The decision to return to his primary shelter, the narrow crevice near the fallen giant, felt strategically sound. Xen turned away from the maintenance tunnel entrance, leaving the mysteries of the coolant trail and the Cyber-Vermin nest for a time when he was better prepared. His focus now was consolidation and analysis, leveraging the new skill he'd acquired through persistent effort. He consulted his HUD map overlay, plotting a course back through the scrap heap.
The journey retraced some of the ground he'd covered earlier, but his perspective felt different. With full health and near-full Energon, the environment seemed slightly less threatening. He moved with the quiet confidence his DEX 13 afforded, navigating the twists and turns of the metallic labyrinth. He reactivated his [Audio Dampener] briefly as he passed the vicinity of the giant Transformer's unstable frame, not wanting any accidental noise to potentially trigger another collapse (EN: 147.5/150 after 5 minutes of dampener use). The massive, silent form seemed even more somber now that Xen knew for certain it was the source of his own Spark.
His inventory felt constraining now, completely full at 5/5 slots. If he found anything else out here, even something potentially valuable, he'd have to make a choice about what to discard. The three [Circuit Board (Degraded)] items seemed like the obvious candidates – archaic, corroded, offering minimal salvage value according to his scan. Prioritization would be key moving forward.
Soon, the familiar landmarks of the massive engine block and bent hull plating came into view. He performed a quick safety scan before approaching the entrance.
[Scan Complete: Crevice Entrance & Visible Interior Clear. No Anomalous Readings.]
Satisfied, Xen slipped back into the narrow confines of the crevice. The familiar sense of security washed over him as the [Sheltered] buff reactivated. He made his way to the back of the ~3-meter deep space, the area he considered his base of operations.
First order of business: analyze the artifact with his new skill. He carefully retrieved the [Mini-Con Power Regulator Fragment (Damaged)] from its hiding spot amongst the debris. The smooth, dark grey cylinder felt cool in his palm, its self-repairing alloy showing no new changes. He focused on the faint seam marking the [Type-Delta Micro-Port] his Lvl 2 [Basic Scan] had identified.
System, use [Data Analysis] Lvl 2 on the artifact's data port.
The System check, clearly showing the breakdown, confirmed success. The results provided slightly more context than the basic scan alone.
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<+10 XP Gained! (Successful Artifact Analysis)> XP: 95/250.
Valuable information, confirming the port type, access needs, and providing keywords hinting at a catastrophic power failure for the original Mini-Con, "M-734?". But again, it led to requirements he couldn't meet now. CPU 15, specific skills, specialized tools . . . .
With the analysis complete, he addressed his inventory. The circuit boards had to go.
Inventory. Discard item: [Circuit Board (Degraded)] x3.
Yes.
Space freed up, but the core problem remained. He kept hitting walls. The tunnels, holding answers about the coolant trail, were blocked by vermin and instability. The compartment needed strength and tools.
The artifacts needed skills and stats. Even systematic searching yielded little immediate value beyond minor XP and historical curiosities like the casings.
He leaned back against the crevice wall, frustration simmering. Passivity wasn't working. Waiting to level up purely through safe exploration felt like it would take forever. He needed to be able to deal with obstacles, not just identify and avoid them. He needed a way to fight back, however primitively, against things like those Cyber-Vermin. He needed a weapon.
But what could he possibly use? His frame had no integrated weapons. His Strength was negligible. His crude shard tool had shattered.
His thoughts flickered back to the damaged power cell near the containers, the way energy had arced from it with a painful jolt. Then to the Energon crystals, humming with contained, stable power. Energy. Could he channel it? Focus it somehow?
He looked at his own small, manipulator hands. Not built for heavy combat, but precise. He thought about the scrap outside. Pipes, rods, wires, strange alloys. Could he combine them? Use a pipe for reach, wire it up somehow, mount an energy source?
The idea took shape, crude but compelling: an improvised Energon staff. Something simple, maybe just a pipe with a low-grade crystal affixed to the end, wired up so he could trigger a discharge on contact.
A basic electro-prod, essentially. It wouldn't be powerful, probably wouldn't be reliable, but it would be something. A weapon. A tool that offered more than just passive scanning.
It felt possible. Dangerous, yes – messing with energy directly seemed risky – but possible. He quickly ran through the necessary components in his mind:
- The Staff Body: A sturdy, non-conductive or well-insulated rod/pipe, about a meter long.
- The Emitter/Power Source: A stable Energon crystal. The Medium-Grade ones felt too valuable for this crude experiment; he'd need one of the Low-Grade fragments like those near the crusher.
- Conductive Wiring: To channel energy from the crystal to the tip/contact point. The damaged wiring he'd found in the crevice was tagged 'Low Conductivity' – probably insufficient. He'd need better wiring.
- Insulation/Handle: Something to hold onto safely.
He'd need to gather these materials. He already had a location for Low-Grade crystals (the crusher site – a risky trip). He'd need to search nearby for a suitable pipe and better wiring.
It was a plan. A proactive plan involving risk, exploration, and potentially, a new capability. It felt infinitely better than just sitting here waiting. The first step was finding the staff body and wiring locally, then braving the trip to the crusher.
Xen's systems buzzed with renewed purpose. Time to go scavenging with intent.