('Personnel Creation') I thought to myself as I sat on the log of a fallen tree
For years I've been too focused on my own problems, that I rarely cared about the one's in-front of me, I was nearly considered a prodigy of sorts, I was intelligent for my age and people around wouldn't have been a problem, I guess the times where I did not even care prolong a friendship was the past coming to bite me in the most unreasonable way possible in return.
'If I were to, create personnel as a friend or other acquaintance... will they even be normal?'
I kept thinking, but I decided not to waste this opportunity. I quickly stood from the rock picking my ArmaLite AR-30A1 Bolt-Action from the ground, and move to a different location. I stopped in an open area with quite majestic rock formations, including a twisting large arch rock formation, in feels extremely alien but still nostalgic as if it were from earth.
I didn't want to jump straight to my curiosity, right now I have I need to play it wisely, I have no clue about this world, and it's biota, aside from its average technology level, so maybe a few armed military personnel would be fine.
'20 soldiers which would consist 4 Squads, 4-5 squads are equivalent to a Platoon, with this personnel could withstand against a foe using swords and spears.'
I didn't close my eyes this time as the details of Personnel Creation, says it doesn't need mana, actually to be honest am I even using mana?
As I raise my hand to try and use personnel creation, polyhedral cubes began to appear, most of them rapidly shifting in place slowly winding several figures like futuristic nano-robotic entities.
These cubes seem more digital or bio-mechanical, rather than mana. Perhaps this is just my personal motif?
In less than a minute around 20 figures were created and the cubes slowly return to me before dissipating, the figures soon lost their bright-blue luminosity before their appearances are clear, they were humans, between the ages of 18-21 they were wearing Similar uniforms to me.
Most were equipped with Bolt-action Rifles, most were holding Bolt-action rifles, but one, a female, was holding a AWP sniper rifle. As I slowly observe the group, with anxiety on what will happen, the female soldier steps forward from the group, and salutes.
"Staff sergeant Kara Anderson, Great to see you Lieutenant, it is an honour working with you."
'Kara Anderson... Okay they have names for themselves, that's good, I'm not really good with names, especially names of differing nationality.'
"I shall be a second in command of the platoon."
"Yes... Affirmative Staff Sergeant."
"Your commands, Sir?" she asked me, I didn't take me long to respond
"2 squads of 5 shall be scouting the surrounding vicinity, The rest including me will be erecting a temporary point of operations within this location."
"You heard 'em." Kara said as she glanced at the rest of the platoon, immediately afterwards they break off into opposite directions, complying with my command.
"Alright, remaining personnel will be remaining here and try to scavenge any consumable resources perhaps even livestock, whilst an outpost will be created."
"Aight"
. . .
'...These people are around my age or older, yet they abide by my commands without hesitation, don't they have any suspicion as to who I'am? A platoon leader, who is just on the verge of becoming 19 years old. They are loyal squads aren't they? What are their thoughts about this...? Wait... Will I get backstabbed or...?'
These thoughts tend to spiral in my head whilst I begin to use three of my abilities
'Matter Creation' 'Structure Fabrication' 'Technology Schematic'
It allows me to create a variety of objects varying in complexity and size, through mental imaging of what the object is or looks like, right now I'm thinking of an outpost, though I wasn't really inclined with how most modern military outposts look like, blocky, and aggressive in my opinion, I wanted one that has a more realistically 2030-ish concept design, A.K.A. Not limited by budget constraints, the outpost I'm creating has angular or fluid designs in some areas, but is still recognizable in my mind as a Military outpost, in my mind it felt quite a long time at-least 11 minutes, but it wants too difficult, before I open my eyes. It was exactly how it was, there were some tweaks such as terrain modification, etc...
"It... Looks cool." Kara commented whilst looking at it, she stood beside me.
"Hmm?" I respond to her words.
"Huh? O-Oh, sorry Sir, For speaking without being authorized to."
"Oh no, no. It's fine, I have no problem with any of your opinions. In-fact I could've encouraged some of you to be truthful about the design"
"...Okay Then, Sir."
"Say... How long was I doing this? just wondering."
"Sir, about Five to Six minutes Sir."
"W-Wait really?"
