Safe within the familiar confines of his original crevice shelter, Xen allowed himself a moment to truly relax his systems. The [Sheltered] buff was active, a comforting notification in the corner of his HUD, though redundant now that his Level Up had fully restored his health (HP: 100/100).He held the retrieved Medium-Grade Energon Crystal in his hand.
It pulsed with a gentle, steady blue light, radiating a cool, clean energy that felt vastly different from the desperate spark of the damaged power cell or the weak glow of the low-grade fragments near the crusher. This felt like proper fuel.
He didn't hesitate. He firmly pressed the crystal against the primary intake port on his palm.
The connection was immediate. A smooth, potent stream of energy flowed into him, significantly richer and more satisfying than any he'd absorbed before.
It spread through his systems like warmth, topping off his reserves effortlessly. The crystal itself dimmed rapidly as its energy transferred, the process efficient and clean. Within seconds, the flow stopped, coinciding with a System notification.
A small pang of regret hit him – wasted potential energy – but the feeling of being at 100% HP and 100% EN simultaneously for the first time since waking was simply too good to dwell on the inefficiency. He let the dust trickle from his hand.
Now, finally, he could think.
He leaned back against the cool metal wall, letting his systems idle, processing the whirlwind of the last hour or so. The Level Up felt like the most significant event. That sudden surge of restorative energy, the elimination of damage, the silencing of the low-power warnings . . . . it was euphoric.
And the points! He mentally reviewed the changes: INT 11, CPU 11, DEX 13. Did he feel smarter or faster? Maybe? Thoughts seemed to connect a little quicker, his assessment of the environment felt slightly sharper, and his physical form seemed poised, ready to react with enhanced speed. They were subtle changes, not transformative, but definitely present. Progress.
Then there was the upgrade to [Basic Scan] Lvl 2. The slightly increased range and detail were welcome, even if they hadn't been enough to penetrate the mysteries of the Precursor assembly or his own core.
It reinforced the idea that skills needed dedicated improvement, likely through more skill points gained via leveling, or perhaps other methods yet undiscovered.
His thoughts turned to the inventory. It had appeared seamlessly when he needed it, triggered by the act of picking up the crystals after leveling.
He recalled his earlier speculation about his unique core activating dormant abilities. This felt like confirmation. The level up, the energy surge – it must have provided the necessary jolt for the Stargate components, the [Fragmented Core Integration], to manifest its first minor utility: a small pocket of warped space tied to his consciousness, capable of holding five items.
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It was incredibly useful, but also a potent reminder of the alien technology fused with his very Spark. What other spatial abilities lay dormant within him? Could he eventually learn to manipulate space more actively? The possibilities were as intriguing as they were unnerving.
And the rift . . . . That encounter replayed vividly in his mind: the visual distortion, the dissonant hum, the strange object dropping through, the radiation warning, the System alert classifying it as a "Type-Gamma Portal Anomaly," and most disturbingly, the resonance within his own core.
Portals weren't just environmental hazards; they were intrinsically linked to whatever made him him. The System had warned him away, flagged the instability. He'd need far more information, better sensors, maybe even specialized resistances or skills before he could even think about approaching one again.
So many threads, so many questions. But now, he had resources. Full health, full energy, four more medium-grade crystals in reserve, slightly improved stats and scanning. He could afford to be more methodical.
What was the most logical next step? He considered the artifact fragment hidden nearby – the [Mini-Con Power Regulator Fragment (Damaged)]. Could his Lvl 2 Scan reveal anything new about it?
He retrieved the smooth, dark grey cylinder again. Scan target: Artifact Fragment.
He scrutinized the results. [Object Type: Mini-Con Power Regulator Fragment (Damaged)] [Composition: Self-Repairing Alloy Blend (Identified: Grade 3 Cyber-Alloy)] [Energy Signature: Dormant - Standard Mini-Con Frequencies] [Functionality: Offline - Internal Matrix Connection Severed] [Analysis: Data Port Detected (Type-Delta Micro-Port) - Sealed - Requires CPU 15 & [Data Port Interface] Skill for Access] [Repair Status: Minimal self-repair active on surface alloys. Major internal damage prevents function. Estimated time to functionality without external power/parts: Indeterminate (Exceeds Calculable Limits).]
Slightly more detail again. The Lvl 2 scan identified the specific alloy grade and named the data port type ("Type-Delta Micro-Port"). The clarification on the repair status confirmed his suspicions – without help, this fragment wasn't fixing itself anytime soon. The core functionality remained obscure, and the requirements for interface (CPU 15 – still beyond his current 11 – and the elusive skill) hadn't changed. Progress, but incremental.
It seemed [Basic Scan], even at Lvl 2, was primarily for identification and surface-level analysis, not deep diagnostics or bypassing security.
He scanned the other items of interest in the crevice again – the non-Energon crystal formation and the wiring cluster – confirming his earlier Lvl 1 findings with no significant new details revealed by Lvl 2. [Geode Formation - Quartz/Trace Metals...], [Damaged Wiring Cluster - Low-Grade Copper...]. No hidden resources here.
Alright.
Re-scanning the items stored within the crevice yielded little significant new data compared to the previous scan results. His upgraded scanner still had clear limitations when it came to deeply analyzing complex objects or damaged components.
He carefully placed the Power Regulator fragment back into its hiding spot. His immediate needs remained: faster HP recovery (or a way to repair directly), stable Energon sources (beyond the crystals he now carried), and vastly improved information gathering/interaction skills.
Sitting here passively healing, even with the [Sheltered] buff, felt wrong now that he had full energy. He needed to be proactive, but smart. Random wandering was out. A systematic approach was needed. With full energy reserves, he could afford a more thorough reconnaissance before leaving the relative safety of the crevice entrance.
He moved to the mouth of the crevice, staying just inside the threshold where the [Sheltered] buff remained active.
His plan: perform a series of overlapping Lvl 2 scans, covering the entire 360-degree view from the entrance up to the scanner's maximum effective range (which was now slightly increased).
He would build a detailed map of the immediate surroundings – hazards, resources, terrain features, potential points of interest – before taking another step outside. It would cost a fair bit of energy, but information was survival.
He raised his hand, ready to initiate the first scan in his systematic sweep of the territory visible from his sanctuary.