《Assimilation Unknown》 Chapter 0: Prologue The dark night glowed warmly as fire engulfed a building. Amidst the shouts, gunshots, and chaos, a man in a long black coat leisurely strolled into a room. He entered what appeared to be a surveillance area. While the monitors flickered, his gaze followed a trail of blood on the ground until it stopped at an old man in a bloodied lab coat. The old man sat motionlessly on the floor, his back leaning against the wall, blood pooling beneath him. The man halted in his tracks and gazed down for a second. "You made this harder than it should be, Professor." The professor remained motionless, making the man glare at him. "Take this bastard." Hearing this, the professor clenched his fists and laughed maniacally. "I was so close!" He abruptly lifted his head, revealing two desperate, bloodshot eyes. "I could¡¯ve helped you!" "Nonsense!" the man snapped. But then he noticed the old man''s shoulders twitching subtly, yet abnormally. He reached for the handgun under his coat, but a gunshot stopped him. He let go of his weapon as the professor slumped back onto the ground, now lifeless, with a hole in his left eye. Looking toward the door, he saw a man in full metal armor who had just pulled back his rifle. The armored man looked at him apologetically. "I''m a bit traumatized by these things. I''ll accept my punishment later." He bowed. "It''s fine. I would¡¯ve done the same." Saying this, he walked out. "Take his corpse." "I understand. What should we do next?" "Order a retreat." Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "But the retrieval¡ª" "This place will collapse soon. Order a retreat." When the man in armor nodded, he walked ahead. The armored man put the professor in a sack and carried him over his shoulder, pressing on his earpiece to convey the orders as he walked out. Some time later, a large monitor displayed a loading bar at 12%, which then disappeared, replaced by a large error message. A collective sound echoed as all the machinery in the building lost power. Minutes later, the fire seemingly vanished as the rising sun met the flames. The dark night glowed warmly as fire engulfed a building. Amidst the shouts, gunshots, and chaos, a man in a long black coat leisurely strolled into a room. He entered what appeared to be a surveillance area. While the monitors flickered, his gaze followed a trail of blood on the ground until it stopped at an old man in a bloodied lab coat. The old man sat motionlessly on the floor, his back leaning against the wall, blood pooling beneath him. The man halted in his tracks and gazed down for a second. "You made this harder than it should be, Professor." The professor remained motionless, making the man glare at him. "Take this bastard." Hearing this, the professor clenched his fists and laughed maniacally. "I was so close!" He abruptly lifted his head, revealing two desperate, bloodshot eyes. "I could¡¯ve helped you!" "Nonsense!" the man snapped. But then he noticed the old man''s shoulders twitching subtly, yet abnormally. He reached for the handgun under his coat, but a gunshot stopped him. He let go of his weapon as the professor slumped back onto the ground, now lifeless, with a hole in his left eye. Looking toward the door, he saw a man in full metal armor who had just pulled back his rifle. The armored man looked at him apologetically. "I''m a bit traumatized by these things. I''ll accept my punishment later." He bowed. "It''s fine. I would¡¯ve done the same." Saying this, he walked out. "Take his corpse." "I understand. What should we do next?" "Order a retreat." "But the retrieval¡ª" "This place will collapse soon. Order a retreat." When the man in armor nodded, he walked ahead. The armored man put the professor in a sack and carried him over his shoulder, pressing on his earpiece to convey the orders as he walked out. Some time later, a large monitor displayed a loading bar at 12%, which then disappeared, replaced by a large error message. A collective sound echoed as all the machinery in the building lost power. Minutes later, the fire seemingly vanished as the rising sun met the flames. Chapter 1: Assimilate His bloodshot eyes suddenly opened as a ringing sound intruded upon his ears. Annoyed, he reached out blindly to locate the noise but failed. Peeking up, he saw the phone at the far end of the drawer. Groaning, he slumped his face back onto the pillow and gave up. But the ringing continued. Forcing himself up in agitation, he turned off the alarm. "Why did I set an alarm for five...?" Realizing something, he looked at the phone¡¯s lit screen