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2024-10-29 19:42:56The clock has shown a big 08:00 on its screen, but I am just too tired to wake myself up after all the hard work. I try to sleep in for a few more minutes before starting a new day.
- Yuusha, wake up. It's time for your training phase. We will be targeting places that are easy to attack for you to get used to the pace.
- Five more minutes... The customer's order is due tomorrow...
Mirai is intolerant of my weird sleep schedule, and she pulls the warm blanket away from me. The morning wind breeze flows through my back.
- Cold! Cold! Why must you ruin my precious morning, especially after my hectic work schedule yesterday? - I speak in a sleepy voice.
- Well, the only reason that I send this package to 2050 is that the Intruders make their first move sometime this year, and they start setting up bases. We need to uproot the weeds to kill them, so that is why we are also making our moves now. But don't worry, I will choose an easy target for you for today.
- Fine, but please give me some rest in exchange after this mission.
- Yes, I will. So, please get ready with your items. I have made you breakfast, and we will be departing in twenty minutes.
Breakfast? I have not had a proper meal since I left my parents to live an independent life. I have always been eating pre-cooked meals from convenience stores thanks to my laziness, and this food helps when you are facing a deadline. They just do not help with the catastrophes in your stomach, your declining health and in the toilet, thanks to the lack of fibre.
After packing up the essentials (namely, the submachine gun that I used the last time, some tactical items, and the tablet with an obsolete and weird name Codex), I have breakfast. A dish of salad, and a slice of garlic bread, probably healthier than anything I have eaten since I left my parents' house. And to be honest, it also tastes delicious.
- Wow, pretty amazing. Would not even expect this... - I speak to myself while trying to finish up the food in twenty minutes.
- This is just a robot shell, but I have uploaded my memory from human time here, so basically I know basic skills, unlike somebody here who forgoes his health with fast food...
- OK, please shut up. I have finished my meal. The kitchen system will clean them for me when we leave.
We are currently standing in my house's backyard, and Mirai is summoning a small plane from the arsenal.
- I will drive this plane to the destination. The information for our first target has been uploaded to the Codex, so you can read from it while finishing your freelance work. We will take about fifteen minutes to arrive. - Mirai confidently grabs the steering wheel of the plane.
But then, she is the only person who knows how to drive a plane, so I will push the responsibility to her in any case.
- Thanks. - I say.
While the plane takes off smoothly and is flying to the destination, I read the information from the tablet. Our target today is a small island which has been used by the Intruders to build a reconnaissance tower. It is told in the tablet that these towers will transfer information to the mothership somewhere in the galaxy.
- Destroying these towers will slow down the Intruders' progress, although just slightly, and they are also a good target for new people. The Intruders build this reconnaissance tower far away because they think that humans will never travel to this place or their satellites will not detect this place. This makes the defence system of this tower very weak and vulnerable to assaults. However, there are still Intruders patrolling here, so we need to take extra caution. - Mirai seems to know exactly what I am doing and speaks when I am focusing on reading. - And by the way, we are here already.
In my view, there appears a small island, only about one or two kilometres square in area. In the centre, there stands a tower with antennas protruding upwards, and some Intruders scattering around. If everything looks exactly like how I see them now, this will be a piece of cake.
- In case you did not capture anything I said before, our mission is to knock down all Intruders, enter the tower and collect intel if there is any. Fast enough for you to have an afternoon nap after this.
We land on a hidden corner on the island, and Mirai put the plane back into the arsenal. She then summons a sniper rifle, and we approach the tower.
- As you can see, about three to four Intruders are guarding the tower, but there may be more of them hiding inside and only responding when there is an emergency. So I will be aiding you from this cliff, while you clear the Intruders as you approach the tower. After you signal me that infiltration is successful through the Codex, I will immediately come to you. Is that clear?
- Wait, why am I the person attacking, while you sit afar and just observe the battle? Can we change roles?
- Nope. I can assign you to this commander's role later when you have enough experience, and it is good for you to have some exercises out there. What if somehow I pass away, and there is only you left? Do you plan to hide and ambush the Intruders forever?
Well, Mirai is just a robot, but that somewhat makes much sense, hypothetically.
I hold my submachine gun tightly as I go nearer to the tower. This makes me nervous. I am sweating like a pig.
