"Dr. Munetani, are you alright?"
My groggy mind gradually cleared up at the sound of an anxious voice calling out.
Dr. Munetani?
Who's joking around with me?
I opened my eyes, and a blurry figure came into view.
A woman?
Big and white... no, wait—
Who is this person?
My head hurts so much; I must have been injured and sent to the hospital, right? This person doesn't look like a nurse or a doctor.
"Great, Dr. Munetani, you're finally awake. I'm your life assistant, Akagi Eiri."
Life assistant??
I wanted to ask where I was, but my body was so weak I couldn't make a sound.
"Someone come quickly, Dr. Munetani has woken up—"
The woman called for doctors and nurses.
"Consciousness has returned, and the vital signs are stabilizing."
Looking at the unfamiliar people around me, and the name tags on the doctors and nurses' chests, my already not-so-clear brain froze up a bit.
Ogata Megumi, Mitsuishi Kotono, Hayashibara Megumi, Miyamura Yuko...
Why are they all Japanese names? No, wait... they're all speaking Japanese. How can I understand Japanese? I can even read Japanese characters?
Where exactly am I?
Realizing something was off, I immediately started observing my surroundings carefully.
The texts on the equipment were all in Japanese. Is this not in China? No, it could be a secret base for Japanese people in China or something.
Have I been kidnapped by the Japanese who mistook me for some Dr. Munetani?
No way!
That's too ridiculous—
How could anyone mistake a semi-literate like me for a doctor?
Still not right...
If that's the case, how did I suddenly know Japanese?
Usually, I do like watching anime, but even so, my understanding of Japanese is very limited. There's no way I could understand everything being said and all the text.
Could it be a brain injury that triggered latent abilities?
That's... too ridiculous as well.
After hesitating for a moment, I tried speaking in Japanese, "Water."
No way?
Do I really know Japanese now?
A nurse immediately brought a cup of warm water, carefully serving me.
The current situation feels a bit like...
Did I transmigrate?
No, that's even more ridiculous than brain injury awakening superpowers.
No matter the situation now, I should say and do as little as possible until I have a clear understanding.
Over the next two days, except for unavoidable daily interactions, I said nothing and did nothing, focusing solely on recovering. But even so, I still gleaned from the conversations around me that I had encountered the worst-case scenario—I really transmigrated... and even ended up in Japan in 2003!
I've become a Japanese person named Ikari Munetani!
A genius who graduated with a Ph.D. at the age of 21!
Damn it—
This is a terrible start!
I'm a semi-literate who didn't even complete nine years of compulsory education, can't even solve a basic linear equation, and haven't inherited the original owner's memories. How am I supposed to impersonate a genius doctor?
No way!
I'm going to continue pretending to be sick, slack off—
Act like I have amnesia!
"Dr. Munetani, the higher-ups want you to return to the research institute as soon as possible."
??
No way... I haven't fully recovered yet! How can they want me to go to some research institute?
This is even worse than the foreman back home.
Just as I was about to start the amnesia act: "Who am I? Who are you? Where is this?" I heard Akagi Eiri, who had been by my side, say.
"Dr. Munetani, I know you're still recovering, but the situation outside is very dangerous. It's best to follow the higher-ups' instructions and go back to the research institute."
"Dangerous?"
"Some opportunists are trying to stage a coup due to public dissatisfaction with the results of the Antarctic investigation."
I had heard bits and pieces about this from the nurses and doctors over the past two days, but the information was too fragmented, and since it didn't seem relevant to me, I didn't delve into it. I only knew that something seemed to have happened in Antarctica, which people in this world were concerned about, and the United Nations had recently organized a team to investigate.
Before I could react, Akagi Eiri had already picked up my packed luggage and dragged me out of the hospital.
Wait a minute—
I haven't completed my amnesia act!
Upon leaving the hospital, I was completely stunned by the scene before me, forgetting all about the amnesia act.
Ruins, ruins—
Everywhere were collapsed ruins and workers clearing them.
???
What happened here?
A historical deviation? Was Japan bombed with nuclear weapons in this world around 2000?
Too many confusing questions arose, turning my thoughts into a mess.
Da-da-da—
A series of sounds came from a distance, causing the crowd to panic.
Before I could react, explosions accompanied by shockwaves hit from afar. It was clear that something had exploded.
"Wha... What's happening? What happened?"
—Are those... gunfire sounds?!
"Now's not the time to explain; the priority is to leave here."
In a daze, I was dragged by Akagi Eiri into a military pickup truck, speeding through half-cleared ruins. The sound of gunfire grew fainter as we drove. After nearly two hours, we arrived at a half-crippled airport and boarded a helicopter. Another hour later, we arrived at a construction site.
During this process, I regained my senses.
Natural disasters and human calamities!
Disasters are often followed by human-made calamities. I had been too naive before.
The amnesia act might solve the doubts about me, but it would also strip away the protection offered by being a genius doctor.
Without the genius doctor aura, I would still be in the combat zone now.
Damn it—
Isn't this a bit too much?
No cheats, no original owner's memories; how am I supposed to impersonate a doctor?
Forget it!
I'll just take it one step at a time. When I can't bluff my way through anymore, I'll play dumb and act like I didn't want to worry those around me, pretending I didn't lose my memory. After all, this is a modern scientific world. No matter how skilled others are, they can't find out that I'm a transmigrator. As long as that identity isn't exposed, there should still be room for maneuver.
Following Akagi Eiri, I arrived at an elevator in the center of the construction site.
The elevator slowly descended from the ground to the underground.
Through the elevator railings, I saw a huge cavity still under construction.
From the observable area, it was clear that this cavity wasn't artificially excavated but a naturally formed one.
What kind of research institute is this? It's quite grand, preparing to turn such a large cavity into a research institute.
After getting off the elevator, we took a military pickup truck and drove for another ten minutes before arriving at a four-story building.
This cavity is enormous—
It could easily house an underground city for millions of people.
"The old research institute has been abandoned; the new one has just been activated. Dr. Munetani, please wait a moment while I handle the procedures for you."
"Okay."
After sitting in the lobby for a short while, Akagi Eiri returned and handed me an ID card.
"Dr. Munetani, this is your ID card for the new research institute."
"Okay."
"This is the cafeteria."
"Okay."
"This is the dormitory area. Your dorm is here, and your belongings from the previous dorm have been moved over."
"Okay."
After walking around the research institute, we finally stopped in front of a high-security door.
"Beyond this point is the secondary research area. I don't have the clearance to enter, so I can't accompany you there."
"I'm tired; I want to go back to the dorm and rest. You can go ahead with your work."
"Okay."
Returning to the dormitory, I swiped my card and entered.
The interior was a simple one-room, one-bath setup. The space wasn't small, equipped with a desk, chair, bed, wardrobe, refrigerator, a bulky old computer, and a flip phone.
I briefly checked the contacts on the phone.
Great, the network is simple.
Cousin Ikari Yui.
Cousin-in-law Ikari Gendo.
Akagi Eiri.
???
Wait a minute, something seems off. Ikari Yui, Ikari Gendo...
Why do these names seem familiar? No, the point is... why do both my cousin-in-law and cousin have the same last name?
Did he marry into her family?
Dragon King son-in-law?
I couldn't help but laugh; that joke is so old.
Then I skimmed through the text messages, finding nothing noteworthy.
Just as I was about to check the computer, I suddenly remembered something.
Wait—
No way!
Ikari Yui, Ikari Gendo!
Antarctic expedition!
Could this be the *Evangelion* world?!!!