again, then at the window. He groaned, then massaged his temples to ease his headache. "That idiot really got us wasted..." Looking at the phone again, he frowned, making his head throb even more. "Whose phone is this¡ªPtensia¡¯s...?" Sighing in frustration, he headed to the living room, where the TV illuminated the dark space. "¡ªYes, terrorists have been active month after month for two years now, causing uneasiness among citizens." As the news transitioned to another location, he turned off the TV with a frown. Now feeling fully awake, he took a bath, then hesitantly stepped outside. "I-It''s cold..." Careful in his steps, he made his way to a mini-mart to buy some instant noodles and coffee. He wasn''t sure if it was because of the news, but he felt like he was being watched. Shaking off the thought, he continued. After buying what he needed, he was on his way home when a faint glow caught his eye. Curious, he squatted down to see a smooth, coin-like object resting atop a blade of grass, emitting a soft glow. "The heck is this...?" He picked it up, but it slid off his fingers and attached itself to his wrist like a magnet. Startled, he tried to pull away, causing him to stumble and fall on his butt. He wanted to inspect it further, but an ominous feeling urged him to go home. His heart pounded wildly, his breathing grew ragged, and sweat dripped down his face as he rushed back. Upon returning, he calmed down and looked around to confirm that everything was fine. But then, an unbearable drowsiness took over. He staggered into his room and blacked out as he fell onto his bed. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. --- Hours later, he lazily opened his eyes, wiped the drool off his face, and looked around the room. The warm glow from the window indicated it was afternoon. Stretching, he noticed the stench coming off him and decided to take another bath. After refreshing himself, he dressed and was about to cook what he had bought when¡ª Host, please provide me with what you call electricity. A clear, mechanical voice echoed in his head. He froze in place, then looked around in confusion. "Who''s there!?" I am RAI 4.1-1, named Humiutas, please call me Rai, as my memory is incomplete. Hearing this, he clenched his fists, ready to fight. "Revolutionized¡ªwhat? You''re trespassing in my house." That is incorrect. I am not trespassing in your house. "Show yourself!" He slowly walked around with his guard up. Please look at your wrist. "My wrist...? Oh!" Remembering the strange object from earlier, he looked at his wrist and saw the coin-like object now smoothly lodged into his skin. Tracing it with his fingers, he muttered, "The fuck...?" That is me, Host. I have now successfully assimilated into your body. "Assimilated...?" He stared at it in confusion. "W-Wait, slow down. W-What¡¯s going on? Is this a dream?" Impatient, Rai cramped his hand so badly that his fingers curled involuntarily. "Nghh...!" No, this is real. I am now a part of your body. You can consider me an independent second brain. Regaining control of his hand, he relaxed. "You could¡¯ve done something else..." Holding his hand, he complained. This method was the most effective way to wake you up, Host. "Yeah, really great... But what do you mean by ''second brain''?" He frowned. "Are you saying you''re connected to my nerves or something?" Yes. I am connected to you and am now one of your bodily components. "Y-You mean like... you fused with me?" He abruptly stood up as he realized something. "I didn¡¯t sign up for this! This is like parasitism!" Please do not compare me to mindless creatures that live by killing their hosts. I am designed to devote myself entirely to my host¡ªyou. Rai''s tone clearly showed offense. "The hell¡¯s that supposed to mean? And why me, of all people?" He frowned as he sat back down. It was a coincidence, Host. And please stop cursing. "Oh really? That doesn¡¯t sound convincing at all." I am shutting down. Please provide me with electricity. He raised an eyebrow. "Why the rush...?" I have exhausted all my energy arriving in this world. Electricity alone isn¡¯t sufficient to power me, so I need to be constantly recharged. "Oh... This world...?" He repeated blankly, curiosity creeping into his tone. "And how do I give you electricity?" Get yourself electrocuted, Host. "Are you busted!? I¡¯m not a masochist who enjoys¡ª" Rest assured, as I am part of you, your body will not feel any pain. "It still flows into me! How the hell would I not get electrocuted!?" Then, please directly supply electricity to me. Chapter 2: Training Boiling