TtOW! - Chapter 14: First Contact (Patreon)

It was early morning, before the sun had risen.  Ateia and Taog stood over the dining room table, looking over their packs.

“Let’s check one more time.”

Ateia sighed but she opened up her pack.

“Healing potions?”

Ateia reached in and pulled out small bottle filled with red liquid.

“Check!’

“Antidotes?”

“Check!”

“Paralysis cure?  Antisleep?  Antiburn?”

“Check! Check!  Check!”

“How about rations?”

“Check!”

“And the emergency rations?”

Ateia raised an eyebrow at that.

“Come on Taog, who’s the one who goes on hunting trips?  I always carry emergency rations!”

He just stared at her.  She heaved a sigh and reached into her pack.

“Check.”

Taog took a deep breath.  Ateia started to grin.

“That everything?”

Taog nodded.

“I think…we’re ready to go?”

Ateia smirked at him.

“Then…you’re saying you don’t need that water canteen over there?”

Taog’s eyes widened as Ateia gave him a massive grin.

Of course, that threw Taog into an anxious fit that required Ateia to confirm the contents of her pack three more times.

She still wore a smug grin up until the moment they left.

***

The pair made their way out of town before the crack of dawn.  They were technically of age and so no one truly had the right to stop them, but they still wanted to avoid any arguments.  Taog had a feeling most of the townsfolk would share his opinion on the wisdom of this plan.

Not that most of them would particularly mind if he died, but Ateia was quite popular.  In fact, he wouldn’t put it past some people to accuse him of ill intent, taking Ateia out of town alone like this.

He shook his head to clear such thoughts.  From now on, he needed to stay fully alert.  Bandits, wulvern tribes, raider parties from dungeons, wild monsters.  The roads of the frontier could be dangerous even in broad daylight, much less in the darkness just before dawn.

But their hometown was well within the limits of the Empire.  The Exploratores had this region well covered, and Turannia’s comitatenses legion was still holding strong.  So they were able to make their way in peace, well after the sun had risen.

And then, finally, they passed the last watchtower, passing from the stone roads of the Empire to the dirt trails that led into the forested wilderness.  And eventually, to the Domhan na Beithigh, the Forest of Beasts were monsters and demon lords battled for supremacy.  Where no trace of civilization reached and savage tribes still slaughtered one another like the chaotic days of yore.  Or so official Imperial education stated, his mother once had quite the words for how they described her former clansfolk.

Though, from what she told him of her upbringing, the ‘savage slaughter’ part wasn’t exactly an exaggeration.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Ateia’s voice shook Taog from his thoughts.  He glanced over at her, watching as a small smile formed on her face.

“Reminds me of our childhood.  We always used to come out here together like this.”

Taog smiled wryly.

“More like you used to drag me out so you wouldn’t get in trouble alone.”

She grinned at him.

“Oh?  And who was it who begged me to help him ‘find his clan’ back then?”

Taog averted his gaze.

“T-That was one time!”

“What about when you wanted to hunt a deer with your bare hands, ‘just like mamma’?

“Well at least I wasn’t the one who ran away from home and then cried when she forgot the way back!”

“Hey!  You promised to forget that!”

The two glared at each other, then grinned and laughed.

Well, Taog would admit…

They might be on an idiotic suicide mission.

But he did miss going on adventures with her like this.

Unfortunately, there was one other thing he missed.

A handful of burly men stepped out from behind the trees, taking up positions around the two teens.

“Well well well, what do we have here?”

The pair froze.  Taog couldn’t help but heave a sigh.

Unfortunately, it seemed things were going exactly as he feared.

***

NSLICE-00P continued to walk through the forest, terminating the occasional monster, or more often now incapacitating it so Lilussees and Rattingtale could instead.

Until, finally, she came across something.

A road…well a dirt trail really.

But…it was the first sign of civilization she had encountered since arriving in this place.  She was finally making some progress towards her mission objective.

And so she made her way along the road, continuing to head downhill.

Until her sensors started to read mana and thermal signatures.

And then her audio sensors began picking up voices.

