toward Lin Mo like a raging flood,
overwhelming him until his brain froze.
"Stop!"
Zhao Gang's voice rang out just in time.
He walked over to Lin Mo and swept his gaze across the crowd.
"Everyone, I know you're anxious, but I think you all understand."
He pointed at Lin Mo, whose mind had gone completely blank.
"He is our only 'bridge' to the other world. Every crossing he makes carries unknown risks."
Only then did the think tank's experts calm down, their faces taking on apologetic looks.
Indeed, if they sent Lin Mo into danger in the other world over trivial questions and something happened to him, it would all be over.
Zhao Gang turned to Lin Mo, his tone softening.
"They mean no harm. They're just... desperate to know."
Lin Mo nodded and smiled to show he understood.
How could he not?
A bunch of top academic minds had discovered an entirely new field of study. Of course they would go wild.
"We discussed this on our way here," Zhao Gang continued.
"Our immediate priority is gathering intelligence."
"We need the most direct, authentic footage possible to serve as our eyes and let us observe that world."
He gestured.
An assistant immediately handed him a metal box.
Zhao Gang opened it. Inside lay a black, utterly inconspicuous object.
It was only the size of a thumb, with a smooth surface and a clip apparently meant to attach it to clothing.
"This is a miniature camera." Zhao Gang picked it up and placed it in Lin Mo's palm.
"It uses solid-state crystal storage and a specialized battery. It can run continuously for forty-eight hours."
"It operates silently throughout and doesn't transmit any information. It's completely safe."
Lin Mo held the little device between his fingers,
feeling its cool surface.
Who would've thought my first assignment on the job would be secretly filming people?
Wasn't that a little too inappropriate for children?
"How do I turn it on?"
"Just press and hold." After explaining, Zhao Gang added,
"Once you reach the Terra Continent, find a safe opportunity to take it out and clip it to your clothes. Let it record as much of what you see as possible."
"When you return, put it back in your mouth and bring it with you."
"No problem." Lin Mo nodded.
Bringing back footage would be good. It would save him the trouble of explaining so much.
Zhao Gang then introduced everyone around them. Lin Mo remembered only a few, but that was fine. He would get to know them over time.
After making his first introductions, Lin Mo decided to put the plan into action immediately.
By the time he returned to his room and lay down on the bed, he had something extra in his mouth.
To protect it from saliva, he had even thoughtfully wrapped it in two layers of plastic wrap.
His bedroom had no cameras or other surveillance equipment, giving him plenty of privacy.
A radio on his bedside table connected him to Zhao Gang. He could contact him directly when he woke up.
He closed his eyes. The speed at which young people fell asleep was always enviable, and within minutes, his consciousness began to drift away.
When he opened his eyes again, the scent unique to the Elven city filled his nose, mingling the fresh fragrance of plants with faint magical energy.
It worked!
Lin Mo's spirits lifted, and he immediately sat up, surrounded by the familiar interior of the wooden house.
He looked around warily. Once he confirmed he was alone, he quickly spat out the miniature camera.
He carefully peeled away the plastic wrap that kept out his saliva, pressed and held to turn it on, then clipped it to the coarse linen shirt on his chest, adjusting the angle so the lens faced straight ahead.
From this moment on, he was a serial secret filmer... no, scratch that! He was Great Xia's eyes in another world!
He stood up and found food on the table: various things that looked like fruit. The Elves had probably left them there after seeing he was still asleep.
While helping treat the Elves yesterday, he had eaten fruit like this too. It had been delicious.
He picked up several apple-sized fruits with both hands, planning to eat as he walked.
Pushing open the door, he let the "eye" on his chest clearly record the sights of the Elven city.
The World Tree towered into the clouds, wrapped in faintly glowing vines. In the streets, Elves hurried back and forth, their faces marked by lingering exhaustion and wariness.
The air was thick with the tension unique to wartime.
His main task this time was to record footage, so he wandered aimlessly.
He had to admit, these Elves had incredible taste.
Every building blended into the trees, as if it had grown straight out of the ground, brimming with fantastical artistry.
The atmosphere was just too oppressive.
Every Elf wore a solemn expression, brows tightly furrowed as they hurried along,
as though they would be heading to their execution any second.
Lin Mo munched on his fruit as he observed his surroundings.
Light from the two suns overhead filtered through the leaves in shafts.
The Elves merely gave him curious glances without paying much attention to him, taking the human for someone from the Holy Human Race.
As long as he stayed out of restricted areas, he would be fine.
After wandering aimlessly for two hours, patiently letting the camera record everything, Lin Mo suddenly spotted a familiar figure atop an arrow tower on the city wall.
Fendona!
She stood there alone, her snow-white hair reaching her waist, quietly gazing at the distant land shrouded in demonic energy.
Seen from behind, she radiated desolation and sorrow, as if the world were falling apart and she had spent yet another year patching it back together.
Lin Mo walked over, stopped, and tilted his head back to call up to her.
"Beautiful Princess Fendona, what are you looking at?"
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