Though the war had ended, the wounds it inflicted remained, continuing to fester and spread.
The war plunged the country into chaos, with the populace gripped by fear and unrest, as conflicts erupted in every corner.
Especially near the battlefront, where countless homeless civilians fought daily for survival.
The battlefield itself was littered with broken tanks, dismembered human limbs, and even some intact bodies—all of which were those of ordinary citizens.
Among the dead were the elderly, women, children, and young men, casualties of the recent conflict. Due to the bitter cold, their ages were discernible.
Some of the remains had only bones left, while others had turned discolored, shriveled, and hollowed out due to the freezing temperatures.
Through the vivid projections, one could almost smell the stench.
"Ugh!"
Several people's faces turned pale, their stomachs churning, some gagging at the sight.
"Alright, stop looking. Let's move to another spot."
Angela, not needing to speak further, urged Zhao Lun to change locations.
The brutal nature of war had left even Angela, who had never killed even a chicken, struggling to bear such horrifying sights.
In contrast, Maria, Ada, and others were more resilient, quickly adjusting to the scene.
"Look! Why aren't you looking?"
"I want to know how much this country has been hiding from us!"
Nicole and Monica's thoughts diverged from Angela's. Though they too were unsettled, their emotions were primarily rooted in anger—anger at the deception, at being manipulated.
The West's cries for freedom and the people's right to know the truth had been loud and clear. Many had believed in these ideals, even the people themselves had bought into it.
In reality, the media and government had been in collusion, withholding much information, creating a fabricated world for the masses to live in and view the world through their distorted lens.
Maria did not object, Ada remained silent, Zhao Lun stayed neutral, and Angela too was swayed. Thus, SkyEye 1 continued its surveillance here, without relocating.
The atmosphere felt heavy, as if the very air had frozen.
The world was truly cruel! After witnessing such scenes, this sentiment echoed in everyone's hearts.
After experiencing such brutality, it became apparent that there was no need to linger any longer, so they silently moved to another location.
Vast deserts, the Red Sea, long rivers, the Sphinx, and the Great Pyramids appeared before them.
The endless plains, herds of wild buffalo, gazelles, prowling lions, galloping cheetahs hunting, scavenging hyenas, spiny porcupines, and venomous snakes hidden in the grass—all of this overwhelmed their senses.
"That's the Sahara Desert..."
"The Red Sea!"
"Wow! There's the Pyramid!"
"The great plains!"
The natural landscapes washed away the weight of their hearts, and smiles began to appear on their faces as they marveled at the beauty around them.
Maria was particularly excited, unable to hold back her cheers. Each time she spotted a new creature, she eagerly identified it and pointed it out to them.
Her voice, her smile, pulled everyone away from the previous horrors.
Together with her joy, everyone forgot the grim scenes from before and focused on experiencing the beauty of nature.
Africa, located on the equator, has no distinct seasonal changes apart from the Sahara desert in the north. It has only a rainy and dry season throughout the year.
The constant sun and high temperatures make Africa a typical tropical continent with an average annual temperature above twenty degrees Celsius.
From November in the northern hemisphere to April of the following year, it enters the dry season, during which animals begin migrating south in search of water and food.
SkyEye 1 found a herd of wildebeests migrating later than usual.
"Wow! So many buffalo!" Maria exclaimed.
"Those are wildebeests, not buffalo."
Many who had never seen a wildebeest often mistook it for a buffalo.
"But they have horns like buffalo!"
"Are animals with horns not buffalo?"
"..."
This conversation seemed too complex to clarify in a moment.
No one spoke, their eyes fixed on the wildebeests' migration.
They had never witnessed such a magnificent migration before.
Among the migrating animals, the wildebeest herds were the most impressive, moving in a tidal wave, crushing everything in their path with unstoppable momentum.
Other animals had to step aside or risk being trampled to death.
The slow, weak, or sickly were the prey for predators along the way.
The power of the herd was immense, and wherever they passed, whether it was other animals or the grass beneath their hooves, it was all crushed into dust.
They watched in awe as some unfortunate creatures, overwhelmed by the herd's force, lost their bearings and were swept away in the flood of hooves.
Along the path, weaker animals fell behind, becoming meals for waiting predators like lions, cheetahs, and hyenas.
Some were dragged into the river by crocodiles, drowned in the flowing waters, while others, exhausted, were washed away or trampled beneath the herd.
In the end, only the strongest and luckiest survived the journey.
This was migration—a brutal test of survival, where the weak were eliminated, and the strong endured.
Nature's cruelty surpassed even human warfare, yet it felt strangely easier to accept. The group couldn't help but reflect deeply as they watched.
Zhao Lun recorded everything that SkyEye 1 "saw," processing the data through his mind's quantum interface, shifting their viewing angle so that it appeared as though the footage was being taken from the side.
The processed material was then duplicated and stored in the lab's computers, accessible at any time by Nicole and the others.
SkyEye was mobile, allowing them to virtually explore any corner of the world.
Of course, there were places SkyEye could not reach, such as the magical realms—no traces were visible through its sensors.
There were also creatures that Zhao Lun and Maria saw, but ordinary humans couldn't, and SkyEye also failed to detect them.
At times, the view appeared veiled in mist.
Unaware of this, Maria and the others were happily operating the device, praising SkyEye 1 as the most advanced satellite in the world.
"The most advanced satellite?"
Zhao Lun wasn't entirely sure of that himself.
This world still held many unknowns, and it was likely that someone had acquired alien technology, producing even more advanced tools.
With their new toy, none of them wanted to leave.
Zhao Lun let them enjoy, sitting nearby and occasionally chiming in.
After Christmas, the New Year arrived.
Western New Year wasn't like the Spring Festival; Zhao Lun wasn't too concerned, as long as there were people he cared about by his side, he would celebrate in his own way.
During this time, Zhao Lun had a relaxing holiday. Apart from spending some time taking care of matters, most of his time was spent with Maria and the others.
He also reveled in their gentle treatment—after work, there were maidservants to massage his back, and life felt so blissful he didn't even want to move.
Angela, Nicole, and the others rolled their eyes, even more exasperated by Monica joining in with her boss's antics.
Happy days were always fleeting, and holidays too short.
The day before his departure, the mood shifted as Zhao Lun was about to leave, and the atmosphere became less joyful.
"Alright, stop frowning. I'll be back by the summer."
"Ah? Summer? That's too long."
Maria forced a smile.
"And without brother at home for the Spring Festival, it feels so..."
"You can write letters, owls are quite convenient."
"For the Spring Festival, we can send Angela to Hong Kong. It'll be livelier there."
"Also, after next year, you can attend Hogwarts. We'll all meet there."
Zhao Lun comforted the downcast girl.
"Really?"
Maria's eyes lit up at the thought of the magical school.
Wizards were wondrous, and she was eager to join them, longing to go immediately.
Unfortunately, she was still too young to go.
"Of course. You can read those wizard books of mine, how do you find them?"
The books were specially designed with spells and charms that only wizards could see, meant for those with wizarding abilities. Non-magical folk couldn't comprehend them.
Since Maria could read them, it meant she had the potential to become a wizard.
"Not much."
Maria scrunched her little nose.
The knowledge was a bit difficult for her to grasp, and without anyone to teach her, it felt foreign.
"Don't rush, just take a look."
Zhao Lun playfully rubbed her nose.
"Don't wrinkle it, it looks bad."
"Hmph!"
Maria turned her head away.
No matter what, the arrangements Zhao Lun had made would stay unchanged.