TtOW! - Chapter 15: Help Me NSLICE-00P, You're My Only Hope! (Patreon)

Ateia and Taog shrieked and trembled as the wandering knight approached them.

“P-Please don’t hurt us…”

The armored girl had a heterochromatic eye that appeared to be made of metal.  That eye began to glow.  Ateia and Taog closed their eyes and hugged one another, gritting their teeth.

“Query: Do you possess any intel regarding the displayed persons of interest?”

Ateia and Taog froze.  They gingerly opened their eyes.

Light was shining from the wandering knight’s eye, forming a some sort of illusion in the air.  On it were a number of faces, starting with an average-looking, nondescript man, a dark-skinned woman, and one of the most beautiful women Ateia and Taog had ever seen, and ending with a group of teens roughly the same age as the pair.

However, none of them looked familiar, and their clothing was strange, not matching any culture the two had ever encountered.

They shook their heads.  The glow faded from the wandering knight’s eye, the illusion fading with it.  The armored girl instead pointed down the road.

“Acknowledged.  Query: Is this the direction of the nearest settlement?”

The two silently nodded their heads, still not daring to speak.

“Acknowledged.  Gratitude: This unit thanks you for your cooperation.”

And with that, the wandering knight turned away and started walking.

Ateia and Taog glanced at one another.  They both exhaled their breaths and fell to the ground, just staring up at the sky for a moment.

Then, Ateia grit her teeth and furrowed her brow.

Conqueror a dungeon?

Prove herself so capable the Exploratores would have to take her?

Follow in her father’s footsteps?

So much for that.

They hadn’t even made it to the Beithigh Forest before a handful of bandits ended their quest.  Bandits her father could have defeated alone.

And she had been utterly helpless.  If it hadn’t been for that random wandering knight, she would be at their mercy.  Or dead.  And so would Taog, all because she had dragged him along.

She closed her eyes, moisture building in them.  Taog glanced over at her.

“Ateia…”

“Please…I know…just…give me a moment…”

Taog frowned for a moment, then took a deep breath.

“Look…we weren’t ready, ok?  But…maybe there’s another option?  Maybe we could find some help…like put out a request for assistance hunting, get a real Exploratores to come with us?  Then maybe we can show them what we’re capable of, get a recommendation?”

Ateia shook her head.  That was one of the first things they had tried after they failed the entrance exam.  But no Exploratores was willing to help a couple kids play in the forest, or so the last one they met had said.

They didn’t have anyone who could help them…

Suddenly Ateia’s eyes shot open and she sat up.  Taog raised an eyebrow before his eyes widened.

“Ateia, no.”

She started to grin.

“Ateia, yes.”

“Ateia, did you see what she just did?!”

Ateia’s grinned grew.

“Oh, did I ever.”

Taog groaned and slapped his palm on his forehead.

“Ateia, how many times do we have to have this talk?  Do NOT go bothering people who can kill you that you know nothing about!”

“We know that she’s strong and that she helped us.”

“She didn’t help us!  That stupid bandit just picked a fight with her and she retaliated!”

“You don’t know that.”

Taog just narrowed his eyes at her.

“Um, I kind of do?  It was pretty clear she was just going to ignore us until then?”

Ateia just shrugged.

“Then…we’ll give her a reason to help us!”

“Like what exactly?  How are you going to convince someone you know nothing about?”

Ateia tilted her head and placed a finger on her chin for a moment, then grinned a shrugged.

“You don’t know until you try!  Facing the unknown is just what an Exploratores does!”

“Um, no.  An Exploratores specifically does as much recon gathering and preparation as they can before they step even a single foot into the unknown.”

Ateia stood up. Taog jumped up, grabbing her arm.

"Let me go!"

"Ateia, no!"

Ateia wheeled around. Taog opened his mouth  when he saw it. The slight quiver and moisture building in her eyes, the  trembling in her body.

"Taog...this could be my last chance. My only chance. Please."

Taog frowned and looked down, his grip loosening for a second as he thought of what to say.

And a second was all Ateia needed as she jumped forward, shaking him off.

“Ah, enough of this!  She’s getting away!”

“Hey, wait, Ateia!”

But Ateia had already started running down the road.

“EXCUSE ME!”

***

Two panels cracked open as NSLICE-00P continued on her way.

“Boss boss, you aren’t going to finish them?”

“Negative.”

“Aw, why not?”