- Remember, anytime you approach a technological infrastructure or face an enemy using a machine, activate the EMP device to disable them. But, before that, turn off this communication device to avoid it being damaged. - Mirai instructs me from the cliff.
I take out the EMP device, which resembles a small box, and after I temporarily shut down the communication device, I press the activation button. A short-range electromagnetic pulse pierces through the air, which feel a little bit dizzy if the user is having an electronic device on him, and the next moment I see it, the tower has temporarily stopped working. Then, a few more Intruders go out from the tower to check for damage.
- By the way, the physical shell design for my body includes enhanced magnetic shielding to protect my brain and moving parts from an EMP, so I will be fine even when I have not turned myself off. And I have marked the location of the entrance to the tower already. Your spectacles should be seeing it in yellow light now. - Mirai continues the instruction.
- Wait! Since when did you synchronize your vision with my spectacles?
- It's a secret. Now, kill the Intruders outside, and prepare in case the Intruders call reinforcements. I will provide support from here.
I try to find a corner closer to the Intruders, and when the range is suitable, my gun barrel is locked at the confused Intruders, and I pull the trigger.
The aim-assisted laser beams penetrate through some of the Intruders' cores and they collapse. Some of the surviving Intruders start becoming panicky and try to run back into the tower. But not so fast.
A sniper bullet carrying some explosives hits the entrance door, and it blows the dirt and sands up, covering the area with dust. I embrace the chance and quickly kill the remaining Intruders. The field is temporarily cleared.
- Mirai, I have killed the Intruders around here. Before the reinforcements arrive, we can quickly attack this tower to collect information and leave.
- Yuusha, nice. Place a SAM turret where you stand, and quickly proceed to the entrance.
I take out the SAM turret and place it on the ground as instructed. The SAM turret automatically locks on and destroys enemy aerial units, which buys us some time. Right when I am standing in front of the door, Mirai has already teleported here.
- Now. Three... Two... One... Go! - Mirai slightly opens the door and throws an EMP grenade inside the entrance tunnel. After it detonates, we kick the door like real police forces, enter the tunnel and quickly deal with the Intruders.
Deep inside, I hate to see these creatures from a close angle. Just look how ugly they are. Where in the world would a creature need to evolve six eyes to look in a single direction? And where would they need dark, wrinkly skin with spikes all over their bodies? Yikes!
- Mirai, do you know how to reach the control room?
- Yes. My vision and your spectacles emit ultrasound waves that help to map out this place. After that, the spectacles will guide you to the endpoint, if mapping is successful.
The tunnel is like a maze, with all kinds of corners. After five minutes which feels like five hours, we arrive at a big room with many cutting-edge appliances and electronic equipment. In the middle of the room, there stands a control panel and a big screen.
- I will hack into the system and extract as much information from here as I can. Just wait a while. - Mirai plugs a wire from her hand into a random port on the panel and starts typing something with the keyboard on the panel.
I also take the time to do my freelance work. After some time, five minutes maybe, all the data has been retrieved.
- OK, we are done with today's mission. Let's go. - Mirai says, as she unplugs the wire.
I feel a vibration from the tablet. I assume it means the data has been stored in the archive. We go back to our plane after everything we can steal has been taken. But things start to get hard.
- Yuusha, the Codex is telling that the SAM turret is operating at the moment. Get your equipment ready. We will engage with them as soon as we get outside this tower.
I reload my gun and get ready for the fight. We quickly run towards the exit.
