w“22 dead… 46 wounded… A quarter of that whole was lost in the initial volley.” Viscount Henry said to the Duke as they looked over the dead troll.

I ignored them while I browsed through the marketplace. I lost a total of four robots, costing me a total of 2,000p to get them back in action.

During these, I noticed that no matter how bad the damage was, it cost me 500p each time. One robot had lost its head while another had its limbs ripped off. It definitely would strain the point banking in the short term, but so long as we can smash through the dungeon within the 24 hour window I had with the tactical squad. I was quite happy to see I didn’t need to spend money on replenishing their ammo stores.

Yin-Yang and all that.

Renel approached me. “How are you faring?”

“I could be better,” I said as I browsed the marketplace.

“You know, I still can’t get used to how your eyes do that sometimes…. Why does it do that anyways?”

I minimized the screen and looked at her. “Do what?”

“Glow.”

“Think of my eyes like Yang. Mechanical. They have a whole slew of functions. When they glow, it means I’m using them. I’m looking at different equipment right now.”

“Wait, how?”

“Certain optics will display a tiny picture in your eye, while some like this one display it in the system that feeds to my brain.”

“Okay… So, this equipment… Was it like before where they appeared? How do you get this equipment.”

“The stones. Its how I get the equipment and yeah, it’ll appear here. A perk of working for a god you could say.”

She nodded, visibly confused. “Alright… Ah – right, I can over here to let you know that you actually found a floor boss. Which, is surprising, but it makes sense that the boss was right here rather than behind the door. We haven’t let the others know so you can snag the boss chest for yourself.”

“Boss chest?”

I was liking these loot chests very much.

“Just past the doors.”

I had a few other notifications, and a few milestones completed that I had yet to look at, but that could wait. I wanted my loot.

She led me through the large doors that her team had secured. Doors ajar enough for a single file, I led the robot squad into a similarly large room. A minor difference was a large dais where a giant stone throne sat. Beside it, ornate wooden chest.

It took a few minutes to cross the large room. Our steps echoed throughout in an annoying chorus of noise. Or as a famous Malestrom once said in an interview, “It’s an orgy of noise.” Once there, I opened it. Inside was an assortment of stuff.

1 short nice short sword, 4 glass vials, and a scroll. I pulled it all out one by one and toss it to the adventurers. I didn’t want any of it. At the bottom, nestled under the scrolls, was a large light-purple stone.

“Oh?”

[New stone discovered! Light-Purple Medium Manastone - 1,300]

It disappeared once I touched it.

A vibration was felt through and floor. Before I could react, I heard Renel. " looks like access to the next floor is up.

At the same time, Avery called.

“Looks like whatever you did just freed up the airwaves.” She said

“Oh?”

“Did you do anything… Special?”

“I apparently just killed a floor boss.”

There was a pause. “There shouldn’t have been a floor boss in this particular dungeon… Give me a moment… I had some time and delved into your world for a bit, learned some interesting things I want to try.”

Renel spoke up with a concerned expression. “... Are you talking to us?”

I shook my head and held up my finger for “one moment”.

A few seconds later, A spoke up. “Ah~ Interesting, the Dungeon routines in the world’s Ethos have been corrupted further than I thought. Originally, dungeons were fixed, but now… Yeah, dungeons are going to appear in places they shouldn’t have outside the fixed points I had set them for….”

“So, this… Ethos, what is it?”

“Think of it like a computer operating system – nay – that’s exactly what its like, but on a planetary scale. Instead of running on a physical computer, it runs on a mana matrix called the Patheon. An Ethos, as its name suggests, is the spirit of this planet - a sub-system of the Patheon. I operate at its core — I am its unwilling administrator and maintenance engineer.”

“That’s quite a bit to unpack there,” I paused and just let it sink in. That last part definitely was an interesting angle I’d want to know more about. Time did not permit it, so we’d have to have to circle back to it in the near future hopefully. “Can we start with this entire analogy of a computer system?”

“Yeah. I’ve taken quite a lot of inspiration from your world’s programming. ICE. Agents. Daemons… Quite a lot of things I could use. None of it implemented yet, but this world’s ethos functions similarly to programming. If you do this… “Netrunning”, you should be able to operate magic in a similar manner as you would Daemons. That in mind, I’m sending you over your first Daemon to use – well, quick hack. Tomatoes Tomatas.”

[WARNING: File received! Installing to cyberdeck!]

[Ping (Ethos): Shows locations of enemies connected to each other.]

“Now, the important bit. Specifically for you. Just a tiny small trivia. Dungeon monsters are slightly different in that they’re all connected to the Dungeon Core via a mana signature. In the same way, species ‘connect’ via mana when they form groups. Its a small party function of the world, but that is what will allow this to work. If someone is ‘with’ someone, they will show up. To you. It can work with other relations, but I figured this was workable for your current moment.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“How do I use it?”

“Oh, exactly like how you used them in your previous world. It will alleviate a lot of time and effort compared to if you learned magic from scratch. You can still do it, and I’d recommend you do if you’re going to go down the magic user route. This way certainly simplifies and quickens their usage, but it doesn’t allow minute adjustments to your situation. Fixed parameters.”

“I see,” I said. I appreciate the quick run down. If the quick hack worked as explained, it would widen my tool kit going forward. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, go topside to redeem your damn loot boxes. I know you see those damn notifications. I’m also going to send down robot that works for me personally to record the Ethos as you clear it. I want to see what the fuck they’re doing to my damn systems.”

