C12 Smoke Poison

"Everyone, follow me in!"

Jiang Hao charged into the water curtain without a moment's delay.

One by one, the rest of the group surged in after him.

They were greeted by a vast expanse of desert dunes.

A group of over a dozen bandit-like figures were assaulting Zhou Yi with machetes.

The bandits were adept at coordination, attacking in teams of three, leaving Zhou Yi with no chance to fight back.

"Attack!"

Archers and mages unleashed long-range attacks, taking down the desert bandits flanking Zhou Yi.

Bolstered by the blessings of priests and other support classes, the melee fighters charged like tigers down a mountain, swiftly dispatching the remaining bandits.

Zhou Yi, clutching the wound on his arm, called out, "Priest, I need healing, now!"

A priest lifted their staff high, reciting an incantation.

A beam of golden light shone down from above, enveloping Zhou Yi.

The gash on his arm slowly vanished.

"What happened here?"

Jiang Hao surveyed the fallen bandits and questioned Zhou Yi about the altercation.

"Forget about it," Zhou Yi replied, visibly upset. "As soon as I emerged from the water curtain, I found myself here. I intended to deploy the Sky Net Satellite, but these desert bandits cornered me, demanding a toll."

The memory of the incident clearly infuriated Zhou Yi.

He had barely steadied himself when he encountered the bandits, who demanded he surrender the contents of his storage bag and all his money.

Zhou Yi, of course, refused, opting to resolve the issue by force.

Several bandits fell to Zhou Yi's sword, complicating the situation.

One of the bandits managed to signal for reinforcements with his dying breath, and suddenly, backup materialized, swarming around Zhou Yi.

Outnumbered by the formidable bandits, Zhou Yi reluctantly used his communicator to call for backup.

"Release the Sky Net, now!"

Jiang Hao was about to press Zhou Yi to deploy the Sky Net satellite for reconnaissance when a red mist began to waft from the corpse of a fallen bandit.

The mist spread rapidly, encircling the group in mere seconds.

"Everyone out, now!"

Sensing danger, Jiang Hao commanded an immediate withdrawal.

Everyone fled the area engulfed by the red smoke, their bodies coated in a fine red dust. The system alerted them all, Jiang Hao included, that they had been poisoned. To cure themselves, they needed to make haste to Desert Town, two miles away, where the mayor had developed a medicine capable of removing the negative effects afflicting them.

Jiang Hao was taken aback upon hearing this. He hadn't anticipated the desert bandits' cunning use of poison, released when their guard was down. Opening the Destiny Wheel, he checked everyone's status, and the sight made him gasp. As the system had warned, they were all suffering from the poison's effects, their health bars slowly dwindling. The decline was gradual, but inevitably, it would reach its end. If their health bars depleted entirely, they would all, Jiang Hao included, meet their demise here.

Support class members, sensing something amiss, had already begun using their abilities to scan their conditions. The findings confirmed Zhou Yi's earlier discovery: their health bars were on the decline. Neither the Recovery Fruit nor the Blood Revival skill could counteract this condition.

"Everyone, stay calm," Jiang Hao commanded with authority. "We've been afflicted with a negative toxin. To survive, follow my lead to Desert Town, where we'll find the antidote." The group, driven by instinct, nodded and turned hopeful gazes toward him.

Jiang Hao quickly restructured the team into three units and led the way to Desert Town, two kilometers distant. Meanwhile, a horde of desert bandits was laying siege to the town. Along the journey, several voiced their grievances about Zhou Yi's unilateral actions. They argued that had Zhou Yi not attacked the bandits on his own, they wouldn't be in this predicament.

Zhou Yi, overhearing the murmurs, retorted with frustration, "You'd probably fare even worse in my shoes! When monsters attack, do you just stand there and take it without fighting back?"

Jiang Lulu interjected sharply, "No one said you shouldn't fight back. But shouldn't you have assessed the bandits' abilities before engaging them?" The incident highlighted a new reality: as the creatures within the Magic Building underwent mutations, even ordinary monsters had begun to exhibit skills previously unique to humans.

As they advanced, upon encountering any special monsters, the group refrained from launching an immediate attack. Instead, they would consult Jiang Hao to see if he was able to counterattack.

Only with Jiang Hao's affirmative response would they engage in battle.

Zhou Yi took it upon himself to slay several mutated desert bandits, unwittingly bringing catastrophe upon the group.

"Zhou Yi, you're in the wrong here."

Lu Zhiyao, for reasons unknown, also joined in the criticism of Zhou Yi.

Fuming, Zhou Yi's eyes reddened as he retorted, "You bastards! Before Jiang Hao arrived, you all treated me with the utmost respect. Now you're ganging up on me. Don't think I won't make you regret it!"

"It seems you're the one who will regret it," Jiang Lulu countered.

"Enough bickering," Jiang Hao interjected, his gaze piercing as he looked toward the horizon. "Desert Town is just ahead, besieged by a throng of bandits."

"The creatures within are fiercely resisting. Let's join them in battle."

While speaking, an odd notion took root in Jiang Hao's mind. The Magic Building was filled with hostile monsters. Why then were the desert bandits attacking this city? Perhaps a power within the Magic Building was manipulating everything, including the premature mutation of monsters and the appearance of the choice door on the 20th floor. The current predicament might well be that creature's masterpiece.

A mere one or two kilometers was trivial for them. Quickly, they carved a path through the bandit blockade and stormed into Desert Town.

The townspeople were monstrous in form but bore a striking resemblance to humans. The primary distinction lay in their towering stature and the singular horn atop their heads. Several armed residents eyed the unexpected arrivals with palpable anxiety.

A bearded, horned monster inquired, "Who are you?"

"We've come to offer our assistance," Jiang Hao stepped forward and clarified, "You must be in charge here, correct?"

"I am the town's mayor," the elder horned creature replied. "What did you say? You're here to help us?"

Jiang Hao nodded affirmatively, "Indeed, we've come to aid you in fending off the desert bandits' siege."

"After we've driven them back, can you detoxify us?"

"If we manage to fend off these cursed bandits, I'll assist with the detoxification."

The mayor spoke gravely, "Adventurers from afar, I've honored your demands. It's time for you to keep your word."

Jiang Hao turned and commanded, "Everyone, quickly form up into battle formations. We'll take on the desert bandits outside the town in small squads."