Chapter 255 - What Was Left Behind
The ring Sweee handed me was called the [Azure Star Ring], and it felt like it had pretty overpowered stats. +1 to all [Elemental Magic] skills... how many skills does that even apply to? On top of that,
"Um, my mantle gives +3 MP recovery every 10 seconds, so that's +18 in a minute. This ring gives +1 MP recovery every 3 seconds, so that's +20 in a minute. Totaling 38 MP recovery per minute..."
My stats have increased, and my current max MP is just over 400. If I wear this, it feels like my MP would fully recover after just a 10-minute break. However,
"Did this just fall in the room?"
"~~~♪"
Sweee nodded, arms crossed, with an 'uhn-uhn' sound. The undead we defeated... they were probably people who teleported to escape the calamity, so this feels like a memento from them.
"---It's not cursed, is it?"
"~~~?"
To that question, Sweee tilted her head with an 'uhn~' sound. She wouldn't know even if I asked her, I guess.
Are there cursed items or anything like that?
"I'll have to ask Bell-san too, but they exist in regular RPGs, you know."
Until now, all my equipment—weapons, armor, accessories—I've made myself. This would be the first time I've directly equipped something I got as a drop, right? Oh, wait, there were the hammers and throwing knives the goblins dropped...
"I'll put it in my inventory for now and deal with it later."
Okay. But it's not just that, there seem to be many other things.
"Eh?"
At Mion's words, I looked around and saw that the other Fairies, besides Sweee, were also picking things up and gathering them in one spot. Not just rings, but they were even carrying staff-like objects with two of them.
"For now, let's close the door we came from and take a short break."
Okay.
I thanked the Fairies who had been guarding the door and closed it. Since it won't open for anyone but a Blessed One, a player, it should be safe for now.
"If I clean this room up properly, logging out here might be an option..."
It's a little scary, though...
"Well, next time, I'll think about it after we've advanced to a good stopping point. Lupi, Sweee, and Fairies, eat this."
The [Torotoro Dried Papu Fruit] was the last of my portable food. Thinking about the future, I should probably make some preserved food. Or rather, I completely forgot I was going to build a [Smoking Room]. Maybe I should build it in the port's [Storage] instead of the [Mountain Cabin]...
Shou-kun, isn't there a cabinet in the back left of the room?
"Eh? Oh, that. I hope there are more books."
Scattered on the floor were dirty robes, boots... probably clothes from before they became [Ghost]s. Honestly, there's a lot I don't want to touch by hand, so I used my sheathed [Ken-nata] to push them aside. I wish I had a trash can...
"Uh, first, [Appraisal]."
The [Appraisal] result was [Old Luxury Cabinet], and it looked exactly like the one on the first floor of the Mountain Cabin. I gently pulled the handle and opened it,
"Books. Oh, is this 'About Water, Ice, and Steam' an [Applied Water Magic Grimoire]?"
Next to it is 'About Fire, Flames, and Heat,' and next to that, 'About Wind, Sky, and Air' on the spine. These must be the [Applied Fire Magic Grimoire] and [Applied Wind Magic Grimoire], right?
The reason there's no Earth book, is it because it was in the Mountain Cabin?
"Ah, that's it. I have a feeling the person who wrote those records just happened to bring it to the Mountain Cabin."
I'd been wondering why only Earth was missing, but that makes sense. Looking at the shelf below, there were books? Pamphlets? Packed tightly, looking similar to the records from before.
"These look like [Ancient Ruins Operation Records]..."
I picked one up and opened it, finding pages upon pages written 'No problems.' Occasionally, it said 'Replenished mana to the lighthouse.' I wonder if that means our lighthouse.
The person in the Mountain Cabin wrote about daily things quite diligently, but this one only writes about work.
What's in the bottom drawer?
"Hm, I'll take a look."
I squatted down and pulled the drawer open with a clunk, revealing what looked like several folded large papers. I took it out and unfolded it,
"Oh? Is this a [Map of the Ancient Ruins]!?"
