Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 7 First Exploration

The route on the holographic map was clearly visible in Chen Yu's visual interface, with every turning point and every potential danger zone meticulously marked.

He stepped out of the workshop, his dark red robe fluttering in the dry, hot wind. His precision mechanical feet left deep marks on the sand, which were quickly smoothed out by the relentless sandstorm.

Seven kilometers is not a long distance for Chen Yu's mechanical feet, but the soft sandy terrain greatly increases the resistance to travel.

He periodically adjusts his pace and sensor sensitivity to find the optimal balance between alertness and energy consumption.

The scenery along the way was monotonous and depressing.

Apart from the continuous sand dunes and scattered weathered rock layers, there are only occasional rusted metal remnants.

Chen Yu's multispectral optical sensor continuously scanned the surrounding environment, identifying several rock formations and unstable quicksand areas that could provide cover.

After more than an hour of trekking, the entrance to the abandoned mine finally came into view.

It resembles a gaping black maw, embedded in a weathered rock wall.

At the entrance, there were rusty rails, fragments of overturned minecarts, and some white skeletons half-buried in sand.

Chen Yu paused briefly at the cave entrance, and the sensor array on his wrist emitted an almost inaudible buzzing sound as multiple scanning modes were activated simultaneously.

Thermal signal detection revealed multiple small heat sources accumulating inside the cave, life form scanning confirmed the physical characteristics of the mutated organism, and geological penetration radar outlined the general structure of the cave and successfully captured the faint energy signal deep within.

He adjusted the optical sensor to low-light mode and stepped into the mine.

A cool, damp air, carrying a strong musty smell and the fishy stench of some kind of animal den, rushed towards me.

The cave has many branches, but the main passage is clearly visible.

They hadn't gone far when a rustling sound came from the darkness ahead, followed by a dozen pairs of small, scarlet eyes lighting up in the darkness.

They were mutated weasels, more numerous than those encountered in the town, and seemingly larger in size, their bared fangs dripping corrosive saliva.

Chen Yu didn't even stop; the mechanical tentacles on his back shot out like living killing machines.

A precise stab pierced the skull, a swift lash snapped the spine, accompanied by shattering bones and the creature's brief, dying scream.

One by one, the scarlet little eyes went out.

The deeper you go, the dimmer the light becomes.

Based on the real-time structure diagram provided by the sensor, he made choices without hesitation at multiple crossroads, steadily moving closer to the energy signal source.

The source of the energy signal was a small side chamber containing several rusted and unusable drilling rigs and a device resembling a backup generator.

Just as Chen Yu approached the generator, trying to check if there were any usable batteries left, a rude shout came from another side of the cave.

"Hey! That tin can over there! That's mine!"

Eight figures emerged from the darkness, blocking his retreat.

They wore patchwork tattered clothes, their prosthetic bodies were poorly modified and clearly secondhand, and they carried old, live-fired firearms and even homemade knives and axes.

Chen Yu's threat assessment system instantly completed the scan: "Target: Humans, eight. Armament level: Low. Threat level: Low." Chen Yu slowly turned around, the cold red light of the optical lens standing out starkly in the darkness.

His silence and inhuman appearance created an invisible pressure.

The burly man at the head of the group brandished an iron pipe in his hand: "Can't you understand human language, Tin Man? We found this place first! Put down what you found and get out of here!"

Chen Yu did not respond and continued dismantling the generator. This disregard angered the homeless people.

"Damn it! Kill this tin monster!" the burly man roared, raising his weapon.

In that instant, Chen Yu's system had already anticipated all the threats.

As the first vagrant pulled the trigger, Chen Yu had already moved to the side, the bullet whizzing past the hem of his robe.

The ensuing battle was brief but deadly.

Two mechanical tentacles shot out two laser beams like venomous snakes. One beam pierced the eye socket of the shooter with precision, while the other went straight through the throat of the second person who was holding the gun.

At the same time, Chen Yu had already gripped the explosive pistol at his waist and fired it almost without aiming.

The small-caliber bombs roared deafeningly in the narrow cave.

The first shot hit the burly man in the chest, sending him flying backward; the second shot struck the shoulder of a wanderer charging with an axe, sending his arm and axe flying; the third shot hit the head of an enemy trying to hide behind a minecart.

In the blink of an eye, all three were dead.

The remaining five were stunned. Looking at their companion's corpse and the unharmed metal monster, their will to fight completely collapsed.

"No, don't kill us!" A young vagrant threw down his weapon, knelt on the ground, and raised his hands. The others followed suit, dropping their weapons in surrender.

Chen Yu's sensors confirmed that these people no longer posed a threat. He put away his explosive pistol, his mechanical tentacles remaining in a vigilant stance.

"Leave." A cold, synthesized voice came from beneath the mask.

The surviving vagrants, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, scrambled and stumbled as they fled out of the cave, not even bothering to look after the corpses of their companions.

Chen Yu calmly assessed the battlefield, and after confirming that there were no further threats, he turned his attention back to the generator.

He carefully cut open the outer casing with a laser cutter and took out the large, heavy, but still slightly charged high-energy battery pack inside—a "Thunder-7" industrial battery manufactured by a certain company, according to the label.

He also removed some cables and voltage regulators that seemed still usable.

“Main objective achieved: energy acquisition. Additional gain: recyclable biological materials.” Chen Yu looked at the three relatively intact corpses on the ground. “The bodies are fairly intact, and the nervous system should have basic responses. Take them back to the workshop; they can be modified into basic servants to be responsible for guarding and repetitive tasks.”

The mechanical tentacles deftly coiled up the three corpses and secured them to their backs. The battery pack was carried by another tentacle.

Before leaving, he quickly searched the homeless people's belongings and found a hand-drawn map of the surrounding area, which was crookedly marked with several homeless camps, mutated creature nests, and "danger zones".

Carrying the battery and the body, Chen Yu walked out of the mine. At the entrance, he conducted a thorough environmental scan to confirm that the surviving homeless people had fled and there were no ambushes or other threats before setting off on his way back to the town.

The first hunt yielded a better-than-expected harvest. The high-energy batteries, though old, should provide a considerable amount of energy with proper handling; the wiring and voltage regulator can be used as spare parts; and the three corpses will serve as a window into understanding this world and a source of labor.

(End of this chapter)