TtOW! - Chapter 43: Expedious Return (Patreon)

NSLICE-00P picked up the rat monsters, intending to put them into the monster hangar, but there was a problem. They could barely move with their exhaustion, and NSLICE-00P wasn’t sure if she could physically reach into the hangar. So she picked them up in her arms and started walking until they had recovered enough to move themselves.

They took a moment to recover their breath and then spoke again.

“Boss-queen, please hurry!  The treacherous man-thing is plotting something!”

“Acknowledged.”

“And and…our comrade died to bring you this information.”

NSLICE-00P froze.

“Requesting Elaboration.”

The rats looked down, their ears pressed against their heads.

“The vicious cat-thing ambushed-assaulted us on our way here. Our comrade…stayed-stood to buy us time.”

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered.

And…

Her heart rate and cortisol levels increased.

She analyzed her dungeon status.

All her subordinates were still listed. And the vague mana link to her core still existed.

“Correction: This unit’s records indicate all friendlies are still alive.”

The rat monster’s eyes widened.

“T-Then please hurry, wise-mighty boss-queen!  The vicious cat-thing will kill-slay him, yes yes!”

Her analysis agreed with that of her subordinates, even though the rats had been upgraded she could not confirm if they could successfully defeat their natural predator.  There was a very real risk that the friendly unit would be terminated, especially if left to face the predator alone.

So she upgraded the time-urgency of the current mission, past even the need for confidentiality.

“Request: Are subordinates capable of moving to the hangar?”

The rats nodded and climbed over to the hangar. Once they did, panels slid open on NSLICE-00P’s hands, feet, and back. Big lights lit up and the air hummed as her repulsors lit up, lifting her about a foot off the ground.

“Status Update: Friendlies confirmed as engaged and at-risk of termination. Updating transit protocols for increased mission urgency.”

And then she leaned forward and vanished, soaring just above the ground at her maximum speed. She activated her sensors to the limit, scouting out the areas ahead for obstacles and plotting out her movement path in advance. And as she did, she detected several humans on the road ahead, hiding in the trees around the path. She zoomed in on them and sent the footage to the monster hangar.

“Requesting Confirmation: Are these targets the hostiles?”

“Yes yes, that’s them!”

“Acknowledged.  Activating termination protocols.”

As NSLICE-00P flew forward, panels opened on her shoulders. She targeted and locked on to each of the figures, then launched a barrage of missiles as she flew past them.

They barely had time to realize something had passed them by when they were engulfed in explosions.

[You have slain four humans (levels 12, 11, 14, and 25)!]

[Gained 17 Personal XP and 12 Dungeon XP!]

NSLICE-00P didn’t even spare them a glance as she rushed towards the city…

***

Cassius made his way into the sewers below the city. The sewers were a network of tunnels reinforced with stone, with holes in the roof wherever the citizens above which to dump things down.  In the center of each tunnel was a trough, filled to the brim with slimes.  Grating made of enchanted metal covered over them, keeping the slimes within.  On the side of the tunnels were small stone ledges to allow travel through the sewers.

Officially, the sewer slimes were specifically bred not to be hostile to other living things, but there were very few individuals willing to test that.

Cassius ran along one of these stone ledges with a pack slung over his shoulders, not hesitating even a second as he turned the corners.

And slightly behind him, three rats followed.

Rattingtale debated long and hard whether to follow the treacherous man-thing himself, or simply wait in the man-thing’s hideout while his subjects took care of it.  But he didn’t know exactly what the man-thing was planning, only that it was something big.  And something the man-thing was confident could handle the boss-queen.

And that meant there might be opportunity for a Great-High King looking to restore his realm.

So against his better judgment, he tagged along, following the man-thing at a safe distance.  His subjects’ loyalty was currently in question, so if he needed to be present if he wanted to take advantage of any opportunities.

And so he continuously sniffed the air and glanced around behind him.  Who knew what sort of vicious monster-things might be lurking here?

Rattingtale jumped as something crashed behind him.  He spun around, ready to toss the subordinates at the problem.  But it turns out it was just a loose rock clattering to the ground.

Rattingtale shook his head.  If only that strange boss-queen would hurry it up so he could return to the nice, safe palace-castle he had built there…

He froze and then shook his head.

O-Of course, the Great-High King of all the land was not afraid of a mere man-thing sewer!  He didn’t need any tyrants usurping his rightful place! This was all part of his plan!  In fact, he wanted her not to come so he could take advantage of whatever this other man-thing had planned!  He was not at all regretting being out and exposed to danger without an extremely powerful benefactor in the area!