water hissed on the stove while Cartias stared at his computer monitor, which flickered as it rapidly switched from window to window. "Hey, aren''t you too fast? My computer''s gonna break..." He muttered, caressing his growling stomach. He reached for his instant noodles and coffee on the table, setting them next to the stove. Do not worry, I''ve overclocked your computer; it should handle this load for at least five minutes before overheating. Hearing this, Cartias frowned at the monitor. "Don¡¯t break my computer. I¡¯m a sentimental person, you know." I know. I''m being careful, Cartias. "You better be, or I''ll unplug this..." He eyed the wires taped onto Rai, which were plugged into an electrical outlet. It felt weird, but he chose to ignore it since the thought made him uncomfortable. Looking back at his computer, he remembered how Rai had refused to reveal the state of his world. Apparently, Rai first needed to understand the world here in order to fully explain things. Truthfully, Cartias'' eagerness to know was unbearable, but then again, he wasn''t exactly bright enough to grasp complex things right away. Cartias snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the hissing of the boiling water. "Oh, shi¡ª!" He rushed to turn off the stove and started mixing his food. "By the way, I''m going jogging after this." Yes, but please follow my recommended training regimen from now on. Saying this, the monitor froze on a window displaying a list. Cartias read a few lines and automatically frowned. "This is absurd. Did I sign up to be a Spartan? Like I said, I¡¯m lazy, so¡ª" No, you are not. You are just making excuses to procrastinate. "Hmmm¡­ I''m¡­ Hmm..." He forced himself to shut up before he started making more excuses. "Can we do something about how we talk? I don¡¯t wanna be seen as crazy." You can communicate through your thoughts, Cartias. "Oh..." He took a sip of his coffee. You can hear me like this? Yes. Man, I used to talk to myself a lot in junior high. Getting an actual response feels weird. How does this work? He chuckled. I can also process what you intend to say before you even speak. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it --- By the time the sun had fully retreated behind the horizon, Cartias stretched his arms, readying himself to sprint. Can¡¯t we do this tomorrow? This training is gonna take hours, you know? And why sprinting instead of jogging...? No. Tomorrow is a rest day, and I have plans for tomorrow. Please do this today. Okay¡­? You know I don''t have much ambitions, right? Then, if you grow strong enough, I''ll let you enter my world. How about that? Oh¡­ Alright... Then he paused. Wait, if you¡¯re super intelligent and can influence my body, why not just rebuild my... I don¡¯t know, my genes? I have theories, but I will never use you as a test subject. Besides, would you like to start a human experiment? ... On second thought... Never mind. Finished with his stretching, he started running again. Well then, before we continue, I need your permission regarding how I will accumulate money. Money...? Yes. I am planning to take funds from law offenders. Oh! That¡¯s a great idea! Do that. He picked up his pace, running at full speed. --- An hour or so later, Cartias sprawled on a bench, his body screaming in pain. Sweat drenched him from head to toe. The fuck do you mean I can still go on!? It hurts, you know! I¡¯m gonna have the worst day tomorrow... Your body is highly adaptable, so please¡ª No is no. Reschedule it. I understand¡ª "Hey~ aren¡¯t you diligent?" A familiar, giggling voice reached his ears. Looking up, he saw a tall, fit woman with blonde hair, modestly dressed in tight jogging pants and a matching sports bra. A leashed Doberman stood beside her, which then reared up on its hind legs to greet Cartias. "Oh, hey Ptencia. Out for a walk?" He petted the dog. "Hey, little Riri." "You still drunk? I always go out at this hour." Ptencia giggled. "Oh, by the way, I think you took my phone yesterday. Here..." She handed him his phone. "Oh..." Taking it, he scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, I forgot your phone at home... I¡¯ll give it to you later. My bad." "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get it later." With that, she started jogging away. Was she your childhood friend? Yeah. Cartias watched her for a moment before stretching again. Interesting... Rai subtly muttered. Cartias didn¡¯t pick up on his mumbling and resumed sprinting along the dim pavement. --- Somewhere deep in the forest, a muscular man jogged along a dirt path when his music was