CHAPTER 481: CHAPTER 440 TASK COMPLETED (4000 WORDS)_2

The specific reason, he wasn’t quite sure himself.

Perhaps it was the relationship veering off into an unknown direction after the truth was revealed? Maybe it was the novelty of meeting an "online friend" offline? Or perhaps the pleasure of having the somewhat aloof Miss Moonstone respectfully call him "General" every day? Ahem...

Olivia, who was holding the "Golden Compass" beside him, had no idea that she had completely exposed herself to Aiven because of a single compass.

She had also heard what the Mushroom Person said, initially feeling a bit anxious. But seeing that her other companions had no reaction from beginning to end, she gradually relaxed.

"Besides the differences in power essence, path, character... and so on, Mr. Red Fir and I finally have something in common. That is, the Galliot family, which discovered the best route to the Southern Continent, also possesses a ’Golden Compass’."

Although limited by her life experiences and knowledge, she’s not yet sure if this mystical connection between the two of them is due to this commonality. Nevertheless, Olivia feels tremendously invigorated, believing she’s taken a significant step toward uncovering the secret between the beacon anchor ground.

And since there’s no longer the pressure of escaping, Olivia quietly sidled up to Aiven, seemingly inadvertently probing him for information:

"General, it’s such a coincidence that you also have a Golden Compass.

I’ve heard tales of such magical tools, but since unexpectedly acquiring one, I haven’t really used it.

And the Galliot family is a famous family of adventurers, certainly having many adventures involving the Golden Compass. Could you tell me its backstory?"

As she spoke, the girl silently gave herself a thumbs-up in her mind.

"Claiming to exchange tips for using it, and openly asking him about it, Olivia, you’re so clever!"

"Haha, the Golden Compass in the Galliot family has been passed down for nearly two hundred years; there are many stories..."

Aiven didn’t even notice the subtle change in his attitude toward "Roddy" — the kind of stories from the Galliot family aren’t just for anyone to hear.

Yet just then.

Squeak... squeak... squeak...

The rustling sound suddenly emerged from the darkness of a nearby cave.

As if hearing human activity, a group of giant spiders the size of puppies crawled out of the darkness. They had eight red eyes, eight sharp spear-like legs covered in dense bristles, and mushroom-like yellow tumors on their backs.

This was a group of demons mutated by the pollution source from the crystal cave, containing deadly pathogens, [Demonized Spider Monster].

Upon seeing them, Apsuya and Olivia simultaneously took a step back imperceptibly.

However, a few low-grade demonized creatures kept by the Poison Plague School posed no threat to Aiven and the others. After letting out a couple of provocative cries, they were swiftly taken care of by Aiven.

In passing, he extracted the poisonous fangs from their mouths, processed them, and stored them in the "Magic Pocket." Undoubtedly, these fangs would gloriously become the raw materials for Angie’s "Wild Talisman."

Serving as stepping stones on her path to becoming an Official Wizard!

As they continued, the ground was evidently covered with more and more kinds of fungi, resembling a miniature version of the Spirit Realm’s mushroom forest.

Soon, they arrived at a spot that seemed to belong to the lair of these giant spiders, with remnants of spider exoskeletons.

Growing on a patch of luminous crystal were countless egg-sized organisms resembling both fungi and plants, featuring yellow-green nutrient bodies with sunken tops and thick flesh.

At this spot, Milan’s Spirit Pendulum stopped.

"Aiven, we found it, it should be them!"

Upon hearing him, Aiven used his "Microscopic Vision" to confirm Milan’s divination.

This fungus, named [Cystic Fungus] by Aiven, was indeed a member of the Ascomycota phylum.

Evidently, it could coexist symbiotically or parasitically. In the absence of parasites, it would form lichen with algae, absorbing light emitted by the cave’s crystal, becoming the cornerstone of this vast crystal cave ecosystem.

When a parasite was available, it could rapidly reproduce, especially after being altered by witchcraft, and mature in a very short time, dispersing spores to become a formidable biochemical weapon.

Using a dagger, Aiven gently picked a few thick, fleshy nutrient bodies, placing them in a crystal vial to hang by his waist, and in passing, filled a bottle with water teeming with hundreds of germs. Regardless of how resilient these germs were, the "Magic Pocket" was no place for them.

"Mission accomplished!"

Looking at this dazzlingly beautiful yet perilously menacing place, Milan suggested to Aiven:

"Aiven, these are all harmful things. After we leave, why not destroy this place with an Alchemy Bomb?"

To anyone beyond the "Poison Plague School," even powerful extraordinaires would be reaching their limit after just a few days here.

Thus, though temporarily retreating, the "Mushroom People" didn’t think they’d lose such a naturally valuable site. In a couple of days, they could simply collect the bodies of their enemies trapped underground.

However, they could never have imagined this group of adversaries would be ruthless enough to root them out entirely!

Fortunately, there was someone knowledgeable among them.

Aiven stopped Milan, explaining to his companions:

"Once we leave, I’ll dispatch seagulls to keep watch here, ensuring they can’t use these things to harm anyone else. Moreover, biological diversity is in itself a massive wealth. These fungi, while potentially harmful, may also have the potential to save lives."

Aiven hadn’t forgotten that antibiotics, used to treat various bacterial or pathogenic microbial infections, were also derived from microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes) or higher plants and animals.

Among these, Penicillin, the renowned battle medicine, was one with great development potential based on his understanding of this world!

Perhaps by utilizing these resources and given sufficient time, even without Dr. Taylor’s help, Aiven could develop corresponding antibiotic drugs to completely resolve these microbial infections.

However, this was a research topic for the future. For now, the immediate task was to bring the original strain of the Cystic Fungus back to Dr. Taylor.

"Alright, it’s your call."

Without questioning Aiven’s decision, they continued their journey.

Nearing the end of the expansive crystal cave, the pointers of the two Golden Compasses simultaneously stopped by a cave wall.

Without hesitation, Aiven delivered a thunderous punch through the wall.

Boom——!

Behind the meter-thick cave wall was an adjoining lead mine shaft. A faint breeze hinted at an exit leading to the outside world. Possibly due to the nearby lead deposits’ ability to block Mind Sensing, the "Mushroom People" hadn’t noticed anything unusual here.

The Golden Compass had not disappointed them.

"Let’s go!"

With Aiven leading the way, the group was about to step out.

From the shattered stones, a cluster of entirely transparent and stunning yellow crystal clusters in the adjacent chamber was revealed.

While Apsuya showed little reaction to their beauty, "Roddy" seemed unable to move.

But the massive clusters, each half a human’s height, posed a dilemma. After a moment of hesitation, she turned to Aiven for help:

"General, could I trouble you to take these clusters with the ’Magic Pocket’? My... my cousin’s aunt loves these."

Aiven detected the deeply hidden spiritual fluctuation on them, and with a knowing smile, men everywhere understood; he readily agreed: "Understood! Not a problem!"