Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

After stabilizing on the ground, Su Wu glanced at the miniature mech's power levels. The battery, which had been nearly fully charged before leaving the refuge, showed a noticeable drop after the recent low-altitude jump.

Clearly, the jump had consumed a significant amount of energy.

"Judging by this, the low-altitude thrusters can't be used as a regular means of movement," Su Wu concluded.

As a ground-based combat unit, the mech's design was not optimized for sustained low-altitude flight. Instead, such maneuvers should serve as specialized offensive tactics. The substantial power consumption underscored this assessment.

Letting go of the idea of continued jumps across the wilderness, Su Wu noticed that the temperature inside the cockpit felt no different from within the refuge.

The consistency was so seamless that he had unconsciously overlooked the environmental change, still feeling as though he were operating remotely from a screen in the refuge rather than physically being outside.

He checked the external temperature: 72.3°C.

Realizing that he was separated from this extreme heat by only about two centimeters of alloy armor, Su Wu couldn't help but feel a strange sense of dissonance.

It reminded him of those tourists in peacetime who ventured into deserts, sipping ice-cold beverages in air-conditioned vehicles while admiring the shimmering, sun-scorched sands outside their windows. The stark contrast between environments created a peculiar thrill.

"Stepping out in person feels vastly different from issuing commands remotely in the refuge," Su Wu mused.

Of course, this sense of ease was entirely due to the mech's exceptional level of protection. Were he driving a car in these conditions, with the ever-present risk of a breakdown and life-threatening consequences, his experience would have been far less leisurely.

Shifting his focus back to the right-hand side of the display, where icons for the mech's auxiliary components were listed, Su Wu decided to deploy the mech's two stealth reconnaissance drones.

Two fist-sized, spherical mechanical devices ejected from the mech's back and shot silently into the sky, climbing over a hundred meters in mere fractions of a second.

Simultaneously, a small 3D map materialized in front of Su Wu, showcasing a real-time bird's-eye view generated by the drones.

"Even underground data is included. These reconnaissance drones are incredibly sophisticated," Su Wu noted as he studied the map.

The map revealed not only surface details but also subterranean structures. It provided information on voids, resource deposits, soil and rock composition, and more. In some areas, it reached depths of up to 15 meters.

After examining the 3D map for a while, Su Wu turned his attention to the drones themselves.

Unlike the rotor-based drones common in this world, these reconnaissance drones relied entirely on anti-gravity engines for flight and hovering.

Capable of near-supersonic speeds, they appeared to be even more advanced than the mech itself.

Notably, Su Wu discovered in the drones' technical data that each came equipped with an independent electromagnetic shield.

However, due to their small size and limited power, the shields were only activated passively and could block no more than a single sniper round. Beyond that threshold, the drones would need to return to the mech for recharging before redeployment.

"I'll need to find an opportunity to study the engines on these drones," Su Wu thought, already envisioning the possibilities.

If he could reverse-engineer the anti-gravity technology, it would revolutionize his capabilities. Resources across the planet, no matter how distant or inaccessible, would be within his grasp.

With this in mind, Su Wu no longer regretted the massive expenditure of survival points required to upgrade the mech.

Even just the auxiliary components he had tested so far—with their wealth of cutting-edge technology—had already justified the cost.

"If I factor in the components I haven't tested yet, I might even consider pooling survival points for large-scale upgrades like this as the most efficient use of resources," Su Wu reflected.

"Now, let's test the mech's weapons and combat capabilities."

Comparing the 3D map, Su Wu realized he was near the location where his engineering robot and specialized transport vehicle had once discovered a collapsed signal tower.

This time, however, his perspective was vastly different.

Rather than feeling apprehensive, Su Wu found himself eager to take on the jagged rocks and peculiar hill formations surrounding him.

Selecting a tilted and towering stone pillar, Su Wu raised the mech's electromagnetic sniper rifle and aimed.

The reticle on his display locked onto the center of the pillar in just 0.2 seconds.

Here, Su Wu noticed an interesting detail.

The targeting process had two stages:

1. Upon Su Wu's thought to target the pillar, the mech responded by orienting the rifle toward the general vicinity.

2. The tactical computer then fine-tuned the aim, adjusting the rifle to precisely target the pillar's weakest structural point.

Interestingly, Su Wu hadn't even realized the pillar's weak spot until the computer highlighted it. His initial thought had been a vague intent to aim at the pillar and destroy it.

This demonstrated the tactical computer's exceptional data analysis and decision-making capabilities, likely surpassing the basic AI derived from the upgraded laptop in his refuge.

Practically speaking, this meant Su Wu could casually point the rifle at an enemy in future battles, leaving the

tactical computer to handle pinpoint targeting and identifying vulnerabilities.

-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/LegendaryTL

Thanks!