Chapter Six: Dust of Ancient Secrets
Tian Heng took a few minutes to catch his breath and assess the situation. The heavy metal door was partially open, and the dark gap revealed a stale air and dust accumulated over countless ages. He quickly checked his physical condition – exhausted but unharmed – then assessed the vault's energy level through his connection to the core. The indicator had dropped to [4.9%] after the intense effort of opening the door. He had to be cautious with his remaining energy.
The gap was not wide enough to pass through easily. He placed his shoulder against the cold edge of the metal door and used his body as a lever, pushing with all his limited strength. The door moved inward very slowly, accompanied by a painful metal scraping sound, as though the metal were crying out in protest after a long slumber. He continued to push until the opening was about the width of his shoulders, just enough to squeeze through.
He gripped the etheric resonator tightly, casting its faint light forward, and cautiously peered inside. The darkness was absolute, and the air was thick. He could make out dense dust covering everything and vague shapes of things stacked or arranged on shelves that loomed in the distance. There was no obvious movement or immediate sign of danger.
Slowly and with great caution, Tian Heng pressed his body through the narrow gap. Once inside, he quickly turned around, scanning the small room with the resonator's light, his eyes darting rapidly, looking for any potential traps, dormant defense mechanisms, or environmental hazards. His senses were on high alert, every nerve in his body primed.
The room appeared to be a small storage space or perhaps an abandoned maintenance station. It was no larger than a few square meters. Dust covered the floor, walls, and rusted metal shelves lining both sides. Some shelves were empty, while others held tightly sealed metal boxes, strange cylinders, and scattered tools that looked curiously advanced despite their worn condition.
Tian Heng began a systematic scan of the room, corner by corner, shelf by shelf. He didn't touch anything initially, content with observation and visual analysis.
On one of the shelves, he found several small metal boxes, about the size of a fist, marked with symbols he didn't recognize. They were tightly sealed. He tried to open one, but it was securely locked. "Core, do you recognize these symbols or the design of these boxes?"
[Analyzing... The symbols partially match 'Etherically Active Materials' hazard markings. The box design suggests an isolated storage container for energy or reactive materials. The contents cannot be precisely identified without opening or deeper scanning (requires higher energy).] Etherically active materials? Could they be energy crystals, or something more dangerous? He decided to leave them alone for now.
On another shelf, he found what appeared to be a set of hand tools relatively well-preserved inside a decaying leather pouch. The tools were made from a dark, lightweight metal, with unusual shapes he had never seen before – some resembled screwdrivers and tweezers, but with a more intricate and precise design. He picked one up, feeling its coldness and balance in his hand. These could prove to be very useful.
In the corner of the room, there was a small control panel embedded into the wall, but its screen was completely dark and cracked. Next to it, he found something more intriguing: several thin, square panels the size of a palm, made from a material resembling dark glass or black ceramic. They were inscribed with delicate carvings that glowed very faintly when the resonator's light neared them.
"Core, what are these panels?"
[Identified as seventh-generation optical/etheric data storage units. They contain large amounts of encrypted information. Access to the data requires a compatible reading interface and sufficient operational energy.] Data panels! A potential treasure trove of knowledge – blueprints, records, maps, research. This was the most significant discovery so far, even though he couldn't read them at the moment.
Tian Heng quickly evaluated the situation. The hand tools were immediately useful. The data panels were a top priority for the long term. The mysterious boxes represented both a potential danger and reward that would need to be handled with caution later.
He decided to take the set of tools and the three data panels he found. He carefully tucked them into his tattered shirt. Then, he glanced around the room once more, making sure there was nothing else of immediate value or any pressing danger that he could handle now.
Before leaving, he attempted to push the heavy metal door closed again. The door moved with difficulty, but he managed to return it to its semi-closed position, providing some concealment and relative security for the remaining contents.
Tian Heng made his way back to the central platform, feeling a mix of exhaustion and cautious satisfaction. He had succeeded, taken risks, and been rewarded. The new tools might ease some of his daily tasks or help him handle future obstacles. The data panels were a promise of knowledge that could prove crucial to his future and the vault's future.
He reached the central platform and carefully placed the data panels on its cold surface. "Core, can we attempt to access the contents of these panels using the current interface?"
[The current interface is primarily compatible. Attempting to connect... Connection failed. Reason: System energy insufficient to activate reading interface and perform initial decryption. Estimated energy requirements: at least 15%]. 15%! His energy level barely exceeded 5% after the effort to open the door. Accessing this knowledge would require a significant boost in energy supply. Securing that better etheric pocket revealed by the previous scan had now become more urgent.