WebNovels

Chapter 7 - First Exploration

The route on the holographic map was clearly visible in Cairo's visual interface, with every turning point and potential danger zone meticulously marked.

He stepped out of the workshop, his dark red robes rippling in the dry hot wind. His precise mechanical feet left deep impressions in the sandy ground, quickly erased by the never-ceasing wind and sand.

The seven-kilometer journey wasn't far for Cairo's mechanical feet, but the soft sandy terrain greatly increased travel resistance.

He periodically adjusted his stride frequency and sensor sensitivity, seeking the optimal balance between vigilance and energy consumption.

The scenery along the way was monotonous and oppressive.

Aside from rolling dunes and sporadically distributed weathered rock formations, there were only occasionally visible rusted metal wreckage.

Cairo's multi-spectral optical sensors continuously scanned the surrounding environment, marking several rock bodies that might provide cover and unstable quicksand areas.

After more than an hour of trekking, the entrance to the abandoned mine finally appeared in view.

It was like an open black maw, embedded in a weathered rock wall.

Scattered around the entrance were rusted rails, overturned mine cart fragments, and some white bones half-buried in sand.

Cairo paused briefly at the entrance. The sensor array on his wrist emitted an almost inaudible hum as multiple scanning modes activated simultaneously.

Heat signal detection showed multiple small heat source clusters inside the cave. Life form scanning confirmed mutant creature vital signs. Geological penetration radar outlined the rough structure of the cavern and successfully captured that weak energy signal in the depths.

He adjusted his optical sensors to low-light mode and entered the mine.

Cool, damp air thick with heavy mold and some animal den's rank odor hit him.

The cave interior had many branches, but the main passage was clearly visible.

Before long, rustling sounds came from the darkness ahead, followed by dozens of pairs of crimson little eyes lighting up in the darkness.

Mutant weasels—more numerous than those encountered in town, and seemingly larger in size, their bared fangs dripping with corrosive saliva.

Cairo didn't even slow his pace. The mechanical tentacles on his back shot out like living killing machines.

Precise thrusts pierced skulls, swift lashes broke spines, accompanied by the sounds of shattering bones and creatures' brief dying wails.

The crimson little eyes extinguished one by one.

The deeper he went, the darker the light became.

Following the real-time structural map provided by his sensors, he made choices at multiple intersections without hesitation, steadily approaching the energy signal source.

The source of the energy signal was a small side chamber, piled with several long-rusted and scrapped drilling machines and equipment resembling a backup generator.

Just as Cairo approached the generator, attempting to check if there were still usable batteries, a crude string of curses came from another branch of the cave.

"Hey! You tin can over there! That's my stuff!"

Eight figures surged from the darkness, blocking his retreat.

They wore patched-together ragged clothing, their cyberware modifications were minimal and obviously second-hand, holding old ballistic firearms and even homemade knives and axes.

Cairo's threat assessment system instantly completed the scan: "Targets: Human, eight individuals. Armament level: Low. Threat level: Low."

Cairo slowly turned around, the cold red glow of his optical lenses particularly striking in the darkness.

His silence and inhuman appearance created an invisible pressure.

The lead man, a burly fellow, brandished an iron pipe in his hand: "Can't understand human speech, tin man? We discovered this place first! Put down what you found and get out!"

Cairo didn't respond, continuing his work dismantling the generator. This disregard enraged the vagrants.

"Fuck! Kill this tin freak!" The burly man roared, raising his weapon.

In that instant, Cairo's system had already predicted all threats.

When the first vagrant pulled the trigger, Cairo had already moved sideways, the bullet flying past the corner of his robe.

The ensuing battle was brief and lethal.

Two mechanical tentacles shot out like vipers, one precisely stabbing into the shooter's eye socket, the other directly piercing the second gunman's throat.

Simultaneously, the bolt pistol at Cairo's waist was already in hand, firing with almost no aim.

The small-caliber bolts emitted deafening roars in the narrow cave.

The first struck the burly man's chest, sending him flying backward; the second hit the shoulder of a vagrant charging with an axe, the arm along with the axe flying off; the third hit the head of an enemy trying to hide behind a mine cart.

In an instant, three dead.

The remaining five were stunned, looking at their companions' corpses and this unscathed tin monster, their will to fight completely collapsed.

"Don't—don't kill us!" A young vagrant threw down his weapon, kneeling on the ground with raised hands. The others quickly followed suit, discarding weapons to surrender.

Cairo's sensors confirmed these people no longer posed a threat. He put away the bolt pistol, mechanical tentacles still maintaining vigilant posture.

"Leave." A cold synthetic voice came from beneath his face mask.

The surviving vagrants fled as if pardoned, scrambling toward the cave exit, not even bothering with their companions' corpses.

Cairo calmly assessed the battlefield. After confirming no more threats, he redirected his attention back to the generator.

He carefully cut open the shell with his laser cutter, extracting a large, heavy but still faintly charged high-energy battery pack—from the label, a "Thunder-7" industrial battery produced by some corporation.

He also removed some cables and voltage regulators that looked still usable.

"Primary objective achieved: Energy acquired. Additional gain: Recyclable biological material." Cairo looked at the three relatively intact corpses on the ground. "Body integrity acceptable, nervous systems should have basic reactions. Bring back to workshop, can be modified into basic servitors for guard duty and repetitive labor."

The mechanical tentacles deftly wrapped around the three corpses, securing them to his back. The battery pack was carried by another tentacle.

Before leaving, he quickly searched the vagrants' personal belongings, finding a hand-drawn map of the surrounding area with crudely marked vagrant camps, mutant creature nests, and "danger zones."

Cairo, carrying the battery and corpses, walked out of the mine. At the entrance, he conducted a comprehensive environmental scan. After confirming the surviving vagrants had fled far away with no ambushes or other threats, he set out on the road back to town.

The first hunt yielded more than expected. Though old, the high-energy battery should provide considerable power after proper treatment; wires and regulators could serve as spare parts; and those three corpses would become windows into understanding this world and sources of labor.

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