Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

Although some areas of the military base were blocked by walls, this was hardly an issue for the engineering robot.

If it could easily cut through a solid metal door, mere concrete walls posed no challenge. Following the partially completed underground map generated by the reconnaissance drone, the robot exploration team methodically dismantled barriers and scoured most accessible areas.

The team unearthed a batch of handheld weapons and various sophisticated electronic instruments.

Judging by the recovered items, this military base appeared to be more research-oriented. The weapons, including pistols and assault rifles, seemed designed primarily for self-defense, while the collection of experimental and measurement devices was extensive.

"We'll take one of each weapon back for study.

"As for the storage cards, working or not, we'll bring them all back.

"Skip the larger electronics. They're too damaged to repair."

Su Wu carefully sifted through the collected items.

Unlike the natural radiation found on the surface, these materials were contaminated by radiation from the nuclear reactor. Purifying them would be cumbersome and unnecessary.

For Su Wu, acquiring even a single sample weapon to reverse-engineer was sufficient. After analysis, he could reproduce them using his CNC machine tools and 3D printer.

However, storage cards and hard drives potentially containing research data were invaluable and not to be overlooked.

These were akin to lottery tickets—repairing just one could yield a valuable blueprint or discovery.

After retrieving the items from the robot team, Su Wu activated the base vehicle's station mode near the military base to begin repairs and data recovery on the storage cards.

Unfortunately, the results were underwhelming.

Perhaps due to prolonged contamination, only two of the dozens of storage cards contained salvageable data. Among the fragmented and mostly unusable information, Su Wu found only one valuable piece: a schematic for the first-generation robot dog.

"Well, at least it's a robot dog. Not bad at all."

Though labeled as a "first-generation" design, the robot dog's value far surpassed many seemingly grander finds, such as an aircraft carrier blueprint.

An aircraft carrier had limited utility for Su Wu's current needs, while the robot dog design addressed a significant gap in his capabilities.

The robot dog's versatility would drastically enhance both the productivity and combat capabilities of his operations.

For his land combat units, it would mean expanded operational areas, including buildings, wilderness, caves, and cliffs, transforming them from mere support tools into core combat assets.

Similarly, the efficiency of the engineering and construction robots would see a three- to five-fold increase with the robot dogs' assistance—each effectively performing the work of three.

Carefully backing up the robot dog schematic to the tactical computer of his miniature mech, Su Wu deactivated the base vehicle's station mode.

Looking back at the military base one last time, he confirmed there was no further value to be gained. The primary purpose of processing the storage cards on-site had been to avoid missing any critical clues that might necessitate further exploration.

Since no such clues emerged, it was time to move on.

"Seal the entrance and ventilation ducts to reduce radiation pollution."

Following Su Wu's command, the rocket launchers mounted on the third compartment of the base vehicle adjusted their angles and locked onto key points marked by the onboard AI.

Bright flames erupted from the launcher as a salvo of rockets streaked through the air, slamming into the base's entrance and ventilation shafts.

As fire and smoke billowed into the sky, the surface components of the military base were buried under rubble.

"Let's move on."

As the base vehicle departed, the terrain grew progressively flatter and more barren. The once-rocky ground transitioned into expanses of yellow sand, signaling Su Wu's entry into the Ralz Desert, the largest in East Continent and the final destination marked in the border exploration mission.

"Current external temperature: 97 degrees Celsius. Radiation level: 0."

Even before the apocalypse, deserts were synonymous with scorching heat and lifeless landscapes. After the apocalypse, these traits had only intensified.

As the base vehicle ventured deeper into the Ralz Desert, the temperature rose sharply every few kilometers.

After traveling only 30 to 40 kilometers, the temperature had already surpassed Su Wu's previous experience in Jianghe City, reaching an unprecedented 97 degrees—just three degrees shy of boiling water.

Of course, at this level, the difference was negligible.

"Energy consumption has increased slightly," Su Wu noted, glancing at the base vehicle's power reserves.

The battery, once fully charged at the journey's start, had dwindled to 47%. While still sufficient for the return trip, it was a little disconcerting to see the gauge drop below half.

Driving another 100 kilometers into the desert, Su Wu encountered a stark expanse of gray-white salt flats.

The appearance of salt flats didn't indicate improved conditions. Instead, it heralded even more extreme temperatures.

The external thermometer now displayed a staggering 107 degrees Celsius.

"It's not just the heat. The geological activity here seems intense as well."

Su Wu's expression turned serious as he noticed a sudden spike in the system's disaster index.

The index had jumped from 0.06 to 0.35 upon entering the salt flats, meaning he was now accumulating 1.4 survival points per hour merel

y by staying in this hazardous environment.

This level of danger was unprecedented.

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