Chapter 283: Wang Zi Faints Again, Poison Strikes the Heart!

Wang Yun read the final line of the system prompt and instantly understood the situation. The reason Xiao Gang and the others were experiencing skin irritation, while he remained unaffected, was because his physical strength had reached its peak level.

But they wouldn’t hold out much longer if things continued like this.

With that thought, Wang Yun focused.

‘Exchange for immunity to all poisons.’

In the next second, Wang Yun felt a distinct change in his skin. Although the color of his skin didn’t change visibly, the texture and feel became noticeably firmer, like comparing the skin of someone who works out to that of someone who sits in front of a computer all day. The difference was clear.

Immunity to all poisons—as the name implied—meant Wang Yun no longer had to fear the toxic gases around him. He could now take off his gas mask and move freely without any consequences.

With that realization, Wang Yun quietly slipped off his gas mask while Brother Hu and the others were busy getting dressed. 

Sure enough, the mist in the air had no effect on him. He took a deep breath, and his body felt perfectly fine.

“Boss! Boss, what are you doing?!” Brother Hu shouted in panic.

Brother Hu turned around just in time to see Wang Yun holding the gas mask in his hand, head tilted back, eyes closed, as if he were breathing in the freshest air.

“Oh, it’s fine. I just wanted to take it off to get a better look at the terrain. It’s clearer this way.”

Wang Yun quickly made up an excuse and put his gas mask back on. He didn’t want anyone to discover his abnormal physique—not even his closest companions.

“It’s the same with the mask on. Don’t take it off again. I secretly took mine off for just a second earlier,” Brother Hu said nervously. “My head’s still foggy, my chest feels tight, and I even feel a little nauseous!”

Wang Yun raised an eyebrow slightly at Brother Hu’s words.

“This poison gas is that intense, huh? You know, now that you mention it, I’m starting to feel it too,” Wang Yun said, clutching his chest in mock discomfort.

Brother Hu nodded earnestly, completely serious. 

Wang Yun, however, knew full well the gas was truly dangerous, but his immunity protected him. If entering the Enclosed Mountains meant dealing with this toxic air, it wasn’t such a bad thing for him after all.

At least the program inspectors would need to take all kinds of precautions before they could even step foot inside. 

With all that protective gear, their search and arrest efforts would slow down significantly. And if they actually came face to face with him? Well, good luck to them. If they couldn’t catch him on flat land, there was no way they’d catch him in a deep mountain forest.

With this thought, Wang Yun felt a bit more at ease.

By now, Xiao Gang and the others had finished getting dressed and were ready to go.

The areas affected by the poisonous gas were treated with ointment, which they had borrowed from some local residents. Once everything was taken care of, the four of them set out again.

The dense, shadowy trees ahead gave the forest an eerie atmosphere. Every now and then, a bird or hare would dart out from the underbrush. Above them, massive, sharp-beaked birds—the likes of which they had never seen before—circled menacingly, as though ready to attack at any moment.

Thankfully, Wang Yun had used a medicine jar left behind by the program inspectors. He sprayed the potion on the four of them, which kept the sharp-beaked birds at bay.

“We can’t head toward the edge of the mountain. They must already be surrounding that area,” Wang Yun said to Brother Hu and the others as they walked.

The mountain’s edge would normally be the safest place, with less poisonous gas, but now it was no longer an option.

“No worries. As long as we have these gas masks, we can rest anywhere. Though eating might be a bit of a hassle,” Brother Hu said, his spirits lifting.

Wang Yun frowned. “True, we haven’t had a single chance to drink any water this whole way.”

“If we don’t figure something out soon, it won’t be the poison that kills us, we’ll starve to death first.”

As he said this, Wang Yun spotted a clearing up ahead.

It wasn’t exactly open space, but rather a resting spot beneath a tree. The tree was elevated, and the ground below it was covered in leaves. The higher terrain would be slightly better. At least there wouldn’t be any crawling insects on the ground.

“Let’s head over there and rest for a while.”

Wang Yun led the group toward the tree. But just as they were approaching, Brother Hu suddenly shouted.

“Wang Zi! Wang Zi, what’s happening to you?”

Wang Yun whipped around and saw the prince collapse again. His face, even under the gas mask, had turned pale, and his left hand was trembling uncontrollably.

“What’s going on?”

Wang Yun quickly strode over.

“Blood! Why is there so much blood?”

Xiao Gang was supporting Wang Zi, letting him lean against him. As he grabbed Wang Zi’s left hand, he found it covered in blood. The blood had soaked into the Wang Zi’s sleeve, staining everything bright red all the way up to his elbow.

“His hand is injured!”

Wang Yun opened Wang Zi’s palm and saw it was riddled with tiny needle-like holes, densely packed. They were oozing blood, but the blood was a strange dark red. It was abnormal.

“I remember now! Back by the riverbank, he grabbed onto a bunch of water plants to stop us from drifting. These little needle marks must be from the thorns on the water plants’ roots! Wang Zi, why didn’t you say anything?”

Xiao Gang suddenly remembered.

At that time, after Wang Zi steadied himself, Xiao Gang climbed up first, then helped pull Wang Yun up. When Wang Yun turned to help Wang Zi, he saw that Wang Zi had already climbed up on his own. However, his face was twisted in pain, his right hand doing all the work while his left hand was curled up tightly against his chest. 

At that moment, everyone was too focused on Brother Hu’s dislocated wrist to notice Wang Zi’s condition. It turned out he was injured back then.

Wang Yun frowned as he listened to Xiao Gang’s words. Looking at Wang Zi’s pale, unconscious face filled him with a pang of sadness.

“He injured his palm, and with the poisonous mist in the surrounding mountains, the gas must have seeped into his wound. That’s likely what caused him to pass out from the poisoning,” Wang Yun said, quickly opening Wang Zi’s eyes to examine his condition.

Thanks to his god-level medical skills, this situation wouldn’t stump him. But after one glance, Wang Yun’s heart sank.

The whites of the prince’s eyes had turned a pale yellow, his pupils were shrunken, and they didn’t respond when Wang Yun shone a flashlight on them. His chest was barely moving, though his heartbeat was rapid.

“He’s been poisoned, and it’s already affecting his internal organs. He needs immediate treatment. We have to detoxify him!” Wang Yun said, his tone deadly serious.

“Detox? Treatment? Will the meds we brought help?” Brother Hu asked anxiously, sweat—or maybe the mist from the gas mask—dripping down his neck.

Wang Yun shook his head, his lips pressed together.

“He needs to go to a hospital,” he said.

Going to the hospital meant leaving the mountains. But outside the mountains, the program inspectors were waiting for him. If he went out now, it would mean exposing himself, walking right into the enemy’s hands.

But if they didn’t take action soon, Wang Zi’s condition would only get worse.