TtOW! - Chapter 22: A Bit of Shopping (Patreon)

And so Taog resumed his business and headed over to the marketplace, NSLICE-00P accompanying him.  She was about to return home when he asked her to come along.  Because if he knew Lar, he definitely couldn’t let the potentially murder-happy knight out of his sight.

“They’re right there, Captain!”

Taog heaved a sigh.  Right on cue.

He was just finishing his shopping as Lar came stomping towards him, leading a tired-looking Captain of the Guard and a squad of soldiers.

“These are the furlovers that attacked me, Captain!  Arrest them!”

The Captain just heaved a sigh as he locked eyes with Taog, and then walked over.

“Hello Taog.”

“Hello Captain.”

“Let’s get this over with.  I have some questions for you and your companion.”

“Of course, Captain.”

The Captain glanced over at NSLICE-00P.

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

“Seero, this is the Captain of the Guard.  Please cooperate with him.”

“Acknowledgement: Local authority identified.”

The Captain raised an eyebrow but turned to the cyborg.

“May I get your name, miss?”

“Answer: This unit is designated NSLICE-00P.”

The Captain blinked a few times.

“Ok, Enslice Seero Seero Pee…did you or did you not assault this fellow with a lightning spell?”

“Negative.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Really?  What happened then?”

“Clarification: This unit incapacitated the hostile with the built-in stun ray non-lethal countermeasure.”

“So…you did attack Lar here?”

“Affirmative.”

Lar grinned at that.

“See, Captain!  She admitted it!  Arrest them!”

The Captain just heaved a sigh.

“Can you explain why you attacked Lar?”

“Affirmative.  Displaying combat recording.”

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye lit up.  The guards gripped their spears while the Captain glanced over at Taog.  He waved his hands and shook his head, so the Captain motioned for his men to stand down.

A holographic display appeared in the air, showing Lar and his friends kicking at Taog at the ground, and the corresponding events.

Lar’s face went red as the Captain glanced at him, an eyebrow raised.

“T-That’s a lie!  It’s obviously an illusion, some sort of trick!”

The guards glanced at one another while the Captain just held his forehead.

“Well, we clearly have two different versions of events here.  Taog, you’re the third party involved with this, what do you say happened?”

“Captain, you can’t seriously be taking the word of this furskin here?”

The Captain turned towards Lar and narrowed his eyes.

“Shut your mouth, boy.  I am the Captain of the Guard, not you.  And I will do my job as I see fit.”

Lar took a step back but closed his mouth.  The Captain turned back to Taog, who heaved a sigh.

“Would you believe me…if I said nothing happened, Captain?”

“You sure about that, Taog?”

Taog nodded.  The Captain stared at him for a moment longer before heaving a sigh and turning to his men.

“You heard the lad, nothing happened here.  Return to your posts.”

“Captain, you can’t be serious!  You’re just going to let them go?!”

“Nothing happened, boy.  This visitor here didn’t assault you.  And you and your friends didn’t assault Taog, as I have specifically warned you about, several times.”

Lar opened his mouth, but then frowned and closed it as the Captain glared at him.  He shot a vicious look at Taog, then turned and left with a huff.  The Captain heaved a sign and turned to Taog.

“I’m sorry about this.  Are you all right, Taog?”

“Fine.”

“...right.  May I ask who this is?”

“...a visiting friend.”

The Captain took a deep breath and nodded.

“Well, if you say so.  Are you going to be alright?  I’d rather not deal with any…altercations.”

Taog nodded.

“We’re leaving on a trip anyways.  I doubt we’ll be back for a while.  Should make your life a lot easier, I imagine.”

The Captain frowned, heaving another sigh.

“Look…Taog…you know if you ever need anything, just ask, ok?”

“Thanks but I’ll be fine.”

The Captain sighed once more, then nodded and walked off.  Taog watched him for a moment before sighing himself.

“...some people eventually remembered what my parents did.  Too bloody late if you ask me though, Ateia’s all I need now.  I’m sorry you’ve gotten wrapped up in this, Seero.”

“Acknowledgement: Apology accepted, but not necessary.  Defense of friendly units is part of this unit’s protocols.”

He heaved another sigh.

“Right.  Let’s get going.  Oh, and one more thing.  Please don’t tell Ateia what happened.  I don’t want her picking another fight with Lar.”

“Affirmative.”

***

The pair made their way back to Ateia’s house.  Taog somehow managed to convince Ateia not to run out the door while the sun was setting, and so the group got ready for bed.  Ateia led NSLICE-00P into a spare bedroom.

“Seero, you can use this room here.  Do you need pajamas or anything?”

“Negative.”

Ateia tilted her head.

“Really?  I get it while we’re out in the field but you can rest easy tonight!  Don’t you want to get out of that armor?”

“Clarification: This unit’s cybernetic implants are not removable, save by specialized maintenance facilities.”

“Huh?  What does that mean?”

“Rephrasing: This unit’s armor plating is built in, and so not removable.”

Ateia froze.

“Wait…you’re saying you can’t take your armor off?!”

“Affirmative.”

Ateia’s jaw dropped for a second.

“Oh wow, that’s…um…I’m sorry?  Is that…are you ok?”

“Answer: This unit is functioning at full capacity, no damage reported.”

“Um…but…”

Taog happened to step over around that time and placed a hand on Ateia’s shoulder.  She looked at him with quivering eyes but he just shook his head.  She took a deep breath.

“Well…um…make yourself comfortable, then?  Just…tell me if you need anything, ok?”

“Affirmative.”

“Right…then…I’m going to bed.”