I nodded. “Noted. I’ll head up immediately.”

“Chow~” And her icon disappeared.

I turned to Renel and her body. All of them stared at me in equal parts curious yet a little standoffish. “What?”

“Its just weird,” Grimes said.

“Creepy.” Zen the tank said.

Well, screw you too.

I headed topside with the adventurers in tow. The Duke decided to end the push on this level. He needed a few days for resupply and reinforcements. I concurred with their decision. At this rate, unless I took over everything, they were going to lose all their men in the next two sections. Of seven levels, we only two in. It didn’t bode well for them.

But I was going to continue my assault regardless. I had less than 20 hours left with these robots. Yes, 20 hours was a lot to do something with, but I couldn’t operate 24 hours without mental and physical impairment. When you netran, you never pushed your operation times. The body could only withstand punishment for so long. If I were a grizzled war veteran, I could do it. I’ve seen those times do it.

I am just a person. With cyberware. And guns. And robots.

A thought crossed, so I messaged A.

[Message (Mercy): Hey, is there some sort of magical pack that will buy people’s silence?]

[Message (A): A secret between two is safe when one of them is dead.]

[Message (Mercy): No, like if I wanted to show some of my powers to the adventurers I’m employing]

[Message (A): Ma’am, this is a Wendys.]

I… Didn’t even know what that was supposed to mean…

[Message (A): JK – Yeah, magical contract. You just want to not speak or explain your secret?]

[Message (Mercy): Not exactly a secret, but yes. I don’t want specifics getting out.]

[Message (A): Tsk. Start acting like a beta MC. Keep secrets.]

[Message (Mercy): I don’t know what that means.]

[Message (A): It means try and keep your powers secret in a shitty way and eventually reveal them through entirely avoidable situations because you’re a dumb hypocritical dummie.]

[Message (Mercy): …]

[Message (A): Tsk. No fun.]

With that, I got a notification that a pending drop was awaiting me. I had to select its drop location. I’d do that when I got back topside.

“I’m going topside to get more equipment,” I said to Renel.

“Can I come?” Renel asked

“Why?”

“Curious to see what else you’re going to bring out.”

“Ah, well, I’m going to have to have you use a magical contract to keep the information confidential. You alright with that?”

“Wait, why?”

“Mmmm. Let's just say I’m starting to consider the ramifications about what would happen if a pushy lord tries to force me to do something.”

“Are you worried about it?”

Renel gestured to the Duke.

I gave a light shrug. “Honestly, I’m hesitant to flip either way. I don’t like that I can’t decide that either. I’ll just have to wait and see. However, you guys have been pretty pleasant to work with. Let's talk and walk.”

We left the room, leaving everyone else behind – except Hembree and all my robots. He decided to follow us. Rather, I got the feeling he wanted to talk to me specifically. He was another person I wanted to keep quiet about my abilities. At least, to what extent it worked. Once we left earshot of the soldiers, I spoke. “Did you need something Hembree?”

“I wanted to talk see what you would do doing the downtime.” He said.

“I’m going to get more equipment, then continue after a nap.” Honestly, I was tired.

He nodded as he walked to my left. Renel was on my right.

“Hey, Hembree, I want to ask something.” I stopped in the middle of the section and faced him.

“I’m all ears.”

“We’ve spent quite a bit of time around each other since we met,”

He looked to mull that off while he folded his arms. His eyebrows mushed together in a cute manner. Honestly, now that I thought about it, he wasn’t that bad looking. He was kinda charming.

“Now that you mentioned it, I have. What about it?” For a moment, I wondered if I made him defensive. Yet, I paused. His tone indicted no hostility. Only curiosity.

“Why?” I kept my tone level.

“Don’t know. Just feels nice to be around you? I feel like I can trust you. You fought side by side with us. You’re a good person. Stuck it out. Uh… yeah, like a… Brother. Yeah, you’re part of our unsaid brotherhood…”

I blinked.

Renel stifled a laugh and I turned and glared down at the girl as she tried to hide her radiant smile. I just got brotherhood-zoned and she was laughing at me! I was offended! I was shot down before I even had the chance to consider if I wanted to consider him a potential partner! The audacity of this man do such a thing to me!

I sighed. It was for the best I supposed.

“Well, I’m going to get some equipment. I was about to talk to Renel about employing her longer. How about you, would that be a possibility for you?”

He shrugged. “I would have to speak with my lord, but I think there’s a good possibility I could. My post was razed, and its populous will be integrated into his town. I rather move about than wait for another boring assignment. I might not look like it, but I’m a soldier through and through.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” I laughed. “You look like a soldier to me. And I’d appreciate having competent minds to help me navigate the lands and all that.”

“Wouldn’t Renel and her team be better for that?”

“That’s why I’m trying to contract her.”

“Oh.. Then…?”

“For everything else.”

We continued walking and I proposed the magical contract to Hembree. If not employment, just his silence about me. Hembree was a good person. I rarely held that opinion, but there it was. Renel and I spoke about my needs to navigate the lands, settlements and politics of this world. She became aware of my position as an “apostle”, and that it was not some nickname. There was serious weight behind all this, but Renel looked almost excited.

Once out of the dungeon, we ended the conversation.

Leaving the ruined town, we left north up the mining trail. It led up and around the short mountain into a valley. There weren’t signs of more monsters. I wouldn’t change it though and had the wyverns float around the area while the robots secured the path and any accessible area.