No, Puzzles is not overheating despite what it looks like. It’s not smoke. It’s a contagion.
“The Xarius was an initiative by the American CIA to make super soldiers. Discovery of bacteria on another plane of existence. Modified into an injectable drug that could boost the survival of soldiers in the field. Or that was the theory. But they wanted more. They flew too close to the sun.
It mutated by their hands and got out due to negligence. It became such a worldwide sickness that twisted the dna of people.”
– Word lore by @fulkrumfullcharge
Something that neither Puzzles nor WPNZ were really aware of after they entered this world. After all, they had no prior knowledge about this strange place. Puzzles didn’t even know the name of what this world made him into. How was he supposed to know that his vents were actually spewing clouds of a bioengineered virus that took over this world?
Fortunately before they could have gotten into contact with some unfortunate uninfected soul, they were found by their good alien friend. Toomp apparently, with a bit more experience in exploring different places actually seemed to identify that "smoke" for what it really was before any unintentional disaster could happen.
It also appears that bioengineered bacteria are a delicacy for an alien slime ball!
Though Puzzles would probably have appreciated a prior warning before having his head covered in living pink goo.
I will also add prior sketch that I had of it. Because why not?