?Chapter 1177:


    “Hey!” Anxiety tinged Eric’s voice. “Brady, give me some sign! Are you hurt? You’ve already escaped once; don’t give up now! My daughter, your niece, she’s waiting for you to save her! Brady, please wake up!”


    As he spoke, the wind ahead grew stronger, and a faint light started to pierce the darkness.


    Eric concluded that the exit must be near!


    “Hold on, Brady. Please. Don’t give up now.”


    If Brady couldn’t persevere, Joy’s crucial surgery would be jeopardized, and that would definitely break Hadley.


    A faint blue light flickered, beckoning them onward.


    Eric’s eyes brightened, his focus sharpening as he peered ahead. With determination, he increased his pace, his left leg now numb, rendering the pain a distant memory.


    The path suddenly opened up.


    He was out!


    The sky, no longer engulfed in darkness, bore a dim light. Eric looked upward, spotting beams of light scattered across the mountain—it was his team!


    Adjusting Brady on his back, Eric gritted his teeth and pushed forward. Then, from behind him, a faint noise emerged.


    “Brady?” Eric stopped and turned slightly. “You’re awake? Can you hear me? Tell me—are you hurt?”


    His eyes widened in horror as theynded on a ck-and-white snake coiled around Brady’s leg.


    A coral snake—deadly poisonous.


    Eric’s body tensed, every hair on end in rm.


    Without hesitation, he raised his arm and swiftly reached for the snake.


    In that critical moment, his mind was clear with one imperative: Brady must remain unharmed. He had to get back to the hospital, to Hadley, to ensure he could undergo the scheduled surgery and save Joy.


    Eric grabbed the snake. At the same moment, he heaved Brady off his back.


    The snake struck, its fangs sinking deep into his arm.


    A sharp jolt of pain shot through Eric.


    Eric gritted his teeth. His face drained of color as he fought to stay focused. But there was no time to react to the pain. He held his breath, mmed the snake hard against the ground, and grabbed a rock. With swift, exact force, he struck its head.


    The snake’s tail jerked violently. Then gradually, ity still, lifeless. Eric let go of it. His legs gave out and he copsed to his knees, gasping for breath.


    He then raised his arm and rolled up his sleeve to check the wound.


    His expression turned even more ashen.


    Near his wrist were two small bite marks.


    He had been bitten twice!


    What about Brady?


    He didn’t know when the snake had wrapped itself around Brady, or whether he had been bitten too.


    “Damn it!” Eric’s breath came in short, strained bursts as he staggered over to Brady and lifted him onto his back again.


    He had to move very fast.


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