The Decaying Dream of America: I Assemble Corpses and Confront Madness

Lin Zheng felt a dull pain in his eardrums, his consciousness was being torn apart and was on the verge of collapse, but he still clung tightly to that blurry clarity.

The scene before me was an indescribable chaos, with distorted spots of light dancing wildly on my retina like overturned paint cans, twisting into phantom images of monstrous creatures baring their fangs and claws.

These illusions, like sticky mud, tried to drag him into an abyss, but with his talent for "mental remodeling," he, like an experienced tailor, forcibly stitched the fragments of his mind back together, one stitch at a time.

Those colorful and chaotic structural lines gradually revealed a kind of ancient pattern in his tired eyes, like blood vessels hidden deep in the world, pulsating with incomprehensible energy, guiding the modified all-terrain vehicle in the right direction.

He gritted his teeth, tasted blood on his tongue, and his hoarse voice echoed in the carriage: "East... seventeen degrees north..." Every word crushed his reason like a millstone. The sweet, fishy smell of rotting plants mixed with burnt sulfur in the air made his stomach churn.

Jeremy gripped the steering wheel tightly, his arm muscles tense, large beads of sweat sliding down his forehead and dripping into his collar. He struggled to translate the fragmented instructions from Lin Zheng into actual steering of the vehicle, as the modified all-terrain vehicle sped across the distorted wasteland shrouded in a gray-yellow mist.

The wheels rolled over rotting plants several times, which emitted a faint glow that flickered on and off with the bumps, like the morbid breathing of the wasteland. Their twisted branches brushed against the car body like living things, making a chilling rustling sound.

The energy permeating the air was so dense it was visible to the naked eye, forming a thick, corrosive film that made every breath heavy and bitter.

The modified gun in Lina's hand remained remarkably stable in the swaying carriage. Her gaze swept across the outside of the window with the vigilance of a hawk, and every slight movement immediately alerted her.

On the wasteland, illusions projected by primal will appear and disappear in the fog. Sometimes they are distorted animal silhouettes with limbs that defy the laws of physics, flashing through the mist and emitting silent howls; sometimes they are phantoms of abandoned cities, skyscrapers dissolving like mud, only to collapse and vanish into nothingness the moment a modified all-terrain vehicle approaches.

The illusory road would often suddenly break off ahead, revealing bottomless cracks, testing Jeremy's driving skills and Lin Zheng's foresight. With each correction, Lin Zheng felt another layer of rationality being stripped away.

Through their coordinated efforts, Lena and Jeremy repelled the phantoms that tried to approach the modified all-terrain vehicle. These phantoms took on various forms; sometimes they resembled twisted beasts with exposed bones, emitting nauseating roars; other times they were like invisible tentacles, suddenly emerging from the ground, each swing accompanied by a cold wind, attempting to entangle the vehicle.

The modified gun in Lina's hand spat out flames, its metallic roar piercing the desolate wasteland. Each repulsion was accompanied by a low, ancient groan, a sound that did not belong to any known creature, yet contained endless pain and curses.

In Lin Zheng's perception, these sounds did not come from the physical realm, but rather from the resonance of spiritual energy, like countless souls struggling in a dream, helplessly wailing in a distorted illusion.

His brain was like an old machine overworked to the point of collapse. Every precise guidance meant that he had to retrieve more "rules" belonging to this wasteland from the abyss of his mind, and in return, he had to endure more indescribable pollution and pain that seeped into his soul.

Arthur Morgan lay quietly in the back seat, his face ashen, his breathing shallow and rapid. Evelyn Reed's face was tense as she adjusted his IV drip, the veins on the back of her hand throbbing slightly. The smell of disinfectant mixed with the stench of blood was particularly pungent in the cramped carriage.

Lin Zheng felt an immense weariness, as if lead weights were pressing down on every nerve, threatening to crush him completely. Deep within his consciousness, he heard a low, clear "sigh," not a human voice, but some ancient being, offering a disdainful "welcome" in a long-forgotten language.

