Chapter 290: Finding a Venomous Lizard, Taking a Risk!

The visibility around them was now extremely low. The poisonous fog was even thicker than during the day. 

When they first entered, they could still see about three meters ahead. But now, they could only see their feet. It was as if a white wall stood right in front of them, shrouding everything in a dense mist. 

This white wall made everyone uneasy—because they had no idea what they might step on next.

“Slow down, and hold onto each other. Form groups of five. If anything happens, shout out immediately.” 

Wu Yaoming had just finished speaking when a sudden scream came from behind.

“Ah! Why did you hit me?”

One program inspector glared angrily at his companion.

“Are you out of your mind? I didn’t hit you.” 

“Then who slapped the back of my head?!”

The slapped team member was irritated and looked around in confusion. The others exchanged puzzled glances.

“Seriously, you hit me again! Don’t tell me it wasn’t you this time.”

He had barely finished turning his head when—whack—something hit the back of his head again. 

Furious, he spun around, eyes blazing. Just as the other program inspector was about to retort, he glanced up—and froze. His pupils widened in shock.

“You… don’t move…”

“W-What is it?”

The team member stared upwards, his face drained of color as if his soul had just left his body. He stared blankly, eyes filled with horror. Even his voice was trembling.

The team member in front of him, the one who had been slapped, also looked up. It felt like something was caught in his throat. He wanted to scream, but it was as if his throat had been clamped shut, and no sound came out.

Right in front of them was a giant green lizard.

The lizard lay sprawled across the branch, its long tail swaying down lazily. It was wagging its tail like a dog, back and forth, as if in no rush.

“L-lizard! A giant lizard!”

Another team member walked up behind them, noticing the two standing frozen in surprise. Following their gaze, he immediately shouted.

“Don’t move! Don’t shout!” 

Wu Yaoming, hearing the commotion, quickly turned back and walked over. The people he had brought along were well-trained, and wouldn’t make noise unless absolutely necessary.

“Captain… captain…” 

The two team members standing directly under the lizard were on the verge of breaking down.

Their bodies trembled uncontrollably. The giant lizard was unnervingly eerie—its body seemed mechanical as if it were made of small, stone-like segments. Its eyes were a menacing red, and its body an unusual green. This was the first time they had ever seen such a creature.

What made it even scarier was that the lizard’s gaze was fixed forward, as though it hadn’t noticed them at all.

Yet, its mouth was hanging wide open, revealing a set of sharp, unnerving teeth.

The worst part? Drool was slowly dripping from its gaping mouth.

A drop of saliva landed directly on the shoulder of one of the team members below.

Immediately, the protective suit on his shoulder began sizzling, a sound of corrosion filling the air.

No need to think twice—this saliva was clearly toxic.

“Don’t panic, the lizard probably hasn’t noticed you yet, otherwise it would have attacked by now.”

Wu Yaoming was also startled. At a glance, this lizard’s body was at least three meters long. If anyone were to get bitten by this thing, they’d be a goner for sure!

“Move slowly, inch by inch. Everyone, listen up. Move your feet forward very gradually. Keep it slow, as slow as possible. Lizards’ eyes work like cats’ eyes, they automatically ignore slow-moving objects and only notice things that move quickly,” Wu Yaoming whispered, his voice steady but quiet.

As he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the lizard perched on the tree.

The creature’s body swayed lazily, and it occasionally flicked its tongue out. Reptiles like this have poor vision by nature. They rely on scent and movement frequency to hunt.

The team began to move.

It felt like their legs were made of lead, their steps heavy and stiff as they inched forward. Even Wu Yaoming was retreating cautiously, step by step. This was more nerve-wracking than any direct confrontation with Wang Yun.

Fighting Wang Yun head-on at least didn’t pose a real threat to their lives—it was all part of the simulation.

But facing this lizard? This was the real deal.

It took them a full half-hour to cover just 500 meters. Everyone was drenched in sweat by the time they made it out of the area.

“Here, use some alcohol to wipe it off. That saliva is seriously corrosive. If you wait too long, your protective suit will be useless.”

After they were out of the lizard’s range, Wu Yaoming handed over a bottle of alcohol.

The team member’s hands were still trembling as they took it. No one spoke, but their faces clearly showed lingering fear.

Wu Yaoming glanced around. The fog was still thick and oppressive. The mountain at night was far more terrifying than during the day. But they had no other choice now—they had to press on.

If they didn’t, Hardy and his team of eight could be in serious danger.

“Brothers, I know there are many dangers ahead, but right now, we must find Captain Hardy and his group. You’ve all seen it for yourselves, every step we take in this mountain at night could be a deadly trap. There are only eight of them, and if something happens, they’ll be outnumbered. Hold on just a little longer. Once we find them, we’ll head back immediately!” Wu Yaoming said firmly, looking at his team with determination.

The group rallied quickly, nodding in agreement.

What else could they do? Turn back on their own? That wasn’t an option. It was better to push forward together with the team.

“Let’s keep going, Captain. If Wang Yun and his two people aren’t scared, we definitely shouldn’t be!” Someone in the group shouted, and in an instant, the whole team’s morale lifted.

That’s right—Wang Yun only had two people, and he wasn’t afraid. So what were they, fifty strong, afraid of?