It was time to explore the sci-fi-esque Ancient Super-science Civilization Ruins located deep within the dungeon!
I set off with Alto to find a warehouse or some other storage area.
"Wouldn't it be better to split up if it’s safe?" I asked.
"There’s no guarantee of safety, y’know? For example, a defective Cartridge might explode, y’know. If that happens, I’d want you to save me, y’know," Alto replied.
"Fair point."
"If Penpen weren't busy being Gin-chan, I would’ve wanted to bring her along so she could appraise everything for us, y’know."
"Well, Miti can appraise things too. Let’s just search together."
And so, our group of three—including Miti—began the exploration. Nika-chan stayed behind with Gin-chan (Penpen) to keep an eye on the Prince.
"Lord Spirit, can I eat the trash?" Miti asked.
It might have been trash, but it was trash from the Ancient Super-science Civilization Ruins. Part of me wanted to let her eat it, but another part felt it would be a waste. These were artifacts of an Ancient Super-civilization, after all.
Still, I wanted her to try as many things as possible, so I decided to let her eat one piece of anything labeled as junk.
"Just check with me before you eat anything. It would be a disaster if you swallowed an important item. ...Hmm... Oh. For starters, why don't you try eating two or three of those rings like the one we used on the Prince?"
"Got it!"
"And we’re bringing back everything else that isn't garbage, y'know!" Alto added.
"Definitely. I want to bring home enough treasure to make our Inventory burst."
Before we moved on, I handed Miti one of the rings I had taken from the Infirmary earlier.
However...
"Munch, munch... Chew... Munch... What is this? I can't eat it. It won't melt at all," Miti complained.
"So that's how it is. As expected of an artifact from the Ancient Civilization."
"I guess that means it's waterproof, acid-proof, and has perfect anti-Slime measures, y’know... Well, it would be a problem if the Halo melted in the middle of a battle, y’know. It’s only natural for it to be sturdy, y’know," Alto noted.
"I wonder if she could eat it if I smashed it first?"
"I’ll take it apart, y’know!"
I spent a while engaging in Unarmed Combat with the Halo, but it wouldn't break, and it didn't look like it could be disassembled. It seemed these rings from the Ancient Civilization were Non-destructible Objects.
Since it was a waste of effort to keep messing with it, I gave up, and we quietly returned to our search of the ruins.
"If there are Cartridges to be found, they’d be in an 'Armory' or a 'Warehouse,' y’know."
We began searching the rooms near the Infirmary. Fortunately, I could read the characters written above the doorways, so we didn't have to waste time checking inside the toilets.
"..."
"Alto? Why are you peeking into the toilet?"
"Well... sometimes Handgun ammo and stuff is just dropped in toilets, y’know? We have to explore the bathrooms too, y’know."
"...You’re right!"
In some cases, you might find a new gun in a place that made you wonder, "Why on earth is this here?" While the Armory and Warehouse were the most likely spots, we couldn't afford to overlook the toilets.
"But the guns from the Ancient Civilization don't use bullets, do they?"
"Oh, that’s right, y’know! Then it’s better to prioritize the high-probability rooms first, y’know!"
"Yeah, finding a weapon in a toilet is a pretty rare case anyway."
"Lord Spirit! I found a map of this floor and the others!"
Nice work, Miti! Looking at a Floor Map was much faster than manually checking the signs above every single door.
After confirming our location on the map, we made our way directly to the Warehouse.
The map also listed things like a 'Power Room' and a 'Bridge,' which made it highly likely that these Ancient Ruins were actually a Spaceship of some kind.
Why it was sitting deep underground in a dungeon was a mystery, but given that it was an ancient ruin, I suppose anything was possible.
"And since it’s a warehouse on a Spaceship, there’s a very high chance they have weapons and expansion parts stored here, y’know!"
"Alright, let's raid the place! If we’re lucky, I want to find a gun for myself!"
"I want to find a present for Penpen too, y’know. And for Gin-chan... For an Assassin Maid, it’s gotta be a Derringer, y’know. A palm-sized gun she can hide away, y’know!"
"I’m with you! The kind of girl who says, 'A woman has many hiding places!'"
We began rummaging through the warehouse. Eventually, I discovered some emergency rations. I opened the seal to find a long, thin Block Cookie that looked like a Calorie Bar. It was impressive that it still held its original shape.
I wondered if it was still edible.
"I'll ask right away—Miti, do you want to eat this? Since you have Poison Absorption, you probably won't get a stomachache."
"I'll eat it!"
I handed the Block Cookie to Miti. Without a moment's hesitation, she tossed it into her mouth.
"Munch, munch... It's gross!"
"I guess the expiration date passed... or maybe it was just tasteless to begin with? I’ve heard that some emergency rations are intentionally made to taste bad so people don't eat them all during peaceful times."
Well, that was an old theory; apparently, modern ones were made to be delicious to boost morale during emergencies, tasting about as good as the retort-pouch food we usually ate.
"Couldn't you tell for sure if you tried it yourself, Lord Spirit?"
"I don't know... Tria doesn't have Poison Absorption."
"Not like that—why don't you eat it through me?"
There was that option. Smart!
I shifted my consciousness over to operate Miti's body.
"Alright, let's see. Dig in... Yep, it was awful!"
It had a tasteless, dry texture like dirt. When I chewed, it turned into something like clay. It felt like swallowing sand... Yeah, this was a pretty harsh flavor for those of us who had grown accustomed to Penpen's feasts. I couldn't tell if it was always this bad.
I could also feel the Poison Absorption skill working its magic, so Tria definitely couldn't eat this. It looked fine on the outside, but this stuff was definitely rotten.
So, Tria, stop making that face that says, "Tria wants to try it too." This tastes like absolute garbage.
"Oh! It’s a Gun Storage Box, y’know! The lock... is already open, y’know. And it's empty, y’know..."
"Now that you mention it, the Prince did say other Spirit-possessed had already explored this place. I guess that means they’ve already cleared out anything valuable..."
"Huh!? Now that you say it, that makes sense, y'know!?"
The warehouse, in particular, had almost certainly been picked clean.
It seemed we were more likely to find useful items by scavenging the toilets or the private quarters in the Residential Area.