Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 86 Construction Completed (Seventeenth Update)

Their warehouse outpost in the city was not completely abandoned, but downgraded to a functional outpost and emergency refuge.

Mann, along with Dorio and Falco, carefully selected the supplies that needed to be left in the city.

Several well-maintained but not top-of-the-line submachine guns and pistols, standard ammunition of the corresponding caliber, some basic medical kits and wound gel, several sets of ordinary clothing for camouflage, and several boxes of long-shelf-life synthetic foods.

These supplies were stored in secluded compartments in the warehouse, categorized by type. Their value was sufficient to deal with emergencies, but even if they were all lost, it would not damage the team's foundation.

The place was looked after by an old friend of Mann's, named Old Wayne.

He used to be a good technician, but an accident injured his hand, making it impossible for him to do precision work anymore. Now he runs an inconspicuous spare parts stall.

Old Wayne was a low-key person who didn't have deep ties with major companies or gangs. Most importantly, he owed Mann a considerable favor.

Mann paid him a modest monthly fee for security, and the task was simple: every week or so, he would enter the warehouse under the pretext of checking the water and electricity lines, open the windows for ventilation, and ensure that no one had broken in or installed surveillance equipment.

This arrangement minimizes the risk; even if something happens to Old Wayne, the trail will essentially go cold once it reaches him.

The entire process of transforming the abandoned town stronghold lasted several weeks.

During this time, the Solo family's workers demonstrated the resilience and efficiency characteristic of wanderers.

They set up a row of practical canvas tents on an open space on the edge of the abandoned town, creating a small temporary camp.

As night falls, campfires are lit to dispel the chill and darkness of the barren land.

Mann's team was responsible for providing plenty of water and food, and sometimes they would share some synthetic meat patties and premixed drinks that they brought from the city, which were considered "luxuries" by the homeless.

The campfires on these nights became brief spaces for information exchange and communication.

Rebecca and Pila are regulars here.

Rebecca would generously offer her treasured spirits in exchange for the wanderers' thrilling tales of migrating across the vast, rugged lands.

For example, how to predict and avoid deadly sandstorms, where precious water sources might be found under dried-up riverbeds, how to deal with mutated vipers or radioactive scorpions, and other interesting stories and territories of wandering families.

Pila, on the other hand, was particularly interested in the "technological treasures" occasionally mentioned in the stories, such as abandoned military bases or prehistoric ruins, and always asked for details.

Dorio and Falco didn't often join in the chatter, but they would listen quietly. Falco paid particular attention to the terrain changes, known dangerous areas, and the activity range of other armed groups mentioned by the wanderers. He would silently write down this information and add it to the database of the electronic map.

This kind of communication, based on pure work and transactions and maintained at an appropriate distance, alleviated the monotony and isolation of life in the abandoned town to some extent, and also gave Mann's team a more concrete understanding of their environment.

When the project was finally completed, what appeared before the MAN team was no longer a dilapidated repair station, but a silent and sturdy fortress standing on the edge of the bad soil.

Its low-slung profile blends seamlessly into the desolate horizon, its exterior unpretentious and even somewhat rugged, but its interior is meticulously planned and reinforced. Thick composite metal walls, quick-closing alloy window shields, concealed firing ports, a multi-layered peripheral sensor network, and independent small-scale power generation and water supply systems combine to form a reliable defense and survival system.

This place will become their new operational center in the shadow of the turbulent Night City, and also their last line of defense.

Another unspoken but universally understood reason for choosing to remain permanently in the abandoned town was the deterrent power of Chen Yu's workshop.

The mysterious place hidden deeper in the desert, occasionally emitting a low hum and strange energy fluctuations, is an invisible force shrouding this wasteland.

Chen Yu himself almost never shows his face and is completely indifferent to the daily affairs of the Mann team, but his existence is like a reassurance, or rather, a sword hanging over the heads of potential enemies.

During an internal team meeting, Mann tapped the newly installed metal tabletop with his knuckles and emphasized in a serious tone, "Get your positions right. Just because we live here doesn't mean the boss is our babysitter."

He paused, then looked around at everyone: "But if we really encounter a tough opponent that we can't handle even with all our efforts, at least we know which direction to ask for help, and the route is the shortest, and that's enough."

This dependence on and awe of Chen Yu's power became more concrete and profound after they closely observed Mowell's transformation, even taking on a hint of burning desire.

Mowell, the elite modified soldier who once belonged to the military technology "Switchblade" squad, equipped with experimental S.A.S ...

She still maintains a basic human outline, which prevents her existence from being too shocking.

But any soldier with even a little experience could sense the abnormality in her. Her movements were absolutely precise and efficient, without any unnecessary swaying; every step and every turn seemed to have been optimally calculated.

Beneath that dark gray combat suit was a newly formed body that combined unknown technology with local prosthetic technology. Occasionally, under certain lighting, one could see that the joints had a faint, dark luster that was different from that of ordinary prosthetics.

Most striking are her pair of completely modified sonic blades.

They are normally perfectly retracted inside the forearm, and only when used will they silently slide into the palm.

When activated, there are no dazzling light effects, only a deep and oppressive hum, the sound of which seems to penetrate the eardrum and directly stir the listener's internal organs, bringing an instinctive fear.

On the relatively flat, sandy clearing outside the abandoned town outpost, Mowell and Dorio had several unannounced sparring sessions.

During their first sparring session, all members of Mann's team were present, creating an atmosphere filled with an indescribable tension and curiosity.

After Chen Yu's initial biological enhancement, Dorio's strength, speed, and reflexes have already surpassed the limits of ordinary people.

The image of her catching a high-speed mantis knife with her bare hands and punching through a light armor plate is still deeply etched in everyone's memory.

Her fighting style is fierce and violent, like a human storm, relying on overwhelming power and solid defense to destroy her opponents.

This made the members of Mann's squad very much looking forward to her battle with Mowell.

(End of this chapter)