interrupted by a notification. Slowing down, he checked the message and its sender. His expression turned serious. Without hesitation, he turned and rushed back. Minutes later, he barged through a door, startling five soldiers playing cards inside. Normally, he would¡¯ve reprimanded them for their sluggish reaction and delayed salutes, but¡ª "We have direct orders. High-class contraband. Bring all the boys!" He stormed into his office and geared up. Checking the message again, he memorized the sender¡¯s name: Hermet. When he stepped outside, he saw his men hurriedly readying their vehicles. "Chop chop! This is urgent! I¡¯ll brief you on the way!" "Captain Presven, we have 136 men reporting and ready." "Good. We¡¯re moving to Clantum Fishing Port!" Presven gestured for everyone to mount their vehicles. After briefing them on the mission orders, everyone checked their equipment and gear. They dismounted their vehicles a short distance from the port and split into two teams, flanking either side of the road before continuing on foot. Pressing his earpiece, Presven ordered, "Mantis, give us a field view." A man crouched on a high cliff, scanning the area below through binoculars. His sniper rifle lay next to him. "Intel is accurate. Terrorists and unknowns. Everything checks out, I repea¡ª" He paused abruptly. "They¡¯re about to engage. Signal spotted¡ªgo, go¡ª!" "All units, raid this place!" With that command, his men surged forward. Throughout the night, gunfire echoed across Clantum Fishing Port. Chapter 3: Capabilities The fishing port had been closed for a week now. Although the authorities had accommodated the displaced workers after their protests, it didn¡¯t stop people from gossiping¡ªespecially since the military was involved. Presven shut his car door and entered a military facility. Despite his exhaustion from traveling back to the city, he had no choice but to report immediately to his superior. A short while later, he stood before his commanding officer, who was visibly annoyed. "Keep it short, Captain." "Yes, sir. After receiving orders from Marshal Hermet, we disposed of seventy-four targets and captured twelve, who are currently undergoing interrogation. We suffered no casualties." "Marshal Hermet¡­?" The superior narrowed his eyes. "But first¡ªwhy did you not inform me of this mission, Captain?" "Sir, it was also under Marshal Hermet¡¯s orders. The mission was urgent, and he stated he would take full responsibility." "Hermet..." His superior clenched his fists on the table, then scoffed. "I do not recall anyone under such a codename, right, Colonel Dientria?" Standing beside Presven, Colonel Dientria returned a sharp glare. "That might be the case, but I don¡¯t believe this Hermet is hostile. If¡ª" The superior slammed his fist on the table. "This is clearly a breach of our security! What have your cyber specialists been doing!? All you do is tinker on your damn computers while¡ª" "With all due respect, the base under your supervision has been a hotspot for smugglers, and all you do is sit around." "You¡ª!" He stood up, ready to retaliate, but when he noticed her subtle shift in posture¡ªone indicating she was more than prepared to fight¡ªhe stopped himself. Getting into a brawl with someone in their prime, even if they were a woman, would accomplish nothing. "Get out!" Both the Colonel and the Captain turned on their heels and exited into the field, walking side by side. "May I ask why the Colonel dislikes you¡­?" Presven inquired, walking slightly behind Dientria. "That asshole thinks I only got my rank by playing around with computers." "Oh..." "Well, if I¡¯m being honest, we simply have opposing views on things." Before Presven could respond, a young recruit rushed over, panic written all over his face. Stiffly standing at attention, he saluted. "Our servers are under attack!" "What!?" Without hesitation, Dientria sprinted toward her office, followed closely by the recruit and Presven. "Give me a report!" she barked. A woman, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, handed over a tablet. This sudden appearance startled Presven, but seeing that no one else reacted, he remained quiet and observed. