Inside the relative quiet of the severed pipe, Xen didn't waste time. He retrieved one of the five Medium-Grade Energon Crystals from his newly activated inventory (Inventory: 4/5 Slots Used). The crystal materialized in his palm with a faint shimmer, its steady blue glow comforting. Pressing it against his palm intake port, he initiated the absorption.
A clean, potent stream of energy flowed into his systems, topping off his reserves quickly.
The crystal crumbled to dust, its potential expended. Full capacity. It felt good. Now, where to direct this newfound energy? Reviewing his mental map and recent experiences, the answer was clear. The Precursor Assembly site held the most significant mysteries – the alien technology itself, and the residue of the recent portal manifestation. With full power, health, and an upgraded scanner, revisiting that area with a more analytical eye was the most logical step.
Decision made. He mentally prepared himself, activating his stealth systems as a precaution before venturing back out.
With his footfalls muffled, Xen slipped out of the pipe section and began the trek back towards the assembly area, navigating via his HUD map overlay. The journey felt different this time. He moved with more confidence, his DEX 13 allowing for smoother transitions between cover and faster sprints across open patches. His upgraded INT 11 and CPU 11 seemed to process the visual data from his optics faster, allowing him to anticipate terrain hazards more readily. He wasn't desperate now; he was investigating.
He chose a slightly different path back, wanting to cover new ground where possible. This route took him closer to a section of the scrap heap dominated by what looked like giant, shattered heat exchangers or radiators, their fins bent and broken like the teeth of some gargantuan comb. It was here he noticed something new.
On the warped surface of a large, relatively flat metal panel, distinct scorch marks bloomed like dark flowers. They weren't the typical splash patterns of blaster fire he knew from games and media, nor the crude impact burns from the ore crusher. These were... strange. Almost surgical, leaving behind an odd, iridescent sheen on the scorched metal. He approached cautiously, dampener still active, and initiated a scan.
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[Scan Analysis: Structural Surface Scarring Detected] [Residual Energy Signature: Faint - High-Intensity Thermal/Exotic Particle Mix - Non-Standard Energy Profile] [Comparison Analysis: Matches No Known Cybertronian Weapon Profile (Autobot/Decepticon/Neutral)] [Origin: Unknown - Possible Exotic Weapon Discharge or High-Energy Anomaly Interaction]
Exotic particles again, similar in classification, perhaps, to the portal residue, but combined with intense heat scarring in a pattern unlike any standard weapon? What else was active in this scrap heap? He logged the data and the location, adding another mystery to his growing list, and continued onward, a little more unnerved than before.
Soon, the familiar landmarks near the Precursor Assembly came into view. He didn't head directly to the assembly itself but circled around to the rocky overhang that had served as his vantage point when he’d leveled up. From here, he had a good overview of the assembly, the area where the Energon crystals had been, and, crucially, the spot where the spatial rift had appeared and dropped the alien object.
He settled into cover, his optics zooming in. The assembly remained unchanged – dark, inert, inscrutable. The ground where the crystals had rested was just disturbed earth and scrap now. He focused on the area where the rift had shimmered. The air seemed normal now, no visual distortion, and his passive sensors weren't picking up the intense exotic particle field from before, only a lingering, extremely faint trace, like the faintest of perfumes. The dark, organic/crystalline object that had dropped from the rift, however, was still there, lying undisturbed on the debris, radiating that same faint, dangerous energy signature according to his passive readouts.
Okay. Time for a thorough sweep. With full energy reserves and his Lvl 2 scanner, he could afford to be comprehensive. His goal wasn't just to look at the assembly, but to map the entire immediate area in detail, paying close attention to energy signatures, material compositions, and any lingering traces of the portal or the exotic scarring he'd just found.
He deactivated the [Audio Dampener] to conserve energy while stationary (EN: 140.5/150 after another minute). He braced himself, focusing his intent. System, initiate wide-area composite scan. Target: 50-meter radius centered on current location. Focus: Energy Signatures, Material Composition, Structural Analysis. Maximum Lvl 2 detail.
He felt his internal systems dedicate processing power, the Lvl 2 [Basic Scan] initiating not just a single pulse, but a series of rapid, overlapping sweeps designed to build a much more detailed picture than his earlier, more limited scans. This would cost more energy, but the potential information gain was worth it.
Xen watched his HUD intently as the data began to flow in, the familiar blue wireframes overlaying his vision, but this time resolving with greater clarity, mapping not just surfaces, but hinting at densities, energy flows, and material types across the entire targeted zone. This was the real advantage of having resources – the ability to gather intelligence properly. Now, what secrets would this place reveal?