Nobita's Time Heist

"It has absolutely no taste."

He seemed to have no idea how to write the word "fear." After smelling the odor, he got up, dusted off the dirt particles on his body, and said with a hint of regret, "It's a pity there's no head. Otherwise, we could have estimated the approximate time of death from the degree of pupil dilation."

"I don't know much about this, but a corpse must smell, right?" Fat Tiger said with unusual seriousness. "Things in the refrigerator will rot if they're left out for too long."

"Don't say such scary things!!" Suneo's voice suddenly rose, probably imagining something hidden in his own refrigerator. "And Kosugi, getting so close to these things... Don't you find it creepy at all?"

“In a broad sense, it is indeed a bit frightening.” Dekisugi’s tone did not seem frightened at all. He even took out tweezers and carefully broke off a ginseng root, sealing it in a special container. “I’ve never seen such a big ginseng before.”

"This is ginseng?" Fat Tiger asked in surprise. "Shouldn't it grow in the ground like a radish?"

"Using human flesh and blood to cultivate a new species?" Dekisugi stared at the resentful corpse buried in the ground, pondering, "If so, the existence of black houses is so widespread, which means they might be some kind of essential military supplies, or..."

The pupils are slightly dilated.

"Thump—!!"

In the instant that he understood, the side door was flung open by a tremendous force, swirling into the air. Cold sunlight streamed in through the gap, and all the ginseng planted in the human cavity seemed to sense something, stirring up like mandrakes and emitting incredibly piercing screams.

Outside, a group of warriors clad in black armor, armed like tin cans, stood in formation. At a glance, there were about a hundred of them. Holding weapons, they surrounded the three. The streets had already been cleared, and the wind fluttered the brown royal banners.

Which is worse: staying in the eerie dark room or being surrounded by menacing soldiers?

"You reacted really fast... Did someone see you?" Fat Tiger stretched his ankles, as if he was already used to this kind of situation. "Now, we only have two choices: run or fight. By the way, I can do either."

……

"when--!!"

Heavy armored warriors landed from their horses with a heavy, thud. Their eyes, hidden beneath their helmets, were devoid of any emotion; they seemed not human, but war machines stripped of all feeling and desire, reduced to utter numbness. On the chest of their armor was uniformly inscribed a black bird with outstretched wings, its feathers so wide they seemed to completely envelop their bodies. So many men stood there, yet not a sound was uttered. The dark mass of soldiers obscured the horizon, and a suffocating, oppressive aura of death emanated from them.

"I didn't expect it to appear so easily. Since the sudden birth of the second emperor of the new dynasty, all the flames of rebellion have been extinguished. For the next thousand years, the new dynasty has continuously suppressed various civilizations, ultimately becoming the main force that enabled it to successfully colonize the world..."

"【The Immortal Army】!"

The name was originally coined by the Persians. In the famous film "300," they were depicted as a dark army composed of eccentrics, deformities, and sorcerers, primarily to highlight the Spartans' heroic image. However, in the current timeline, the expanding new dynasty has devoured everything, including the once ambitious Persian civilization, and naturally, it has also claimed the rights to the name.

At this moment, the name "Eternal Life Army" describes only one thing—the terrifying army under the new dynasty, which only the emperor can command. This is also what Ichimokuhan hadn't finished saying in the telepathic communication earlier: the sudden emergence of the Eternal Life Army is the key to the new dynasty's ability to unify the world for two thousand years.

"Is everything alright...?" Upon seeing the opponent's heavy armor and weapons, Xiaofu's already limited courage immediately shrank. "They seem to be up to no good."

"From their perspective, we are the 'newcomers.'" Surrounded by a large army, Dekisugi seemed completely unfazed. Instead, he rubbed his nose and smiled. "Honekawa-kun, why don't you think about it from the other side... The fact that they would send an elite force like the Changsheng Army to besiege us, what does that mean?"

"We stumbled upon their weakness by accident... Regardless of what these ginsengs are all about, they must be extremely important to them!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"You little thief, trespassing on the military armory is an unforgivable crime!"

