Chapter 640

Modern people living in steel jungles seem unable to comprehend the fury of nature, but if one were stranded in a tropical rainforest unchanged since primordial times, they would deeply understand that nature wields supreme power—nurturing all life while also destroying it.

From the gathering of dark clouds to the pounding of raindrops the size of beans, the entire process took less than a minute, and just seconds later, gales arose, transforming the entire rainforest.

The once vibrant forest instantly became a green hell; the shadows and reflections of plants resembled devilish claws and eyes, and with the small animals gone, only the tense anticipation of the coming storm remained.

The three hurried upward along the stream, and as they walked, the man with the bow introduced himself: "My name is Oliver Queen, from Star City. I washed up here about three months ago…"

Arthur and Shi Ler also gave their names, but said little—or rather, they couldn't say more; the wind had already grown strong, and simply walking forward consumed tremendous energy.

"No matter where you're from, as long as you're not those drug traffickers, we can work together. I've built a shelter in a cave upstream. We need to get there before the storm hits."

After that, all three remained silent, pressing forward. If Shi Ler were alone, he could have flashed repeatedly and reached the destination in moments—but Oliver and Arthur certainly couldn't.

Even as they rushed forward, they still failed to reach the cave Oliver had described before the tropical storm fully arrived.

The gale whipped driving rain against their faces; Oliver and Arthur struggled to stand. Shi Ler lifted his head, squinting into the distance, and asked: "You mean that cave?"

At the stream's source, beneath a cliff formed by a fractured rock face, a narrow fissure appeared. Gray Mist's ultra-long-range vision allowed Shi Ler to see traces of human habitation there.

"Yes!"

Oliver shouted, though he used his loudest voice, his words still trembled and nearly vanished in the howling wind.

"Hurry, let's go!"

Arthur formed a shield of water and pushed forward, yet still could not withstand the powerful gale.

On the final stretch, Oliver finally fell. He had already been injured, exhausted, and his hunting attempts had repeatedly failed, leaving him with no food. The wind swiftly drained his body heat, leaving him weaker than ever.

As Arthur rushed forward to lift him, Shi Ler instantly turned to gray mist, seized both men, and flew them into the cave.

Both men groaned as they hit the ground. Arthur exhaled in relief, while Oliver stared at Shi Ler as his form slowly coalesced, muttered a curse, then said: "I must be dying—I'm hallucinating…"

"You're not hallucinating. But you are indeed dying." Shi Ler stepped forward, knelt beside the collapsed Oliver, unwrapped the leaves bound around his body, and examined the wound on his shoulder.

Removing the shirt strips wrapped around him, Shi Ler finally understood why this island survival journey had transformed Green Arrow from a wealthy playboy into a true hero of hardship.

The wound beneath the strips was horrifying: his entire left shoulder and a large portion of his chest had lost all skin, exposing muscle tissue, which appeared burned—pitted and uneven.

Shi Ler examined it closely and realized it was likely caused by a shotgun blast; the pits were where buckshot had embedded. The burn marks, he guessed, were self-inflicted—Oliver had likely set fire to the wound to prevent further decay.

Shi Ler considered for a moment, then retrieved the medical kit stored in Gray Mist. It contained everything needed to treat wounds; a simple surgery wouldn't be difficult.

Under these conditions, hygiene was irrelevant—speed was paramount. But the only problem was: Oliver was too weak. Performing surgery now might cause his vital signs to plummet rapidly.

Shi Ler took a deep breath and set the medical kit down. He turned to Arthur and said: "His condition is too poor. I can't treat his wound—doing so might cause him to faint or go into shock."

"After the storm passes, we must find him food and clean water first. Only when his strength returns can we operate."

Arthur sighed, gazing at Oliver's pale face. He hadn't expected things to reach this point.

"I thought we could just sail over, pick him up, and leave. But now, even if the boat arrives, we can't take him like this—he'll die on the way…" Arthur sighed deeply. He realized he'd underestimated the situation.

Back in his familiar environment, he'd felt invincible—whether sailing, fishing, or forecasting weather, he'd handled everything effortlessly.

But once the environment changed, things no longer went smoothly. He'd overestimated his abilities, placing himself—and the people he sought to save—in grave danger.

Arthur looked troubled, but Shi Ler remained calm. He said: "Listen. There's a problem you've already noticed—his body temperature is dropping."

"He needs immediate heat, but the humidity inside this cave is too high. The branches he gathered won't ignite. Arthur, you must find a way—or he'll die."

"But what can I do? I… I can't make those branches catch fire. I control water, not fire…"

Arthur froze, then suddenly stood up with a sharp motion, pacing in place. "Right—yes. I control water. So I should be able to control the moisture in the air too. Let me try…"

Arthur closed his eyes, focusing, searching for the same sensation he'd used to manipulate water in the stream. Soon, tiny droplets formed in the air, coalescing into a large water sphere, which Arthur then guided slowly out of the cave.

He exhaled, looked down at his hands, and smiled with delight, his eyes shining as he turned to Shi Ler: "My god, Professor—I never thought I could do this…"

But Shi Ler frowned. He extended a hand, sensing the air, then shook his head. "No. It's useless. Removing moisture from inside the cave won't help—the storm outside continues, and damp air will keep pouring in."

This fissure wasn't truly a cave. A cave requires depth, an inward space. This was merely a narrow crack formed when geological layers fractured and shifted. Though insignificant to the mountain, it was barely large enough for humans to fit inside.

And barely so—three people, two standing, one lying, filled the space entirely. If five people entered, one would surely be soaked.