Taog watched and her and then turned to NSLICE-00P.

“I’m sorry, she doesn’t mean any harm.  I get if it’s not a pleasant subject but…if you ever do need to talk about it, well…I’m willing to listen.  I owe you that much, I think.”

“Affirmative.”

“Well…good night then, Seero.”

Taog waited a second longer and then walked to his room as well, leaving NSLICE-00P alone.

Well, sort of.

“Request: This unit is requesting additional intel from friendlies Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third and Lilussees.”

“Yes yes, what do you want-request, boss-queen?”

“Ugh, can it, like, wait till morning?  I’m, like, about to turn in for the night, or something.”

“Query: This unit has logged a significant increase in dungeon XP, and is requesting insight from former dungeon masters.”

[Level up! Your Dungeon Level is now 16!]

[Level up! Your Dungeon Level is now 17!]

Yes, the moment NSLICE-00P stepped into town, her dungeon XP began shooting up dramatically, despite the fact that she had not terminated any hostiles.

“Oh, like, wow.”

“T-This is…very fast-quick, yes yes?”

Both Lilussees and Rattingtale tilted their heads inside their rooms, before Lilussees nodded.

“So, like, I think I got it, or something?  You have that, Dungeon Field Generator, or whatever?”

“Affirmative.”

“So, like, I said dungeons absorb mana, and stuff?  Well, like, living things give off more mana, so you get more XP if they’re inside your dungeon, or something.  And like, intelligent races give more, or something?  Something about their emotions affecting the mana?  I don’t know, though.”

“Summary: So, this unit is gaining additional dungeon XP due to humans within range of the dungeon field generator?”

“Something like that.”

“Revelation: New dungeon intel logged, this unit thanks friendly Lilussees for the additional intel.  Next Query: This unit would like intel regarding entity ‘treasure chest’ recorded in latest dungeon termination mission.”

“Hm…I, like, didn’t use those much…”

“Allow the Great-High King of all the land to instruct-inform you, yes yes.  There is an Item Creation portion of the royal records, yes yes?”

NSLICE-00P checked her Dungeon Management status once again.  Indeed there was an Item Creation menu option.  She opened it up…

[Item Creation]

• [Item Creation currently locked (Requires Item Foundry Implant)]

“Observation: Item Creation is locked for this unit, pending purchase of relevant implant.”

“Really-truly?  This Great-High King had access to it from the start, yes yes.”

“That’s, like, because she’s pretty different, you know?  Like, she has those ‘implant’ things instead of rooms.”

“Quiet, wretched spider-thing.”

NSLICE-00P opened up the implant menu to review the option.

[Implants]

• [New Implant]
  • [New Implant Slot: Adds additional slots for implants.  Grants +5 HP, +5 Dungeon MP.  Costs 3 points.]
  • [Item Foundry: Enables Item Creation via dungeon mana.  Costs 10 points.  Mana Upkeep: 1]

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered.  Her individual upgrade program had already come to a close, so there was no particular need for her to install additional upgrades, and the implant in question would be one of the most expensive she had purchased.  On the other hand, she had just determined she was likely present in a pre-industrial society.  A method of resupply might one day prove necessary.  And likewise, she determined her dungeon levels and available perks would increase dramatically so long as she was present in a population center.

She calculated the benefits as exceeding the costs and so purchased the upgrade.

[You have unlocked an additional Implant Slot!  Max HP and Mana increased!]

[You have unlocked the Item Foundry implant!]

[Item Creation is now available]

[18 Dungeon Perk Points remaining]

With that, NSLICE-00P returned to the Item Creation Menu.

[Item Creation]

• [Weapons]
  • [Bronze Sword: 10 Mana or suitable materials]
  • [Bronze Spear: 10 Mana or suitable materials]
  • (continued…)
  • [Flintlock Pistol (added by Cyborg affinity): Um, I think that’s a suitable starter based on that stuff you have?  Whatever, close enough, I don’t really want to review the several centuries of weapon development history you’re suddenly dumping on me so figure out the blueprints yourself.  10 Mana or suitable materials or something I don’t know.]
• [Armor]
• [Artifacts]
• [Consumables]
• [Other]

“...Analysis: Technological level of ‘Item Creation’ resupply significantly below anticipated values.”

“What’s that?  Um, are you saying-suggesting the items are too weak?”

“Affirmative.”

“That’s like, normal though?  You, like, have to upgrade your item creation if you want better stuff.  Or, like, make it yourself, or have someone in your dungeon make it first, or something?”

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered at the new intel.  Intel that was calculated as significant to the prior cost-benefit analysis.

Her new analysis indicated additional intel gathering was necessary before any upgrade decisions could be correctly evaluated.  After all, her individual upgrade program had already succeeded.  There was no need to evaluate any further decisions.

“Um, boss?  Hello?”

“Boss-queen, you, um, got very quiet-silent, yes yes.”

And with that, NSLICE-00P activated standby-sentry mode for the night.

Author’s Note:

Second chapter of the day go!

Foreign system flagged as potential malware due to lacking data displays.  Data reporting seems noticeably inefficient.

…I’m sorry 00P, but that would require the author to decide all the data…err…would require the system manager to do more than the bare minimum!  B-But it’s ok, potions are cool too, right?  D-Don’t worry, the author will use all things to make you OP, so it’ll be worth it later, I promise!

Well…that’s what happens when we take advice from the Great-High King of all the land.

Anyways!

Are Ateia and Taog ready for their adventure?  Will the Captain of the Guard have to deal with any more altercations?  Will the foreign system prove that it’s not malware?  Tune in next time, to find out!