Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 89 Living Teleportation Experiment (20th Update)
Inside the abandoned town outpost, Mann's squad was conducting routine maintenance and training.

Rebecca was adjusting her new parts at the shooting range, Pila was fiddling with his fancy prosthetic paint jobs at the workbench, Falco was checking the vehicle's sand filter, and Dorio was doing strength training in the open space.

Qiwei huddled in front of the terminal in the corner, monitoring the data stream from the peripheral sensors.

An atmosphere that appeared relaxed but was actually highly vigilant permeated the outpost.

At this moment, the Servo Skull Prototype No. 1, which had been in standby mode, suddenly emitted a monotonous electronic voice, breaking the silence: "All members of the Mann team are summoned by creator Chen Yu. Proceed to the main workshop immediately."

As soon as the voice fell, the stronghold fell silent.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward Mann.

Rebecca was the first to jump up, her green prosthetic eye flashing excitedly: "It's here! It's finally here! The boss is going to upgrade us!"

Pila excitedly threw down the spray gun in her hand, waving her slender mechanical arm: "I've finally waited for this day! My old-fashioned clothes can finally retire!"

Even the usually composed Falco adjusted his sunglasses, a slight, barely suppressed smile playing on his lips. Dorio stopped training, fine beads of sweat glistening on her bronze skin. She looked at Mann, her gaze steady yet questioning.

Mann took a deep breath, his thick fingers clenching and unclenching. He glanced around at the team members, each with their own distinct emotions, and said in a deep voice, "Did you all hear that? Pack your things, we're leaving in five minutes. Don't lose your composure in front of the boss."

Qi Wei silently stood up from the terminal, pulled up the collar of her dark red coat, and hid half of her face in the shadows. She was both looking forward to and afraid of the transformation; Chen Yu's power made her feel that it was unfathomable.

The group silently walked through the deserted streets of the abandoned town toward the workshop that emitted a low, humming sound.

The closer one got, the stronger the smell of ozone mixed with hot metal became. The workshop's massive metal doors slid open silently, revealing a vast interior space illuminated by a constant, cold light source.

Chen Yu's tall, dark red figure stood before the central control panel, his crimson optical lens sweeping over the people who entered, without any pleasantries. Mowell stood like a silent guard in the shadows behind him, his presence almost blending into the environment.

"You've arrived." Chen Yu's synthesized voice was calm and even, getting straight to the point. "Based on the resources you've recently collected and the needs of subsequent missions, the time is ripe to fully strengthen you."

Rebecca almost cheered, but she forced herself to hold back, only clenching her fists tightly. Pila rubbed her hands excitedly, her eyes scanning back and forth between Chen Yu and the strange mechanical devices around them.

Mann stepped forward, his attitude respectful: "Boss, we've been waiting for your summons. What mission do you require us to carry out?"

Chen Yu lightly tapped the control panel with his mechanical finger, and a complex energy structure diagram floated in the air, with a rift model that was constantly twisting and flashing with a ghostly light at its core.

"Mission objective: To conduct a live interdimensional teleportation experiment." Chen Yu's voice was flat, as if he were stating something very ordinary. "You will serve as experimental subjects, passing through my soon-to-stabilize dimensional rift to reach the other world, collect basic environmental data, and wait at the designated coordinates for retrieval."

These words were like cold water poured into a hot oil pan, instantly freezing the excitement on everyone's faces.

“Living beings… interdimensional teleportation?” Pila’s voice was a little dry. “Boss, you mean… to send us… to another world?”

Rebecca's excitement vanished, her green prosthetic eye widening in disbelief: "What's the other side like? Is there air? Are we going to fall straight into a star?"

Dorothy frowned, looking at Mann with worry in her eyes. This mission sounded far more dangerous and bizarre than they had imagined.

Mann's heart sank.

He guessed the mission wouldn't be simple, but he hadn't expected it to be something completely beyond his comprehension. Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked, "Boss, what's the risk assessment for this mission? Are the coordinates on the other end safe?"

“Risks exist.” Chen Yu’s answer remained concise. “The stability of the fissure, the accuracy of the coordinates at the other end, and the adaptability to the unknown environment are all variables. But the necessary safety measures and survival guarantees will be integrated into your modifications.”

Preliminary scanning of the other coordinates revealed the existence of basic conditions suitable for the survival of carbon-based life.

Chen Yu did not reveal any information about the Warhammer world to Mann's team, but simply told them to be prepared, as knowing too much would not do them any good.

He paused, his crimson optical lens sweeping across everyone: "The choice is yours. Accept the transformation and carry out the mission, or maintain the status quo. But maintaining the status quo means that your value to me will remain at its current level."

The meaning behind those words is quite clear.

Not accepting it means giving up the possibility of further progress, and may even mean losing the existing protection.

Mann hardly hesitated.

He glanced back at his teammates and saw shock and hesitation in their eyes, but even more so, an irresistible desire drawn by a powerful force, especially after witnessing the power displayed by Mowell and Dorio.

He turned back and nodded heavily to Chen Yu: "We accept, boss. We've always been prepared to serve you."

Chen Yu seemed completely unsurprised by his answer.

“Very good. The modifications will be based on your roles and mission requirements. Mann, as captain and main firepower; Dorio, guards and assault; Mowell, high-speed assassination and reconnaissance; Rebecca, assault soldier; Pila, technical support and area control; Falco, vehicle handling and logistics; Sasha and Qiwei, electronic warfare and communications support.” He listed everyone’s responsibilities, as if he were taking stock of tools.

"The modification process will be carried out in batches. Now, leave your existing prosthetic data and usage feedback. Then return to the base and wait. I will inform you of the specific modification order and content." There was no further explanation, nor any words of encouragement.

After Chen Yu finished speaking, he turned around and refocused his attention on the data stream jumping on the holographic interface. The huge dimensional teleporter emitted a deep resonance, as if responding to his concentration.

Mann and the others silently left the data, and then, "guided" by the servo skull, left the workshop.

On the way back, the atmosphere was somewhat somber. Pila couldn't help but speak first: "Damn, being teleported to another world... this sounds really weird."

Rebecca quickly recovered her spirits, patting the plasma pistol slung across her back: "What's there to be afraid of! Didn't the boss say there are safety measures? Besides, we'll definitely be much stronger after the modifications! Maybe even more powerful than Mowell!"

Dorothy looked at Mann and whispered, "What do you think?"

Mann's expression was serious as he slowly said, "We have no way out. From the day we decided to follow the boss, we were destined to face this level of 'trouble.' And, considering the power after the transformation... it's worth the gamble."

Falco sighed. "Yes, it's worth the gamble. I just didn't expect the stakes to be so high."

Qiwei remained silent, but her hands trembled slightly, a mixture of fear of the unknown mission and burning anticipation for the electronic warfare cybernetic body she was about to acquire, which far exceeded the current hackers' comprehension.

They knew that once they stepped into the transformation chamber, there would be no turning back. But the powerful force ahead, like a mirage in the desert, drew them, those struggling to survive in Night City, forward step by step.

(End of this chapter)