Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 96 Camp (Third Update)
The squad members quickly adjusted their formation and followed Ignis's pace in a standard tactical formation.

Mower remained on high alert, silently roaming the flanks of the group like a ghost, her senses fully activated, scanning every corner.

Although Rebecca and Pila had retracted their heavy bomb guns and flamethrowers to their backs or mounting points, their hands remained unconsciously on their secondary weapons at their waists, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.

Sasha and Qiwei continuously monitored the surrounding electromagnetic environment, their neural interfaces operating at high speed, attempting to decipher the network structure and data protocols of this unfamiliar world.

However, the returned signals were full of unrecognizable codes and strong background interference, like facing an impenetrable high wall made of chaotic noise, making it difficult for them to penetrate.

They passed through a wide passageway, with spherical devices emitting a steady white light embedded in the rock walls on both sides, illuminating the entire passageway as bright as day. The light was uniform and cold, without the slightest flicker.

The light at the end of the passage gradually changed, from the cool white of artificial lighting to a natural, slightly yellowish skylight.

When they finally emerged from the passage and arrived at the cave's exit, the scene before them shocked even those accustomed to the bizarre lights, towering buildings, and bloodshed of Night City, leaving them with a profound sense of oppression.

The cave exit was located in a depression in a huge valley, and in the distance, a rudimentary camp appeared before them.

The architectural style of the camp is consistent with that of the cave interior, with extreme ruggedness and pragmatism running throughout.

The towering watchtowers stood like steel giants at the edge of the camp, topped with strangely shaped defensive weapons they had never seen before.

The weapons had polygonal barrels and complex energy focusing arrays, with thick energy conduits winding along the tower, shimmering with an ominous, lava-like dark red light in the thin air.

Some massive vehicles, resembling mobile factories or fortresses, were parked at the edge of the open space. Their heavy armor and exposed exhaust pipes emitted a low, continuous roar, like the panting of sleeping behemoths.

The entire camp was shrouded in an orderly yet chilling atmosphere.

However, what made them most uncomfortable were the "residents" active in the camp.

Most of them wore red robes of varying shades, similar to those worn by Ignis, and different parts of their bodies were replaced with metal prosthetics.

Some only had their arms or legs replaced, but many more underwent extensive modifications, with thick metal armor covering their chests and various styles of metal masks or hoods covering their heads, revealing only optical lenses that shimmered with different colors of light.

Their movements were precise and efficient, but lacked the natural fluidity that ordinary people should have. Their communication was mostly brief, binary language with static or low commands. The entire camp was permeated with an inhuman, cold sense of order.

“There are so many here…” Rebecca subconsciously moved closer to Dorio and whispered, a barely perceptible fear flashing in her green prosthetic eyes.

These red-robed metal figures made her feel even more terrifying than the menacing gangsters of Night City; it was an instinctive repulsion stemming from the difference in their life forms.

Pila shrank back and whispered in response, "I feel like I've fallen into a robot colony... Are they... even human?"

Falco silently observed the layout of the camp and the patterns of activity of the people, trying to figure out the organization's operating model.

Sasha and Qiwei showed great interest in the technology and equipment used by the red-robed people, but at the same time they were more wary, as the technology tree of this world was clearly very different from what they were familiar with.

Ignis seemed accustomed to their reaction. Without pausing, she led them directly to a row of relatively isolated tents made of prefabricated panels at the edge of the camp. Ignis stopped in front of the rather rudimentary prefabricated metal barracks and turned to face Mann's squad.

Her synthesized, soft voice rang out again, but the content of her words carried an undeniable seriousness.

“This will be your accommodation for the next three days.” She raised a metal arm and gestured toward the barracks behind her, her movements precise and without any redundancy.

She paused slightly, the optical lenses on her visor seemingly scanning the face of each squad member to ensure the message was being received.

Then she continued, her tone becoming even more warning: "I need to remind you again that this is a planet officially designated as the 'Dead World'."

The environment outside the camp is extremely harsh, far beyond your usual understanding.

Furthermore, unrecorded and unknown dangers may lurk within that vast desert.

Her voice was steady, yet carried a heavy weight: "Therefore, please make sure to stay within the clearly designated safe area of ​​the camp."

Do not attempt to venture into the desert out of curiosity, and do not touch or examine any equipment or devices you do not understand.

She concluded by emphasizing, "This is not only to ensure your own safety, but also to maintain the order and stability of this place that cannot be disrupted."

After saying that, she nodded slightly, then turned and left with her servo skull, leaving Mann's team standing in front of the tent, looking at each other in bewilderment.

A massive metal cavern, bizarrely styled cyborgs in red robes, a desolate planet known as the "World of Death," Chen Yu's vague "experiment" purpose... A deluge of information assaulted their minds, leaving them feeling intensely dizzy and bewildered after their recent interdimensional teleportation.

"Boss, what... what exactly is going on here?" Rebecca couldn't help but look at Mann, her face full of confusion.

Mann watched Ignis's departing figure, then looked around at the cold, unfamiliar, and inhumanly imposing camp, and sighed heavily. He shook his head, his rugged face also filled with solemnity.

“I don’t know either, Rebecca,” he answered honestly. “But the boss said to stay for three days. In those three days, we have to survive and… not cause any trouble.”

He pushed open the tent door, revealing simple but adequate facilities inside. "Go in first, rest a bit, and check your equipment. Falco, keep an eye on recording environmental data. Sasha, Qiwei, try to establish an internal communication network and see if you can find a vulnerability connecting to this world's network, but be careful not to get discovered."

The team members silently entered their tents, temporarily shutting out the doubts and anxieties of the outside world. But they all knew that these three days would be anything but easy.

On this strange planet known as the "Death World," they not only have to face potential environmental threats, but also adapt to a world made up of metal, gears, and cold logic, a world completely different from Night City.

Chen Yu's true intentions remained shrouded in mystery, shrouding their minds.

　Let me start with this third update to tide me over, then I'll have dinner. There should be fifteen updates today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)