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As soon as we approach the exit, a thick, black wall of smoke covers us. The planes above us are burning the field with fire. There are scattered remains of the planes shot down with the SAM turret, but the number is nothing compared to the army of planes on top of us. - Mirai, what do we do? - Open the arsenal and summon a Gas Mask. I will summon a Frost Gun to cool down our path, then we find higher ground. We run through the thick layers of smoke. The cold beams of the Frost Gun help to extinguish the fire and cool down the temperature a lot, but it still feels hot. After we get out of the smoke, there is a forest in front of us to hide in, and we manage to get away from the bombardment, as well as reach the cliff. We get a clearer view. - The SAM turret is very durable, but we need a counterattack plan. Yuusha, trigger the EMP device. - Yes. - I take the EMP device out and activate it. An electromagnetic pulse pierces the sky. The plane
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 4 - A Literal Lesson
I start the next morning with the sound of a sigh from Mirai, holding her head as if she is worried. The serious atmosphere is slowly taking control of the living room. I take out a cigarette from my shirt, burn its end with a lighter, and give her. - Hey, maybe you have smoked a cigarette once when you are still alive. This modified cigarette has chemicals that help to cool down electronic systems when burned, so for robots, it may feel like a relief feeling. - Thanks. Mirai is reading the collected data from the tablet, which are just a bunch of graphs and numbers dancing and constantly changing. On the left corner of the tablet screen, there is the world map, densely marked with crosses, from green, to yellow and red. - As you can see, this graph here shows the distribution of the Intruders' force on Earth. There are about a million of them, with one Commander. If the Commander has an overall rating of a hundred per cent, and a normal Physical-class
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 5 - Storage Assault (part 1)
It is another day living under the same house with a person, I mean with a pseudo-human robot, and also another day working a freelancer life, and I do not feel a single moment of regret. At the very least, that is what I think as of now... - Yuusha, today, we will continue with your physical training. As mentioned, we will attack this storage, somewhere about one hour of flight from our base. This time, I will teach you how to control a plane. - Mirai instructs me about today's mission while I am trying to finish my breakfast. That is how life works for a person living double lives like me now. Everyday routine, as Mirai says, will start with a training mission in the morning until early afternoon, either 'simple' callisthenic and stamina exercises, or trial missions at real, green-level Intruders' facilities, where I gain simple skills such as weapon mastery, plane riding and strategic planning. Then, I do my projects in the afternoon, sometimes until the evening if t
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A quick update on our current dire situation. The Intruders' aerial vehicles approach very closely to us, and even if the EMP device jams their vehicles, the sheer number of them parachuting and landing on the storage will outnumber us. - Let's come to our main course for today! - Mirai seems to get eager as she takes out two remote-controlled planes, equipped with bulletproof, explosion-resistant layers, laser guns and flares to destroy incoming thermal missiles. I hold one of them and quickly observe the plane. Mirai taps on the remote control icon on my tablet and tunes the frequency of the remote control to match the planes. - Since the automatically-operated drones cannot effectively avoid missiles, we change to manually controlled planes. You know how to play a remote-controlled toy plane, can I presume? - Yep. - Well then, let's rock the field. From the entrance of the storage, there emerge two heavily armed drones. The cameras built
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 7 - Day in the Life of a Hero
- Hi, can you finish fixing this code line by tonight? And this part is bugged, hopefully, you can check it after that. - Yes, Mr., I will check through it and send you the completed version as soon as possible. Thanks for choosing me for your project. It is midday, and I am sitting at my desk, meticulously doing the project I am hired for. The room is filled with a sense of silence and concentration. All that is left are the typing sounds of my mechanical keyboard, the beeping of the system, and maybe the air-conditioning system cooling my room. Besides that, there are rows and rows of neatly arranged books about programming and different stuff sitting on the shelf behind my back, as if they are supervising me. The clock continues ticking, but the important thing now is that I have only a few hours left to send out the files for checking by the customer. In another room, there gives out a more professional vibe. Mirai is carefully analysing the samples we brou
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 8 - Arctic Tactic (part 1)
- Good, good, you are making some progress here. Your strength, stamina, agility, flexibility and reflex status have improved by forty percent. - Mirai nods her head as she is noting down some numbers on the tablet. - Haha, no need to praise me. I am a quick learner after all. - I laugh victoriously after the compliment, although the neutral response written on her face turns my mood off. It has been quite a few months of nothing but hectic physical training sessions. Using my backyard as a practice field, I practice all kinds of things. From basic callisthenics, typical exercises to improve physical fitness, to simulated combat exercises with fake targets, where I learn to make on-the-spot decisions and weapon proficiency. Once a week, we go on practical combat, where we cooperate and attack a green-level facility or two. The unrelenting sun of the noon, although for an autumn day, is coating everything below it with a layer of scorching sunlight, and then who
