Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 129 The Apprentice in Modification (Ninth Update)
For Chen Yu, cultivating and modifying his own assistant is a technically feasible and pragmatic approach that meets current needs.

Its core advantage lies in its ability to pre-determine loyalty protocols at the genetic level and implant unavoidable control nodes in neural modifications, thereby ensuring that the fundamental purpose and core logic of these assistants from the very beginning is to serve him.

This kind of absolute loyalty, which stems from biological instinct and mechanical coercion and is shaped from the root, is far more direct and reliable than selecting and cultivating subordinates in a complex and uncertain interpersonal network.

Based on this concept, he developed a clear, phased implementation plan.

At this stage, he plans to use the existing standard production lines in the Neksam foundry world that he can call upon to first manufacture a batch of temporary apprentices with relatively basic functions.

These initial products are designed to address the immediate needs, handling basic and tedious tasks such as data processing, routine equipment maintenance, and resource allocation, thus meeting his most basic human resource support requirements at this stage.

The longer-term, more core plan is closely linked to the forging ship that will soon belong to him.

He plans to establish a dedicated, higher-standard precision production line on the NXS-07 cruiser in the future. At that time, he will be able to produce "advanced apprentices" who have undergone more complex gene editing and deep mechanical modifications.

These customized assistants will possess stronger professional capabilities, enabling them to handle more independent research tasks and more complex technical management, truly becoming the backbone of his core team.

After finalizing the plan, Chen Yu listed it as one of the priority projects to be implemented after returning to the world of death, and began to plan the required technical path, resource list and preliminary design parameters in his mind.

This is not a process that can be accomplished overnight, but it is crucial for long-term stability and development.

A clear plan took shape in Chen Yu's mind: use the resources of the Forging World to produce a batch of basic assistants first, then return to the Death World base, and then safely teleport back to the Cyberpunk Dimension.

Without delay, he immediately used his newly acquired Sage privileges to access an idle biomodulation facility in Neksam.

The entire modulation process follows a standard mechanical teaching protocol.

In a culture chamber filled with nutrient solution and neural interfaces, fifty bodies based on optimized gene templates are growing synchronously.

Chen Yu personally supervised the parameter settings of key nodes to ensure that each individual was implanted with basic neural control protocols and knowledge transfer interfaces.

One standard month later, this group of adjusters successfully completed basic modulation and entered the activation and evaluation phase.

The assessment was conducted in a quiet, white observation room.

Fifty individuals who had just completed basic conditioning stood in neat rows, dressed in uniform plain-colored clothing, their eyes filled with the bewilderment and exploration of newborns.

Chen Yu's tall, dark red body moved slowly in front of them, his scarlet optical lens sweeping across every face.

The evaluation results show a clear gradient distribution.

The top 23 performers stood out, demonstrating remarkable talent not only in quickly absorbing the basic mechanical knowledge they were taught, but also in logical reasoning and pattern recognition tests.

Chen Yu stopped in front of a black-haired boy; the information indicated that this was Unit-07.

“Explain the overload protection mechanism in the transmission system.” He asked calmly, his voice coming through the synthesizer, devoid of any emotion.

Unit-07 barely hesitated, his eyes quickly focusing, his words clear and fluent: "Reporting to the Sage, the basic mechanism relies on a thermosensitive alloy fuse. When the torque exceeds the rated value by fifteen percent, the local temperature rises, causing the fuse to melt and forcibly disconnecting the power link."

However, its response is delayed. I believe a current-sensing-based predictive module could be added to intervene earlier when abnormal power surges are detected. Although this would increase the cost by 5%, it would prevent impact damage to the entire drivetrain.

This answer goes beyond the scope of basic knowledge imparted through instruction; it involves clear logical deduction.

Chen Yu remained calm and simply nodded slightly, classifying Unit-07 into the "Apprentice Group" on the data board.

Next to Unit-19, a young woman with a focused expression nodded subconsciously upon hearing the question, clearly having considered a similar optimization approach. These high-potential individuals were designated the "Apprentice Group," the core talents of Chen Yu's future technology team.

Another 21 people reached the baseline.

Their memory and executive abilities are stable, enabling them to accurately complete pre-set sequences of instructions, but they perform only moderately in terms of creativity and handling complex problems.

“You,” Chen Yu pointed to one of them, “repeat the safety procedures for plasma cutters that we just discussed.”

"Yes...yes!" The young man swallowed nervously, then repeated the lengthy procedure word for word without a single mistake, but that was all.

When asked, "If coolant leaks unexpectedly, what should you consider first besides the standard procedures?" he looked puzzled and eventually shook his head.

These individuals are categorized as "foreman groups" and will be responsible for supervising the machine crew, managing warehouses, or performing other standardized tasks that require basic judgment.

The remaining six were determined to have varying degrees of defects.

Unit-33's neural interface is unstable and it twitches when receiving high-intensity data streams; at this moment, the corner of his mouth is still twitching slightly involuntarily. Unit-41's metabolic rate is abnormal and it cannot adapt to the long-term space environment; its face appears unusually pale.

The most severe Unit-50 exhibits an uncontrollable tendency to attack.

When Chen Yu walked up to him, the relatively robust man made a low gurgling sound in his throat and his eyes were full of hostility.

"Name," Chen Yu commanded simply.

“You… enemy…” Unit-50’s voice was indistinct, his words fragmented, more like an instinctive roar than language.

In previous behavioral tests after being untied, he had attempted to attack any nearby assessment servants.

The processing of these defective products was swift and efficient, reflecting the ruthlessness and pragmatism characteristic of mechanical engineering.

Unit-33 and Unit-41 were taken away, their lives ended, and their healthy organs and tissues were cryopreserved as spare parts for future maintenance.

The aggressive Unit-50 was forcibly sedated after necessary neural signal recording and sent to the dissection workshop.

His skull structure is intact. After cleaning, preservation, and basic modifications, it will be fitted with an anti-gravity unit and sensor array to become a new servo skull, continuing to perform its service duties in this form.

After processing this initial batch of human resources, Chen Yu did not linger.

He led Ignis, the core of the Guardians' retinue, and this group of Coordinators who had just completed their initial modifications and whose fates had already diverged, onto his own frigate once again.

The young apprentices followed silently and orderly, their eyes a mixture of awe for the unknown and adaptation to their new identities, while the foremen seemed somewhat bewildered, simply obeying instructions instinctively.

"Set flight path and return to the Death World base." The command was issued.

"The route has been confirmed, Sage." The captain's reply came through the communicator.

The frigate's engines once again illuminated the void, carrying Chen Yu and his newly acquired, still somewhat inexperienced but already taking shape team, as they departed from Neksam's orbit.

This journey around the world not only earned him titles and ships, but also initially solved the problem of manpower shortage.

Next, he will return to the starting point of that ancient teleportation device, which is also his springboard to a wider world.

(End of this chapter)