The young man with brown hair and golden eyes led the Alpha Unit of the 19 Bloodline Soldiers carefully down the road. They had killed all the demonic beasts, and demons were not known for their scheming tactics or traps, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
The darkness of the underground was not a problem for the Alpha Unit since their devil bloodline granted them night vision. Not to mention, they did not have to worry about darkness for long, as a wondrous light appeared as they reached the end of the road, revealing a vibrant glow.
A sharp light appeared in the eyes of the young man with golden eyes. While it was the middle of the day, this was an underground cave, so there should be no natural light in this place. Yet it was vibrant with a shining glow that made it even more radiant than the surface.
The Alpha Unit all adopted battle stances and readied their energy as they continued to advance. There was no way to tell what was at the end of the tunnel, but it was definitely not something normal. After a few more minutes, the group finally reached the underground cave, and what they saw left all of them in awe and wonder.
The source of the radiance was none other than the waters flooding the underground cave, which glowed with a wondrous milky white light. It was so majestic that the group froze for a second, but they soon raised their guard.
Aesthetic beauty did not mean that something was not dangerous or poisonous, a lesson angels from Heaven had taught humans very well.
The young man with brown hair and golden eyes signaled the Alpha Unit to survey the surroundings before approaching the underground lake and using a cup to take a small amount of the liquid.
After that, the young man placed a tiny leaf of golden grass in the liquid and waited. A smile soon arose on his face as he saw the leaf disintegrate.
The leaf was part of a tree called Poison Ward. It was a new type of flora the group had discovered in Trigun City, with the leaves absorbing poison and melting in contact with sources of great vitality and energy.
Although the liquid did not seem poisonous, that did not mean the young man understood what it was, so he did what he always did in this situation. He focused on the communication gem on his glove and spoke. "Major General Theodoro, reporting to Overlord. We have taken down the demonic horde covering the entrance to the underground cave in Glorious Town. The underground lake seems to have mutated."
After every mission and when in contact with any form of new fauna or flora, Theodoro always communicated with Overlord. The sage would guide him on his next step and flawlessly teach him the nature of the treasures. It was actually Overlord who described the nature of the Poison Ward Tree.
"Well done, Major General Theodoro. Provide a detailed description of the waters and also the effect you think it had on life forms," Overlord’s ancient voice emerged from the communication gem, calm as if he had all the time in the world and nothing more important.
The truth was that while Overlord spoke with the leader of the 19 Bloodline Soldiers, he was also speaking with several others. As an A.I. Chip Clone with a massive energy pool and software the size of a four-story building, it could establish dozens of trains of thought simultaneously.
Major General Theodoro did not waste time and immediately began to describe the nature of the liquid, its appearance, and the effect it seemed to have on the demonic beasts.
After hearing the description, Overlord remained silent for two seconds before speaking, "See if you can find white stalactites on the ceiling of the cave and very carefully prove if the liquid is flammable."
Theodoro immediately looked to the ceiling of the room and, after focusing energy on his eyes, saw dozens of tiny white stalactites. They were small and barely visible among the normal ones, and small drops of liquid slowly formed and fell.
Without hesitation, Theodoro then took the liquid in the cup and moved away from the main body of water before sending a small spark. The white liquid consumed itself immediately in a burst of flames, vanishing in less than a second.
"Overlord, there are indeed white stalactites on the ceiling of the underground cave from which a white liquid is dripping, and I just confirmed their flammability." Theodoro gave his report with a wide smile, sure they had located something wondrous.
"Good, you have located a natural treasure. From now on, your troop will use this underground cave as their base. Consume the energy that has accumulated in the lake as fast as you can and improve your bodies," Overlord instructed Major General Theodoro without hesitation.
Theodoro smiled as he heard those words, but after a moment, a frown appeared on his face. "Overlord, is it really alright for us to use the liquid without reserve?"
Although it was he and his group who killed the demonic beasts and secured the underground lake, Theodoro knew that did not mean the treasure was theirs. The Xaos King granted them Runic Sets, Devil Bloodlines, armor, and weapons without asking for any compensation, but everything they found would belong to the Xaos Kingdom.
"Trigun City is not marked for reconstruction, and once you and your troops finish your mission, you will return and bring the white stalactites with you. If you take the liquid out of the main body of water, it will lose a great portion of its energy, so it is better to use it there." Overlord’s voice was calm and confirming, making sure to dispel the worries in Theodoro’s mind.
Theodoro’s smile grew even wider as he heard that and nodded with pure delight, knowing how much this would help his troops. "I will act according to your command, Overlord."