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 9 - Arctic Tactic (part 2)
- Anyway, fire grenades and flamethrowers are must-haves. I will escort you to a safe sniping spot, then we split up. In case things turn bad, call in air support to distract them. - I suggest the idea as a last attempt. - Sure, let's make do with this first. In the snowy weather, we flee across the forest. Soon, we see a hill, which is again covered in layers of snow and complex terrain. At the top of the hill, we can see the military camp. I help Mirai to set up a camouflage, which simply consists of a white suit to fit the snow and a disruptor to conceal their electromagnetic radar. Then, I leave the hill, across the forest, towards the military camp again. Things do not go as easily. As soon as I reach the forest, a few Intruders have been deployed to search for us in the forest, and if not thanks to my sharp instinct, I could have exposed myself. I hide behind a boulder and update the field through my tablet. About twenty Intruders with light arms are p
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Author's Notes
Hi. This is Masunori_M_D, and welcome to A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex, a science fiction novel. Other elements are included, but it will revolve around science fiction as its main theme. Before I talk about anything, thanks for reading my novel, although it is just one or two chapters. As an amateur author, I sincerely value your reads, as the reception would help me improve my novel. For now, the first few chapters may be a bit boring. However, the story would (hopefully) be more interesting after about ten chapters. Let me guide you through our content until now. 'A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex' has a total of four arcs, named Training, Escape, You and I, To Where it All Begins, and Showdown. As of now, we are in our first arc of the novel. In this Training arc, we would have sub-arcs, which include the following sub-arcs. The content of the future arcs will be reviewed in the future. I) Training (100 + 7 chapters) 1) Introduction (11 chapters)
Latest Chapter
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Chapter 106 - Project Tomorrow (part 5)
- Quick! Secure all exits of the television studio. Initiate first-level protocol. Focus security around studio 4-A. Hurried footsteps echo through the corridors and halls, as fully-armed police and military personnel impose a lockdown on the studio and check every nook and cranny for any intruders. The studio that hosts the game show is located in a fairly remote region near Cairo. As a national studio that produces most of the programmes in the country, its level of security is on par with a military base. The specific information of measures implemented is obfuscated to the public. Still, with some observation, one would realise that making any move within the studio needs meticulous planning from the most intelligent of humanity. As soon as every staff in the studio is mobilised, the girl starts to move. The trip sensors she installed throughout the studio have simultaneously triggered, capturing a huge movement.__________- The twelfth question is another
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Chapter 105 - Project Tomorrow (part 4)
- ... and despite being the country with the largest area in the world, boasting up to eleven different time zones, Russia is surprisingly not the country with the most time zones in the world. In fact, it is France that claims the crown as the country with the most time zones in the world, with twelve different time zones ranging from UTC-10:00 to UTC+12:00! This is attributed to the fact that France has many territories worldwide, which also highlights their significant presence worldwide.- Wow, that is a very detailed description, although it may be difficult for the audience to grasp what you are trying to say. But yes, the correct answer to the country with the most time zones is B, France! Let us give another round of applause for the amount of wisdom this fortitudinous man possesses! With Mirai's assistance from somewhere outside the studio, we breeze through the first ten questions ranging in all sorts of topics and requiring countless hours every day look
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Chapter 104 - Project Tomorrow (part 3)
- Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the thousandth show of the series "Who Wants to Be the Zillionaire?", a weekly trivia game show every Tuesday only available on Al-Hayat TV. I am your host, Ali, and today, to commemorate the thousandth show, the stakes have been raised. There are still fifteen questions, but each question is exponentially harder. In return, once the player clears all fifteen questions, he will win up to... A billion Egyptian pounds, approximately three billion yen or twenty million US dollars. That is ten years' worth of my previous salary or more. For thirty-three years of my life, I have never thought about this, because the odds of reaching the final question are as high as winning a lottery. However, with Mirai's help, getting the winning prize will be a breeze.- Let's welcome our player for today! Due to special circumstances, we will refer to him as T. Mr. T, please come in. The door to the game show arena opens., and I am immediately
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Chapter 103 - Project Tomorrow (part 2)
