If compared this ship to a truck, she probably only noticed that their heights were somewhat similar. In reality, this triangular vessel held quite a substantial interior space.

At a rough glance, aside from the cockpit, there were at least two storage compartments, and three cabins arranged in a triangle formation. If we enter the ship through the ejection hatch now, we should arrive in the storage bay on the right, which is where survival supplies and weaponry are kept.

To locate the ray device, we must traverse the storage bay to reach the cockpit. Although the ship's structure was extremely compact and the distance between the compartments should have been short, it would be incredibly difficult to evade danger within such a small, confined space.

Thinking this way, even though that Envoy seemed to possess little actual strength, we still had to exercise caution; after all, the Envoy was far more familiar with this environment than we were. To avoid alerting the enemy, we refrained from using any form of illumination, instead climbing forward entirely in the dark.

It was then I noticed that much of the metal sheathing inside the passageway had been torn away, leaving the surfaces pitted and patchy—the clear result of being gnawed upon by this Envoy. Though we could perceive shapes in the darkness, we still found no trace of the Envoy’s passage, which only heightened our vigilance.

If this Envoy possessed any cunning, it might have set up simple traps here. Indeed, my suspicion proved correct.

As I cautiously advanced, I suddenly stepped onto a section of the floor where the metal plate shifted, threatening to give way beneath my foot. Fortunately, I was quick-witted and reacted swiftly, gripping a protrusion on the wall to prevent myself from falling.

At that moment, a clanging sound echoed from below as a massive sheet of metal slid down, plunging into a chasm nearly ten meters deep. Just as I was secretly congratulating myself on my narrow escape, I caught sight of a pair of green eyes retreating rapidly around a corner not far ahead, vanishing into the gloom.

Seeing those green eyes, I knew instantly that we had been discovered. Since secrecy was lost, the plan to observe quietly was scrapped.

I decided to go all in: with a burst of speed, I vaulted over the pit trap and rushed toward the receding pair of faint blue lights. That creature seemed deeply wary of us, utterly lacking the ferocity displayed by other Envoys, and immediately turned to flee.

’s agility wasn't as sharp as mine; she scrambled awkwardly behind me trying to keep up. Noticing her clumsy movements and fearing she might accidentally fall into the trap, I doubled back to assist her.

But by the time I had helped her over, the Envoy was gone. Before us lay the storage bay, perhaps ten square meters in area, cluttered with stacks of metal crates so rusted they looked ready to collapse.

I assumed they held items like weaponry or rations, but clearly, they were unusable now. Aside from the crates, there was nothing else in the storage compartment worth mentioning.

There were only some defunct instruments affixed to the walls, and straight ahead, a remarkably thick metal door. A pile of dust and rust flakes that had shed from the door lay beneath the threshold, clearly indicating it had been closed just recently.

The Envoy’s intelligence was likely on par with humans; opening and closing this door would present no difficulty, meaning it had definitely hidden inside. I surveyed the surroundings; there were no alternative exits besides this door.

This implied that the interior of this triangular structure was not interconnected; the three spaces shared only a single pathway for ingress and egress. Simply put, regardless of whether this door led to the cockpit or not, we had to pass through it to reach the next room.

I approached the door and pushed with all my might, but it remained completely immovable. I couldn't be sure if the door was cast iron, but it was severely rusted.

However, this decay and corrosion did nothing to compromise the door's integrity, as a thick, solid core remained inside. To open this door, we would either need to disable the locking mechanism or resort to explosives.

Yet, this lock didn't seem like a standard mechanism; it appeared to be one of those legendary combination locks. I figured Iltrezz wouldn't still rely on key cards; technology this advanced usually employed fingerprint or iris recognition.

Clearly, my fingerprints and irises would not be recognized, but, being an Ilherrezi, might be worth a try. I looked at and subtly signaled her with my eyes.

blinked at me and asked, "What is it?" I hesitated for a moment before asking, "Fingerprint? Is this a fingerprint lock?

Or iris scan?" rolled her eyes at me and retorted, "Have you been reading too much science fiction? This door is just bolted shut by a simple bar." I was momentarily speechless, thinking, Where's all that high technology?

