The Magic Network and the Unexpected "Investment"
The success of the first-phase test node of the Magic Network was like dropping a stone into the dull atmosphere of the Community. The ripples briefly dispersed the haze of doubt, but failed to truly drive away the thick fog lingering on the path of technological breakthroughs.
The three major technological mountains—energy, materials, and teleportation—still stood towering. Progress was like wading through the sticky mire of the Demon Realm: each step consumed enormous effort, yet the results were negligible. The Advanced Energy Research Institute tried to generate electricity using the unique "Void Ripples" of the Demon Realm, but the energy absorbed by the resulting device was less than what it consumed to maintain operation; the new bone alloy synthesized by the Materials Laboratory saw a strength increase of less than 5%, while its toughness plummeted, shattering into bone powder at the slightest touch; at the Information and Teleportation Technology Center, beyond a teleportation distance of 10 meters, energy consumption surged exponentially and stability dropped sharply—when a Demon Realm fire lizard was teleported, only half a charred tail remained upon arrival.
Resources poured like water into those bottomless technological black holes, only to be met with repeated failed explosions, chaotic energy storms, and the increasingly haggard figures of researchers (if such a concept applied to demons). Although the lives of low-level demons had improved, seeing those precious energy ores and materials "wasted" on research with no visible returns, private complaints began to resurface.
"I heard the Materials Laboratory exploded again yesterday—wasting enough energy ores to feed our tribe for a year!"
"The Magic Network? What's the use of that thing? Can't we still send messages by knocking bones now?"
"Is the Lord... being a bit too ambitious?"
This time, even some of the small demons who had followed Lin Mo from the start and were blindly loyal to him occasionally showed confusion in their eyes.
Lin Mo still made no statement and did not use coercive means to suppress public opinion. Instead, he spent even more time in the core laboratories, personally participating in the most basic rune structure design, energy circuit layout, and material molecular formula deduction. His presence was like a stabilizing anchor, allowing researchers to summon the courage to attempt again after countless failures—for he could always pinpoint the most critical mistakes and offer seemingly impossible ideas.
Yet technological barriers cannot be easily shattered by individual wisdom alone. They require accumulation, trial and error, and... opportunity.
Just as undercurrents surged within the Community and technological breakthroughs bogged down, an unexpected "opportunity" arrived in a way no one had anticipated.
It did not come from the interference of ancient beings deep in the Demon Realm, nor from the invasion of external forces.
It came from that initially unstable channel—now only slightly more stable—connecting to the low-tech plane.
On this day, the small demon in charge of monitoring the channel and operating the "live broadcast room" scrambled into the Administrative Center, its tentacles flailing wildly with excitement.
"L-Lord! The channel... over there at the channel! A strange 'package' has arrived! The energy reaction... is weird! Extremely weird!"
Lin Mo looked up from a pile of animal skin scrolls covered in complex calculations.
The so-called "packages" were small items occasionally sent over via the reward function by viewers from that low-tech plane, after watching the "Demon Realm Scenery Live Broadcast". In the past, they were mostly shiny decorations, strange-tasting snacks (judged by Lin Mo as inedible and sealed for research), or simple tools.
But this time, it seemed different.
Lin Mo arrived at the channel receiving point. A silver-white, streamlined metal box—about half the height of a person—hovered quietly in the center of a temporary stabilization array. There were no marks on its surface, only a faint, flowing energy glow, emitting a fluctuation that was completely different from the violent energy of the Demon Realm: extremely restrained yet pure.
"We've detected a high-purity, inert, structurally stable... unknown energy source," a researcher from the Energy Institute said, trembling as he held a crude bone detection plate. "Its energy level... far exceeds anything we currently have! And... it's very gentle, easy to guide!"
All the surrounding demons held their breath.
Lin Mo stepped forward and scanned the metal box with his spiritual sense. There were no locks on the box; as if sensing his inspection, the energy glow on its surface flowed faster, emitting a soft hum. Then, the lid slid open silently to both sides.
There was no dazzling light, no powerful energy surge.