Lilussees and Rattingtale were resting on her shoulder when Rattingtale started to sniff at the air.  He hissed.

“I smell man-flesh, yes yes!”

“I mean, like, even if the boss does kind of smell, you, like, shouldn’t say that, or something.”

NSLICE-00P double checked the diagnostics on her organic components, but her sterilization protocols were still in place.  In fact, her dungeon components were now absorbing organic waste and foreign debris by some mana-driven process she didn’t fully understand, so if anything, she should have superior hygiene to the standard organic.

“Objection: Sterilization protocols are reporting maximum efficiency.  Please identify source of chemical signals.”

“I mean other man-flesh, yes yes!”

“Acknowledgement: Yes, this unit has detected several signals indicative of human activity and is moving to investigate.”

“Wait wait, you’re moving-traveling towards the man-things?!”

“Affirmative.”

“Sweet.  Like, I always wanted to try man-flesh, or something.”

“Clarification: this unit has not identified any targets scheduled for termination.”

Lilussees tilted her head.

“But, like, isn’t that the point?  What else would you do with them?”

“Yes yes, man-things are to be killed-slayed or fled from!”

“Explanation: This unit is searching for designated target of interests and needs to determine current location.  Unaligned units may be able to provide relevant intel.”

“Ok, but then, like, after?”

“Answer: Afterwards this unit will have no further reason to interact with unaligned units.”

“You, like, don’t want the experience?”

“Requesting Elaboration: Terminating humans provides experience?”

“Yes yes.”

“Like, they provide more experience for us?  Something like, they have something monsters like, and like, vice versa, or something?”

“Acknowledged.  Adding intel to database.  Analyzing.  Analysis complete.  Explanation: Engaging with non-hostile humans still calculated as counterproductive to current mission, due to the risk of triggering larger scale conflict and retaliation.  Human termination currently limited to threat retaliation and mission-relevant targets.”

“Aw.”

“Man-things are violent-destructive, yes yes.  You should avoid-evade them, yes yes.”

With that, NSLICE-00P caught sight of the humans.  Rattingtale and Lilussees both climbed into empty compartments, peeking out to watch what would occur.  Or to run, if things went badly.

There was a large group of adult males surrounding two adolescents, one male, and one female.  Interestingly, the adolescent male had some canine features.  NSLICE-00P wanted to run scans on his genetics but there was a problem.

Both parties were armed, and pointing weapons at each other.

“Observation: It appears there is an altercation in progress.  This unit’s protocols advice against involvement in third party conflicts.  Proceeding with primary directive.”

And so NSLICE-00P ignored the group, and continued walking down the road.

The thing is, however, that NSLICE-00P had been built as an enforcer, not an infiltrator.  She had some stealth protocols but these were limited to covert operations.  She was not currently conducting a covert operation and so saw no reason to use what stealth protocols she had.

In other words…

NSLICE-00P walked right past the group.

She may have intended to ignore them.

But it appears they did not intend to ignore her.

The adolescent female caught sight of her first.

“Huh?  A knight?  You there!  Please help us!”

The whole group turned to look at NSLICE-00P, who continued walking.

However, one of the adult males stepped in front of her.

“Well well well, what do we have here?”

She ignored and walked around him.  He grabbed her shoulder.

“Hey!  I’m talking to you?”

She turned around to face him.

“Statement: This unit has no business with unaligned parties.  Do you have business with this unit?  If not, please stand down and allow this unit to proceed with primary directive.”

“What?  What are you on about, girl?”

He grinned at her.

“Of course you have business with us.  You’re walking through our territory, you know?  Haven’t even paid the toll.  In fact, that’s some nice armor you got there.  Is that a mana core in the center?”

“Acknowledgement: This unit was unaware of local protocols or authorities.  Please provide legal authorization and explain local protocol.”

“Huh?  That’s…”

“Statement: Potential authority seems to be confused.  If you cannot provide legal authorization, this unit cannot reply with any requests.”

NSLICE-00P turned to leave once more.  A vein bulged on the man’s forehead.  He nodded at two of his comrades.