Shou-kun, can you orient it for me?
"Yeah."
Um, the two exits to the east and west must be the south side, right? The [Blacksmithing] area on the southeast side is the '[Production Room]', and nearby is the '[Mining]' area. The location of the Mountain Cabin is written as the '[Monitor Residential Area]'. Beyond the stairs leading to the Mountain Cabin, going north from the [Crossroads] is an exit. Beyond that is written '[Grand Cathedral]', and it seems that whole area is part of the Ancient Ruins. West of the [Crossroads], the wide underground area where Argenta appeared is the '[Large Transfer Room]', and beyond the [Collapse Site] which we went up from the east side... was the '[Control Room]' after all. Ah, the collapsed area was exactly where the door leading to the '[Observation Deck]' is. From the [Control Room], descending stairs north, then going east, is the '[Data Room]'... probably where we are now.
It seems connected.
"Yeah. If we go straight ahead, there's a staircase going up to the left at the end, and climbing that should lead to the [Control Room]."
Alright, alright. And going back north from the current [Data Room] leads to that outdoor, balcony-like place we were just at. That station-like place we first entered today seems to be the '[Port]'. So, ships used to arrive and depart there. Beyond the door we didn't take... it leads west, then down deep underground to a [Transfer Elevator], and that's the '[Power Section Monitoring Room]'.
"~~~?"
"Oh, you're already finished eating."
I want to thoroughly inspect this room, and I haven't checked the items Sweee and the others collected, but I'm out of time...
What should we do?
"---For now, I'll collect the items they gathered, and then we'll move on."
"~~~♪"
"Woof."
Cleaning this room will have to wait for another time. The room won't run away, so it's fine. First, the path ahead should lead to the [Control Room]...
...
...
...
"Woof."
"Alright, alright, this is correct."
The passage remained dark, so we relied on the light from the Light Spirit. But we proceeded smoothly, and at the end, a staircase going up to the left became visible. This must be the [Control Room], beyond the [Collapse Site].
Please be careful, okay?
"Yeah. [Spirit's Blessing] good. [Presence Detection] good. Lupi, Sweee, are all you Fairies okay?"
"Woofn."
"~~~♪"
"~~~♪"
Everyone's fully motivated. But it's better to be safe than sorry.
"If things get bad, Sweee and the others, please run full speed back to that room."
The Queen gave a thumbs-up to that request. If Lupi and I cover the rear, retreating to that spot should be fine. Unless we get ambushed from both sides, that is.
"Alright, let's go."
"Woof."
Lupi went slightly ahead, followed by me with Sweee in her usual spot on my shoulder, and then the Fairies. Just before reaching the top, a straight passage became visible, and at its end, a room entrance. There didn't seem to be any particular door here. Nothing registered on [Presence Detection]. Lupi turned back, waiting for my 'go,' so I nodded in response. Lupi, who went ahead, checked inside the room...
"Woof."
"Thanks."
I caught up and looked around the room, but it felt narrower than it had appeared on the map. The reason for that was a long table? Or a workbench? That stretched along the left wall as soon as you entered.
"~~~♪"
"Hm? Oh, this is for emergencies."
Sweee tugged on my earlobe from my left shoulder, and I looked where she was pointing. At the left end of the table, that slide-open small window. No, it's pretty big, isn't it?
Doesn't it look bigger than usual?
"Yeah, it's bigger than before, isn't it? Well, I guess we'll find out if I open it."
I slid it open upwards, and inside I saw a large-sized, no, extra-large-sized [Magic Crystal Stone]. It was about the size of a volleyball... There doesn't seem to be any mana in it, but will my MP be enough to fill 10% or 20% of this?
"Guess I have no choice but to try."
First, I'll deactivate [Spirit's Blessing]. Until now, about 20% was enough to turn on the lights, so that much should be manageable...