Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 6 Mapping
The initial operation of the temporary workshop gave Chen Yu a brief period of rest, but this tranquility did not last long.

He leaned against the metal workbench, staring at the energy readings on the visual interface that were still hovering at a low level. He subconsciously rubbed his temples—a habit that, though mostly covered by reinforced alloy, had been preserved despite his face being a human-derived feature.

"Our resources are still too meager," he sighed softly, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the table.

That miniature fusion reactor from the Martian world was like an insatiable giant. Although it was connected to the town's repaired solar power grid, the replenishment speed was barely enough to maintain basic operation.

Not to mention that ancient relic at his waist, which is unusually quiet; who knows how much energy it will drain next time it flares up.

He pulled up a previously drawn area scan sketch of the servo skull, his gaze drifting between several marked points.

Promethium metal, high-energy batteries, electronic components, and biomass are all in short supply, and there is an urgent need for each of them.

He had already looted everything that could be plundered in the town, even dismantling and recycling the usable parts from that dedicated, almost insane, cleaning robot.

"Old buddy, looks like we'll have to go out and find some food." Chen Yu patted the servo skull floating on his shoulder.

The skull clicked twice, and the blue light in the eye sockets flickered slightly, as if expressing agreement.

He walked to the workshop entrance and pushed open the temporary barrier.

The afternoon sun scorched the sand, and the heatwave distorted the distant scenery slightly.

"Come on, scan the surrounding area again carefully, especially the mine in the northwest and the garbage area in the northeast. This time we need to do a complete area survey."

The servo skull silently rose to a height of about ten meters and began a systematic scan centered on the workshop.

Chen Yu leaned against the door frame, watching the pale blue beam of light projected from the skull's eye sockets slowly sweep across the surrounding sand, ruins, and distant rock formations.

The scanning beam changes at a specific frequency, from visible light to infrared light, and then to deeper analysis of the material composition.

"First, a wide-area terrain scan," he instructed softly, "to establish a basic elevation model."

The skull emitted a slight hum, and the scanning beam became more concentrated.

The undulations of the sand dunes, the orientation of the rock strata, and the outlines of abandoned buildings were precisely recorded, forming a basic topographic grid.

"Currently, our underground exploration focuses on scanning for metal reactions and energy signals within a range of ten to fifty meters," Chen Yu added.

He waited patiently, watching as the servo skull adjusted its scanning frequency and emitted special geological penetrating waves.

A few minutes later, a set of data was labeled.

"An intermittent low-energy signal was detected 7.3 kilometers to the northwest, at a depth of about 30 meters underground. The signal characteristics are suspected to be from mining equipment, and the attenuation waveform has a 67% match. At the same time, metal enrichment was detected in this area, which is suspected to be an extension of a mineral vein."

What about the northeast direction?

"A large-scale metal accumulation signal was detected, but the energy readings are chaotic and there is strong interference. The signal source covers an area of ​​approximately two square kilometers at varying depths. The specific composition and risk level cannot be determined," the skull reported via binary signals.

Chen Yu nodded: "Okay, now let's overlay all this data to generate a comprehensive map."

The light in the servo skull's eye sockets became concentrated, projecting a detailed holographic map in front of Chen Yu.

The map outlines the terrain with clear blue lines, and the mine in the northwest corner is marked with a flashing orange dot, next to which are labeled energy readings and technical parameters.

The garbage area in the northeast is shown as a large red area, with a warning sign that is constantly rotating next to it.

The map also meticulously marks quicksand areas, stable rock formations, optimal routes, and even several ruins that might provide cover.

Chen Yu carefully studied the suddenly enriched map, his finger tracing across the holographic projection, zooming in to examine every detail. "The mine is at a suitable distance, the energy signal is clear, and there are associated mineral veins—though somewhat risky, it's worth a try," he muttered to himself. He then switched to the display of the northeast region, "The landfill might have richer resources, but it's far away, has strong interference, and too many unknown factors."

He remained silent for a moment, his gaze shifting back and forth across the map as he weighed the pros and cons.

Finally, he pointed lightly at the location of the mine: "This is it. It's close by, the risks are manageable, and it's perfect as the target for our first exploration trip."

He put away the holographic projection and began preparations for his departure.

The first thing to check was his main weapon—a massive plasma incineration cannon with a terrifying caliber.

This masterpiece from the world of casting appears remarkably silent at this moment.

Chen Yu tried to activate its energy circuit, but only received a faint buzzing sound and a system prompt: "Insufficient energy, unable to complete plasma charging. It is recommended to wait until the core energy recovers to more than 45% before trying again."

This weapon, when fired at full power, is enough to vaporize most threats, but it also consumes enough energy to cause his reactor readings to plummet, making it a truly extravagant choice in the current energy crisis.

Instead, he took out a crudely designed pistol from his storage compartment.

This is a bullet pistol, which can be considered his "amateur work" while on Mars.

At the time, I simply felt that the design of traditional bomb guns was "not efficient enough," so I made some improvements myself, adding a more advanced recoil buffer system and aiming components.

Although its power and range are not as good as those dedicated models, it is lightweight and reliable, and the explosive shells it uses are among the few types of ammunition that he can still make in small batches.

"Luckily, I thought it would be fun to do this." He inspected the magazine, which was filled with his homemade .50 caliber explosives.

Although its power and armor-piercing capability are not as good as the military-grade models used by the Astartes, it is more than enough to deal with most soft targets.

Next, we will check the energy system.

The laser cutter on the wrist can only maintain the lowest power, emitting a dim reddish beam that can barely cut thin metal sheets.

The multi-functional mechanical tentacles on its back can only operate in energy-saving mode, moving much slower than usual, but still maintaining a certain level of precision.

What he was most concerned about was the shield system.

He activated the energy field generator from the Warhammer world, and a barely visible glimmer of light flickered around him before settling down.

"Shield strength: 23%. Can withstand attacks from low-power energy weapons and small kinetic weapons. Warning: Continued attacks will significantly increase energy consumption."

"That's enough, as long as we don't encounter heavy firepower," Chen Yu muttered to himself.

In this world that doesn't seem to be very civilized, this level of protection should be sufficient to deal with most threats.

He hung the explosive pistol on the magnetic attachment point on his waist and prepared two spare magazines.

A set of basic repair tools and a multi-functional scanner were neatly stored in the storage compartment under the robe.

Finally, he unfolded the homemade leather map: "Come on, help me mark the detailed route, especially the locations of those cover points."

The servo skull lowered its height, projecting a thin red beam that precisely marked the location of the rock formations, quicksand areas, and the optimal route on the map.

"Alright, that's settled then." After confirming the route and equipment one last time, he stood up, his dark red robe swaying gently in the hot wind. "Be careful when guarding the house, don't let those mutated snoring rats sneak in and gnaw on the power lines."

The servo skull clicked twice, its lower jaw clicking, and the blue light in its eye sockets shone steadily, watching its owner step out of the workshop and head towards the scorching sea of ​​sand.

(End of this chapter)