Author Notes:
UmU
The new public OBOM chapter is up at last! And yes, right after this, I will work on GSS. You know the drill by now. If you want to have a sneaky peak at the Early Access chapters for the three fics, you can head over to my Patreon, where there's a Discount going on, each month~! Guarantee quality!
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https://www.webnovel.com/book/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich_23809095505377305
https://www.webnovel.com/book/in-the-grimdark-sector-with-a-system_31596105108346205
https://www.webnovel.com/book/my-soul.-occupied-body---please-the-other-me...!_35377211308783905
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/2271569/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich/
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"So you're telling me that we don't even know where we are, Aurea?" I ask, grunting softly as I hoist myself up a rockface. I raise a hand to shield my face from a gust of wind that kicks up dust and small pebbles.
In case you're wondering, I am no longer inside my shelter. I am, in fact, committed to a brief period of exploration.
Beyond the hill where I set up my shelter is a splendid valley with a beautiful creek and a peaceful vista. I have already confirmed with Aurea that the fish that populate the creek and the fruits hanging on the riverside trees are of the common sorts, all of which are edible. Beyond that lifegiver of a place, however, is a somewhat steep mountain. From what I can eyeball, it's the tallest height in the nearby area, and it should offer me a good view to take stock of the surrounding region. It's why, after foraging for some fruits and vegetables, I have started to climb the mountain when daylight is still up.
"Yes... I-I only know that I was taken on a ship... I didn't know how long I've been on it... Nor where was I taken too before I was..." Aurea replies to my previous question in a shaky tone.
The rising emotion that I can feel from her prompts me to raise a mental, calming hand.
"I understand, Aurea, and sorry. I should have kept my curiosity in check."
I can feel Aurea sniffle, before rapidly shaking her head in our shared mental space.
"N-No... I-It's not your fault, Umbra... Y-You need all the information you can get for us to survive..."
I let out an exhale before smiling kindly, offering Aurea a mental pat on the head, before I take the last few steps to a flat spot near the peak of the mountain. It's been tiring for me to get to this spot that is around what, 800 meters and less? So, I decide to take a breather right here, right now. It's not possible for me to climb any further, anyway, for the top of this mountain is extremely steep, unsuitable for me, who is exhausted and lacking suitable climbing gear.
Thanks to my paranoia, I make sure to sit my pretty on a spot where there's no risk of stray rocks suddenly coming down on me from the top. After taking a sip of water from my Infinite Canteen, I pull out a variable zoom binoculars and start scanning the horizon.
"You know, looking from this height, I am not really sure if we're on a coastal part of a continent or a massive island. I can see the ocean, but this vantage point isn't high enough for me to see if the sea actually encircles us." I say, seeing not just the hill where I made shelter but also the jungle and beach beyond it. "Pretty view though, and I see there are a lot of birds and fauna around, even something like herds of mountain goats on another hill. Guess we know where to go if we need proteins... No sign of inhabitants, though, at least not that I can see from here."
"For now, we're alone, and that may be a good thing." I add after an intense scrutiny of the local area.
"Ehm... Why is that a good thing, Umbra...?" Aurea asks in a hesitant manner.
"Although it's unlikely, that crazy princess could have ordered a bounty on our heads. But that is only a possibility if she somehow knows we're still alive. The other prospect is that this quaint place is liable to pirate occupation, since you fell into the ocean when pirates raided the ship and somehow drifted here, meaning it must be close by, thus putting it directly inside the pirates' operational zone. Lastly, since much of this world is properly unexplored, there is no small chance that dangerous tribes may inhabit this seemingly peaceful land."
Hearing the possibilities I listed, Aurea gulps, afraid.
I quickly soothe her. "Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen to us. I promise."
"Ok... I-I believe in you!" Although still a nervous wreck, it brings a smile to my face that my Other Me is so willing to trust me.
It's my solemn duty not to betray her expectation, ever.
"Now then, unless we can somehow hop over to that much taller mountain, I don't reckon we can see anything more that is of use here." I gesture my head to the far-off mountain, dotted with green, and its peak covered by clouds.
A part of me can't help but wonder if this supposed island is volcanic in nature, seeing how lush it is.
"Let's go home, Aurea. We're gonna have fish stew and wild berries for dinner tonight. Unlike the compressed biscuits, these things may actually taste like something." I say, knowing well that I can share with Aurea what my senses after a period of testing back at the shelter.
"U-Un!" Comes Aurea's meek reply, tinged with a degree of anticipation, as I start making my way down the mountain.
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The shelter, our home for now, looks different after a day of work. Externally, it looks a bit different as I made an effort to pile some small logs and rocks just outside the alcove. I intend to transform those into barricades to ward off potential beasts on the island. But since it's a time-consuming effort, I will start working on them during the daytime of the coming days.
Right now, using the fire pit I dug out earlier in the day, I am making a stew out of the fish that I cleaned at the creek I discovered. Using a big leaf, I slowly fan the flame beneath the shimmering pot. The pot is a small one, and it comes with the Military Survival Kit. Its lid acts as a pan, and both have foldable handles for ease of handling if either is cooked over an open flame. Additionally, the pot and pan seem to be made from titanium, which ensures durability.