The sigh was heavy and cold, like the entire wasteland breathing, carrying a kind of cosmic indifference, as if saying: Welcome to the depths of my dream, you humble intruder.

Just as Lin Zheng's mental state reached its limit and he was about to completely lose consciousness, the headlights of the modified all-terrain vehicle finally pierced through the deep darkness.

Ahead lay a massive, dark chasm, as if ripped open by a wild beast—the entrance to their destination: the abandoned mine. The jagged rocks at the chasm's edges, illuminated by the car headlights, resembled the gaping maw of a monster, devouring all light.

With its last reserves of power, the modified all-terrain vehicle plunged into the dark entrance. A tremendous roar echoed through the mine, like the howl of a wild beast, before being quickly swallowed up by the deep darkness.

The wheels creaked and groaned as the modified all-terrain vehicle shut off, and a sudden, deathly silence fell over the cabin as only the heavy breathing of a few people echoed in the cramped space. This silence was even more profound than the whispers of the wilderness.

Inside the mine, the damp, musty smell of rocks mingled with the sulfurous odor from deep underground, mixed with a faint metallic rust, creating a sense of oppression. The rock walls here had an eerie bluish-gray hue, seemingly able to naturally absorb all the mental noise from the outside world and isolate themselves from the prying eyes of the wilderness.

Lin Zheng leaned back in his seat, as if all his strength had been drained in an instant. He gasped for breath, each breath feeling like a blade cutting through his throat, a burning pain shooting through his lungs. His face was covered in sweat, which soaked his pale forehead. At this moment, his spirit was like a dried-out orange, with only a thin layer remaining.

However, his eyes gleamed with a mixture of madness and lucidity, a trace of reason and madness dancing on the edge after glimpsing part of the truth.

Despite being exhausted, he at least managed to bring the team to a temporary safe place.

Evelyn immediately leaned forward and wiped his pale forehead with a damp cloth, her fingers gently brushing across his wet hair, the coolness easing his tense nerves slightly.

She whispered to him to relax, but the worry in her eyes betrayed her concern about Lin Zheng's overexertion of his body.

"It's nothing, just... a little exhausted," Lin Zheng replied in a hoarse voice. He felt a long-lost peace, and the silence of the surrounding rocks made the illusions that were swirling in his mind become blurred.

Jeremy and Lena held their modified firearms, the muzzles steadily pointed into the deep darkness of the mine. Their breathing was rapid, but their eyes were filled with vigilance; they did not relax their guard in the slightest despite the temporary safety.

They could still faintly hear whispers from the wasteland, but the sounds had been weakened to almost nothing by the deep darkness of the mine and the thick rock layers, leaving only a faint illusion, proving how real everything they had just experienced was.

After checking on Lin Zheng, Evelyn quickly examined Arthur's injuries. Arthur's breathing was still weak, his face was sickly pale, and the blood in his wounds was very faint.

"The wound is stable, but he has lost too much blood, and... he needs more specialized equipment and more systematic treatment." Evelyn's voice was low and calm, yet it conveyed an undeniable professional judgment. She took out some new bandages and anti-inflammatory drugs from the medical kit and carefully treated Arthur's wound.

Lin Zheng knew that this meant the mine was only a temporary refuge, and they could not stay there for long; a deeper crisis was yet to be revealed.

Looking into Lin Zheng's weary yet stubborn eyes, Evelyn knew he was no longer just an assembler. The glint in his eyes, a light somewhere between madness and insight, revealed that he had embarked on a path of no return.

Her gaze shifted from Lin Zheng's face to the darkness deep within the mine. There, a faint metallic scraping sound suddenly arose, like gears turning slowly and awkwardly, or like some heavy object being dragged across the rough rocky ground.

The sound was extremely faint, yet it sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silence of the mine, like a sharp blade scraping across the heart.

Lina and Jeremy almost simultaneously aimed their modified guns at the direction from which the sound came. The darkness was like a black wall, blocking all vision, but its presence was spreading silently.

Something was already waiting here before they arrived.

After a brief period of calm, Lin Zheng's mind once again sensed a subtle alarm. This time, it wasn't the vast malice of the wasteland, but a more concentrated and specific threat, lurking deep within the mine, slowly but surely approaching their direction.

