Several days had passed.
I spent the first few days searching around the forest with the aid of Michael. We managed to find a moving water nearby. 「 Nanite 」's analysis found that the river's water meets safety standards for drinking water. This was indeed a good news.
In addition to that, I have encountered creatures similar to Earth's wild rabbits and boars with slight physical differences. There were also edible plants around the forest like ribwort plantains, raspberries, dandelions, and the like.
There were even root crops like potatoes and yams, too!
I tried cooking the ingredients that I'd collected to provide the sustenance that my body needs daily. The food I ate those nights was fantastic even if I didn't have any salt. With「 Nanite 」's assistance, I transmuted a few amounts of ground soil into halite or rock salt which I then used to season my cooked meals.
I know, it might sound crazy or that I'm pulling air from my buttocks. But military-grade nanomachines can change matter into different forms like alchemy that one might read in fiction. This was only possible due to the existence of the information dimension and the nanomachines themselves.
The information dimension, scientifically known as「 Eidon Fabricated World: Information Dimension 」can be described as the "metaphysical" version of the physical world. One can think of it as a simulated reality or virtual world generated by individual celestial bodies themselves and these simulations are composed of tiny particles called「 Eidons: Information Particles 」.
Of course, human beings can't interact with these particles on their own. Just like how our human ancestors relied on tools to create fire, modern humanity relied on modern tools to interact with these information particles. This is where the existence of nanomachines called「 Nanite 」came into play. Using nanomachines, one can "freely" manipulate or influence eidons within the information dimension to do their bidding.
For example, if one wants to change sugar into salt, he or she needs the nanomachines to change the data of the sugar in the virtual reality into that of salt. Naturally, you need a vast supply of energy to do that which of course is another matter itself.
What I'm trying to say is that modern humans can now achieve feats akin to magic with the aid of nanomachines. The famous line "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" from a notable person in the 20th century rang true for most of us humans living in the current era.
Wait, I'm technically dead so...
Anyway, it is nighttime now. I'm lying on the ground while gazing at the stars shining brightly in the night sky. I haven't encountered any civilization so far. Though Michael assured me that if I continued to go northward from my position then I might encounter civilization there. The thing was able to arrive at such a conclusion due to the constant analysis of this planet's information dimension. It detected remnants of eidon imprints that suggest humanoid activity in that area.
Such a feat can only be achieved due to the fact the ship, Michael's physical body itself, is on this planet's orbit doing 24/7 planetary scans. It still boggles my mind how in the world the vessel that I commanded before I retired from the Space Navy got itself here in the first place.
Regardless, I need to sleep early tonight. I have already put out the campfire beforehand but I can still hear the cracking noises of the coal due to intense heat. I need to close my eyes and-
<
-that ruined my plan of having an early night's rest.
"...Great."
I grunted as I could feel every inch of nanomachines inside my body forcing me into a state of alert and activeness. It is akin to that experience when you consumed black coffee early in the morning with just a few sips. Any hint of sleepiness just dissipated in an instant like a finger flick.
I immediately stood up from the ground and donned my powered armor.
"Okay, Nite. Activate「 Insight 」."
<< Affirmative. Commencing consciousness synchronization with information dimension... >>
As I hear the words of the nanomachine's A.I. through my ears, the vision of my surroundings immediately changes. It felt like my entire being got submerged under a pool of water, heavy yet manageable. What was once a vivid and colorful scenery was now a landscape filled with dull colors of black and white.
<< Synchronization successful. Eidonic integrity is 100%. A stable synchronization rate was achieved. >>
"Ahh... I miss this kind of feeling."
I let out a small smirk as I engrossed myself in this familiar sensation that I hadn't felt for a long time. The last time I was in this state was during the Federation's Battle of Procyon, a campaign against invasive, flesh-eating alien swarms known as The Locust.
"Alright, what do we have here?"
I spoke as I expanded my mental consciousness outward, reaching out to the location that should be filled with disturbance. I can see the various flora and fauna around me in their bare state data-wise. I can also feel their movements: the leaves swaying with their stomata exchanging gas with the environment and the wild creatures' breathing amid the darkest night.
In a flash, my mental perception dawned on what was supposed to be causing a disturbance in the normal flow of eidons in the information dimension. There were five humanoid species, three adults and two children, with the three adults having a distinct feature that is not present in Humans.
Moreover, it appears that these five humanoid species are at odds with each other. The two male adults were in the same group while the children and the female adult makes the second group. The two parties then began a skirmish against each other, each brandishing what I would assume pre-modern bladed weapons.
"That's a quite disadvantageous situation you got there...."
I muttered under my breath as I watched from a distance how the situation unfolded. From what I could gather from the information dimension, the female adult humanoid is wounded while the other child is poisoned. Whatever angle one might see, such a situation is perilous.
Suddenly, I sprinted my feet in their direction.
There is no time to waste.
"Build Up!"
<
With Nite's A.I. voice pinging in my head, I can feel the nanomachines within my body moving as if following the command. Within seconds I feel myself moving at a blinding speed as if I am the wind itself, my bulky exoskeleton armor becoming more streamlined than it ever was.