- It has been so long since we last talked in person. So, how have you been? - Let's say, my past few years have been a mess. You? - Same on my side. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to live around that woman. - From what I see, she is a very intelligent and awesome person, no? I envy you for having such a partner. - It is because of that so-called intelligence you praise her for, that I do not even understand what is going on in her head. I have a better chance of winning a lottery than guessing her mood. We quarrel almost every day. - However, if you think of it, it is those days that you argue that make you appreciate the days that you two live harmoniously together. Of course, I cannot speak for you, because my marriage is very peaceful back then... - I think I have mentioned this before, but please do not compare our dynamic with a married couple. - You are overthinking, brother. Albert and I
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Chapter 102 - Project Tomorrow (part 1)
2060, Sahara desert... Project Ashita... After the brief exchange with the Colonel-ranked Intruder named Lamabula, Mirai and I spent countless hours after the construction observation duty hours to devise a plan. After careful consideration, the seeds of Project Ashita are sown. Before introducing the project to the CEA survivors, Mirai initially hesitated, but she ultimately discussed it with Lamabula. Without a doubt, he burst into his signature, explosive laughter and rejoiced the moment Mirai mentioned the scale of the project, and willingly lent a portion of the base's space for the construction of the colossal battleship. So long as he deemed us subpar compared to the Intruders, he would continue lending assistance. However, the dangerous part of this rigged contract is that we do not know until when he would deem us sufficiently dangerous and suddenly cut all support. However, that has never been Mirai's concern, who can fight head-on with Lamabula, and whose distrust a
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Chapter 101 - The Future that Bet Life to Believe
Counter-Extraterrestrial Association, Egypt branch, 2060, From the outside, it looks like a small stand-up comedy house within the bustling tourist area of Cairo. However, in the basement, its true form is revealed. More than half of the basement area is for equipment and vehicle storage, and in the corner, a hydraulic lift is responsible for carrying them to the first floor. Deeper into the basement is the meeting room. Around the table, Mirai and Wilhelm sit next to each other, on the largest seat designated for high-ranking officials of the CEA or important people. Then, Ernst, Gottlob, Arthur, Maric, and I sit on the remaining seats. At the centre of the table, a hologram depicts the images of the current situation. Under the table, each seat will have a mouse which resembles a ball, so anyone can freely rotate or zoom in on the hologram projection for better observation. - Thank you everyone for being here. Before we start the impromptu meeting, two more people wo
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Interlude 7 - Rendezvous
And then, the two hands of the clock of fate met. What happens is bound to happen, and humanity is none the wiser. After being separated from the tomb's lid, the mysterious device's defensive mechanism went off, resulting in vibrations across the entire pyramid. The team immediately fled from the chamber, with Wilhelm leading and Ernst in the back. Gottlob and Arthur kept close to Maric, the only person without any firearm or combat experience. - Mileva, you stick to us at all times. We will handle this. - As if I have another choice. - Watch out! A stone fragment cracked from the ceiling and fell down. Ernst charged forward, pushing both Maric and Arthur forward, right before it hit the ground and shattered. - I told you, stay vigilant! - Sorry, sir. The only things Maric could hear were the chaotic rustling and the humming from the vibrations. Never would she think that a life-and-death situation occurred to her simply due to
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Interlude 6 - Pursuit
Humans immerse themselves in illusions, but who dares to break through such sweet dreams and pursue reality? - Wow, look at this artefact, guys. - Let me see, let me see. - So cool! The next day, Maric's group visited the cluster of pyramids in Giza. To avoid the tour buses flocking in and causing an influx of tourists to roam around. Thus, the poor soul who returned to the hotel late after the stand-up comedy show was sleep-deprived, against her gang whose energy and enthusiasm were over the roof. Waking up as soon as six in the morning to have an indulgent breakfast and catch the earliest bus, they reached the foot of the most colossal one, the Great Pyramid of Giza at eight-thirty. They shared money to book a guide for the entire visit, and the man in summer clothing and a hat was already there, waving at them. The pyramid visit was expected to last half an hour. Because there were few people in the tunnels, the occasional breeze that traver
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Interlude 5 - Mileva
To leave everything behind. For the greater cause. Ever since then, the words echoed in her head, like an enclosed chamber with a perfect reflection. The words were stuck there, and it made her unable to think properly. What did they mean? - What is on your mind, darling? - Nothing. Just weird, personal stuff. After getting close to a science major graduate from the University of New South Wales, the two decided to come together and live under the same roof. They had a lovely child, and their road ahead was paved with rose petals. Of course, no happiness is eternal. On that fateful day, she heard the words. _____________________________________ - Huh, Egypt? Of all places? - Come on, you are a sociology bachelor. Why so sceptical? Just consider it a cultural appreciation trip. Her group of colleagues were planning to visit another country during their precious holidays. Unlike everyone, who seemed to be very ecstatic about the tr
