After mediating a sudden altercation between her subordinates, NSLICE-00P calculated for a long time, updating all her protocols and predictions. Now that she had essentially reestablished contact with an NSLICE network, she no longer needed to assume purely independent action in a pre-industrial society.

As such, she added growing the NSLICE network to the list of directives. In fact, acquiring bases for new NSLICE units had been one of her most common mission types in the past. The only difference was NSLICE-00P had a method to conduct processing on her own now. She could partially resume one of her old directives, once she modified the protocols for the different conditions and methods.

And the NSLICE network would speed up her search by a significant margin. Upgrades to her personal sensors and intelligence gathering abilities would always run into diminishing returns, given that she was a single unit who could only be physically present in a single location. Even acquiring subordinates via the foreign system was not a perfect solution, as she lacked methods to communicate with them remotely they were restricted to her immediate area.

With a growing NSLICE network on the other hand, that was no longer a limitation.

Her search capabilities would scale ever upward as more units were added to the network, providing not only more eyes but more processing hardware and specialized capabilities. And since she could network and communicate with them remotely, she could also use them to build a communication network, expanding the range she could interact with her subordinates dramatically.

And when she finally did find a commander, she would be able to offer the services of an entire network, instead of a single unit.

And so her calculations concluded. Her next order of business would be expanding the NSLICE network. Which meant upgrading her subordinates. From NSLICE Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third’s logs, the NSLICE upgrade had come available when he hit level ten, so she would endeavor to bring her current subordinates to that level.

However, that would have to wait. Local authorities had requested her presence after sorting their own confusion, after all, so she would check in with them tomorrow to avoid any legal complications.

But there was something else she could do to expand the network right here, right now.

Subordinates

Manage Subordinates

[Summon Subordinates]

[Cyborg - Primary]

Name

Summoning Cost

Upkeep

Description

Cyber-bear Cub

mana

mana

A bear cub upgraded with cybernetic implants. Currently more cute than anything but has terrifying potential.

Cyber-rat

A basic rat monster upgraded with cybernetic implants. Its ability to network with other units improves swarm behavior, and implants can offer surprising capabilities. Ultimately still a rat, though. Unlocked by evolving a Cyber-Rat with Cyborg and Rodent affinities.

Cyber-spider

A basic spider monster upgraded with cybernetic implants. Because who doesn’t love spiders that are harder to kill with fire? Unlocked by evolving a Cyber-Spider with Cyborg and Arachnid affinities.

[Fire - Minor]

Name

Summoning Cost

Upkeep

Description

Fire Slime

mana

mana

The most basic Fire-attribute monster possible. Just animated mana with a Fire-Attribute. Might be able to start a fire if left on something flammable for long enough.

Fire Elemental (small)

mana

mana

A being of living Fire magic. Its flames and mana are not the greatest, but it can grow by absorbing more of both, and its immunity to basic physical attacks makes it a tricky opponent for the unprepared.

[Holy - Minor]

Name

Summoning Cost

Upkeep

Description

...Holy monsters? What…what does that even mean? Where would they even come from? UGH. You know what, you’re just going to have to wait on these. Even if I WANTED to figure it out anything we could do is probably going to require meetings and approvals and stuff. Just…figure out how to evolve your own monsters with it or something if you want these now.

Rodent - Minimum

Earth - Minimum

Arachnid - Minimum

Slime - Minimum

Light - Minimum

Nature - Minimum

No Affinity