"Did- Was That the wrong thing to s-"
"No nothing's wrong, was it really not that prolonged?"
"Well...Yes really, ...Maybe... your brain nulled your mind to be longer due to the effort?"
"Well, Incorrect Perception is one theory. I feel quite lightheaded again actually how much did I-"
-===-
Stamina: 29/100
Mana: 0/100
-===-
"Oh dear..." Kara whispers, upon seeing my statistics.
"If I went any further, I think I could've used up my health. Ok I think that's enough for now, the outpost includes exterior camp equipment and radioes, we can be able to contact the squads."
"Umm. Don't you think, you should rest awhile sir? To give sometime to replenish your statistics?"
"Oh, I was just about to ask you something similar, I thought that when I... Created you here, you might have very low statistics."
"By the HUD, All Personnel Created, are given sufficient amounts of stamina and strength, however all lack mana, due to our origins being from earth essentially being fabricated Copies, it is mostly due to personnel being deemed expendable."
"W-what? That's completely inhumane, and selfish. Despite not being born here as children and essentially being 'summoned' in a sense, You're lives still have more value than the Space Shuttle Program, rather than being valued as disposable tools."
Kara only looked at me with a confused and slightly shocked expression, before she looked down, and spoke.
"Is that so..."
She seems to be in deep thought.
"Are you fine?"
"Yes, I'm fine, Sir."
"Well I hope you know that you and the others shouldn't just run directly at enemies for my sake, I... I don't think can recreate any of you."
"Affirmative Sir." she looked at me with silence before assuring me. She asked into the outpost past me, and I eventually walk towards the rest of the soldiers by sitting the foliage, to give them clearance to enter, or set up.
———3 hours later, surveillance squad-02———
They were currently traversing several rough terrain, beside an uneven but paved road, upon noticing sunset, one of the squad members informs the sergeant.
"Alright, sun's goin' down, we should to return to base, might not wanna piss off platoon leader-" A soldier said bearing a slight Slavic accent.
"Hold on, I see movement in the distance." The Slav eventually cuts his previous sentence off.
The sergeant eventually speaks as he vaguely notices three large slow-moving objects in the distance one seemed to have a light, a headlight? all were slowly moving down the road, the squad were concealed by the dark of the forest, due to the sunset, and their greyish-green camouflage uniforms.
"Keep your profiles low, and don't fire, but keep your weapons steady."
The slowly walk forward to try and get a better picture of the objects, before they halt and squat down, one was laying on their belly with a Post-WW2 Finnish Sniper Rifle.
"Is that a horse?" A female private questioned faintly
"horse drawn carriages" the sergeant and the private exchange conversations.
"I'm going to inform Platoon Leader."
——(Leading Carriage)——
"Is there still any problem?" I merchant-like coach of the carriage spoke towards a hooded girl in the back.
"No, I'm fine. These are not fatal, I can handle myself."
"Okay, Ms. Esther."
The carriage continued forward, the pole-mounted lantern on the front of the carriage being the only source of light. It illuminates the path, the road continues to come into view as the carriage moves forward by the two horses of the carriage, as if the light itself was creating the pathway.
"Did you hear that?" Esther after several moments of silence, she spoke, after managing to detect rustling.
"Hear wha-?" The coachman's sentence was cut short as his head was pierced with an Arrow, Redding the man into a icicle statue before falling off from the carriage's seat.
"Heh!?"
"Esther, prepare yourself!" A man beside her spoke.
———(Back)———
"-The numbers are around-... hold up!, the hell was was that!?"
["W-what?!"]
———
Several figures eventually emerged from the forest encircling the carriage, most of them wielding large composite bows, One was holding a staff roughly the same size as his body.
"Well, Well, Well, Esther, the time's Come!"
———
As I wonder what to do, the figures eventually draw their bows, some held small Melee weapons, such as knives and daggers. Without me seeing what is going on, my choices were thin.
["What is your location...?"]
"600 meters away from the outpost."
I heard noises in the background, it's likely a fight is occurring, and I hear the sergeant's voice trembling.
["I'll be arriving with reinforcements, and Squad 01 is currently heading your way, If something happens, you may shoot the targets but keep your distance!"]
"Aye Sir. You heard him!"