Inside the box, three items were neatly secured.
On the left, there were twelve sealed transparent tubes, inside which a silver substance—like liquid stars—flowed, emitting the pure energy fluctuation detected earlier.
In the middle, there was a black stone slab the size of a palm and about the thickness of a finger. Countless extremely complex, fine silver patterns—too intricate for the naked eye to distinguish—were naturally formed on the slab. These patterns seemed to flow slowly, containing the profound charm of certain spatial laws.
On the right, there was a rhombic, translucent crystal. Inside the crystal, it was as if a miniature, slowly rotating nebula was sealed.
Besides these, a short line of text—written in a strange script not belonging to any known universal language of the planes—was engraved on the inner wall of the box.
Lin Mo's gaze swept over the text, and his eyes flickered slightly.
He recognized this script. It was a variant of a lost ancient runic language from the Cultivation World, roughly meaning:
"From Observer 'Zero'—An Investment."
No signature, no source explanation—only these cryptic words.
"Investment?" A Lich researcher leaned over, struggling to recognize the strange script, and asked in confusion. "What does that mean? Who invested? In what?"
Lin Mo did not answer. His attention was completely drawn to the three items.
He first picked up a silver tube and probed it deeply with his spiritual sense. The liquid star-like substance had an incredibly stable energy structure and extremely high purity, with almost no impurities. Its properties were highly neutral, easily convertible into any type of energy—whether demonic energy, immortal essence, or other unknown powers. Its energy density per unit was over a thousand times that of the highest-quality energy ores currently available in the Demon Realm!
He then picked up the black stone slab and ran his finger over the silver patterns. A vast stream of knowledge about spatial folding, coordinate anchoring, and energy shields flooded his consciousness like a revelation. This was not a finished technology, but a fundamental, principle-level explanation that directly targeted the essence of spatial laws! Though just the tip of the iceberg, its level far surpassed all his current understanding of teleportation technology!
Finally, he looked at the rhombic crystal. The moment his spiritual sense penetrated it, he felt as if he was in a vast microcosm. Countless atomic and molecular structures of basic materials, as well as their combination, evolution, and properties under different energy fields and rules, unfolded like a scroll. This, too, was not a specific formula, but the underlying logic of the essential composition and transformation of matter!
Energy! Space! Materials!
The core, fundamental principle-level knowledge for breaking through the three major technological bottlenecks, plus a sample of top-tier energy that could be called a strategic reserve—had appeared before him in a way that was almost "like pie falling from the sky".
From a mysterious being calling itself "Observer Zero".
Was it kindness? A trap? Or some kind of higher-dimensional... experiment?
Lin Mo could not judge immediately.
But he knew that the development trajectory of the Community—and even the entire Demon Realm—would undergo earth-shaking changes because of this sudden "investment".
He closed the metal box and tucked it into his sleeve (using a spatial storage technique).
Turning around, facing the confused yet expectant gazes of the researchers and management talents, he spoke calmly. His voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the entire Administrative Center:
"The technological breakthrough phase enters Stage Two."
"Energy Institute, immediately establish the 'Stellar Energy Conversion and Application' project team."
"Teleportation Center, establish the 'Spatial Law Analysis and Magic Network Upgrade' project team."
"Materials Laboratory, establish the 'Microscopic Matter Structure and New Material Design' project team."
"For the above projects, the confidentiality level is... highest."
He did not explain the origin of the box, nor mention "Observer Zero". But all the demons could feel that the long-dormant aura around the Lord had become sharp again, as if he had already seen the path beyond the fog.
Undercurrents still existed, and doubts would not disappear immediately.
But a new force—called "hope"—began to quietly take root in the hearts of all demons who knew the inside story.
Lin Mo returned to his quiet room and looked at the huge Demon Realm map again. His gaze was no longer limited to the existing territory and known enemies.
"Observer Zero..."
He whispered the name, a deep glint flashing in his eyes.
No matter the other party's purpose, he would accept this "investment".
And what he needed to do was to use this investment to create returns that far exceeded the "investor's" expectations.