Deep within the mine, there seemed to be more than just cold rocks and darkness; some dormant life, governed by a mechanical rhythm, was slowly awakening. Had they simply stepped from one cage into an even deeper trap?

"I'll go check it out." Jeremy took a deep breath, his taut muscles betraying his alertness. His flashlight beam pierced the darkness, leaving flickering spots of light on the rough mine walls.

Lena didn't speak, but silently lowered the muzzle of her gun slightly, signaling Jeremy to move to her side and rear, with her acting as the scout. Her figure blended into the darkness, her movements light and silent, leaving only the beam of her flashlight flickering in front of her.

"Be careful, that's not a living being... at least not entirely." Lin Zheng warned hoarsely, trying to suppress his dizziness. He vaguely sensed a mechanical coldness and order mixed in with the alarm, completely different from the chaotic will of the wasteland.

The mine tunnels were rugged and uneven, with gravel and occasional puddles underfoot, their footsteps echoing through the pits. The damp, musty smell grew stronger, occasionally mixed with a burnt odor reminiscent of an electrical short circuit.

Jeremy followed closely behind Lena, beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, the beam of his spare flashlight straining against him. With every few steps forward, the faint grinding sound grew clearer, no longer the clunky creak of a single gear, but like multiple components of some large machine operating in sync, carrying a heavy, ancient rhythm, emanating from the depths ahead.

Suddenly, Lina stopped and raised her gun. At the end of the beam, a huge, distorted silhouette loomed in the darkness. It stood there motionless, like an abandoned ancient mining machine, but not quite.

It was a giant mining machine half-buried in collapsed rocks, its main body covered in rust. However, on its top, a strangely shaped body made of an unknown metal was conspicuously attached. This body had six thick mechanical legs, each with a huge steel claw at the end, which were now deeply embedded in the rock walls on both sides of the mine tunnel, seemingly climbing or supporting something.

At its core, a dark red light seeped through the gaps in the layers of armor, faint yet resolute, like some kind of evil life force.

"It's... an abandoned 'Pioneer' series mech..." Lina said softly, a hint of seriousness in her voice. These large mining mechs usually come with simple armaments, but to find them deep in the wasteland, and to have them modified beyond recognition, is anything but ordinary.

As they approached, the six mechanical legs slowly began to move, each friction sound like iron grinding against bone. The dark red light suddenly became blinding, and two circular optical sensors, like the pupils of a giant beast, lit up on the mech's "head," locking onto the intruders.

Lin Zheng closed his eyes in the carriage, his mind highly focused, trying to glean more information from the "Pioneer" mech. His "Mental Recalibration" talent, like a broken mirror, reflected the complex signals inside the mech: an ancient serial number, a maliciously tampered operating system, and an unusually vigorous and aggressive energy response.

It does not passively defend, but actively hunts. Moreover, its core drive is not purely mechanical, but mixed with some kind of strange, biological nerve-like pulse, like a corrupted soul attached to a steel shell.

"It... has been 'awakened'. There are remnants of non-material energy in the core drive system!" Lin Zheng suddenly opened his eyes, his tone urgent, each word sounding like it was being squeezed from his lungs.

Lina fired, the gunshots deafening in the narrow mine tunnel. Bullets tore through the air, tracing orange paths, striking precisely the edge of the mech's optical sensors. Sparks flew, but the mech only shuddered slightly before continuing its unscathed, slowly approaching them.

Its speed wasn't fast, but it was filled with a sense of oppression. Each step of its six thick mechanical legs was accompanied by a dull thud and the tumbling of small stones. The air was filled with the smell of rusty metal from heating up, as well as a sharp, hissing sound similar to an electric current stimulating the nerves.

The mech's core energy suddenly expanded, emitting a deep hum, accompanied by a visible shockwave that slammed directly into Lina and Jeremy. The sudden impact forced them back several steps, a sharp pain shooting through their eardrums.