No one could tell who was speaking; in the dense, dark ranks of the army, there seemed to be no distinction between generals and soldiers. This was one of the fundamental reasons why the Changsheng Army had conquered the world: absolute discipline, iron-clad military discipline. They were like extensions of the emperor's limbs, striking wherever they were directed, never hesitating for a moment. Throughout the entire army, their movements were perfectly synchronized; every soldier seemed to have a head of bronze and arms of iron, impervious to swords and spears.

Under equal armament conditions, it would take at least ten ordinary soldiers working together precisely to have any chance of killing a single Changsheng Army soldier.

Given the productivity of ancient times, it would have been theoretically impossible to raise such an extraordinary army. But the Xin Dynasty did it, and not only that, it continued this method for two thousand years.

The Longevity Army is stationed across the kingdom's lands. Whenever the dynastic cycle reaches a specific point in time, and the sparks of rebellion are just beginning to ignite, they swiftly strike, extinguishing the flames and carrying out indiscriminate extermination of the entire population within a five-hundred-mile radius of the rebellion's center. Countless heads, piled high like towers, serve as a stark reminder of the price to pay for betraying the new dynasty.

From then on, the progress of science and civilization was like a powerless seedling, trampled underfoot by iron cavalry, unable to take root or sprout.

No words needed.

With the sound of perfectly synchronized footsteps, the army split in half, and a row of archers drew their bows and nocked arrows. Even the angle at which they drew their bows was almost identical, as if they had been copied and pasted dozens of times. This mechanical precision sent Fat Tiger's mind wandering, reminding him of the archery prowess of the elves in the classic fantasy film *The Lord of the Rings*, which he had watched as a child.

"Honekawa-kun!" Seeing that they had no intention of persuading him to surrender, Dekisugi sensed that something was wrong and shouted, "According to our plan, Plan 2!"

"Hell..."

Fortunately, even in his panic, Suneo managed to find a few items that were directly related to him after searching around.

Speaking of which, these two unlucky things were actually made by him and Gian with funds from Nobita, but they turned out to be surprisingly suitable for the current situation.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"[An item that will prevent anyone from bullying you]—!!"

"【A tool that can be used to bully anyone】—!!"

(From the original manga "The Great Invention of the Invention Machine," Doraemon and Nobita have a daily argument, and Doraemon, in a fit of anger, travels back to the future. To cultivate Nobita's hands-on skills, Dorami, temporarily taking his place, gives him the "Invention Machine." However, due to the unreasonable demands of Suneo and Gian, they are forced to develop two small Gundam-like combat exoskeletons, with the two contributing 1,000 yen and 10 yen respectively to the invention fee.)

Chapter 203: The battle was exhilarating!

Which is more powerful, the strongest spear or the strongest shield?

This kind of pointless question has appeared more than once in Nobita's daily life, which also shows just how peculiar the thought process of the future humans who developed the secret gadgets really is.

In the end, Gian and Suneo, each driving a Zaku, fought fiercely for three hundred rounds in the open space, still unable to determine a winner, and even smashing the cement pipes in the process. Seeing that he couldn't stop, Nobita had no choice but to hastily create a "machine for apologizing to Doraemon," which he used to shove Doraemon's head into sliced ​​onions, and then cried as he went to kowtow and apologize to Doraemon.

That's why he's a reliable babysitting cat-type robot. Doraemon immediately realized that his small frame couldn't get involved in the battle between two Gundams.

So he immediately retreated, went to fetch Suneo and Gian's mothers, and then dragged the two out of the room, gave them a good scolding, and sent them home. And so, these two mini Gundams, built by Nobita himself, were put into Doraemon's pocket, becoming one of his countless gadgets and collectibles.

……

"Thump—!!"

Donning his bamboo dragonfly, Fat Tiger expertly flew into the cockpit and immediately switched to "Battle, Awesome!" mode. Since he'd already revealed his weapons, everything that followed could be considered self-defense, and neither side would be at a disadvantage. A volley of arrows rained down, the barbed arrows striking the exterior of the mech with a series of clanging sounds.