They stepped in front of the cyborg, hefting their weapons.

“You don’t seem to understand what’s going on here, girlie.  Now hand over the armor before someone gets hurt.”

NSLICE-00P turned to face the speaker once more.

“Query: Are you threatening this unit?”

“Ok, wow, you’re a bit slow, aren’t you?  You know what, sod it.  Yes, yes we’re threatening you.  Now get over here, if you know what’s good for you.”

Suddenly NSLICE-00P’s helmet deployed.  Her eyes began to glow red.  She raised her hands, one transforming into a gun barrel, the other lighting up with power from her core.

“Warning: Please stand down.  This unit will respond to hostile intent with immediate termination.”

“All right, I’ve had enough.  Do it.”

One of the men had walked up behind NSLICE-00P with a club.  He lifted the club and swung it towards her head.

A magical circle formed and a mana barrier appeared in the path of the club.  The club struck the barrier and stopped dead, the man dropping the weapon from the shock.

“Hostile intent detected, engaging termination protocols.”

She turned around and opened fire at the attacker with her machine gun.

The man cried out and fell to the ground, his clothes growing red in several places.

[You have slain Human (Level 15)!]

[Gained 16 Personal XP, 13 Dungeon XP!]

The speaker cursed and ducked to the side.

“Kill her!”

Several of the men charged at her.  She lifted her machine gun, mowing them down.

[You have slain Human (Level 12)!]

[Gained 11 Personal XP, 10 Dungeon XP!]

[You have slain Wulvern (Level 10)!]

[Gained 10 Personal XP, 8 Dungeon XP!]

Several more ran up behind her but a magic circle formed, blasting them with a jet of flame.  They screamed as they rolled on the ground.

[You have slain Human (Level 12)!]

[Gained 11 Personal XP, 10 Dungeon XP!]

[You have slain Human (Level 16)!]

[Gained 17 Personal XP, 14 Dungeon XP!]

[You have slain Human (Level 11)!]

[Gained 10 Personal XP, 10 Dungeon XP!]

One of the men raised a staff, stuttering on his words as he started to chant.  A magic circle formed in the air out of flickering light.  But the man managed to complete the circle, a ball of fire soaring through the air.

“Hostile spell detected.  Equalizer engaged.”

NSLICE-00P lifted her free hand, firing a beam of rainbow light at the spell.  The fireball flickered and vanished as the beam passed through it.  It continued on to strike the mage, disrupting the next circle he was forming.

NSLICE-00P then turned her machine gun on him and opened fire.

[You have slain Human (Level 14)!]

[Gained 14 Personal XP, 11 Dungeon XP!]

[Level up! Your Personal Level is now 12!]

[Level up!  Your Dungeon Level is now 14!]

NSLICE-00P scanned the field, then boosted over to a nearby tree.  The man who had spoken to her first was trembling behind it.  She lifted her hand, light glowing along her arm.

“Wait…!”

She fired a beam of light.

[You have slain Human (Level 23)!]

[Gained 26 Personal XP, 23 Dungeon XP!]

“Scanning…no further signatures detected.  All hostiles terminated.”

With that, NSLICE-00P deactivated combat mode, her helmet disengaging and her machine gun turning back into a hand.  She stepped back onto the road and turned towards the two adolescents, who were staring with eyes wide open.  They shrieked and trembled as she began to approach them…

Author’s Note:

And so NSLICE-00P met new people in this strange new world…and terminated them!  If only bandits could stop acting like stereotypical mooks for five seconds, maybe more of them would survive these sorts of events.

…I think NSLICE-00P might now have a higher direct body count than my other MC, who technically had a villainous lead tag.  But oh well!  Both Isekai AND RPG rules state that bandits don’t count as people!

After all, none of them had names or uniquely drawn character art, so that means none of them could be recruited!  And if you can’t be recruited, that means you’re experience!  Dem’s just the rules.

Anyways!

What will NSLICE-00P do with these two teens?  Are there any bandits who don’t threaten the random armored person passing by?  Will Lilussees get to taste man-flesh after all?  Tune in next time, to find out!