"Damn it!" Jeremy cursed, steadying himself against the rock wall. Lina's expression was grave; the mech's defense and attack power far exceeded expectations, surpassing the capabilities of conventional mining equipment.

"Aim at the power interface at the base of its fourth mechanical leg on the right! That's its weak point!" Lin Zheng's voice rang out again, trembling from overexertion, but the location he pointed to was shockingly precise.

Without hesitation, Lina changed targets, her modified weapon quickly locking onto the location Lin Zheng had indicated. She ducked low to avoid the mech's next attack, leaping into the air with lightning speed in the confined space, twisting her body to create a tricky firing angle.

"Bang!"

A precise, explosive bullet struck a noticeably loose, square joint where the mech's fourth leg on the right side connected to the main body. The joint, originally covered by a layer of rusted armor plating, had been breached by the impact. The bullet, carrying immense kinetic energy, darted into the tiny opening like a fiery serpent.

"Snap! Sizzle—"

Sparks danced wildly inside the mech, accompanied by a piercing short-circuit sound. The struck mechanical leg paused stiffly for a moment, then emitted a teeth-grinding metallic scraping sound. The entire mech swayed; although it didn't come to a complete stop, its forward speed noticeably slowed, its center of gravity began to shift to the right, and its gait became unsteady.

"Keep attacking that position!" Lin Zheng shouted, blood seeping from his nose, but his eyes were fixed on the swaying mech, trying to catch the next opening in the attack.

Jeremy realized what was happening and immediately picked up several sharp pieces of ore from the ground, hurling them at the mech's optical sensors in an attempt to disrupt its vision and buy Lena time. Although he didn't have Lena's precision marksmanship, as a heavy mechanic, he knew how to create a commotion.

Taking advantage of the brief opening created by Jeremy, Lina launched another attack. The second and third bullets, with unwavering resolve, followed the same trajectory, precisely piercing the damaged power interface. The internal short circuit worsened, and crimson energy flickered violently within the mech's core, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

"Boom!"

With a deafening roar, accompanied by a blinding white light and a pungent, acrid smell, the mech's fourth mechanical leg snapped off completely in the violent internal explosion, sending twisted metal fragments flying and embedding themselves deeply into the surrounding rock walls.

The mech lost its balance, and after a violent jolt, its massive body finally collapsed with a crash, landing in the center of the mine tunnel and kicking up clouds of dust. The dark red optical sensor flickered a few times before finally going silent, like a extinguished will-o'-the-wisp.

Lena and Jeremy cautiously approached, making sure it was completely out of danger. A strong, acrid smell filled the entire mine shaft, a nauseating mixture of dirt and rust.

"It's resolved... at least for now." Lina breathed a sigh of relief, her tense nerves finally relaxing for a moment.

"Yes, temporarily," Lin Zheng replied weakly, his voice barely audible. Although the mecha had been subdued, his deeper intuition told him that this was just the tip of the iceberg. The non-material energy fluctuations had not completely dissipated; they had merely hidden themselves, lurking deeper within, as if waiting to awaken more "sleepers."

Evelyn nervously observed everything from beside the modified all-terrain vehicle. Once the crisis was over, she rushed forward, supporting the weakened Lin Zheng and anxiously checking on him. Several streaks of blood trickled from his nose onto his collar, a horrifying sight.

"Lin Zheng, you can't keep overdrawing yourself like this!" Evelyn's tone was pleading and anxious. She knew that every time Lin Zheng used his talent, he was drawing power from his life force.

"It's okay..." Lin Zheng shook his head, trying to comfort her, but his gaze passed through Evelyn and looked once again into the deeper darkness of the mine.

There, a deep, incomprehensible resonance seemed to be faintly emanating from there. Although it was not as obvious as the previous mechs, it was as regular as a heartbeat, as if some ancient mechanism deep within the mine was slowly restarting.

This abandoned mine was far more complex and dangerous than they had imagined. It was not a simple refuge, but rather a meticulously designed trap, waiting for its prey to walk right into it. The "sighs" of the wasteland mingled with the roar of machinery deep within the mine, foreshadowing a deeper and more deadly nightmare they were about to step into.