Seeing my expression, actually smirked with a look of distinct smugness. "This door is barred from the inside.

To get in, either it opens the door, or we destroy it." I nodded and replied, "Not necessarily. This door won't stop me, because there is a third method." looked at me curiously.

"What method?" I closely examined the door and said, "All I need is a crack." seemed to grasp my meaning. "Oh, right.

Come on, let's look carefully." So, we began searching along the edges of the door for a gap between the frame and the metal. Sure enough, on the right side, we located a fissure wide enough to insert a finger.

This tiny gap must have formed as the door deteriorated. Given the door’s immense weight and years of elemental erosion, the surrounding wall structure had actually been torn.

This small space was just enough for my index finger to pass through. With that, my incredibly flexible, root-like finger could bend freely and manipulate the latch.

Action followed thought. I inserted my most nimble index finger and began probing inside the door mechanism.

Evidently, the Envoy was either not guarding the door or hadn't grasped the situation, as it made no move against my probing digit. Soon, I located the bolt—a simple mechanism.

With a slight exertion and a twist, the door clicked open. The moment the door parted even slightly, I regretted not looking inside before acting rashly.

A stream of green vapor billowed out instantly as the door opened, accompanied by an intensely sharp, acidic odor. Seeing the green mist hiss and immediately discolor the metal where it touched the walls and floor, I knew instantly it had to be a highly acidic gas.

Just a single inhalation of this corrosive vapor would destroy the entire respiratory tract, rendering any recovery impossible. clearly spotted the dangerous gas as well.

She grabbed me and ordered, "Quick, fall back!" I grabbed her back. "It's not about falling back!

Run! The space here is too narrow; one breath means death!" argued, "Don't panic, it's not that bad.

A ship from Ilherrezi isn't so easily compromised by such biochemical warfare." Just as I was about to ask what she meant, a jet of white vapor erupted from the wall that had just been corroded by the acid gas. It instantly mixed with the green mist, showing a tendency to neutralize it.

Indeed, although the white gas wasn't dense, it carried a faint fragrance and aggressively overwhelmed the green gas, converting it to white in a matter of seconds. Within ten seconds, it had expanded throughout the room.

A few seconds later, told me, "It's done. The toxic gas should be completely neutralized." I asked curiously, "What is that white mist?

It seems incredibly advanced." explained, "It's not mist. It's the ship's nanobot defense system.

Because they are so small—dust-sized—they look like fog." "Nanobots? That advanced?" I questioned.

proudly declared, "These are defense robots designed for automatic ship repair. As long as they are present, the ship remains perpetually pristine.

This technology isn't just for defense systems; it can also modify the body. With precise adjustments to facial cells, one can achieve any desired appearance." I nodded slowly.

"Oh! I get it now.

That explains why you're so beautiful—you got cosmetic surgery." 's expression soured instantly. "What nonsense are you spouting!

I am naturally born!" I grinned mischievously. "Okay, okay, I believe you, I believe you." Seeing the deceit in my smile, stamped her foot.

"What's with that smile! Believe it or not, I'll choke you to death!" When she threatened me with genuine seriousness, I immediately raised my hands in surrender.

"Wrong! Wrong!

I didn't say anything just now." shot me a look. "Enough time wasted bickering.

The poison gas has dissipated; let's go inside and see." I nodded and turned first, stepping through the doorway. Upon entering, I realized we had indeed found the cockpit.

To the left of this compartment were several tall leather chairs situated before a slightly inclined console covered in various buttons and symbols—clearly the flight controls for the vessel. Behind the chairs lay a jumble of miscellaneous boxes and odds and ends.

On the surrounding walls hung several uniforms and helmets in an advanced state of ruin. Decorative pictures were obscured by a thick layer of dust, making their subjects unrecognizable.

What drew my attention most was a corpse lying near a crate in the center of the cockpit. I recognized the body instantly as the Envoy we had encountered earlier.

It was clearly dead, and in its hand, it clutched an object resembling a glass vial. Some green residue remained inside the vial; this was likely the source of the toxic gas from moments ago.

At that moment, said to me, "It knew releasing the gas would kill itself, yet it chose to release it. That means it committed suicide."