The pot fits nicely in the firepit I dug, itself acting as a cover that prevents harmful smoke from going everywhere inside the alcove. And since I am actively fanning the pit in a controlled manner, the smoke will find itself rising along the shallow trench I made and covered up with leaves, which leads to the outside. Thus preventing a suffocating experience. Of course, because it was a rush job, I haven't been able to make a perfect smokeless system. The tangy smell of burned wood threatens to overwhelm the aroma of the stew, but there's little I can do about it right now. I consider it fortunate enough that we have a place where we can have a stable and safe enough heat source at nighttime.
Isolating the light, delectable scent from the pot of filleted fish and wild vegetables as seasoning, I know it won't be long now that the food will be ready. Using the time I have until then, I wonder aloud.
"What do you think the System will give us tomorrow as our first login reward, Aurea?"
Hearing my question, my Other Me replies in a soft, but hopeful manner.
"Something that can help us... Maybe? F-From what the System explained to me in the time I spent... Querying with it? W-Well, we can get anything, depending on our luck?"
"Yeah," I nod. "If the Beginner's Gift Package is anything to go by, then the System can technically measure our physical stats, things like our strength and agility. Those, much like supplies, are critical in making a stable livelihood out of this situation. Although I won't decline if the System rewards us with medical supplies, like that health potion that saved our hide when we first got here."
"Speaking of the System..." I give Aurea a mental look. "Have you explored the Grand Admiral Dreadnought Module, yet?"
"I-I only skim the basics!" Aurea quickly gives me a mental nod. "I-It's a lot more information to digest than I expected. E-Even with your knowledge of terminologies as reference, Umbra."
"No pressure, Aurea. We have all the time in the world to learn more about that Module, anyway. So, tell me what you've learned thus far, Other Me."
"U-Un!" Aurea gives me yet another mental nod, an action that is now all too familiar between the two of us. "F-First, for some reason, the Module allows us to construct most, if not all, ships imaginable by the two of us...? For me, it can be a magically-enhanced sailing ship, but for Umbra, it can be an unmanned submersible. T-There's a cost for everything, of course. The more complex a design, the more resources or time it will take... Successfully constructed vessel will be placed inside our Inventory, waiting to be utilized. But... Ehm..."
"Why does the Module allow us to construct spacecraft...? What is a spacecraft, again...?" Aurea asks in confusion and a half-dawning mental expression.
I chuckle as I make an attempt to lower the intensity of the flame by not fanning it anymore. "Well, you can imagine it as a ship flying in a sea of stars. Take a yonder over my memory, and you'll see it."
"O-Oh!" Aurea exclaims spiritedly. "I understand! A-Anyway! Most, if not all, vessels that I can think of will require a crew to operate. If we are to build anything that is too complex for a single person to handle..."
"Right, it will be a waste of time, unless..." I nod to her.
Catching my drift, Aurea adds after a brief stutter.
"Y-Yes! We use an unmanned or heavily automated vessel! It will be a steep investment, but there are obvious benefits!"
"I mean, I have always wanted to single-handedly control a space battleship." I smile at the thought. "But maintenance will be a nightmare, not to mention the upkeep... Wait, we can build a ship, but how do we procure things like fuel or munitions for it?"
Aurea is swift to explain the conundrum. "T-Thankfully, the Module, or the System by extension, is... Kind?"
"You mean generous, dear Other Me?"
"R-Right, generous!" Aurea nods repeatedly in my head at my reminder.
"Depending on the vessels we have constructed and deployed, the Module will grant us a weekly allowance of supplies. It will be enough to keep whatever vessels we have running, and even fight small to medium-scale conflicts... I think? I-I don't understand much about the possible expenditure... Sorry, Umbra."
"Nah, you good, girl. Leave that more technical stuff to me when I get to it." I soothe the disappointed Other Me.
"O-Ok... Ehm, but actually. For maintenance, repair, and rearming of complex vessels, it will still require either a dedicated mothership or the setup of a Base of Operation..." Aurea continues. "So if we want to make full use of the Module..."
"We need to find a new, more permanent home, huh?" I finish the sentence for Aurea with a pondering expression. "Preferably, that can be made into a deep-water harbor and is easily defensible. But we'll get to that part later. For now, we can construct a small boat if we need to, right? Just something to cross the river or traverse the nearby sea for exploration."
"U-Un! We can most certainly have the Module start building one now, provided you can think of a design. Since we don't have any resources to offer to the Module, we must wait some time. The sooner we can start on it, Umbra..."
"The more we can save ourselves some hassles." I nod, before letting the fire pit rest with flickering tongues of flame while I lift the pot to a rock table I set up. "We can think about that after we finish dinner, OtherMe. By the way, anything else we need to remember?"
"Ehm... The Module counts resources of all kinds in the form of units; 1 unit usually equates to 1000 tons or liters of one kind of resource, but this figure can vary for each type of resource. Resources can be anything from bronze to a thing called crude oil? Each vessel requires a different kind of resources. The more you invest in the construction process, the shorter the time it takes to build one using the Module. B-But the construction time will never be shorter than a week! Although I don't know why that's to be the case... A-Additionally, if we can somehow get Blueprints, rewarded by the System, and have the Module utilize them, the construction process can be drastically shortened. M-More on that when we get to it, of course..."
"Right, I think I've learned enough to get by for now. Thanks for your help, Aurea~!" I smile, mentally patting her on the head.
"Now, let's eat~!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"You know, I wouldn't mind if the first thing the System gives me tomorrow is a shaker with salt in it. The flavor is good, but it lacks that tiny little bit of oompf."