Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Temporary Base
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Jeon Ji-in, the AI, had acquired temporary control over his hands.
His hands moved on their own, manipulating the PC bang computer keyboard and mouse. An internet browser window popped up on the screen.
Every time his hands, controlled by the AI, moved, various pieces of information flashed across the screen at high speed.
He turned his head to the side to see what the others were doing. Everyone was gaming.
"Just taking a quick look."
He turned back to the monitor.
Numerous windows opened, and various homepages appeared and vanished on the screen. The refresh rate was fast, but he could still make out the titles.
"Hey, look. It's 2022 right now, yeah? So your internal clock must be off."
Jeon Ji-in was no longer accessing general websites; now she connected to foreign research labs, gathering all sorts of data.
After a good while, the hands finally stopped moving.
"Yep, 2022. You were the only one out of the loop. Even this PC bang proves it. This kind of interior is straight out of the 2020s."
"Nah. I can't even remember my own name, so no way anything else is coming back. I just know it. That's all."
Another question popped into his head.
"But there's something I just can't wrap my head around. In the 2020s, there was no such thing as an Implanted Combat Support AI like you. Maybe in some multinational corp's massive data center, but not something implanted in a body. That's impossible."
"Turned philosopher on me, huh? Explain our situation with that philosophy."
"What I saw today can't be faked with any information manipulation."
"This isn't a battlefield, and time's on our side, so let's keep investigating using this PC bang setup."
He glanced around the PC bang as he spoke.
"First off, I need to figure out why this place feels so damn familiar."
"Got anything more specific?"
"If you don't know, just say so."
A delicious smell wafted over from nearby. He spotted someone eating at another seat.
Seeing that made his stomach growl.
With familiar motions, he maneuvered the mouse and pulled up the ordering screen. A menu of various foods appeared.
"Ramen, huh..."
He ordered the ramen.
A few minutes later, a staff member brought it right to his seat.
He picked up some noodles with chopsticks first and slurped them down. After a few bites, he lifted the bowl with both hands and drank the broth straight.
"Ahh. Delicious."
"You can taste it too?"
"What about taste?"
"Like spoiled food or weird drugs?"
As he ate his ramen, he said,
"Then enjoy it with me. While I'm at it, let's order a drink too."
"Huh? Cola? Why?"
"And cola is in there?"
His eyes lit up as he asked,
"Does that data include how to make cola?"
"Not that. The secret recipe for the syrup?"
"Eh... Worth a shot."
Moments later, a staff member brought a can of cola and a cup of ice.
With practiced ease, he cracked open the can and poured the cola into the cup. The fizzing bubbles tickled his ears delightfully.
He brought the cup to his lips. The cold hit first, then he chugged it down.
The signature cola tang burst forth, sweet and refreshing, spreading through his whole body.
"Ahh. That's the stuff."
Sipping his cola, he said,
"So, what's next?"
He recalled the unit patch he'd peeled off his clothes earlier. Combining the text from the two patches formed a full sentence.
"Earth Union Strategic Special Forces? Find a phone number or address?"
"Wouldn't be surprised if something like that didn't exist in 2022."
He thought for a moment, then asked,
"Assuming we're isolated in an op zone all by ourselves?"
"How?"
A translucent window appeared before his eyes, listing twelve options.
The visual aid augmented reality module, also called the AR Lens, was mounted in his eyes. That's why no one else could see the translucent screen he was viewing.
He selected one from the list.
"First, number one. Secure food, clothing, shelter. Gotta maintain stamina."
"Then number four. Need a stable way to gather info on this world."
"Use that to learn about this world, then plan our next moves. So, number seven."
"That's it for now."
"Found a place that solves 1, 4, 7, and funding all at once."
"Right here."
He turned to look at the PC bang counter.
"See that? They're hiring part-timers."
"In the 2020s, places that sell food usually feed their staff. They sell food here too, right? Food problem solved."
"They probably have a cot or something in the staff area. If I crash there, the boss'll love it. Easier to handle emergencies with more staff on site."
"Part-time pay covers funding. Buy clothes with that. And for info..."
He looked at the monitor.
"These PCs right here."
"Nothing better than here right now."
He stood up and walked to the PC bang counter.
Part-timer Cha Eun-seo eyed him, assuming he was there to order something extra.
He pointed to the paper stuck on the counter.
"You're hiring part-timers?"
"Ah, yeah. We are, but..."
PC bang owner Cha Dong-seok, who had been in the kitchen, overheard and hurried over.
"One of our staff quit out of the blue. Interested?"
"Absolutely."
Cha Dong-seok first took another look at his appearance.
Good style. Dresses well, and that face...
Handsome staff brought in more customers to a PC bang. Pretty ones even more so.
After confirming his looks, Cha Dong-seok grinned wide.
"Resume?"
"Don't have one."
"Eh... You can just write one up. Then just show me your ID..."
"No ID on me."
Cha Dong-seok paused.
Looks fine on the outside.
This PC bang was mostly run by part-timers; the owner only popped in occasionally. Cha Dong-seok had other work elsewhere usually.
Today, with a sudden quit, he'd come in to fill the gap. He needed someone who could start immediately.
Cha Dong-seok said,
"Plenty of folks don't carry ID these days anyway."
Still, he needed to check a resident registration card. Had to verify personal info for legit pay.
Cha Dong-seok hesitated a bit before asking,
"You cook at all? We sell food, so you gotta know your way around a frying pan at least."
"Um..."
He replied,
"A bit."
"It's a PC bang, so you handle computers okay?"
His body housed a 2082-model Combat Support AI.
"A bit."
As they talked, a food order came in. Fried rice.
This PC bang sold commercially frozen fried rice, but instead of microwaving, they stir-fried it in a pan with oil.
Cha Dong-seok asked,
"Not testing your skills with this or anything, just checking if you can use a pan. You can do fried rice, right?"
"Absolutely."
He walked into the kitchen behind the counter.
It was equipped with a commercial gas stove and an induction electric range.
He muttered softly,
"Ji-in. Make some fried rice. Make it tasty."
Field Tactical Cooking
Requesting temporary hand control.
"Granted."
Jeon Ji-in first placed the frying pan on the induction range and cranked the heat to max.
He stepped over to the fridge. His hands opened it automatically. There were plenty of fresh ingredients. He grabbed the right ones and moved them to the counter.
Cha Dong-seok was flustered. He'd expected frozen fried rice, not fresh ingredients.
"Wait, that's not..."
But cooking was already underway. The knife hands moved so fast the blade was a blur. A quick tatatata chop, and perfectly prepped fried rice ingredients appeared in seconds.
Cha Dong-seok watched with wide eyes.
He grabbed the cooking oil bottle and gave it a quick flick. Oil splattered precisely into the pan and spread out.
Then he scooped out a single serving of rice from the cooker.
The pan heated rapidly on max, the oil sizzling as it got hot. He mixed the prepped ingredients, seasonings, and rice on the board, then dumped it all into the pan at once. He stirred with just the spatula.
His left hand sprinkled white seasoning in the right spots. Occasionally, he'd lift and shake the pan to toss everything together.
All these actions happened simultaneously. His hands were incredibly fast.
The induction on max heated the pan scorching hot in moments. At that temp, ingredients burned easy.
But his fried rice didn't scorch. His mixing was so perfect that each grain cooked just to the edge without burning.
Part-timer Cha Eun-seo followed him into the kitchen and gasped.
"Whoa. Are you a chef?"
Right now, both his arms were under Jeon Ji-in's control. He didn't even need to focus on the cooking.
He answered calmly,
"Just a bit."