"What a heavy bow! Judging by its weight, it must weigh between 150 and 200 pounds... hiss..." Fat Tiger, who was interested in all kinds of deadly melee weapons, naturally wouldn't let bows and arrows go to waste. In fact, during his high school years, as the captain of the karate club, he had also audited the archery club's activities for a while. And it was precisely during these times that his mind was particularly sharp.

He was so surprised because he could tell the weight of the bows they were using. For the average modern person, drawing a 70-pound bow is already quite strenuous. Fat Tiger himself had tried; 70 pounds was relatively easy for him, but with his strength, he could only manage a maximum of 90 pounds. As for bows weighing over 150 pounds, only exceptionally strong individuals, appearing only once every few centuries, could possibly draw them.

The problem is that a genius who appears only once every few centuries is now standing in a row on the other side, launching a volley at you!

Imagine what it meant to have so many archers capable of drawing large bows on an ancient battlefield. An ordinary archer's bow typically weighs around 70 pounds, while the arrows fired by the Changsheng Army possessed roughly twice the speed and penetrating power of their opponents. Given the iron-smelting capabilities of ancient times, most armor would be as fragile as paper in their presence; pinpoint accuracy would be a given.

but……

"when!"

Another arrow flew straight toward the cockpit, striking the thick glass and sparking before breaking off and falling to the ground.

"Honekawa-kun, don't be afraid." Dekisugi, who had immediately taken cover behind the two mechs, saw that Suneo's mech was still standing still and encouraged him through the channel, "It's just scary to look at. What you're piloting right now is the culmination of 22nd-century materials science! I've never seen such a light metal with such amazing shock resistance and hardness!"

"Even if they improved their individual strength in some way, they still only had the iron smelting technology of 8 AD. This primitive kinetic energy weapon couldn't even leave a scratch on the surface of the mech."

Dekisugi didn't use much force, but his calm voice had a strange persuasive power.

"The backward can never defeat the advanced; this is an objective law. No matter what happens, it will not change."

"Hahaha! That's it, Suneo, don't just stand there like an idiot!"

Gian looked outside, his gaze rising higher, which fueled the burning desire within him. This mecha was custom-made for the two of them by Nobita, who naturally considered Gian's personality. The control panel wasn't overly complex, basically simpler than a Showa-era game console. Four buttons: forward, backward, left, right, plus a jump button, a trigger, a throttle, and a brake.

With a "click," the trigger was pulled, and the mech charged forward amidst a hail of arrows, smashing a large hole through the damaged wooden door.

"Thump—!!"

With a powerful swing, the archers' ranks were no match and were immediately scattered. The mechanical arm swung with tremendous force, striking the soldiers with dull thuds like heavy objects. Faced with such a massive physical difference, Fat Tiger abandoned all tactics and maneuvers, essentially just swinging his palms back and forth. Like bowling balls, the black-armored warriors were sent flying in parabolic arcs, some crashing into walls, some landing on rooftops, and others being slammed deep into the ground.

Before long, smoke and dust rose, and the ground was a mess. Broken armor, fallen weapons, and gushing blood seeping from the gaps in the armor, staining the ground red, all testified to the brutality of the battlefield.

Out of consideration, Fat Tiger didn't even use his full strength. He dealt with most of the enemies by slapping and pushing, but it was still one-sided.

Technology is productivity; this statement is no exaggeration.

The technological gap of 2000 years made this battle seem like it couldn't even be called a "battle." Xiao Fu originally wanted to go up and provide support, but after watching for a while, he realized that there was no need for it at all. Fat Tiger's mech alone was enough to render dozens of Changsheng soldiers powerless.

"The difference is actually this great." Sitting in the cockpit, Xiao Fu observed the situation. Seeing that victory was within his grasp, he finally relaxed and couldn't help but sigh, "Back when I was fighting with Gian in the open field, I didn't realize this mecha was this powerful."