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "Were you able to track Hermet?" "No. Before we could, our servers started acting on their own¡­" Clicking her tongue in frustration, Dientria issued her next command. "Shut everything down! I¡¯ll take full responsibility!" At her order, a technician near the circuit breaker pulled the lever, cutting off all power to the systems. Everyone exhaled in relief, breaking the tense atmosphere¡ªuntil a phone notification suddenly chimed, louder than necessary in the silence. --- While Cartias was training outside, his computer monitor flickered uncontrollably, printing endless streams of letters and numbers. Then, after an hour of freezing as if completely broken, it suddenly shut down. Rai, having finished overloading the system, ceased his tampering. The last thing he wanted was to actually break the computer¡ªCartias would definitely scold him. Finally, Rai turned his focus back to Cartias, who was stretching his limbs. Cartias, how do you feel? Yeah, I feel much better now. Stretching his arms to finalize his workout, he prepared to head home. Cartias, please head to a specific location. I will guide you. Alright. "¡ªHey! Cartias! Let¡¯s have a drink!" Ptencia suddenly appeared, jogging toward him. "Oh, sorry¡­ I have something to do¡­" "...I just heard you quit your job, so I thought you were free." "I''m just busy with something. That¡¯s why I quit." She narrowed her eyes. "That better not be illegal, or I¡¯m telling." "It¡¯s not illegal, but I really have something important to do later." "Fine, be that way. But you better take me for a drink later." "I will." With a casual wave, he walked off, following Rai¡¯s instructions. After several random turns and zigzagging through the streets, he arrived at the entrance of a forest. "...What the... What was the point of all that walking if it was just here...?" It was not pointless, Cartias. Now, please continue. Frowning, he chose to let it go and used his small flashlight to illuminate the dark forest. The forest wasn¡¯t particularly dense, but the occasional rustling of unseen critters and birds, combined with the creeping darkness ahead, gave him an eerie feeling. It wasn¡¯t unnecessarily scary, but the thought of getting bitten by a snake made him more nervous than anything. Still, what really bugged him was why Rai had led him here. Up ahead, Cartias. Following the direction, he illuminated a tarped-up pile of cubes and a camouflage cloth covering something. But Cartias completely ignored the weird setup. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the rifle resting on top of the cloth. Excited, he picked it up and aimed at a tree trunk, mimicking what he had seen in video games. "Is this real¡­? I don¡¯t think it should be this light..." It is designed as such. Don''t worry. And it is not illegal. This is so cool¡­ Cartias slung the rifle over his shoulder, then paused. Wait¡­ how did you get these? And why do I need a gun¡­? I traded online. The gun is for your protection. Protection from what? Everything. It is just for insurance, Cartias. Hmmm¡­ You know that sounds a bit suspicious, right? Anyway, where¡¯s the seller? You mentioned you don¡¯t want unnecessary trouble, so I took extra precautions. Oh¡­ Alright. Finally calming down, Cartias turned his attention to the other supplies. Please hold onto the two protruding metal pieces above the cubes. Cartias glanced at the three large cubes, each about three meters in diameter. What are these¡­? Batteries. With this energy, I will be able to transport these items into your house via dimensional travel. Really!? Is it Like an inventory system in games? Excited, he followed the instructions. Unlike when he charged Rai at home, this process made Cartias feel slightly nauseous. Not exactly. It is similar, but I do not own a parallel dimension. I can only store and retrieve items from both worlds. Oh... After draining the three batteries, Rai performed his "magic," transferring everything back to Cartias¡¯ home¡ªleaving only the drained batteries behind. They returned home shortly after. Chapter 4: Cartias stood in front of the mirror, inspecting his outfit. He wore a gas mask with integrated night vision, partially hidden beneath the hood of his tactical techwear hoodie, paired with semi-cargo pants and military boots¡ªall in dark colors. Beneath the exterior, a light exoskeleton outlined his limbs, reinforced by thick leather padding. Striking a pose with his rifle in hand, he muttered to himself, "Damn¡­ this looks so cool." Cartias, I have finished scanning the area where I will teleport you. If you are ready, I can do it now. Huh? I was just trying it on. