The decision was made. Pressing onward with critically low HP and barely enough Energon to power a few more scans felt like tempting fate, especially after the jolt from the damaged power cell. The scrap heap was clearly full of potential rewards, but equally full of risks he wasn't equipped to handle yet. Survival trumped exploration, at least for now. The crevice, his tiny pocket of relative security, beckoned.
Xen mentally mapped his return route, retracing the path he’d taken but planning to hug the available cover even more tightly. The memory of the loud clang earlier, combined with the discovery of those old tracks near the containers, painted the scrap heap not just as a passively dangerous environment, but potentially as territory actively traversed by... something.
He took one last optical sweep from behind the storage containers. The coast appeared clear. With deliberate, carefully placed steps, minimizing any scraping sounds through the practiced application of his [Micro-Manipulation] passive skill guiding his footfalls, he began the journey back.
The fifteen meters back to the engine block and hull plate that formed his shelter felt longer, more tension-filled than the trip out. Every creak of distant metal, every gust of wind rattling loose debris, made his internal sensors spike momentarily. He moved in short bursts, dashing between cover points – the discarded tires, the half-buried pipes, a large, immovable chunk of concrete – pausing frequently to listen and scan visually.
His optical zoom proved invaluable, allowing him to scrutinize shadowy corners and distant junk piles without exposing himself more than necessary.
Once, he froze mid-step behind a tilted metal sheet as a faint, rhythmic scraping sound echoed from somewhere off to his left. He stayed utterly still for a full minute, audio receptors straining. The sound eventually faded, direction uncertain. Was it another scavenger bot? An animal? Or just the wind playing tricks? Impossible to know, but it reinforced his decision to retreat.
He passed the area where the loud clang had originated earlier, giving the freshly disturbed pile of scrap a wide berth. His optics traced the path of the small avalanche – nothing seemed particularly revealing, just a random assortment of metal chunks that had given way. No footprints, no obvious clues left behind.
Just gravity at work, most likely. Still, he didn't linger.
The journey back took perhaps five minutes of tense, stop-and-start movement. His Energon levels remained unchanged at 38.8/150, as he'd consciously avoided using any active skills. His HP, lacking the [Sheltered] buff and any significant passive regen from his low VIT while moving, was still parked at 79.0/100. The two points of damage from the power cell felt like a heavy price for the mere 8 units of energy gained.
Finally, the familiar shapes of the giant engine block and the bent hull plating came into view. Relief washed over Xen, a purely mental sensation, as no physical tension actually left his metallic frame. He paused near the entrance, listening intently one last time before deciding to risk a final scan of the immediate exterior. Better safe than sorry.
Scan target: Area outside crevice entrance. Maximum range.
The blue shimmer pulsed outwards, briefly illuminating the nearby scrap in familiar wireframes.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
[Scan Complete: No Active Energy Signatures Detected within 10m Radius (Excluding Self)] [Analysis: Area appears clear of immediate threats based on energy and basic structural scan.]
Good enough. With a final glance around, Xen slipped back into the narrow confines of the crevice. The transition from the relatively open, wind-swept scrap heap to the still, quiet, enclosed space was immediate and profound. He sagged slightly against the cool inner wall, the feeling of relative security returning.
A familiar notification chimed.
His HP counter immediately ticked up slightly as the passive regeneration kicked back in. HP: 79.1/100. It wasn't much, but watching that number slowly climb felt infinitely better than watching it drop.
He settled back into his spot near the rear of the crevice, near where the inert Power Regulator fragment lay hidden in the debris. He ran through the events of his brief excursion. The risk taken, the minor gain in energy offset by the HP loss. The lesson was clear: desperation makes for poor strategy. He needed a buffer. He needed more energy, yes, but he also needed more health and likely better ways to get energy and repair damage.
What were his priorities now?
- HP Recovery: Getting back to 100 HP felt essential. At the current rate, recovering the 20.9 missing HP would take over 200 minutes – more than three hours of sitting perfectly still and hoping nothing disturbed him. That seemed… impractical. Was there a way to speed it up? Could he use [Micro-Manipulation] on himself? Did he need specific materials? Scanning the [Minor Stress Fractures] again didn't offer any new options. Maybe leveling up VIT or finding a repair-related skill was necessary.
- Stable Energon: Finding a reliable source was critical. The trace leakage was a bust, and crystals seemed rare so far. Were there larger deposits somewhere? Intact power cells? Functioning conduits he could tap into? This likely required more exploration, which required more energy to begin with – a frustrating cycle.
- Skill Development & System Understanding: He needed to improve his skills, especially [Basic Scan], to get better information. How? Just repeated use? The 0.1% gain per scan felt glacial. And understanding skills like [Fragmented Core Integration] or unlocking [Transformation Capability] felt like distant dreams right now. He also needed to find out how to acquire new skills, like the [Data Port Interface] needed for the artifact.
- Self-Sufficiency: Could he make anything? Tools? Basic repairs? The salvage option on the artifact mentioned a [Basic Tool Kit]. Could he construct one from scrap? That probably required knowledge or skills he lacked.
Sitting there in the dim quiet, Xen focused on the immediate. HP recovery was happening passively, however slowly.
Finding stable Energon required venturing out again, which seemed unwise until his HP was higher or his EN significantly better. That left understanding his current capabilities and potentially finding resources within the crevice.
He looked again at the spot where the Power Regulator fragment lay. His scan had identified it, its composition, its dormant state, and the requirements to interface with it.
Maybe a more focused scan, specifically looking for interaction points or weaknesses, could yield something? Or perhaps scanning the walls of the crevice itself? Could there be hidden seams, embedded materials?
He decided to start with the artifact again. Maybe there was more data the first scan missed, or maybe just looking at the requirements again would spark an idea. He carefully reached back into the debris and retrieved the cool, smooth cylinder, turning it over in his hands, his optical sensors examining the faint, spiraling lines etched into its dark, self-repairing alloy surface.