“Even with enhanced human strength, the limits of weapons from the era of cold weapons are essentially fixed. Honekawa-kun and Takeru's mechs are an exception to their fighting capabilities.” Dekisugi, however, grew increasingly calm, carefully observing the battlefield. “However…”

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Clatter!"

One of the immortal soldiers, whose body was half-planted in the ground, suddenly let out a sickening writhing sound. The next moment, he expressionlessly grabbed his deformed leg and pulled it out of the gap with all his might! His leg was already deformed, but he didn't care at all, as if it wasn't his right leg at all, but just some unrelated organ extending from his body.

Using his broken leg as a foothold, he forced himself to stand up, his gaze still numb and indifferent. He felt no pain, and seemed to have lost all normal human emotions; his mind was completely blank except for Tata.

This inhuman abnormality quickly put Izumi on high alert.

"Seriously? He can even stand up like that?"

Fat Tiger was even more astonished. He clearly saw that the joints of several soldiers were already bulging backwards, yet they still forced themselves to stand up, drew their secondary weapon from their waists—a sharpened longsword—and staggered towards him. He suddenly wondered if beneath the armor of these so-called immortal soldiers, they might be some kind of biological weapon that knew no pain, just like the insectoid race created by Narniadis?

Dekisugi's voice came from the Adventurer's Handkerchief, "Kou, something's not right... Let's retreat for now!"

Chapter 204: The World Tree Pocket Edition

The city planning in 8 AD was so basic that there were no streetlights, no surveillance cameras, and even buildings taller than three stories were rare.

Two mechs rushed to the rescue, speeding through the streets and quickly leaving the pursuers behind. The city's development level was incomparable to that of modern times; even within the city, there were still many mountains and forests to hide in. They simply hid deep in the mountains, then retracted their mechs into their pockets, effectively disappearing from the defenders' sight.

The distant city gradually stirred. Images transmitted by the spy satellite showed that the entire garrison had been mobilized. Only a small number were ordinary soldiers; the majority of those patrolling were the Changsheng Army, clad in black armor with fixed, unwavering gazes. They marched through the city in square formations, every household's door tightly shut, the entire city as if dead.

It's clear that the fact that the three of them were able to escape unscathed after causing such a ruckus has made the rulers hiding behind the city uneasy.

"That's terrifying, that kind of guy..."

Despite having just achieved a massive kill streak in the enemy's fountain, Gian remained surprisingly calm and did not look down on his opponent.

"In that unit, each soldier's strength and resilience far surpassed that of an average person. Logically, nutrition in ancient times was certainly not as good as it is today, and their physical constitution was likely weaker. However, the individual combat skills of these soldiers were far superior to those of modern people. Coupled with their armor and weapons, under the same conditions, ordinary soldiers had no chance of resistance, and..."

"You've noticed, haven't you?"

"Hmm." Dekisugi nodded, quickly following his train of thought. "Is what Kotake is trying to say about 'morale'?"

“In the past, wars were basically won by sheer numbers, and morale determined everything. Just like Nobunaga’s surprise attack at Okehazama, even though the number of troops was far fewer than the enemy’s, as long as there was enough morale, the enemy would feel that they had been directly scattered and that they could not possibly win against them.”

"However, in the battle just now, I completely scattered their ranks. Anyone with a sense could see that this was a battle they had no chance of winning. Yet the morale of the Changsheng Army was not affected at all. They continued to attack and fire arrows as usual, and not a single person deserted."

"Or rather..."

Do they really have the concept of 'morale'?

……

"The reason for this is almost clear." After stepping out of the mecha, Suneo wasted no time and immediately took out the [Medical Kit] and put the ginseng sample that Izumi had brought inside. When he held it with tweezers, the tendril, which had been separated from its body for almost 20 minutes, was still struggling and wriggling, which gave him goosebumps.

Fortunately, the first-aid kit doesn't have this kind of bias. It analyzes any medicine with medicinal value equally and provides a conclusion. A thick stack of lab reports was printed out. Xiaofu dusted off the brand-new papers, picked them up, and his expression immediately became quite comical, somewhat like the "bewitched fox" in the fairy tale.