“Boss-leader, the man-thing is getting away.”

Rattingtale struck the rat monster on the head.

“Then what are you waiting-lazing around for?!  Hurry after it, yes yes!”

The rat monsters just sighed but they obeyed the order.  And so the three rats followed after Cassius…

***

NSLICE-00P landed on the ground at the final hill before the city. She then ran down the hill as quickly as she could, barely flashing her status parchment to the guards before she ran off. The guards glanced at one another, then shrugged and went back to their jobs.

The cyborg analyzed the mana-bonds in the town.  Three of the rats were moving as a group at a downward angle, possibly underground.  One other was alone on the surface, in the slums area.  She locked onto the lone rat and rushed forward, plotting out the quickest route she could.  Townsfolk swore as she passed them by but they moved out of the way on their own.

No one gets in the way of an armored knight at a full run, not least of all a strange one like NSLICE-00P.

And so she made good time, and rounded the final alleyway.  Her panels opened up, missiles at the ready.  She transformed one hand into a machine gun while the other glowed as she charged up her energy channels.  She immediately activated all her sensors as she turned into the corner.

“Wise-mighty boss-queen?!”

“Scanning for hostiles…no hostiles detected in vicinity.”

She kept her combat mode active as she approached the rat.  He was leaning against the wall of the alley, breathing heavily, but still alive.  His blood had clotted and he was no longer bleeding out of his wounds, though one of his eyes was still closed shut due to a scratch across his face.  His HP was damaged but stable.  She moved to heal him, restoring his lost HP.

“Requesting Status Update.”

The rat nodded.

“I drove off the vicious cat-thing.  I showed it your might-power and the might-power of your servants, yes yes.”

Then he looked down, pressing his ears flat.

“I…am sorry, wise-mighty boss-queen.  I spent the boons you bestowed upon me without your permission.  Please, take the life of this disloyal servant, and recover your boons.”

“Requesting Clarification: Friendly unit did not apply upgrades prior to this, and so autonomously did so mid-engagement? And was able to win the engagement as a result?”

The rat slowly nodded his head.

“I am sorry, but the vicious cat-thing escaped me.  I was not even able to claim it for you, wise-mighty boss-queen.”

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered.  Friendlies Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third and Lilussees had grown in capability when their level had grown, so she had assumed the same would be true for her subordinates.  She had not realized they were waiting on her permission to apply the upgrades, and so were still vulnerable to ambush by local predators.

“Revelation: This unit was not aware friendly units were waiting on authorization to apply upgrades.  This unit acknowledges the efficacy of the friendly unit to do so mid-engagement.  Updating subordinate upgrade protocols with additional intel on necessary authorizations.”

The rat monster looked up at her with wide eyes.

“You are not…angry-displeased with this servant’s disloyalty?”

“Analysis: The friendly unit followed effective self-preservation and mission-completion protocols and was able to accomplish both despite an oversight in this unit’s upgrade routine.  This unit cannot identify any individual inefficiencies in the friendly unit’s performance in this case.”

The rat monster just stared at her for moment.

“Y-Yes, thank you, wise-mighty boss-queen! This unworthy servant vows-swears he will live up to your expectations and trust, yes yes!”

“Acknowledged.  Hostile engagement confirmed concluded, area determined as clear of hostiles.  Command: Please return to the hangar for transit.”

“Yes yes, wise-mighty boss-queen!”

Once the rat monster had returned to the hangar, NSLICE-00P locked onto the other signatures.  As they were moving underground, she activated her ground-penetrating radar, mapping out the sewers below town.  With that, she calculated the most efficient path and started running once again.

Fortunately, with her Earth magic, she did not need to follow them through the winding sewers.  She could simply travel over the surface and then dig an entrance once she arrived at the target area.  And so she cut across town, heading towards the Legion fortress rising above the city.

Her helmet was fully engaged, both her robotic eye and the eye piece covering her organic eye glowed red.  With all friendlies now extracted or else accounted for, she could now focus all her efforts on her last short-term objective.

Terminating the hostile who had created this scenario.

Author’s Note:

Hmmmm I wonder how this could possibly end?  What sort of outcome could occur when NSLICE-00P catches up to the treacherous man-thing?  What sort of action will be taken?

Oh well, guess we’ll just have to find out!

Anyways!

Can NSLICE-00P catch up to Cassius in time?  Will the Great-High King of all the land find an opportunity to exploit?  What will happen when NSLICE-00P meets Cassius once more?  Tune in next time, to find out!