“Yes yes, leaving-sparing witnesses is bad!  They could betray-cross you and bring enemies to hunt-slay us, yes yes!”

“Answer: Surviving units were at odds with terminated units, and so unlikely to retaliate to termination of hostiles.  Risk factor proposed by friendly Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third calculated as minimal, and less than risk factor of retaliation due to unprovoked termination.”

“Aw.  I wanted to try the man-flesh.”

“I don’t like this, no no.”

Just then, a shout cut through the air.

“EXCUSE ME!”

NSLICE-00P turned around.  One of the survivors had run after her, the female human from the looks of it.  NSLICE-00P waited as she arrived.

“Query: Do you have business with this unit?”

The girl nodded.

“Please help us!”

“Negative Response: This unit is not available for requests by third parties.  Proceeding with primary directive.”

The girl reached out as NSLICE-00P turned to leave.  She shook her head and ran in front of the cyborg.

“Sorry, I meant, I’ll pay you, so please!”

“Negative Response: The benefit of monetary compensation not predicted to outweigh the loss of time spent on primary objective.”

The girl tilted her head.

“Um…so…you don’t need money, is what you’re saying?”

“Affirmative.  Firm Request: Please stand down and allow this unit to proceed with primary directive.”

“T-Then, I can give you something else!  What do you want?  Potions?  Armor?  Just tell me and it’s yours!”

The girl grit her teeth and looked down, but still did not move from in front of NSLICE-00P.  The cyborg was about to move around her…or else force her out of the way when the other survivor joined the group, groaning and shaking his head.

He walked forward and pulled the girl aside.  He started whispering to her.  Of course, he didn’t seem aware that said measure was woefully insufficient to counteract NSLICE-00P’s advanced audio sensors, but that was not something the cyborg felt she needed to inform them of.

As they spoke, her panels popped open again, her own friendlies giving her whispers of their own.

“Look look, they’re like, bothering you, or something.  So like, you’re going to take them out now, right?”

“Yes yes, kill-slay the man-things, quickly!”

NSLICE-00P ignored them and focused on the other conversation.

“What are you doing?  She’s going to get away!”

“What are YOU doing?  She’s going to attack you at this rate!”

“No she wasn’t!”

“Look, I’m not telling you to stop.  I’m telling you to think, Ateia!  What did I say about gathering intel and preparing?”

“What intel can we even gather now?!”

The boy groaned.

“Plenty.  She said she doesn’t need money, right?  But she already told us what she does need.”

“And what is that?”

The boy heaved a sigh.

“She told us herself.  She’s looking for someone.”

“And what does that…”

The girl froze.

“Oh…Oh I see.”

The boy just heaved another sigh, shaking his head.  The girl hopped back over to NSLICE-00P.

“You’re looking for someone, right?”

“Affirmative.”

“If you help us, we can help you find them!”

“Requesting Elaboration: Please explain how third party units will assist this unit when they have already stated they possess no intel regarding the persons of interest.”

The girl cross her arms and grinned.

“That’s simple!  We’re trying to become Exploratores!  So help us get in and then we can help you find your missing people!”

“Requesting Elaboration: Please define role: Exploratores and why said role would assist in this unit’s current mission.”

The girl froze, blinking repeatedly.

“What?  You, um, don’t know what an Exploratores is?  The guardians of the frontier?  The explorers of the unknown?  The first line of defense for the Empire and its people?  The ones who solve problems wherever they are?”

“Negative.  Speculation: From description, it appears to be some sort of military or law enforcement title.”

“How…how is that possible?  Everyone knows what an Exploratores is!”

The boy stepped forward, shaking his head.

“Not everyone.”

“Oh, right.  B-But everyone in the Empire does!”

The boy slapped his palm on his face and pointed at NSLICE-00P.

“And is she from the Empire?”

“Oh, um, are you from the Empire?”

“Requesting Elaboration: Please identify faction ‘Empire’.”

This time both the boy and girl froze.

“You…haven’t heard of the Empire?”

The boy leaned into the girl.

“Look, this is getting really fishy.  If she’s someone who hasn’t even heard of the Empire…I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this.”

“No, that means we have a lot more to offer!”

The girl turned back to NSLICE-00P.

“Ok, so, um, looks like you’re not from around here?  So, help us out, and we can teach you a thing or two?  And then, when we become Exploratores, we can help you with your mission!”

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered and spun around.  The pair both took a step back at that.

