After consuming almost every last bit of meat of B4-021, Phillip made his suit grow a bladed tail. By compressing every excess biomass he collected from the meat to the outmost limit, he was able to create a tail that was almost as hard as tungsten with the sharpness that could cut stone like its jelly.

Since he was able to consume B4-021’s eyes, he also gained the ability to see heat signatures with just his eyes.

But he left some pieces of meat for Gray to analyze as her request.

[Blade Tail function unknown. Can Captain provide information on how can it be used by homo-sapiens?]

While Phillip continued his journey deeper into the cave, Gray was trying to analyze the tail and how it can be used by a human when Homo-sapiens have evolved enough to not need tails.

“You see, we don’t know what can and can’t be consumed in this planet. By compressing consumables, you basically have your own packed meal everywhere you go.”

[Food Storage is indeed a wise decision. But why does it have to be a tail? Why not an extra layer of armor or more motor enhancement rigging?]

“Those are good suggestions, but you see, having a tail provides an extra form of attack and if used properly, it can protect me. I’m already too fast so having rigging would not only be useless, it would be dangerous.”

[You can still have armor though?]

“The best defense is overwhelming offense. Not that I would expect an AI to understand that.”

[I understood.]

After receiving Gray’s monotonous reply, Phillip felt that Gray was annoyed.

[Life Signatures detected]

“I can feel that I’m too full. Let’s make this quick.”

Using his newly gained ability with his eyes, he was able to see where the creatures are in the darkness from the distance without relying on his lights.

By increasing his speed, he was able to run on the wall as if he was running on the ground in a spiraling formation while dodging the rain of projectiles fired by the beasts. When he finally reached them, he bisected them with just one claw.

With just one sprint, he was able to kill three of them. All of the creatures’ parts fell from the ceiling as blood sprayed everywhere.

[Several Life Signatures detected]

[Power Core Signature is in close proximity.]

As he was proceeding deeper into the cave, he noticed something glowing at the distance. Using his thermal vision, he could see that this glowing thing also had high temperature.

When he finally reached it, the glowing thing was actually a wide underground spring.

Beside the spring were more of B4-021’s kind and they were mostly just resting half of their body on the warm water. Some of them have broodings on their mouths like alligators while some were guarding their eggs on wet stone nests.

[Requesting collection of data samples from—]

By using Phillip’s eyes, Gray was able to see and was overwhelmed by the habitat of B4-021’s kind, but was immediately shot down by Phillip himself.

“Yeah, yeah, we can do that later. For now, tell me where the Power Cores are. With all the heat wave here, I can’t find them with just my thermal vision. I need your sensors.”

[B-but sir…]

“Pick one, research or batteries?”

[But my precepts—]

“They’re useless without you having any batteries.”

[… Affirmative]

Though there was no any indication, Phillip felt a little bit guilty being stern towards his assistant despite it being an AI. Moreover, he could understand that despite being a computer program, Gray was able to sulk.

“We’ll come back later.”

Though there was no reply, he knows he made up with her. He could feel it from how fast Gray was processing information through the HUD on his vision.

After a while, Gray was able to pin-point where the Power Cores are specifically inside the cave. And unfortunately, it was in the place Phillip did not really want to go.

“Are you sure you didn’t make any miscalculation?”

[The cause of the water’s high temperature is from the byproduct of the Power Core’s generated energy. Due to the water being contaminated by several elements, it is able to conduct electricity which generated a lot of heat in the process.]

“But if I enter that water, I’ll die of electrocution!”

[Negative. Due to the rubber-like consistency of B4-021’s skin, your armor will not conduct electricity if you use it.]

After hearing some of Gray’s explanation, Phillip finally yielded. And slowly, he walks towards the warm monster infested waters.

When water finally touched his feet, he felt a bit of tingle from the electricity in the water.

“Not fully immune, but I can bear it somehow.”

As he submerges into the water, he could feel the tingle all over his body while his body slowly feels the restriction of being underwater.

[Detected: Low concentration of Acids in water]

“That isn’t a problem. Tell me how I’m able to breathe without an oxygen tank instead.”

[Answer: the Nanites on the outermost layer of your armor are performing artificial diffusion with the heated water.]

“Dumb it down, please.”

[Heated water has oxygen which the Nanites can harvest.]

While conversing with Gray, Phillip continues to tread deeper into the water. Though there were B4s swimming around, for some reason, they are ignoring him.

After a while, Phillip finds the source of the light inside the water. It was the Power Cores themselves.

[Notice: Nanites in the Augment Suit have started to reach conducted charge threshold.]

“Yeah, I can feel the tingle starting to itch.”

Phillip looks at his arms. His body was starting to release electrical bolts that are branching out all over the water.

But instead of thinking about it, he looks at the dozens of scattered Power Cores in the water. This was likely the ship’s supply of Power Cores that was jettisoned during the crash.

“How many Power Cores do you need to reach 100% again?”

[Calculating…]

[At least 5 Power Cores. I have detected a Subsystem within the ship that I cannot access from the lack of Power.]

“Well alright. Send me the shorted route back to the ship and reroute that power to find anything that is not an animal nearby.”

-End of Chapter-