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be going to your world already. And isn¡¯t this too soon? I¡¯ve only been training for a week. After gaining that amount of electricity last night, I was able to investigate. The area is not too dangerous. If you are ever exposed to threats, I will return you immediately. ...Shouldn¡¯t you observe the area for at least a week before calling it safe? It is indeed safe. There is a human base nearby, and I would like you to trade with them. Cartias frowned. What if they¡¯re cannibals¡­? That is unlikely. They seem to have an abundance of food. Then what am I supposed to trade? Tastier food and essential goods. Like what? A lighter should suffice. Cartias raised an eyebrow. That¡¯s it? Yes. Do you want to proceed? Hmm¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll pack up. Although cautious, he was undeniably eager to see Rai¡¯s world. Having been somewhat sheltered his whole life, adventure had always been a distant dream. He grabbed a large, circular cookie tin and a lighter, stuffing them into a duffel bag. Alright, if they attack me, you know what to do. I understand. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The moment Rai activated the teleportation, Cartias'' senses twisted violently. His stomach churned, his head pounded, and for a brief moment, it felt like his entire body was being compressed and stretched at the same time. Then¡ªhis vision vanished. When it returned, he immediately collapsed onto the ground. "Nghh¡­! Fuck¡­!" He clutched his head, pressing his hand on his forehead in-between his knees while using the other to steady himself. His nausea was unbearable, but something was preventing him from throwing up¡ªsomething he suspected was Rai¡¯s doing. You¡­ You didn¡¯t say it was going to be this bad¡­ I did. You just underestimated my warning. Ugh¡­ Let me rest for a bit¡­ As he leaned against a crumbling wall, he took in his surroundings. Lush vegetation stretched as far as he could see, weaving through the remains of a ruined city. The buildings were crumbling, their structures held together only by time and creeping vines. I thought you said your world was dying¡­? That is not food. Huh? The plants are toxic¡ªeven to this world¡¯s inhabitants. They feed on anything. Please approach them cautiously. A chill ran down Cartias¡¯ spine. He instinctively tightened his grip on his rifle, somehow, the plants felt threatening as if stalking him. Cartias, please relax your muscles. The plants are currently conserving energy and will not attack. He exhaled slowly. ¡­I hate that you had to say ¡®currently.¡¯ After a while, Cartias finally stood up. Head west from here. You will find a base in about a minute. Got it¡­ Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small compass from an old pencil case and cautiously made his way forward, rifle raised. You don¡¯t have to be on guard. I will inform you of any danger. Cartias, skeptical, lowered his rifle slightly but remained vigilant. He was fit, sure, but he hadn''t been in a real fight since graduating high school. As he walked, he noticed the unbearable heat. Without the gas mask filtering the air, he probably would¡¯ve been suffocating. Distracted, he continued walking¡ªuntil he heard rustling nearby. Cartias, stop. Reacting purely on instinct, he fired three quick shots at the noise. A large rat-like creature screeched as it attempted to flee, only to be coiled by one of the vines he had shot. Cartias stumbled back in horror as the vine began dragging the creature away. "H-Holy¡­ fuck¡­?" Cartias, that was just a baby. They commonly dwell underground and are blinded by sunlight. It posed no threat to you. Cartias snapped his head toward the plant still dragging the struggling rat, the noises of it''s bone breaking made Cartias'' complexion pale. The fuck do you mean ¡®just a baby¡¯!? That thing was larger than a dog! Cartias hurriedly stands up while maintaining his focus on the helpless creature, rifle aimed at it, then at the vines. It was indeed a baby. But please continue forward¡ªwe don¡¯t have time to waste. As if a signal, Rai¡¯s words promoted Cartias to continue on and rush away from whatever that was. You forgot to tell me all about those things! he grumbled in displeasure. That was my mistake. I will inform you of any threats as we go. He let out an exasperated sigh. Please do that¡­ Eventually, Cartias, wait here for now. Why? They are currently hauling in food. You will not like what they are eating. Even without the full context, Cartias¡¯ mind immediately flashed back to the rat earlier. His stomach churned again making his face cringe. After a minute or so, Rai finally allowed him to peek at the base. The settlement resembled a makeshift wooden watchtower, surrounded by fences made of stacked logs and tree trunks. In fact, everything in the structure seemed to be made of wood. Cartias narrowed his eyes. "...What the heck¡­?"