“Um…”

It was true she was not aware of her current location, much less the situation around her.  In fact, the present geography didn’t match any location in her memory, and most modern nations did not refer to themselves as ‘Empire’.  Additional intel about local conditions and legal customs would, in fact, be useful to her current mission, assuming she could trust this pair.  And if she managed to determine her present location, she might be able to reestablish contact with friendly forces, or at least chart an efficient search pattern for the persons of interest.  Body language analysis indicated a high chance they were being truthful with her.

Under the assumption of independent action, establishing local contacts might indeed be worthwhile.

Depending on what they asked her to do, that is.

“Analysis complete.  Query: Please explain mission parameters.”

The two glanced at each other.  The boy shrugged.  The girl tilted her head as she turned back to the cyborg.

“Are you…asking what we want you to do?”

“Affirmative.”

The girl smiled…then frowned, biting her lip and fidgeting.  The boy sighed.

“Tell her the truth.”

The girl took a deep breath.

“We…need help finding…and conquering…a dungeon…um, I know it’s a lot to ask and it’s really dangerous but, um, it’s really important to us!  And, we’re hoping that there’s some new dungeons in the area so they should be a lot weaker than…”

“Analysis complete.  Task difficulty determined as substantially below potential benefits.”

“Huh?  What was that?”

“Statement: This unit is willing to assist.  Counterpoint: However, this unit does require assurances.”

In that moment, NSLICE-00P activated a Dungeon Skill for the first time.  She didn’t truly understand what the Contract skill meant, but she predicted a mana-driven contract would at least provide equal or greater assurance as a legal one.

Two documents formed of light appeared in front of the pair.

“Explanation: This unit has a contract skill.  This unit will assist signees with locating and terminating a single dungeon.  This unit bears the right to determine which dungeon and to prioritize unit safety, but otherwise will undertake all reasonable effort to ensure mission success and signee survival.  The signees shall provide this unit with full, comprehensive, and accurate intelligence regarding current location and local conditions, to the maximum extent they are able.  If and when the signees achieve the rank/role of ‘Exploratores’ or any similar roles or rewards as a result of the assisted dungeon conquest, they will utilize the privileges and resources of said roles and rewards to assist this unit with locating persons of interest.”

Taog raised an eyebrow.

“Um, so if I have this straight…this is a magic contract?!  That’s…that’s intense.  I think we should talk about this a bit more…”

Ateia paused. A magic contract. And she didn't fully understand what the knight was saying.

But she did know something.

That the knight was offering to help.

And that her mission, her entire life's mission, would fail without that help.

“Um, I don’t get it, but, if I sign this, you’ll help us, right?  Done!”

“Wait, Ateia!”

But it was too late, the girl had signed the Contract.  The document vanished in a flash of light.

[Contract signed!  Ateia Niraemia (Human Level 8) added as temporary subordinate.  Restrictions applied per contract stipulations.]

The boy groaned and slapped his head.

He had no choice now.

He went ahead and signed it.

[Contract signed!  Taog Sutharlan (Human/Wulver Level 7) added as temporary subordinate.  Restrictions applied per contract stipulations.]

NSLICE-00P turned around and started walking back the way she came.

“Contract established. New mission accepted, mission parameters set. Setting target: dungeon.  Activating search-and-destroy protocol.”

And so NSLICE-00P began to search for another dungeon, with her two new allies in tow.

“So, like, are we, like, trapped here until they, like, go to sleep, or something?  That’s, like, kind of lame, this place is, like, so not comfy.  And, like, we have to work with humans, or something?  That’s, like, super weird.  Are you sure you can’t, like, kill them or something, boss?”

“You dumb man-thing!  You forgot-ignored us, didn’t you?!  Now the vicious man-things are watching you, yes yes!  They can’t be trusted, they will betray-cross us, yes yes!  You should kill-slay them while you have the chance, yes yes!”

Much to the consternation of her first two allies.

Author’s Note:

Noobs...err 'new allies' get!  And now it’s back to dungeon termination!

Oh Ateia and Taog, you have no idea what you’ve done, do you?

Oh well, I’m sure this will all go fine and cause no chaos or headaches for anybody involved, least of all the Empire!

Anyways!

Will Ateia and Taog succeed in their dream?  Have they made the right move signing a magic contract with the person they know nothing about save her capacity for violence?  Will Lilussees and Rattingtale be let out of the hidden compartments?  Tune in next time, to find out!