Ch.199Don’t Put a Ship in My Dungeon, Never. (2)

As expected, I could check basic information about the dungeon through the deep scanner equipped on every starship in this world.

Moreover, as soon as I confirmed the dungeon through the scanner, a “quest” notification containing information about the dungeon appeared before my eyes with a cheerful chime.

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<Quest>

<Explore the ‘Ancient Base Ruins’!>

<Details>

<The ancient imperial base discovered in your sector, Commander, is a ‘small research facility built on an asteroid’!>

<Surprisingly, despite being abandoned for quite some time, the base and various facilities installed on the asteroid still appear to have functioning power systems.>

<Through the external observation windows installed on the base’s outer walls, although quite blurry due to dust accumulated from years without maintenance,>

<We could observe movement inside.>

<Since the technology of the extinct ancient civilization was incredibly powerful, finding the ‘laboratory’ that remains inside will surely be of great help to your base, Commander!>

<If you’re lucky, there might even be survivors still in suspended animation!>

<Objective>

<Explore and investigate the base interior, reach the ‘laboratory’ located somewhere in the base>

<Warning!>

<The maximum number of personnel you can assign to this quest is 3.>

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“Hmm…”

Perhaps because it’s just a tiny asteroid of a few dozen kilometers.

Seeing that I could only deploy 3 superhumans, not all of them, I fell into thought about who I should send.

Of course, while it said 3 people, in reality I only needed to worry about 2 people…

The purpose of this event was ultimately to find the ‘laboratory’ inside the dungeon and obtain the rewards there.

And as the word ‘laboratory’ suggests, there was a secret reward here that served as something of an Easter egg.

The “supporter” type superhumans that users all tend to have by this point.

Specifically, if I included superhumans who stay cooped up in the base laboratory and provide research point buffs.

Since I could receive some additional rewards, I had already decided to definitely include Griyanar, who was most suitable for what I just mentioned.

Anyway, with one person decided, I started to worry about who the other two should be.

Of course, excluding our lustful nun and trigger-happy human cannonball Pashtra, I had to choose from the remaining five.

While I was contemplating this dilemma, Berial raised her hand on the communication screen to request permission to speak.

-“Commander, I have something to say.”

“Hm? Ah yes, go ahead.”

-“I believe it wouldn’t be good for me to enter initially, as I specialize in large-scale troop operations through doll battalions, and there are numerous life signs detected inside.”

“…Hmm.”

-“Even just looking at some of the passages detected by the scanner, a large general force like my doll battalion would only get in the way, unlike a team of one or two people.”

“Hmmmm.”

Contrary to my expectations, when Berial responded with what amounted to “You should send someone else instead of me,” I maintained a serious expression outwardly while feeling somewhat perplexed inside.

Of course, apart from that perplexity, Berial’s words made perfect sense from a tactical standpoint.

In reality, in terms of performance and operation, command-type superhumans like Berial were only deployed in such small-scale operations when there was absolutely no alternative.

I nodded at Berial’s boldly stated opinion and decided to accept it.

“You’re not wrong. Alright, we’ll go with that.”

-“Thank you, Commander.”

However, unlike my easy acceptance, Griyanar, who often clashed with Berial, started needling her from the side.

-“Hmm? Isn’t it just that you don’t want to go because you don’t feel like it?”

-“…”

-“Heh, heh, heh.”

But that didn’t last long.

When Berial gently picked up the command baton she had placed on the table and held it in reverse grip in response to Griyanar’s needling…

-“Commander made a good choice. Sometimes there are things people inevitably shouldn’t do.”

She immediately changed her expression and said this to me.

I could see thoughts of “How should I tear her apart?” flashing across Berial’s face beyond the communication screen.

Anyway, after cutting Pashtra and Berial like that.

The remaining personnel—Partia, Oxianor, Ignis, and Smeraghi.

Since all four were similar “close-combat” type superhumans, it wouldn’t make much difference who I chose, so I decided to pick the remaining two from them.

But when I actually tried to choose, it became quite difficult.

However, thinking that dragging this out any longer wouldn’t be manly, after a moment:

“Alright, I’ve decided.”

“Who are you thinking of sending, Commander?”

“Griyanar, Oxianor, Smeraghi.”

-“Yes, Commander?”

-“I’m honored you chose me.”

-“Heard you.”

“You three will infiltrate that asteroid base and retrieve the ‘laboratory’ and ‘research materials’ inside.”

-“An ancient imperial research lab—quite an exciting phrase, isn’t it?”

-“Well then, please take good care of the Princess while I’m gone.”

-“Understood. Will go and sweep everything up!”

And so I decided to send these three as a team to charge into the asteroid dungeon filled with life signs.

==========

A little while later.

After watching the small shuttle carrying the three head toward the asteroid, I ordered most of the gathered fleet to return to base and then ended the communication.

Jessica, who had been waiting behind me, asked with a puzzled expression.

“By the way, Commander, I understand Griyanar, but is there any special reason you chose those other two?”

“A reason, you ask?”

“Yes.”

I shrugged at Jessica’s question, speaking as if it were nothing special.

“Well… there were many life signs inside the asteroid, right?”

“Yes, Ignis reported that.”

“That’s not just many life signs—the asteroid research facility itself has transformed into a kind of living dungeon.”

“…Pardon?”

Isn’t this a pretty common story in sci-fi?

You board a ghost ship drifting through space, only to find the interior is in a horrific state, infected with some unidentified alien biological virus, and so on.

“That’s probably a laboratory where the now-extinct ancient empire was trying to create biological weapons using monster cells.”

“…Oh.”

“But during the experiments, test subjects escaped… and after that, well, most of the researchers, security forces, and various test subjects inside became infected and consumed, leading to the entire research facility being sealed off, and so on.”

As I recited the setting I remembered, Jessica, true to her occasionally 250 IQ, seemed to realize why I specifically sent those two besides Griyanar.

“Ah, so that’s why you sent those two? Since Oxianor is already a monster, and Smeraghi was modified by Griyanar so she’s half-monster anyway?”

“Excellent deduction. 100 points.”

Indeed, Jessica’s words boasted 100% perfect accuracy.

As I said, according to the setting, I was essentially sending them to what was basically a monster’s biological nest.

There was no need to trigger debuffs or negative events by sending people who weren’t monsters.

Of course, having been isolated for a “much longer” time than expected, they would feel quite different from being the same species.

Still, it would certainly be better than sending Ignis and Partia, who were practically normal people(?).

Convinced that my choice was absolutely correct, I decided to leave the internal exploration to those three.

Meanwhile, I would focus on gathering resources through daily quests, producing ships, leveling up, and searching for information in the gallery.