Dekisugi promptly took the report from his hand, sat cross-legged, half-closed his eyes, and carefully read it word by word.

No matter how talented he was, he was still just a high school sophomore. A report analyzed using cutting-edge 22nd-century medical technology was filled with a dizzying array of technical terms that Dekisugi simply couldn't understand. However, thanks to his exceptional reading skills, he wasn't overwhelmed by the dense text. After reading it word by word, he still managed to piece together some useful information.

"This mutated ginseng contains a compound that requires further refinement before it can be fully analyzed. Long-term intake will have irreversible effects on the human body, including increasing bone density and muscle strength to enhance its resistance to impact."

"The user's vision and hearing will become more sensitive, and their body structure will be more adapted to movement. At the same time, some fungi will use this as a medium to parasitize the human body in a location quite close to the brain. Currently, it is very likely that this method affects the brain's bioelectric currents. The body will secrete large amounts of serotonin and oxytocin to maintain a feeling of pleasure. After two months, specific sensory dulling will occur, specifically manifested as loss of normal taste and pain sensation, and a gradual indifference to one's surroundings."

"As the duration of use increases, the number of yellow blood cells in the body surges, leading to both physiological and psychological dependence on the drug. This continues until human senses are destroyed, transforming the individual into a powerful puppet that only obeys the drug supplier—that's roughly the gist of it. There are also some complex chemical reactions involved, which I don't understand..."

He flipped through the thick stack of booklets in an instant and laughed, "I'll study them properly after I get back to my original world."

……

"Look at that." Fat Tiger looked at the top student with a look of sincere admiration. "No wonder he gets 100 points every day. See, that's what you call an expert."

"I often get perfect scores too, though not as often as Kosuke." Xiaofu took the medical report, glanced at it quickly, and muttered, "But with this interpretation, the mystery of 'morale' is solved. It's all this thing's fault!"

“Emergency selections of outstanding soldiers from the military are made to consume medicinal herbs, thereby producing an excellent immortal army—without fear, without emotion, with immense strength, unaware of pain, and simply faithfully carrying out orders. In the later stages, the accumulation of yellow blood cells in the body exceeds a threshold, which completely blurs a person's original social relationships.”

For the first time, Dekisugi's tone showed a strong emotional fluctuation. Even someone as emotionally stable as him felt extreme disgust for this behavior.

By erasing the will of the living and turning each and every one of them into tools for maintaining rule, this stagnant empire has been preserved for two thousand years. The so-called new dynasty, however, is dripping with putrid pus.

“Speaking of which, even if we have the ability to destroy this dynasty, it wouldn’t make any difference, would it?” Suneo realized the problem. “2000 years have already been wasted. If we want to return to the original world, only Nobita’s side can work hard.”

"Well, so, next..."

Dekisugi pulled a seed from his pocket and casually tossed it into the ground, creating a small crater. "Honekawa-kun, Takeshi, remember to step back!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"boom---!!"

The moment it touched the soil, the seed burst forth, transforming into a giant tree as thick as seven people could encircle. Xiao Fu, running too slowly, nearly scraped his skin on the newly sprouted trunk. As the dust settled, he slumped to the ground, barely able to make out the tree's outline, and exclaimed in astonishment, "Xiao Shan, this...this isn't..."

“Ah, it’s Yggdrasil, or more accurately, a miniature version with some of its functions.” Dekisugi gently stroked the giant tree’s rough, obsidian-like trunk and said softly, “Such a powerful thing, it would be such a waste to just leave it in the Golden City… right?”

The tendrils drooped down on their own, coiling around the half-tendon still lying in the [medical kit]. It seemed that there was a hierarchy among plants; sensing the overwhelming power of the other, the half-tendon stopped wriggling and obediently allowed itself to be coiled up and sent into the lush foliage.

"Please, Yggdrasil, help us analyze the characteristics of this plant, and then..."

"Let's create an antidote!"

Chapter 205: Weiyang Palace

On a night in 9 AD, the Weiyang Palace was brightly lit.